Page 51 of Safeguarding the Witness

“Not as long as Julio is in the picture,” Kiki said. “He’s a wild card. Dabbles in drug sales, fancy guns and blowing things up. A dangerous man.”

“But why would he care about me?” she asked.

“Your connection to Princesa. Besides, a man like Julio doesn’t need a logical reason.” Kiki reached forward to tap his keyboard, preparing to end their conversation. “Good luck. I have a feeling you’re going to need it.”

When the screen went blank, Mollie recoiled. “That doesn’t make any sense at all. Julio told me that Madison was having a baby.”

Spence hadn’t heard this part of the story. “What else?”

“He wants me to live with them and be the nanny to his heir. According to him, the whole reason they’re trying to abduct me is because Madison wants her family around. Then, and only then, she’ll agree to marry Julio.”

Something about this story didn’t ring true. Spence had seen Madison, and she didn’t look pregnant. It could still be in early stages, not showing. “Are you sure she’s expecting?”

“I’m not sure about anything.” She paced across his bedroom and back to the computer. “What did you think of Kiki?”

“He added a few important details we didn’t know,” he said. “Julio is having an affair with Raquel Diaz.”

“Allegedly,” she said.

“And she’s carrying his baby.”

“Again, unsubstantiated gossip.”

“I tend to believe Kiki’s warning. You, your father and probably even Madison will never be safe as long as Julio is at large. He’s a danger to all of you.”

“I have to agree with that.” She circled his chair and perched on his lap. “To get him arrested, we need to find him. The way we do that is by following my sister.”

He didn’t understand her reasoning. “They aren’t traveling together. It sounds like she’s mad about Marshal Youngblood double-crossing her and working for Julio. Why do you think she knows where he is?”

“She hasn’t given up on Julio. Not yet.” Mollie swiveled around to face him. “My sister has a thing for bad boys, especially good-looking ones like Julio Flores. Comes as no surprise that after he abducted her, she fell in love with him. She sees him as mysterious and exciting.”

“And a sociopath,” he added.

“We’re talking about my twin. Not me.”

He nodded. “Does that mean you’ve never taken a walk on the wild side?”

“Riding on the back of a motorcycle is as wild as I get.”

“I’m taking lessons to learn how to fly a chopper.”

She gave him a light kiss. “A bad boy would steal the helicopter and figure out how to use it while he was already in the air.”

That sounded like something Julio might try. Spence had always been puzzled by why women like Madison were drawn to guys like Julio. “I don’t get it.”

“There’s something about wanting to fix him,” Mollie said. “She works hard at a business, makes a big success and brings him into it so he can strut around and have people compliment him. It’s like he’s a broken toy, and she has the magic glue to make him whole again.”

Behind her shoulder, he saw the screen of the laptop come to life. It showed Jamison’s kitchen, where he was still gnawing at leftover pizza and drinking coffee. He complimented them both on their interview with Kiki. Apparently, the undercover agent had a reputation for being prickly.

“But you got him chatting,” Jamison said. “I think he’s in love with Madison, and he liked looking at Mollie and pretending.”

“Really?” She groaned. “Did you have to go and say something like that? I was just beginning to like you.”

“I call it like I see it,” he said. “I’ll keep you both posted on anything new we learn. In the meantime, I want to warn you about going after Julio on your own. Leave him to us.”

“The FBI?” Mollie asked archly. “Or Homeland Security or any of the other alphabet agencies?”

“Don’t forget the US Marshals,” Spence said. “Or Salem SWAT. Or local police. Why should we back off, Jamison? Doesn’t seem like law enforcement has had much success.”