The Millionaire Cowboy's Secret (16 page)

“They can do that anyway once they get their search warrant. You know as well as I do that they can trump up some charge.”

“We don’t operate like that,” she said automatically, even though she was actually beginning to wonder if that were true. “Once we get everything settled, I’ll help you sort it out.”

“No.” Crossing his arms, he shook his head. “I won’t confess to something I didn’t do. You know that. Not just no, but
hell
no. Absolutely not.” The icy look in his eyes told her he now regarded her as his enemy. This hurt more than she would ever have believed possible.

“I’m sorry,” she said, well aware that wasn’t enough.

“Why would you even ask me to do such a thing?”

“Because my boss asked me to,” she replied.

“And you?” he asked, his gaze searching her face. “What do you want?”

She spread her hands. “I’ve been ordered to come in. They’re pulling me. I wanted to make sure you knew all of the options that are available.”

“This is not an option.” He shook his head. “Skylar, your boss is right. I think it’s best if you leave. You’ve made it clear what side you’re on. I want you off my ranch. Today. Now. Just go back to your little camper, pack your stuff, grab your dog and go.”

Damn it. Frantically she tried to find the right words, wishing she could somehow make him see. “Please listen, Matt. It’s not the best solution, but it’s logical. You can keep a lot of blood from being shed.”

“Logical? To whom? You?” He practically spat the words. “That’d be fantastic for you, wouldn’t it? Your big case all wrapped up in a tidy ribbon. You’d get your promotion and I’d go on to prison, never to be heard from again. José would be what—collateral damage? And Diego and his men would go free. I don’t think so. It’s not going to happen.”

“I don’t blame you for thinking that,” she said. “But hear me out. The ATF has put in for a search warrant. Both La Familia and Diego’s group are headed here. You’ll be lucky to survive.”

Slowly he backed away, his normally expressive face like stone. “I’d rather die with honor than confess to a crime I never committed.” He pointed toward the door. “Go.”

She didn’t move. “You were planning to kill Diego,” she cried, feeling as though she were splintering into pieces.

“I told you I’d consider letting you arrest him.” The contempt in his voice was the final straw, especially since they both knew he’d do no such thing.

“Matt, please. They’re descending on your ranch in a matter of hours. If you want to have a prayer of defending yourself, never mind get José back alive, you’ve got to let the ATF help you.”

“Help me?” He shook his head. “By getting me to confess to selling ammunition to the cartel?”

“You’re the one who set that up. You did a damn fine job. For all intents and purposes, that’s what it appears you are doing.”

He didn’t respond. He didn’t have to.

She cleared her throat. “They’re coming regardless. What are you going to do? If you allow this shoot-out, then what? You have no intention of turning Diego Rodriguez over to the government, do you?”

“What’s it to you?” He practically spat the words. “You’re finished. Done. You can walk away and never look back.”

“I’m not going to,” she told him, praying he’d read the truth in her eyes. “Despite my orders, I refuse to leave.”

“That makes no sense.” He dragged his hand through his hair. “At least you’ll be safe.”

“Not without you.” Crossing the space between them, she wrapped her arms around him and held on. He held himself stiffly, as though he found her touch repellent, but she knew better.

Or thought she did. At least until he methodically removed her hands and stepped away from her.

“I’m staying,” she repeated. Then, relentless, she went in for the kill. “In a matter of hours, your ranch is going to be in the middle of a firestorm. You’ve got La Familia at war with Diego Rodriguez and his faction. On top of that, the ATF is swooping in with SWAT teams.”

“And José is still a captive.” Eyes narrowed, he watched her.

“Exactly. You’ve got to choose your top priority. Protecting the ammo and trying to get Diego, or bringing José back safely.”

He didn’t even hesitate. “José. Of course. José.”

“Then if you won’t take the ATF’s offer, you’ll have to let me do the exchange like Diego requested. Me for José.”

“What?” He inhaled sharply, almost a gasp. She’d managed to shock him. “No. I can’t risk—”

“For a man who just ordered me off his ranch, you’re acting awfully concerned for my welfare all of a sudden,” she pointed out. “I can handle it.”

Moving forward, she placed her hand on his arm. Though he tensed at her touch, this time he didn’t remove it. “I’m a crack shot, a trained law-enforcement officer and a veteran ATF agent.”

Dismay flickered in his eyes, the first real softening since she’d asked him to do the unthinkable and confess. He grabbed her hand, crushing it in his larger one. “You have a death wish,” he said slowly. “I should have seen this coming.”

“Oh, for the love of—” Silently counting to five, she took a deep breath. “I don’t have a death wish. And I’m not saying we really trade me for José. All we need to do is make it look like we will. You’re a sharpshooter. I read that in your file. You’ll have my back. I feel quite certain you can defend me if need be.”

He stared at her without speaking. The sudden speculative gleam in his gaze told her what he thought and why.

“Before you go thinking that I’m giving you permission to take down Diego Rodriguez, you should know this. I really believe this people exchange is just a distraction. Assuming they’ve even really captured him, there is the possibility that they really don’t plan to exchange José at all.”

A muscle flickered in his jaw. “I was afraid of that.”

“If they even have him,” she reminded him. “We still don’t know what’s really going on with him.”

Disregarding her words, he continued, “Does your boss think he’s already dead?”

“He didn’t say, but we can only hope not.” Briskly, she moved on, aware that to dwell on what-ifs would only make them indecisive and ineffectual. “He did promise me a sharpshooter to help in his rescue. Either way, José is a distraction.”

“A distraction to camouflage what?” he asked. “Their war with Diego and his group?”

“That’s part of it.” Lifting her chin, she met his gaze straight on. “I don’t know if Diego is aware that La Familia is onto him. I’m pretty certain he doesn’t know they’re moving in, as well. But Diego wants to keep everyone busy so they can swoop in and steal your ammo.”

“They don’t know where it really is,” he began, then stopped and looked at her, correctly reading her expression. “Hell. They do know, don’t they?”

She nodded. “I’m afraid so. I was told it’s kept in some caves on your property. The location is near the old farm-to-market road.”

“That’s right. But how do they know this unless José told them?” An expression of horror crossed his face as he realized this had to be the case.

“José had to tell them,” she concurred. “He’s the only other person who knows. Remember, Diego mentioned that’s also how they found out I’m a Fed.”

He swore, looking as if he’d like to punch something.

“I’m sure he didn’t tell them of his own free will,” she said, leaving unspoken what they both already knew. Unless, of course, José was really working with them. Which would explain the fifty thousand dollars he’d received from someone.

Matt looked grim. “I’m going to have to believe they tortured him. They had to. That’s the only way he’d reveal something like that. I’m sure of it.” He cursed again.

She still didn’t bring up José’s questionable behavior. Now was simply not the time.

“What do you want to do?” she asked. “Your choice. But you’ve got to make a decision quickly. We’re running out of time.”

“I’ve already told you. We’ve got to save him. No one else should die due to my actions.”

No one else? She went still. What more didn’t she know about this man? “No one else? What do you mean?”

“My family.” His mouth twisted. “My family died because of me.”

“Because of you?” Concerned, she frowned. “Is there something you forgot to tell me? In what way was it your fault that your family died?”

“I wasn’t there,” he said instantly and fiercely. “If I’d been there, at least they would have had a fighting chance.”

She reached out for him, but he easily evaded her.

“You can’t blame yourself for that,” she told him softly, aching.

The pain-filled gaze he turned on her damn near broke her heart. “Just like you can’t blame yourself for what happened to your husband and son?”

Feeling as though he’d just clubbed her in the head, she staggered back. “Touché, Matt Landeta. Touché.”

Instantly contrite, he crossed to her and wrapped his arms around her, holding on tightly. She let him, even though part of her was reeling. Not because he’d been wrong, but because he’d been right.

Capricious fate had dictated that her husband and young son be at the bank that day. Though she would have changed places with them in a heartbeat, what had happened that day wasn’t her fault.

It had never been her fault.

She looked up at him, wishing she could magically bring him the same sort of healing epiphany.

Though now was most definitely not the time.

“What is it?” he asked, his gaze searching her face. “You look as though you’ve seen a ghost or something.”

Standing up on tiptoe, she pressed a quick kiss against his mouth. “No, I’ve seen the light.”

One brow quirked in a question, he waited for her to continue. Instead, she moved away from him and crossed her arms.

“None of that matters right now,” she said. “But we’ve got a decision to make. So what will it be?”

He cursed but didn’t answer.

This she could understand, but she needed him to choose. Again she glanced at her watch, wishing she had a more exact timetable.

“I need to know. What it comes down to, Matt, is you’ve got to decide what you want to do. This time, it’s all up to you.”

And then, though it felt like one of the most difficult things she’d ever done, she left the room, giving him time alone to make his decision.

Chapter 15

I
n Matt’s kitchen, a room she still loved, Skylar made herself a cup of tea and sat at his kitchen table, staring out at the perfectly landscaped patio. She knew how badly it was tearing him apart—he’d lived for years focused on revenge. Now he’d not only begun to realize it would be futile, but he was having all his carefully constructed plans ripped away from him by the cleverness of a monster.

Several things could happen to Diego Rodriguez. He could get killed by the very organization he was attempting to leave, he could get lucky and get away with the ammunition, or he could be arrested by the ATF and deported back to Mexico. But he wouldn’t be meeting his end at Matt’s hands. Killing him wouldn’t solve anything. Matt wouldn’t get his shot at revenge.

José’s rescue was another story. Whether or not José was truly being held captive, for now she’d go with Matt, who believed in his friend. José didn’t deserve to die this way. And she truly doubted he’d get any help from the ATF. Her own agency would be too intent on the situation with La Familia, Diego Rodriguez and the ammunition stockpile.

Only, it didn’t have to be that way. They—she and Matt—could work together to rescue José. If, as an added bonus, Diego Rodriguez got caught in the cross fire, so be it. Matt was a sharpshooter, after all. She’d even gone so far as to mention that he could defend her. From there, it was a short leap to what else he could do.

And while she, as a federal agent who had a duty to uphold the law, couldn’t point out the obvious to him, she could see it clear as day. Diego didn’t know Matt’s real identity or what he’d done to Matt’s family.

She didn’t know if their plan would work. But Matt had absolutely nothing else to lose.

Her cell phone rang. David. “McLain speaking,” she said.

“We got the search warrant,” her boss said without preamble.

“You did?” Surprised and a little disappointed, Skylar sighed. “That was quick.”

“We have a damn good case,” David informed her. “We’ve got two teams en route to the location now.”

Damn. Time had truly run out.

“Did you learn where exactly it is?”

“Yes. How familiar are you with the ranch?” Without waiting for Skylar to answer, David pressed on. “Apparently on the eastern boundary, there’s a hilly area, one with lots of large rocks. There are some large caves out there. Mr. Landeta has had them outfitted with steel doors, similar to those in a bank vault.”

Skylar cursed. “I’ve been near there. That’s where that gun battle occurred, the one I wrote about in my report. It’s near an old gravel farm-to-market road.”

“That’s where our people will be in place. You need to get out now. Fair warning—it’s going to be a danger zone.”

“What about the sharpshooter?”

“Sharpshooter?” David said the word as though it were foreign and he didn’t comprehend its meaning.

“You said you’d try to spare resources to help us free José Nivas. Remember?” No way was Skylar letting her boss off the hook for this one. No way in hell.

“I’ll see what I can do,” David said, but Skylar could tell it was an empty promise. As her boss disconnected the call, Skylar knew she and Matt were completely on their own. If José was going to be rescued, they would have to be the ones to do it.

When she hung up, she raised her head and saw Matt watching her.

“I called Diego,” he said. “He’s agreeable to an exchange tomorrow at dusk.”

Interesting timetable, she thought. “He wants to do it right when all hell is going to break loose. I told you José was just a distraction.”

“Assuming Diego even knows that La Familia is on their way,” he countered. “But you’re right. Diego is planning something. He wants the exchange to happen here, in the parking lot in front of the ranch office. Who called you?”

“That was my boss at the ATF. They got the warrant. They have teams on their way now. They’ll be in place by the time this whole thing goes down.”

He nodded. “And they’re going to help us get José out?”

Again, she’d give him complete honesty. She could do nothing less. “He said he’d see what he could do. But I’m thinking it’s going to be up to you and me. You’re going to have to be our sharpshooter,” she told Matt. “That is, if you’re willing to focus on José’s rescue rather than getting ahold of Diego Rodriguez.”

“I think you already know the answer to that,” he said, lifting a case and placing it on the table. Opening it, he gestured for her to take a look. “This is my rifle.” Outfitted with a scope, the gun appeared to be military issue.

“So you’ll be the sharpshooter?”

“I can handle that,” he said.

“Good.” She took a deep breath, knowing he wouldn’t like what she had to say next. “I’m going to go out there for the exchange. I’ll need you to cover me.”

He froze. For a second she thought he’d contradict her. Instead, his gaze sharpened as he studied her. Finally, he nodded.

“There’s no way in hell I’m going to let you come to harm.” He sounded fierce, as fierce as the hard, possessive kiss he gave her. “Do you understand?”

“I know you won’t.” She grinned. “Just to be on the safe side, I’m going to get the bulletproof vest from my car.” Even though the damn thing weighed close to ten pounds and was uncomfortable and hot, wearing it could save her life. Since most people aimed for the chest or back rather than the head, it was the best protection she could get.

“Go ahead and get it,” Matt said. “While you’re out there, grab your stuff and bring Talia up to the house. Both of you are staying with me from now on. There’s no reason why the cartel would wait. I think this will be going down any moment now. While it’s just us here at the ranch, I don’t want to take the chance of either of you being in any kind of danger.”

Grateful and moved beyond words, she nodded. The thought had already occurred to her, too. José knew she was staying in the little camper. Anyone wanting to target the ATF agent would go there. No way was she risking her beloved dog.

As she turned to do as he’d asked, Matt fell into step beside her. “I’ll go with you,” he said. “Until this is over, I’m not going to leave your side.”

* * *

That night, though she tried, she couldn’t sleep. Though they didn’t speak about it, she knew Matt lay wide-awake at her side, going over various scenarios in his mind the same way she was.

In the morning, he rose before she did and padded off to the bathroom. She sat up, gritty-eyed, and whistled for Talia. After she’d taken her dog out, Skylar headed for the guest bathroom to shower and dress.

Today they were both warriors rather than lovers. Neither of them needed any distractions.

After breakfast, Matt showed her the remote surveillance cameras he’d installed near the caves. “They also have a sensor that alerts me if anyone gets close to them.”

Studying the live feed, she nodded. “Are we waiting here until we see activity on the camera, or do you have something else in mind?”

“We’re not waiting here” was all he said.

For the third time in twenty minutes, she glanced at her watch. This was the part she always hated, the waiting. Once she went into action, she didn’t have so much time to think.

“Let’s go over the plan at least once,” Matt said. “Assuming, that is, that you actually have one.”

“Of course I do,” she scoffed. “It’s simple. When it comes time to make the exchange, I walk out there, count to five and tell José to drop to the ground. You take out his handlers, and we get the hell out. There’s no way we could mess this up.”

“Right.” He looked away from her. They both knew that was a lie.

She ached to soothe him. “It’s going to be all right.”

“I know,” he grumbled. “But speaking from personal experience, rule number one is that nothing ever goes as simply as you planned it.”

“True.” She flashed him a quick smile. “There’s a reason Diego set up the exchange at the opposite end of the ranch from your ammo. You do understand it’s entirely possible we might not make it back there in time, right?”

His eyes flashed an emotion that could have been anger or frustration. “In time for what? From what you tell me, the ATF will have people positioned all over the place. Diego will either be dead or captured if he puts in an appearance there.”

She studied him. He sounded way too calm. “You don’t expect him to, do you?”

“No,” he admitted. “He’s too valuable in his brand-new organization to put himself in danger. I doubt he’ll even show up for the José exchange. He’ll be somewhere nearby, close enough to keep an eye on things but completely out of the line of fire.”

She caught the leashed excitement in his voice and realized he was still thinking of his revenge. “Do you think you can figure out where he’ll be?”

The shrug he gave her was too studied, too casual, and she realized if he did, he had no plans of clueing her in. With a flash of insight, she realized what he meant to do once José was safe. No matter what the cost, Matt was going hunting, even if he had to follow Diego Rodriguez into Mexico.

This knowledge crushed her. But conversely, it also strengthened her resolve. She wouldn’t let him self destruct like this, not if it was within her power to stop it.

She’d have to stay one step ahead of him somehow. “I disagree,” she said. “Diego’s taking a big—and dangerous—step, trying to form his own new cartel. La Familia isn’t going to take that lying down. He won’t take chances with anything. I don’t think he’ll trust anyone else to handle this. I think he’ll be here.”

“Maybe, maybe not.” Matt didn’t sound too concerned.

With Talia safely closed up in the house, they sat outside on the porch and watched the sun slowly make its way overhead.

Again she checked her watch. “Not too long now,” she said.

“Look.” Matt pointed. Two helicopters, neither one military-issue, appeared over the horizon. As they drew closer, they split apart. One went east, toward the caves, and the other headed directly toward them.

“Are those your people?” Matt asked.

“I...I don’t know.” She stared, momentarily shocked into silence. “I hadn’t expected this,” she said. “Though those aren’t military helicopters, I suppose it could be the ATF.”

“Or Diego’s people. Or even La Familia.” Standing, Matt moved his hand in a dismissive gesture. “Rule number two—expect the unexpected.”

Since he didn’t appear too concerned, she forced herself to try to relax.

“Are you ready?” Matt asked, shouldering his rifle and shooting her a quick look.

Heart in her throat, she checked her own weapon and nodded.

He placed a hard kiss on her lips. “Then let’s go. We’ll stay hidden until we find out who exactly is inside this chopper.”

“Agreed.”

Hurrying across the lawn, they took refuge behind a large stack of baled hay. From there, they still had a good view of the chopper, but had enough cover to be able to avoid any shots that might be fired at them.

As the helicopter drew closer, Matt’s cell phone rang. Answering, he shot her a quick look while he listened. After a few seconds, he hung up without saying another word. “That was Diego. He claims to be in the helicopter heading toward us.”

Shading her eyes with her hand, she nodded. “What about the other one? Who’s in that?”

“I didn’t ask,” he said. “I’m guessing they’re heading over to try to steal the ammunition. Good luck to them. My first concern is José.”

Impressed, despite herself, she gave him a thumbs-up.

They both watched silently as the chopper drew closer.

“There.” Matt pointed. “In the passenger seat, waving. That looks like... It’s José.”

“Waving?” Narrowing her gaze, she eyed Matt. “What the hell?” José waving could mean only one thing. He wasn’t Diego Rodriguez’s captive. This was a setup, meant to set the ATF and Diego at each other so La Familia could get away with the ammo, and José was in on the whole thing.

Matt’s scowl told her he was thinking the exact same thing.

“What do you want to do?” she asked urgently. “The chopper’s going to be here any second.”

He didn’t even hesitate. “Nothing’s changed. Everything is a go—just like we planned.”

Heart pounding, she stepped from their hiding place into the open, hugging the side of the hay. Though she wanted to be seen by the chopper, she made sure she had access to ready cover in case she needed to jump back out of their line of fire.

The pasture where Diego’s men had chosen to land bordered the parking lot. It was flat and relatively treeless, a good place for a large helicopter to set down.

Skylar waited, motionless, as the chopper grew closer. She’d have preferred to be right there when they opened the doors, close enough for the wind from the blades to ruffle her hair, but she and Matt had decided she’d hang back. At least until they saw what exactly Diego had planned.

When the helicopter had completely set down, the pilot kept the blades spinning; she figured he did so to enable him to make a relatively quick getaway if he had to.

Tense, she felt horribly exposed as she waited for someone to get out. If José truly were a captive, no doubt he would be flanked by two or three guards. Like Matt had speculated, none of them were likely to be Diego.

On the other hand, if José was part of this, she was a dead woman. Her fingers tightened on her pistol.

Seconds dragged into minutes. The helicopter continued to vibrate, still in place, but no one exited.

What the...

A prickling on the back of her neck warned her. Acting purely on instinct, she sprinted backward toward the stack of hay she’d chosen as cover. She’d barely taken a dive behind it when gunfire erupted from the chopper.

“Hell.” Peering around a large bale, she returned fire, taking grim satisfaction as she watched one of the men—not José—fall out of the chopper’s open door.

“Are you all right?” Matt had moved up beside her.

“Yes.” She shot him a furious look. “How sure are you that José was the one waving earlier?”

His frown deepened. “Pretty sure.

“Not a hundred percent. We still don’t know if he’s a captive or part of this.”

She swore again. “True. Hell we don’t even know if he’s even in that chopper.”