the woman’s intense stare, her gaze skewering him where he stood. Vanessa was tall, nearly as tall as him. And she was lean, with a nice hint of curve to her hips and breasts. She had a dancer’s build, and he imagined her movements would be easy and graceful. She was wearing a white sundress that billowed around her body as it complemented the sun-kissed tone of her warm complexion. Her hair was jet black, the extensive length falling to the middle of her back. She bore a striking resemblance to the Puerto Rican fashion model Joan Smalls, a woman who had graced the cover of a recent Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition. It was the only copy of the magazine that Kendrick had ever kept.
SSA Layton suddenly stepped out of the room. Vanessa’s eyes followed her for a brief moment before shifting back toward him. He smiled, the warmth of it soothing the tension between them.
“Are these all your bags?” he asked, gesturing to the leather luggage that rested on the floor in the doorway.
She nodded. “Mine and Gabi’s,” she answered, gesturing to the little girl, who was leaning against the sofa back as she stared at them.
Kendrick nodded.
There was still something about the situation that didn’t feel right to him. Something felt off. Why was Layton there? And why the safe house in Baton Rouge, a property that sat smack-dab in the middle of cartel territory? A house that had been compromised previously? Fierro’s name attached to this meant there were bigger players involved, even if the man was dead. Where did Bennett fall in the bad-guy hierarchy? And just how much did the beautiful woman standing in front of him really know? Nothing about his orders felt right. Trusting his instincts, he was suddenly on edge. He stole a quick glance at the watch on his wrist.
Layton suddenly stepped back into the room. “Change of plans,” the commander noted, pressing her hand to the earpiece in her ear. There was a moment of hesitation as she paused, listening to someone on the other end.
Kendrick and Vanessa cut an eye at each other, both knowing that nothing good could come from plans being changed so sudden.
“You have new orders, Agent Boudreaux. I need you to take Ms. Harrison and disappear. Are you and Sayed still in touch?”
Kendrick nodded. “Yeah,” he said, not bothering to mention that the man had just married his sister. “We speak every now and again.”
“Leave a number with him. No one else should know where you are or how to get in contact with you. When we can be sure about Vanessa’s safety, I’ll pass a message on to him. You are not to trust communications from anyone else.”
Kendrick’s gaze skipped from side to side. “But where...? How long...?”
Layton held up her hand. “Those are your orders. And you need to leave now. We might have a situation.” She held out Vanessa’s cell phone, a text message on the screen.
“That’s my phone,” Vanessa suddenly exclaimed. She took a step forward then stopped.
Kendrick took the appliance from Layton’s hand and read the message quickly.
“What does it say?” Vanessa chimed.
Kendrick lifted his eyes to meet hers. “‘I have eyes on you. You can’t hide,’” Kendrick said, reading the text message out loud.
Vanessa’s eyes widened. She took a deep breath.
“Agent Boudreaux will keep you safe,” Agent Layton intoned.
Vanessa reached for Gabrielle, pulling the toddler into her arms. “I’m not leaving Gabi.”
Layton shook her head. “That’s not possible. Gabi’s going to be fine.”
“You don’t know that,” Vanessa stated. “Her parents trusted me. So until you find her grandparents and I can personally hand her over to them, I am not leaving her,” she said emphatically. “Either she goes with me or I don’t testify, and I don’t care what my father promised you. I can go back to the embassy. It doesn’t matter to me.”
Chatter on all their radios interrupted the moment. Layton tossed Kendrick a questioning stare, their exchange silent. She turned and moved back into the kitchen, Kendrick following on her heels.
“Who’s her father?” Kendrick questioned.
Layton was leaning against the kitchen counter, strumming her fingers against the countertop. She tossed him a look. “Alonzo Braga, the Mexican ambassador to the United States.”
“She doesn’t use his name?”
“He’s very high profile. She said she didn’t want to be associated with his politics. So she uses her mother’s maiden name.”
Kendrick nodded, understanding washing over him. That tiny piece of knowledge suddenly put everything in perspective. “She doesn’t have to testify and legally we can’t hold her.”
“That’s correct. She has diplomatic immunity. But that doesn’t stop Bennett from wanting her dead. So her father is cooperating and he has given us his consent. The business Bennett and Fierro dealt in crossed the border into both our countries.”
“What about the kid?”
Layton shrugged. “The child is just going to slow you down. But if she insists, I don’t know what else to do. We need her to testify!”
He hesitated as he met the woman’s anxious gaze, then he nodded. “I’ll handle it,” he said.
Kendrick moved back into the family room. He crossed the room quickly, lifting the toddler from Vanessa’s arms as he looped an easy arm around her waist. “We have to move,” he said, his eyes locking with hers. “Now!”
* * *
They were strapped into the helicopter before Vanessa could protest. Gabi squealed excitedly, her chubby fingers pointing to the house and grounds below. They spied the caravan of white-paneled trucks that careened through the home’s front gates. And then just like that everything and everyone in Miami was behind them.
Vanessa looked from Kendrick to the pilot and back. Kendrick was seated on the other side of Gabi, a protective arm wrapped around the little girl. The man was breathtakingly attractive, tall and solid, with the most intoxicating eyes. His distinctive features were chiseled, his complexion a rich, warm shade of milk chocolate. Under any other circumstances she would have found his bad-boy aura intriguing.
She turned back to stare out at the landscape below, reflecting on the circumstances that had suddenly thrust them together. The weight of it must have reflected on her face, as Kendrick suddenly squeezed her shoulder. His light touch was gentle and easy. When she turned to look, the man was smiling at her. Vanessa smiled back, just a smidgen of a bend to her mouth. He suddenly said something into the microphone attached to his helmet and she realized the pilot and him were talking back and forth between themselves. Though she wasn’t privy to the conversation, the only sound she heard was the loud drone of the helicopter ringing in her ears.
* * *
“Can you get me a secure line and connect me to Sayed?” Kendrick asked.
The pilot nodded, then seconds later Kendrick’s earpiece clicked in his ear. There was a low hum and then a brief moment
