The moment the water hit my lips, I wanted more, all of it, but I held back and eyed her over the rim. “I guess you know why we’re here.”
She nodded. “Yes. Gus was very forthcoming. I’m sorry I can’t be much help. I treat animals and worried pet owners, I don’t know all that much about Travis Raines and the cartels, just what everyone else knows about him.”
“Well, we’ll manage. Thank you for fixing me.”
With great effort, I got to my feet and outside the vet clinic. We came out the back door to where the car was parked. Night had fallen and the GTO looked like a ghostly wreck under the lights of the parking lot.
Gus waved at Carlotta then put me in the backseat, lying me down.
“I thought this was suspicious,” I reminded him, slurring my words a bit.
“Have you seen the car?” he pointed out, getting behind the wheel. “We’re a moving target for the police now.”
“I guess it’s time to ditch the old girl,” I said sadly.
“Isn’t this car called Jóse? Funny name for a girl. And I’m not ditching it, there’s far too much stuff in here, this was Ellie’s life. We’ll ditch it when we find her. I’m not stopping until we hit Veracruz.”
I was too dazed to argue. Gus revved the engine and peeled us out of the parking lot.
“Where are we anyway? What happened?” I asked.
“We’re in Cordoba. A little off course, but Carlotta was the only person that I knew could help us.”
And not turn out to be a traitor, I thought to myself.
He continued, “She owed me a big favor anyway. I caught her father without papers in LA. I turned a blind eye and allowed him to stay. Carlotta grew up in California, then moved back home after school.”
“Why would anyone move back here?”
“She missed it, I guess. It’s not all bad. Hell, they might have the drug wars but their economy is a lot stronger than ours at the moment. She seems happy. She’s married. We had a long chat while you were out.”
I nodded, my head rolling to the side. “How far are we from Veracruz?”
“About a hundred miles give or take. We’ll be there in time for the nightlife to get good.”
“Nightlife?”
“Carlotta told me that Travis goes to this club every Friday night. It’s pretty much public knowledge. It’s very cheesy, touristy, frat boy jackasses, that sort of thing. He has his own room, a lot of guards obviously. I’m guessing he probably owns the club by now. Anyway, security is extremely tight. Metal detectors, passport scanning and the works. But if she’s right, he’s there tonight. And maybe Ellie is too.”
I opened my eyes, trying to fight through the cloud. “How will we get in?”
“Maybe we won’t have to. We’ll find her and follow her. Either way, we’re tourists and we’re white. We’ll sail under their radar.”
“With my arm in a sling?”
“Maybe not. You’ll stay in the car. I’ll go investigate.”
I hated that idea. I wanted to go with him. I wanted to see her with my own eyes. I needed to. It wouldn’t be real otherwise.
The monotony of the engine and smooth highway began to lull me to sleep. When I woke up, I’d be in Veracruz.
“Gus?”
“Yes?”
Fragments of my dream were choking me. “Do you think we’ll get Ellie back?”
Pause. “We’re going to try.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
ELLIE
Things got very messy, very fast.
After the incident in the orange grove, we made our way back to Alvarado. Since my shirt was ruined, I had to hike my skirt up to my chest and wear it as a strapless dress. That, of course, exposed Camden’s tattoo on my leg which both made Javier sullen and moody and me feel like a piece of shit. Camden. I succumbed to the past and my hormones and years of pent-up feelings. That’s all it was. That’s all it had to be. I couldn’t fall for Javier again. I couldn’t.
That’s what I kept telling myself. So what if I told him that I was “his?” I didn’t mean it.
I didn’t.
I wasn’t the only one who arrived back at the fish shop looking different. Javier had a shiner forming on his right eye and his lip and nose were swollen from my punches. The minute we climbed the stairs and Raul and Peter saw what happened, I knew their tongues were wagging.
Javier and I went to our room, closing the door on their questions. I walked over to the window and stared out at the ocean, the low, dark clouds on the horizon that never seemed to come any closer. They just hovered there, ominous and waiting.
I felt his energy at my back, his presence, his gaze. Then he came closer to me and placed his hand on my bare shoulder. I closed my eyes.
“Angel,” he said seductively. I didn’t have to give into it again.
“I think that was a mistake,” I said softly.
His breath hitched. “It wasn’t.”
I stared at the horizon. The clouds were still not moving.
“I have to get … I know what I have to do. Now is not the time to start dredging up the past, to get involved in this.” I couldn’t let him fool me into thinking he’s all I’d ever have.