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“No.” He looked away for a moment. “I’m sorry, Ivy, not yet.”
“Go on.”
“Frank is arriving tomorrow, and you, he, and Daniel will make the official report.” I let out a huff of air and moved my hands to my hips, needing some kind of anchor. “He’s already made a few calls, so it won’t just be the CID on the call. Criminal Investigations—”
“Department. I know.” I cut him off again, so I closed my eyes and pressed my lips together hard as I realized I was being rude. I looked up and made sure to look him square in the eyes. “My apologies, Cole. I know you’re only relaying information to me.” My voice wavered, and I cleared my throat. “I’m afraid I’ve discovered I’m not very good at being on this side of the conversation.”
“No one is, particularly when you’re generally on the opposite one.” He smiled warmly. “Look, Ivy, I won’t lie. This isn’t going to be easy. It’ll get worse before it gets better. But you’re safe here, and you’ve got a bunch of strong women to lean on. Each of them has been through tough experiences of their own, and I know if you take time to confide in any of them, they’ll offer you advice and will support you in any way they can.” He stood and waved his arm. “And our entire property is guarded with some of the best trained soldiers the US Army has. No one can touch you here.”
I had once thought I was completely safe in my office but held back that comment.
“Thanks.” I forced a smile. “Are we finished?”
“For now, yes.” He motioned that I could leave, and I rushed out and headed for some much-needed air. I zipped out the front door, and as I reached the landing, I felt something soft jump over me, but I was too rattled to care. I headed for the protection of the shadows. Once I was safely tucked away on a bench where I was sure no one could see me, I let my guard down. Tears streamed down my face, my heart raced, and I fought to breathe. I knew I had to do this. I knew it was the right thing to do. It was my job to do it, but that didn’t make me any less human. Any less terrified of being in the spotlight in front of him.
Jesus, Ivy, breathe!
My arms started to shake, and I felt my control slip away. Panic tore through me, and I let out a small cry. Shit, shit, shit. I knew what was happening, but I couldn’t stop it. My mind spun, my heart wanted to claw its way out of my chest, my knees went weak.
“Whoa,” someone said from far away, “I know that look.” Hands appeared in front of me, and he held them up. “I’m going to touch you now. Is that all right?” I somehow nodded. His warm hands covered mine and started to massage my palms. “Focus on your hands, channel all of the panic down to me, and let me get rid of it.” His voice was low and raspy. A faint smell of pine found my nose and gave one of my senses something to focus on. “Good.” He continued to rub my hands, and I slowly came back down. “Now, breathe with me, in and out.” His breath brushed over my face, and I found myself drawn to it. The black spots cleared from my vision as I took in the man in front of me.
Damn.
The shadows limited my view of his features, but I knew he was tall, large, and solid.
“Are you okay now?” He still rubbed, and I wasn’t sure where my voice went.
“Yes.” I sniffed but still felt some of the rawness nip at my chest just to make sure I knew it was still there. “Thank you.”
“Glad I was here to help.” He slowly let go of my hands, and I looked down at them as I felt the loss of his warm touch. I let them drop to my thighs. “Panic attacks don’t go away on their own, you know. You might want to see someone about it.”
“Yeah,” I chuckled darkly, using the back of my hand to pat my face dry, “maybe.”
“Are you coming inside?”
“I think I need a minute.”
“All right, then.” He paused.
“Ivy,” I said before he left.
“Ty.” He used the same short introduction. I nodded as he scooped up his bag and disappeared toward the house. I wanted to follow him. I felt a need to see what he actually looked like, but my feet stayed rooted in place. Yeah, I needed another moment.
Location: Rosarito, Mexico
Coordinates: Cartel Operations
Eric
Sweat trickled down my neck and soaked the collar of my shirt, which only added to the discomfort I was already in. The gold chain around my neck heated and seemed to burn my skin as the temperature continued to rise in the small room. I fingered my cross and adjusted the position of the chain. I hated the summer heat but was glad of the fact that I became more useful in the summer. The tourists who plagued the tropical coast looking for a good time constantly passed by the window. I curled my lips at the sight of them, so carefree. Little did they know what was happening a mere six feet away.
“Why is a gringo here?” The asshole client shot me a nasty look, but I gave no sign I even heard him.
“He’s one of ours. He might look like a tourist but that’s good, no? No one suspects he works for us,” Alejandro explained.
I oversaw these meetings, but I liked to get a feel of who I was working with before I showed who I really was. That was where my buddy Alejandro came into play. He started the meetings, and I ended them.
“He looks like American beef.” The asshole slapped his arm and showed a tight arm muscle as he laughed, making fun of my big build. “Doesn’t seem like he has much for brains either.”
