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I do remember seeing him when I’d first met Dee. His eyes had been as aggressive as fire.
Does he suspect her? And now me since he’s seen us together twice? No. If he suspected, he’d take me to Walid.
It seems a bit of a coincidence, though, that he’s seen me twice with Dee. Was he in the area? Or is he having me followed? Neither seems likely. That leads me to wonder… and here’s a disturbing thought… could Armand have hired the two men to go after Rosa? Is Armand El Rico Ladrón?
Alarm settles in my gut. If Dee is right and thereisa serial killer, it could be Armand. Wouldn’t put anything past him. Before Walid, he worked for the cartels. He’s had powerful contacts in the area for decades, but no real power of his own, no real business of his own. Man is angry and violent and as invisible as one can get while still being knee-deep in some of the dirtiest shite out there.
What could he get away with if he wanted?
“What’s this about? Surely one nun can’t warrant so much attention from you.”
“Nun.” He snorts in disgust. “She looks like a whore to me.”
Anger snakes over my skin, raising the hair on my arms and neck. I play it as cool as I can with my gut churning and my fists clenched. “Whore, nun, makes no difference to me.” The words nearly dry up in my throat as my stomach turns over. “You want me to stay away from her, no worries.”
If it’d keep her from Armand’s mind, I’d stay a mile from Dee. But it won’t so I need to be very careful when I do meet her.
Armand stops digging at his nails. The room goes so quiet I can hear the pounding base from the club downstairs and nearly the sound of the muscle ticking in Armand’s jaw before he lurches forward.
“To be clear, I want you to stay away from her and any woman in town who could make you hard. The rest, you can have.”
Clear enough. “Right. No worries. How about that meeting?”
Armand lets out a long low breath, seemingly satisfied with me backing down.
For my part, I can’t bring this fucker and his boss down fast and hard enough.
Armand nods. “I’ll arrange your meeting. Tell me more about the border cards.”
He wants to take credit. Fine by me. The goal is the goal. But I damn sure can’t wait to get to the heavy bag in my building’s basement and pound on it like it was Armand’s face.
10
DADA
After a long and grueling lunch crowd, the soup kitchen finally slows down and the cafeteria begins to empty of people and noise. I grab a rag and wipe splatters from around the food well, as the other sisters also start to clean up.
My exhausted mind drifts to Sean Bradford and the details on Walid he’s provided. It’s a gold mine. Because of what he’s shared, my unit is working on moving up the timeline for taking out Walid and his brother. To think years of planning could all come to fruition by year’s end has me nearly giddy.
I need more time to research what he’s brought us, but a new group of refugees has come through, flooding the town with new mouths to feed and new stories to hear. I’ve barely had a moment these last few days, but even with all the activity, it hasn’t escaped my notice that Rosa hasn’t shown with Carlos today.
A thread of unease slides into my chest and grabs my attention. This feeling isn’t something I can ignore. I don’t ignore my instincts. I need to check on Rosa and Carlos.
Turning to Sister Lupe I ask, “Have you seen Rosa today?”
Lifting a tray from the food well with a set of tongs, she shakes her head. “No.” She shrugs. “She’s probably continued her journey north.”
“No, she hasn’t.” I would know. “And she wouldn’t skip lunch, because she has a small child to feed.”
“Perhaps the child is sick.”
Maybe. I put away the washcloth. “I’m going to check on her, to make sure. Do you think anyone will mind?”
Sister Lupe drops the tray with a clang, spilling water across the area I just cleaned. “Imind. You have been shirking your duties, and though Sister Angelica gives you leave to do so, I am not her. You will stay and do your job.”
Praying for patience, recognizing the difficulty in putting together a new undercover identity, I bite my tongue, nod respectfully, and keep working.
Sister Lupe picks up the tray and moves off, and I watch as she exits into the back. The kitchen door swings closed.
