Page 52 of Frost and Venom

“That,” Raine said, “or they would have sold the baby to the highest bidder for adoption. That isn’t an uncommon practice.”

“We’re assuming this girl is Guadalupe for all intents and purposes right now,” Zahra said. “She’s dumped in the middle of a dangerous cartel’s territory, and she’s pregnant. They want her for their trafficking ring. What’s the one thing she has to bargain with?”

“The fact that her child is the senator’s son,” Harlow answered immediately. “It wouldn’t be difficult to prove it. Getting a DNA sample from the senator wouldn’t be hard because if he happens to be at a campaign office, he’s leaving tons of DNA behind. The cartel would be able to blackmail him for an eternity. And if he was running for president, they’d have someone in their pocket.”

In all the scenarios Harlow had envisioned with her half sibling, she’d never considered that the boy could be used against her father.

“Do we know if the senator is being blackmailed?” Stella asked Raine.

“It’s going to take some digging if he is,” Raine said. “I only just got my laptop back,” she added, as if she felt she hadn’t done enough already. “I’ll find the evidence if he is being blackmailed.”

Harlow was happy to hear that she sounded confident, more like the old Raine. But…What had Rush said? Raine feared her friends wouldn’t feel the same way about her if she couldn’t get important information for them. Were they reinforcing that feeling by asking—no, expecting—her to do the research for them?

“You don’t have to do that, Raine. When you’re tired, stop. I mean that. We want you to get healthy. If you never type another word into your computer, we’re totally okay with that,” Harlow felt compelled to say.

“I will,” Raine agreed. “Rush has me practicing saying no to the General. It’s a little hilarious to stare at myself in the mirror and talk to someone who isn’t there.”

“Why does that man think he’s exempt from the rules?” Stella demanded. “He calls you night and day, no matter if you’re on vacation or not, even when you’re working for someone else. He expects you to drop everything and attend to his emergencies. Which, by the way, he always seems to be having.”

Raine laughed. “That’s true. Everything he wants or needs is an emergency, in his opinion. I shouldn’t have been so accommodating, but he makes me laugh. I started with him at a time when I really needed to find my sense of humor again. He took a chance on me when no one else would. I was young, looked even younger, a woman, and my father was a mob boss. Blom wouldn’t even consider me.”

“That’s because he lives in the dark ages and thinks women are inferior to men,” Harlow pointed out. “You’re so busy all the time, I thought those agencies all came after you.”

“The General did, but I was actively looking for contracts when I first moved up here. I had to jump through hoops to get the various clearances needed, but it was worth it. The General sort of paved the way. He’s harsh and abrasive, but he’s a brilliant man.” She flashed a small grin. “You know what that means. I can talk to him without wanting to scream. At least most of the time. He’s a gamer. Not my thing.”

Her head went up alertly, and she touched the small device in her ear. “Guadalupe’s coming up the drive. They’re opening the gates for her.”

Chapter Twelve

Guadalupe Brown was a naturally beautiful woman. She had amazing skin, gorgeous brown eyes and a wealth of shiny black hair that was thick and fell in soft waves to her shoulders. She was forty-six years old but easily looked ten years younger. She didn’t appear to have a line on her face.

She was all smiles, greeting each of the women, with the exception of Raine, with a familiar hug. Harlow couldn’t detect any hesitation on her part when they embraced. She fussed over Raine and looked for a moment as if she might burst into tears.

“I heard you had a terrible fall and there was a rumor of a rattlesnake biting you,” Guadalupe greeted Raine. “I can see those rumors aren’t far from the truth.”

Raine nodded. “I did get bitten and fall from a boulder I was climbing, but fortunately Rainier was already on the way, so I was able to receive medical treatment immediately.”

Guadalupe looked around the house at the great room, the dining room and kitchen, everything that could be seen from her position. “Shabina, this is amazing. The interior is gorgeous, and it smells like a dream. It isn’t at all the same house that you purchased. You’ve managed to make it far more beautiful than it already was.”

Shabina looked pleased. “Thank you. I love this place so much. The moment you showed it to me, I knew this was the one I wanted to settle in.”

“Did you envision these changes right away?” Guadalupe asked, wandering around the room looking at the windows and great arches that led from one room to another.

Shabina nodded. “I knew what I wanted, and luckily, I had a little help. Rainier has always been in charge of my security, and he had a lot of ideas.”

Guadalupe laughed. “Trying to get in here was like entering a military base but much more difficult.”

Harlow met Raine’s eyes briefly. Why would Guadalupe know about getting onto a military base? She was a real estate agent. She wasn’t married to a military man. What reason would she have to go onto one?

“My husband is Rainier Ashcroft.” Shabina laughed and made a little face. “He owns an international security company. They even train the dogs on this property, so we constantly have a rotation of new dogs along with ours. He definitely looks out for me.”

“I read the newspaper reports, Shabina. I had no idea you’d been through all of that.” Guadalupe’s voice was soft and sincere. If she was acting, she deserved an Oscar. “I’m so terribly sorry.”

Shabina kept her smile. “I have Rainier, Guadalupe, and my friends, including you. Let’s eat while everything is hot. I made several of my favorite dishes, hoping to impress you. I happen to know you’re a very good cook.”

Guadalupe threw her head back and laughed, the sound so enticing it was difficult not to join in. Eventually, as they made their way into the dining room, where the food was set up in warmers and ice trays, Guadalupe denied Shabina’s statement.

“I despise cooking. I always have. When I was a kid, I worked with my mother cleaning houses. She also cooked for some of her clients. I did not like it one bit and was always willing to do any of the cleaning if I could stay out of the kitchen. Later, I chose three dishes that were easy to make and I knew most people liked. That way, if I had company, I could feed them a decent meal. If you’re only cooking three things, you can get fairly good at it.”