After Miguel shut his office door behind them, he motioned to a chair and Kade seated
himself. Miguel eased back in his own chair and said, “Thought you might be interested
in hearing about the surveillance we set up on Stevens.”
“Yeah?” Kade leaned forward.
“I put a couple of undercover agents on Stevens’s tail last night.” Miguel spun the
frog paperweight on his desk. “He had an interesting visitor drop by his ranch, around
midnight.”
“Who?”
“Jose Hernandez.” Miguel smiled. “Gordo.”
Satisfaction gripped Kade and he hit his thigh with his fist. “I knew it.”
Miguel held up his hand. “Of course that’s not enough, but it’s a start. We’ve got
a helluva lot of work to do.”
“Damn straight,” Kade said, feeling a thread of satisfaction. “We’ll nail that SOB.”
He got to his feet and took his leave from Miguel. Gordo. Yes, that bastard was the
key to everything. Daryl Jones, who manned the front desk, waylaid him in the reception
area.
“Got a call for you, Kade.”
Kade took the phone. “Owen here.”
“This is Juarez.” The informant’s voice shook. “Meet me at Mario’s at one.”
“Sí, amigo,”
Kade replied and hung up.
Kelsey would be at the station to interview Miguel at ten. Kade was tempted to hang
around, but he had work to do. He spent the morning tracking down surveillance info
on Gordo and Stevens, and worked over a couple of other leads.
At one o’clock sharp Kade arrived at Mario’s Cantina. As soon as he slipped into his
customary booth, Juarez appeared and slid onto the seat across from him. The informant
smelled of sweat and like he hadn’t taken a bath in days. Something in the man’s eyes
made Kade’s gut tighten.
Glancing around the bar, Juarez licked his lips. “Your life is in danger, amigo.”
Kade’s muscles tensed and he leaned forward. “What do you mean?”
Juarez’s eyes shifted from Kade to the bar and back. “El Torero wants you dead. He
suspects you know more than you should. He will do anything—take anything from you
he can. Kill you. Kill your whole family. Back off,
amigo.
Hear me. Back off.”
A chill crept over Kade’s skin. Before he could ask Juarez for more information, the
informant slid out of the booth and vanished out the front door.
***
When it was time for her to leave for her interview, Kelsey dressed in navy slacks,
low heels, and a pink silk blouse, her press badge attached to her belt loop. She
smiled and waved good-bye to Sadie and Trent, who were working in the garden, and
headed for Douglas.
Due to the increase in the number of Border Patrol agents, the agency had recently
built an enormous facility on the outskirts of the Douglas city limits. Kade had explained
that the old station, near the county fairgrounds, was originally designed for a staff
of only fifty agents.
The new station was sleek, modern, and efficient in appearance, and smelled of paint
and new carpet. A man with red hair, freckles, and a million-dollar grin manned the
front desk. His ID badge read DARYL JONHS. He reminded Kelsey of a kid she’d had a
crush on in the third grade, and she smiled.
“Hello, Mr. Jones.” Kelsey’s voice was smooth and professional as she switched into
journalist mode. “My name is Kale C. Nichols, and I’m a reporter with City by the
Bay magazine. I have an appointment with Miguel Martinez.”
“Hold a sec.” Daryl dialed the phone. A moment later he said, “He’ll be right up.”
As Kelsey waited for Miguel Martinez, her gaze wandered around the busy station. A
picture of the president of the United States graced one wall, next to the American
flag. Dirt and scuffs marred the polished linoleum floor, attesting to the volume
of human traffic in the building.
Male and female agents walked in and out of the reception area, some clothed in spruce
green “rough duty” uniforms, and others wearing jumpsuits of the same color. She noticed
agents in shirts and jeans, not unlike Kade. At the thought of him, a nervous tingle
spread in her midsection, and she wondered if he was somewhere nearby.
A man in full uniform approached Kelsey. He was her height, clean-shaven, and smelled
faintly of aftershave. He had dark brown hair, green eyes, and a deep cleft in his
chin. “I’m Miguel Martinez. You must be Ms. Nichols.”
“Agent Martinez.” She extended her hand and smiled. He had a strong grip, and his
pleasant, comfortable manner set her at ease.
“Let’s sit in my office,” he said as he turned to walk down the hall. Kelsey followed
him through the station, noticing the constant flow of traffic, the hum of conversation.
He closed the door and motioned to a chair, then sat down, his manner relaxed and
confident. As she took her seat, she pulled out her laptop and turned it on, wishing
she had her cell phone to record.
As always when she interviewed, the outside world slipped away.
After the interview, Martinez had Kelsey sign a waiver form, then took her in one
ol the Border Patrol SUVs and drove several miles along the border. She was amazed
at the sheer number of vehicles positioned along its length.
Once they completed the drive, Martinez gave her a tour of the station, including
the areas where the UDAs were detained and processed. When he took her to the control
room, he had the agents shut down visuals on cameras where sensors were located. He
explained it was standard procedure as no unauthorized individuals were allowed to
see the locations of sensors on the remote desert locations.
When Kelsey concluded the interview with Martinez, he shook her hand and she thanked
him, then headed out to the parking lot.
A dull pain throbbed behind Kelsey’s eyes when she slid into Sadie’s SUV. Her stomach
churned and she felt as if she would throw up. Kelsey leaned back in the seat and
closed her eyes. She’d been so nauseated since...
Her eyes flew open and a cold chill swept over her.
No. It couldn’t be.
***
Instead of heading back to the ranch, Kelsey drove into Douglas, straight to a grocery
store.
By the time Kade finished following up on a few leads and made it back to the office,
he was burned out and ready to head home. Not to mention concerned by Juarez’s statement
about danger to his family and himself.
“Hey, Owen. Take a call before you book on out of here.” Daryl Jones held up the phone
as Kade started to leave the station.
Kade took the receiver and dragged a hand over his hair. “Owen here.”
“We know where you live,” a deep male voice said.
An iron fist clamped Kade’s gut. “Who is this?” He barely had the presence of mind
to motion to Daryl to have the call traced.
“We know you live with your mother and stepfather. And you have a handsome young son.
He is nine, no?”
Rage filled Kade, a wave so powerful that his entire body shook. “Listen, you son
of a bitch, you so much as come near my family and you’re a dead man.”
“Tch—tch. Such anger. Ah, and we must not forget the lovely senorita staying with
you.”
Kade clenched his fist. “What the hell do you want?”
“Turn in your resignation by tomorrow morning and walk away, Agent Owen.”
The line went dead.
***
“Oh, my God,” Kelsey whispered while she stared at the blue plus sign on the test
stick. “I’m pregnant.”
Kelsey’s head spun and for a moment darkness closed in on her. The stick clattered
into the bathroom sink as she grabbed the rim to steady herself. When the feeling
passed, she made sure the toilet lid was down and collapsed onto it.
If Theresa hadn’t gone through a pregnancy while Kelsey worked at the magazine, she
would have had no idea that it was possible to get morning sickness so fast. But Theresa
had been ill almost from the moment she’d conceived. And thanks to modern-day tests,
it was possible to detect pregnancies within days.
So many feelings surged through Kelsey. Intense joy that she’d never known before
filled her, and she almost laughed. She felt giddy and light-headed.
She was going to be a mother.
A mother.
It didn’t seem real. A life was growing inside her. She did the math, and realized
she would be giving birth in April.
Giving birth. A baby.
She was having Kade’s baby.
The thought filled Kelsey with sheer pleasure. Kade’s baby. Her baby. Their baby.
Did Kade love her... like she loved him?
And there it was. How she’d struggled to deny it.
I love Kade.
What a realization to come to, sitting on the toilet seat in the bathroom, just having
found out she was pregnant with his child.
Kade was such a good father. Sadie and Chuck—what would they think about having another
grandchild? And Trent. Would he really like to have a kid brother or sister?
Kelsey sighed and pulled the clip out of her hair. She couldn’t deal with it, not
at that moment. She needed time to absorb it all. Even if she really was in love with
Kade, and even if he did love her, did she want to get married? Hadn’t she already
learned her lesson?
More doubt crept in, stealing her joy. She didn’t have the slightest idea what to
do as a parent. How could she be a good mother? And could she make it on her own as
a single parent?
After a few moments, she got a grip on her emotions, took a deep breath, and forced
herself to stand. She knew she would do whatever it took to give her baby the best
home possible.
And maybe it would be with Kade.
***
As soon as the line went dead, Kade dialed home. “Mom,” he said when Sadie answered.
“Is everyone okay?”
“Fine,” Sadie replied with a question in her voice. “Why?”
Kade ran his hand over his head. “I don’t have time to explain. Is everyone home now?
Kelsey, too?”
“We’re all here.”
“Good. Make sure everyone stays inside, and keep the doors locked. Don’t open the
door for anyone.”
Sadie hesitated. “What’s wrong?”
“I’ll explain when I get there. I’ll see if a unit can get to the ranch and sit out
front until I make it.”
After he hung up with Sadie, Kade asked Daryl to radio for an agent to stay at the
ranch, and had a quick conversation with Miguel Martinez.
Before Kade left the station, he asked Daryl to book four seats out of Tucson to San
Francisco for late that evening. Kade gave him the passengers’ names and his credit
card number.
The thirty-minute drive home seemed more like an hour. He pounded the wheel in frustration.
Sal radioed in that he’d reached the ranch, and reported that all appeared to be fine.
When Kade drove up to the house, Roxie bounded out to greet him. Sal was sitting inside
the cab of an agency green-and-white SUV.
Kade climbed out of his truck and walked up to Sal. “See anything?”
“Nada.”
Sal nodded toward the house. “I called from the car and told them to sit tight.”
“Thanks,
compadre.
”
“Want me to hang around for a while?”
“I don’t expect anything to come down until tomorrow.”
Sal whistled and shook his head. “I don’t have a good feeling about this. Maybe you
should do as they said, and resign. For now.”
Kade glared at his friend. “No way in hell I’m going to tuck my tail between my legs.”
Sal glanced around the yard. “Sure you don’t want me to hang around?”
“I’m going to get my family out of here,” Kade said. “Then take care of business tomorrow.”
“I understand.” Sal nodded. “I would do the same.
Manana,
then.” Kade didn’t wait to watch Sal leave. He hurried to the house and Sadie opened
the door at once.
He locked the door behind him. “You all need to get packed.”
Sadie’s face creased with concern. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m sending you to Dara’s.” Kade raked his hand through his hair. “Daryl booked seats
out of Tucson to SFO for eight o’clock tonight. That gives you four hours to get packed,
drive to Tucson, and get to the airport.”
Sadie frowned. “You still haven’t told me what this is all about.”
“Let’s get Dad,” Kade said, and Sadie hurried to find Chuck and returned with him.
After Kade explained the threat, Chuck nodded. “I think a trip to see your sister’ll
do us some good.”
“Where’s Kelsey?” Kade asked.
“She went into the bathroom right before you called,” Sadie replied. “I just heard
the shower start up. I haven’t had a chance to tell her anything.”
Kade kicked off his boots. “I’m gonna take a quick shower in your bathroom, while
you’re packing. Then I’ll tell Kelsey she needs to get her things together.”
While thinking about her pregnancy, Kelsey continued to vacillate between joy and
sheer terror as she showered. She wasn’t ready to be around anyone, and a shower was
as good an excuse as any to have some time to herself. It had the added benefit of
relaxing her and helping bring everything into focus.
All she could think of was the baby. Every other thought had dissipated. Would it
be a boy or a girl? Should she find out beforehand, or let it be a surprise? Where
should she shop for baby clothes and furniture?
She had the overwhelming urge to share her news. To shout it from the rooftops.
Calm down, Kelsey.
After she climbed out of the shower and dried off, she realized she hadn’t thought
to grab any clean clothes. She wrapped the towel around her, and cracked open the
bathroom door.
From the front room she heard Sadie say, “Come on, Trent. You can help Grandma and
Grandpa get things together in our room.”
The boy chattered something about visiting his Aunt Dara, and then Kelsey couldn’t
hear them anymore.
Otherwise the coast was clear, so she slipped across the hallway into her room.
Just as she was about to drop the towel to pull on a T-shirt, there was a light knock
at the door, and Kade opened it. For a moment he stood in the doorway, drinking her
in with his azure eyes. An almost pained expression crossed his face, his desire and
need as clear as if he’d told her in words.