he’d loved. That girl was now a woman he had to protect.
“I’m flattered that you took on this assignment, Trent, but it wasn’t necessary.”
Her look said that because she knew him, she also knew what he was about. Some of that was true. But if that was what she thought, she had a whole lot wrong—dangerously wrong.
“Flattered?” He bit back a knot of anger. What the hell was she saying? She thought he did this out of kindness or some misguided gesture of goodwill? “There’s men who will kill you for what you saw.”
Her face lost what color it had. “That’s why I’m here, Trent. Where no one can find me. I’ll stay until this all blows over and then I’ll go home and give my testimony.”
“It’s not going to blow over. You need—”
“I don’t need your protection, not here. I’m far enough away. I’ll be safe.”
“Tara...”
“No, Trent.” She looked distraught.
On the nearby street, a guitar began to softly chord a melody that was as strange as it was beautiful. He glanced over and saw a man sitting with his back against the dusty red stone wall of a building, one leg stretched out as he played his guitar. In another situation, it would be romantic.
He turned his attention from the guitarist and to Tara. He needed her cooperation and he needed it quickly. There was no time to mince words. And yet, contradictorily, he didn’t want to frighten her. She’d been through enough but... The thought broke off. She needed to know. He had to tell her to keep her safe.
“You’re in danger. Mexico might be another country, but despite that, you didn’t run far enough.”
“What do you mean?”
“Someone broke into your house after you left, Tara. We can only assume that they saw the same note we did. Your flight information was easy to find, left on the kitchen counter.”
“Someone? What do you mean? What are you implying?”
He brought his hand flat on the table. “Damn it, Tara. Do you have any idea your value dead?”
“No.” Her voice was barely a whisper.
“The stakes are high, Tara. These thieves have a lot to lose. If they take you out, they keep the money, their freedom and carry on with their crime spree. Essentially, they profit from your death.” He paused, hating the brutal truth to his words. “We won’t let that happen. That’s why I’m here.”
“They found me?” her voice was soft.
“There’s no indication of that,” he said.
“What if they do?”
“Then I do my job. I keep you alive.”
“I thought running was enough,” Tara said and her voice trembled. Her fingers were interlaced in front of her as if that would keep her steady.
“I’m sorry, Tara. I know that was harsh. And no, it wasn’t that you didn’t run far enough, it was that you tried to do it alone. The truth is that you’re a witness who could threaten a man’s freedom. You can’t put a price on that.”
Trent regretted laying the facts out so bluntly. But he desperately needed to get her to see how grave the situation was and how much she needed him.
“At home it’s different—I can protect you more easily. I have more resources and I can carry a gun.”
“Back to Pueblo?”
“Not necessarily. Definitely the States,” he said. “Witness protection is being set up. I came after you before getting the details on where you’d be located. You’ll be in witness protection until the trial is over.”
She shook her head as a tremor seemed to run through her.
“Think about it, about going home to the States.” He paused. “With me,” he finished. “I know you just got here but this was a mistake. Running was a mistake.”
“Just like my dad,” she said. Sadness was like a heavy film running through her voice.
“Not like him at all, Tara.” Her father had been killed, shot while under witness protection. He cringed at the thought of how that had all come down. His killer had never seen justice.
“I’m sorry, Tara. I can’t change the past but I guarantee you this, you’ll be safe. I’ll keep you safe.” He took her hands. “I promise.” And he knew that he’d keep that promise or die trying.
She pulled her hands free. “No one can make that kind of promise. Not even you, Trent.”
He skipped over her doubt. “Like I said, I can offer you more protection at home. These men are violent criminals and they’ll do everything they can to prevent being caught.” He looked her in the eye. “You’re the one thing standing between them and their freedom and they may know you’re in Mexico.”
He didn’t know how often he had to repeat it. But their window of time was unknown. He wanted her home where he could ensure her safety. Not here, in a country that he wasn’t unfamiliar with but one where he couldn’t even carry arms. The sooner he got her home the better.
“I’m far enough away. And I’m only a concern to one of them.”
“Maybe. But your testimony could put the one we suspect to be the leader behind bars. Just one of them standing trial will jeopardize the others. You’re the key to ending one of the most successful gangs of armed robbers in recent years. There’s also the possibility of a domino effect. Them turning on each other. In that case, you could put them all behind bars. They’ve killed for money, I don’t think killing for their freedom would be a stretch.” He was going for the shock factor now. He needed her to get on board with going home and he needed her to do it quickly.
He’d give her a day, two at the outside. She’d see things his way soon enough. For now, it wasn’t a bad decision to spend a couple more days than he planned. Inconvenient for him but it was something that could have her more solid in her decision than if he rushed her back. He’d roll with it, but he had one more tool in his arsenal.
Before he could say anything more, however, Siobhan brought out a coffee for each of them.
Trent had to fight to hide his impatience. He’d made an impact on Tara and an interruption was the last thing he needed. Besides that, he’d been going in fast-forward since he’d been assigned the case.
But as he glanced at Tara, he realized how selfish his thoughts were. He was thinking in terms of the end result, not in terms of how this was affecting her. She was safe enough for now. They had time—not a lot, but more than he’d initially allowed for. His being here was shock enough. He reminded himself that as usual, he was coming on too strong. But it was like a clock was ticking in his head. He needed to take a step back.
