The Ides of Matt 2017

Chapter 9

Chapter NineFrom the start, Alejandra decided that she was really glad that she was on the same side as Hector. He definitely put the bad in badass. And then he kept getting better.

In the Ferrari—which was one of the coolest rides she’d ever had (it grabbed low and yanked her ahead like a s****l shot)—they’d caught up to the bus and the escorting SUVs close to the border station.

Hector had simply waved a hand out the window as they passed, for the SUVs to keep following the bus. He’d slipped in ahead of them all just at the border.

Whatever ID he showed the border guard had certainly gotten his attention. After a few whispered instructions, the guard let the Ferrari and the school bus roll through.

Hector stopped the car before the bus was fully out of the border crossing control lane, trapping it there.

The SUVs had hung back at the last moment, truckloads of armed guards didn’t just roll through border crossings.

Hector pulled out a remote control just like the one he’d tossed to her earlier. He had trusted her—trusted her to not kill Miguel unless they needed to, and to do it in an instant if it became necessary. He’d been right on both counts. No one had ever known her as well as he did.

“I didn’t want to risk getting them mixed up,” then he flipped up the cover on the activation switch of the one he held, offered her an evil grin, and pressed down on it with his thumb.

The three SUVs still on the other side of the border thumped hard, brilliant light shining out all of their windows. Remote control flashbangs.

In moments, the Mexican border patrol, rifles raised, had everyone out of the vehicles and lying on the asphalt, along with a big enough stack of weapons to make sure they spent a long time in prison.

The next moment, their own vehicle and the bus were surrounded by the US Border Patrol.

INS agents gathered up all of the women and children. A very small team in an unmarked black SUV emptied the still-unconscious Miguel and his files out of the Ferrari’s trunk. Their eyes had gone a little wide when she handed over the remote trigger on the breaching charge, and told them exactly where it could be found. Then they were gone.

She and Hector turned to watch as the INS began reassuring the frightened women and children. One was handing out blankets, another with water bottles, and even a few stuffed animals for the youngest to cling to.

“Should I give your sister a contact number? Though I’m not sure if someone that sexy should be allowed into the US.”

“You are a bastard, Hector. I’m the one you’re supposed to be calling sexy.” But it was hard to put any real heat behind it with the way he was smiling down at her.

Then she thought about it.

Hector was offering to give a contact number to Marina. It would be his contact number, to call if Marina wanted to reach Alejandra. That meant that whatever happened next, she herself would be with Hector. Discovering that the tiny shred of hope that had nearly died during the evening wasn’t so tiny after all just blew her away. That was way better than being called sexy.

“Sure,” Alejandra managed after a deep breath to make sure her voice was steady. “She is my sister after all.”

He pulled out a slip of paper, wrote his name and a phone number on it and then handed it to her. At his nod, Alejandra stepped into the crowd of women being corralled onto the bus by the INS agents, this time into the seats rather than the hidden compartments.

She couldn’t think of anything to say. Some fit of Marina-jealousy had cost her five years of being with Hector. But it would have been five years in the hell that was a Mexican town on the wrong side of the border. Now she was on the north side of the border next to a top US military soldier. It wasn’t up to her to understand how this screwed-up world worked, but she would absolutely make the best of it.

Alejandra handed the slip of paper to her sister. Marina might be a s*x-crazed maniac, but she immediately understood what it meant for both of them.

Marina’s “Sorry” was the only word that passed between them as they hugged, but it was a long hug and her little sister’s smile wished her joy.

Alejandra waited until they were loaded and gone, waving as the bus disappeared into the night.

She turned and saw Hector leaning against the hood of the Ferrari, his big arms crossed over his chest. He’d shed his weapons into the trunk. The black t-shirt that had been under his vest showed just how wonderful his chest had become over the years.

Alejandra stepped up until she was standing between his wide-braced feet.

“What’s next?”

“East or west? Your choice, Alej.” His deep voice was as soft as the darkness.

“What’s waiting for us?” He didn’t flinch at the us. Instead he unfolded his arms and slipped his hands onto her waist. It was the first time they’d touched in five years and it felt as if they’d never been apart.

“To the east about a day’s drive is Fort Bragg, North Carolina. If you’re interested, my unit is starting a testing course for new inductees in a couple days. I already called in and got you clearance while you and your sister were talking. I swore up and down that you’re a shoo-in. Which is a safe bet because you are. The test is brutal, but I got no doubts.”

Alejandra leaned up against him and his arms came up around her. It was the best place she’d ever been.

“And to the west?” she could barely speak past how tightly he was holding her.

“About a ten-hour drive out of our way is Las Vegas. They’ve got these twenty-four hour wedding chapels. Again, if you’re interested.” She couldn’t see his smile because she had her nose buried against his chest, but she could hear it.

Once more that surge of everything she wanted to say to him shot through her. She dug down and sought for something that would keep his ego in line. That would let him know that she wasn’t that easy. That he couldn’t just sweep back into her life after five years and change everything in a day.

Except he already had. A job, the best lover, a team to belong to. A home. He had changed things; he’d made a dream she hadn’t even known about come true.

“One question.”

“Uh-huh?”

She looked up into his beautiful eyes, knowing now it was something she’d get to do for the rest of her life.

“Ten-hour drive?”

“Uh-huh,” he sounded pretty damned pleased with himself at her response pointing them west.

“But isn’t that in, like, a normal car? That is a Ferrari you’re leaning against.”

This time he smiled along with his grunt of satisfaction.

She didn’t bother answering yes before she pulled his face down and kissed him.

Their love was so big that it didn’t need to be said.