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She huffed. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”
“I’m not. One way or another, things will get worked out.” Unlike most of the men at Echelon Protection, he hadn’t ever worked on the blacker side of things, but he wouldn’t hesitate to break every law necessary if it would mean keeping the woman he loved safe.
Liv closed her eyes and snuggled her cheek against his chest. He took a moment to inhale her sweet scent, peach shampoo mixed with a wild scent that was all her.
“I don’t know what he’s going to say, but you know we have contacts in the Cartel. They’ve cut Luis loose since this wasn’t his first fuck up. Which is why he’s gone into hiding. The DEA has enough evidence, even without your video, to put him away for life. Once we get him behind bars, you won’t be a target anymore.”
And if the man looked like he was going to try to seek revenge, they had contacts inside prison that would be happy to arrange an accident, for the right price.
“I’m also afraid that I’m going to wake up and discover the last week has just been some sort of weird dream. That I’m back inside my crappy apartment and have to go back to trying to juggle two jobs. It’s hard to believe this,” she made a gesture to encompass both of them. “is real.”
Sean kissed the top of her head. “This is very real. I’m not going anywhere.”
Liv turned in his arms and looked up at him. Her obvious fear drove him to make sure that once this was over, no one ever hurt her again.
“My whole life has been about my sister. Is it selfish that I’ve kinda enjoyed not having to worry about anything but me and you for the last week?”
“No. I think you’ve earned the rest. I’ve loved being here with you. It’s been a while since I’ve unplugged from everything. You’ll laugh, but this is the closest thing to a vacation I’ve taken in years.” The smile she gave him had warmth spreading in his chest.
“Aren’t vacations supposed to have tropical beaches and drinks with umbrellas? I don’t think being locked up in a tiny cabin in the mountains with patrolling guards counts as a vacation.”
He laughed, loving how she could joke even when overcome with nerves. “Tell you what, once this whole thing is over, I’ll take you to a tropical beach if you promise you’ll wear a little bikini for me.”
She smacked his chest, laughter sparkling in her eyes.
“Is that a no?” Sean asked.
“Fine. If you let me put your suntan lotion on.”
“Deal.” Like he would ever say no to having her hands all over his body. He leaned down and gently kissed her lips in a way that he hoped showed her how much he loved her.
She melted into him with a moan. He was ready to sweep her off her feet and say screw the DEA when he heard a car approaching. He growled his frustration and pressed his forehead against hers.
Chapter12
Liv
Liv had to admit she was a little disappointed by Special Agent Hassick. Maybe she’d watched too much TV, but she’d expected him to be more James Bond than a character from office space. His gray suit was too tight in some places and not even slightly tailored. From what she could tell, his shirt hadn’t ever seen an iron and his tie was sloppy. Instead of sleek and mysterious, he appeared frustrated and tired. If it wasn’t for his kind smile and extremely fit physique, she would have written him off as someone who didn’t have a hope of helping her.
To be fair, the man was probably more comfortable in fatigues or a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. How shallow was it that she was judging the man’s competence by his appearance? His posture and attitude did imply he was ex-military and as a friend of Austin’s, that made sense. She needed to trust in Sean’s assurance that Agent Hassick was the best person for the job.
The hour they had spent going over in excruciating detail the night she had recorded the video of the drug deal had been aggravating. Liv was pretty sure Agent Hassick could recreate every moment of her night by memory. His polite and understanding tone hadn’t eased her frustration. After the number of repetitions had passed three, she’d been ready to scream. How could this possibly help find Luis?
Liv’s knee bounced with agitation. The three of them were gathered around the kitchen like some sort of social get together. She had needed the days of rest and relaxation but now she wanted to be out there doing something, not sitting around talking. Agent Hassick tapped his pen on his notepad.
“We’ve reviewed the files on the USB drive. That was some impressive work for a civilian. Have you ever considered going into law enforcement?”
Was that some sort of backhanded compliment?
“Thanks, but no thanks. Pretty sure they don’t take high school dropouts. Do you think it will be enough to put him away?”
She’d had dreams of college and a career before she’d ended up homeless with her sister. Then her focus had been trying to make sure her sister didn’t burn out. When that failed, she’d become obsessed with the plan to make Luis pay for his crimes. For two years, that had been her only goal. The fear that he would once again slip away from justice haunted her dreams. Any naïve belief that the court system was fair had been destroyed at her sister’s murder trial. So many times she’d imagined taking a more permanent revenge but hadn’t been able to bring herself to step over that line.
Hassick sighed. “If we can get him to trial, the chances are good. Unfortunately, he’s vanished. We’ve used your records to set up surveillance at his usual haunts, but so far, nothing.”
“Could he have gone back to Mexico?” She asked.
“Unlikely. Our sources say that his family cut him off after the public attention the attempted kidnapping at the courthouse brought. There is a rumor that there is a price on his head if he can be taken out before he is captured. Apparently, he wasn’t on good terms after the publicity he drew with your sister’s murder. This was the final straw.”
