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“Must be a relief to be in a country that’s more civilized.”
She scoffed and looked him straight in the eye. “Not from where I’m standing.” She tried to extricate her buggy, but he blocked her again. “You still have family there, huh?”
“Yes, my sister Maria and her family. I hope to bring them here. That’s why I’m saving everything I make.”
She had a sister.Bingo. From their research, Ray had discovered that Rosa was from a city near Lake Maracaibo…What was it?…Right,El Vigia. He would bet his whole bonus on the fact that Jack was holed up with Rosa’s sister somewhere in Rosa’s hometown.
“Good luck with that, and it’ll be nice to see Jack when she gets back.” He removed the barrier, and the woman gave him a glinting unpleasant look and pushed on with her shopping.
Kyle chuckled.Stupid bitch. He pulled out his cell phone and pressed his uncle’s number.
* * *
Jack poutedfor the rest of the day. She was being a bitch, but it was because she was more annoyed with the situation than she was with Easy. He was doing his job regardless of her feelings about it…no, that wasn’t true. She was being a bitch. He explained it very well. He was in the military, and she was his mission.
She was just fucking terrified of losing him.
She went back into the room toward the end of the day, but Easy was sleeping. Juan had come to her, and they’d had a brief conversation before he left this morning. What he’d said galvanized her.Don’t aggravate the SEAL, chica. Nothing you can say will change his mind. Just go with it. Let him save you from Ramos.
She fingered the white bag she’d gotten from some woman she didn’t even know in that shantytown. Another random act of kindness she hadn’t expected. She opened the bag and pulled her Jimmy Choos out. If she hadn’t balked back at the prison, she would already be home and Easy would be some mysterious special operator she’d met during her rescue. Either way, these Choos had been tantamount in one of her worst decisions, which was simultaneously one of the best in her life.
She could never regret this time with Easy, no matter how awful, terrifying, or dangerous it was. He’d helped her to see something she’d been missing all her life.
She clasped the shoes, left the bedroom, and went back downstairs. Maria was in the kitchen cooking up an abundance of food Maria hadn’t seen in a long time. She was a widow, her husband killed in a protest, leaving her with her precious Hugo and two babies. She worked hard for a pittance at a bodega to put food on the table while Rosa worked at saving enough to get them all to the United States with her.
Jack’s identity was no longer tied to material things like these heels. They were just Jimmy Choos now. Beautiful, fun to own and wear, but just objects. She had all she needed to validate herself.
Maria frowned and wiped her hands on her apron. She offered the shoes to Maria. “These are beautiful, Jack.”
“I want you to have them.”
Maria’s eyes widened and she backed up. “Oh, no. I couldn’t.”
Jack stepped closer, reaching out and putting Maria’s hands on the shoes. “These are very rare and will bring you a lot of money. Sell them and provide for your family. When I get home, Rosa and I are going to have a talk about your future.”
“Is this to repay us?”
“Maybe, Maria. Does it matter that these frivolous high heels are good for only what you can get for them? There are more important things in life. Like providing for Hugo, Sofia, and Rafael.” A painful lump formed in her throat, and her voice was nearly inaudible when she said, “They are wonderful. Hugo is so smart and outgoing. He deserves every chance to thrive. And your twins are so young. They need so much. I love you all, so take them, please.”
Maria’s face softened. “You’re right. They are all that matter to me.” She accepted the heels from Jack and set them on the shelf above the stove. “Thank you.”
“No, thank you. You saved Easy and gave us shelter, exposing you and your family to a monster.” She turned to find Easy standing in the doorway, looking pretty stable. “Shouldn’t you be resting?”
“I had to find you to make sure you didn’t follow through on your threat.”
She waved her hand. “I don’t want the wrath of Tex to come down on your head. He sounds pretty tough.”
“Tough as nails, Jack, but he’s fair.”
“Let’s get you back upstairs.” He felt so good against her, solid and warm…and alive. She wanted him to stay that way. But as he said, he was part of something bigger than himself. “I’m sorry I was a bitch. I do respect what you do, I just don’t want anything to happen to you. But that’s the point, isn’t it, Easy? You run toward the bullets.”
“Aw, Jack. We’ll get through it. I promise you. I won’t rest until you're home.”
She stopped on the landing and turned into his arms. “I know you won’t. It’s just one of the things I admire about you. I guess we’re leaving in the morning.”
He nodded, quietly contemplating her, his gaze warm and intimate. “You did something good there, babe,” he said softly. “Downstairs with Maria.”
Tears blurred her vision and she blinked. God. She loved him. Those words from him meant more to her than all the Jimmy Choos in the world.
