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She shuddered, not wanting to think what that might be with a teenage girl. “I’ll kill him.”
Jax said nothing, didn’t give her any reassuring hand squeeze. He just let her be. Probably a good idea considering the knife edge her nerves were on right now.
“She’s still here?”
He had the laptop on his knees, the brightness of the screen turned all the way down though it still amounted to a decent glow she hoped didn’t draw the wrong attention. With the steady rainfall visibility was reduced enough they might be all right. “Yes, she’s still here. Or the necklace is, at least.”
Kenna bounced her knee.
“You know why we can’t just bust in and search every room.”
She kept bouncing it, trying to let out some of the pent-up frustration.
“He could have her with him.”
“Then I’ll kill him and take her.” She clenched down on her molars.
Jax motioned to the building. “When he has armed guards?”
She hissed. “Ramon doesn’t know that.” But still, it lent credence to Jax’s order that they sit here and let this play out. See what Ramon could accomplish with Elliot Preston. Give the FBI the evidence that would connect Elliot to the open case they were working.
Even if she didn’t like it.
“Preston.” Ramon’s voice came through the phone speaker, the cell on the dash in front of them. They’d opted for a phone call they could record with the laptop.
It had better be worth it.
Maizie had to be in there—and she had to believe that Kenna would never let her be lost again.
“So you’re him.” Elliot’s voice had a lethal tone to it.
Kenna leaned forward, itching to hear something from Maizie.
“And you’re the guy who bailed on Navarro to take some girl from the ranch?” Ramon’s tone dripped with disdain. “You could’ve saved his life, but you ran because you got what you wanted.”
“My business.”
Maizie wasn’t in the room, and Elliot wasn’t going to talk about where she was, or what he had planned for her? Kenna glanced at Jax. He held her gaze with that steady stare she needed to see.
Through the phone line, Ramon said, “You left so soon. Seems like you’re not interested in salvaging what we can now that Navarro and Ian Kartom are both dead.”
Elliot didn’t answer right away. “I have my business. They have theirs.”
“Not anymore. Your supply will run out, and you might not find whoever takes their place so amenable to provide what you…need.” Ramon paused. “Your arrangement with Kart is over now he’s dead.”
“My cousin made his own way in the world.” Elliot paused. “My brothers needed employees, and he provided. Who says that had anything to do with me?”
“This isn’t a sting operation.” Ramon chuckled. “You think American law enforcement would trust a turncoat like me to get you to admit what you’ve done?” He laughed louder. “That’s rich. I couldn’t care less where the feds are now. Who I surround myself with is a means to an end.”
“And the same would be true with me?”
“I figure we can make it worth both our time,” Ramon said. “Neither of us can afford to be on the radar of some Homeland Security Investigations’ international taskforce. Or the FBI office across the border. You’ve done a stellar job being a silent partner so far. Why not keep the good stuff coming?”
“While you take care of everything here?”
“The goal is a good life, right?” Ramon paused. “You visit on the regular, I’ll make it worth your while. Plenty of fish in the sea where that girl you’ve got came from. If that’s your thing. Or you tell me what interests you. I can fill orders. You and I can divvy up what Kart had going on, and Navarro’s operation.”
“Drugs?”
