Kade was as uncomfortable as poor Jeremy. Conner had made no bones about his intentions toward Jeremy and Allison. They’d swung by to tell him about the execution of the warrant, and he’d moved them to Conner’s room so as not to disturb Angel. She needed to rest more than anything else.
The execution went well. The ME was on site and took a mouth swab from the boy. Results would be in tomorrow. Kade was sure Ramirez already had a team of lawyers working on ways to suppress the results. The hope was that since they were claiming the child had been kidnapped and Ramirez took custody of an abandoned child, the judge would see the truth of the DNA results. Matthew and Mateo were the same child.
Jeremy marched over to the mini bar and pulled out a tiny bottle of what appeared to be vodka and downed it in one swallow. He stalked Conner and Allison with his eyes, none too happy Ally seemed enchanted with Conner. Kade wasn’t sure if that was because Jeremy liked Allison, or if it was because he liked Conner. Either way, the situation was awkward.
“I’m heading back to check on Angel.” He finally gave up trying not to be uncomfortable.
As soon as he opened the door, he knew something was wrong. There should be security at the elevator, and Watkins wasn’t at his post. His hinky feeling surged. “Bradford, I need you.”
Jeremy was there, gun out in a heartbeat. Kade swiped his keycard and went in, his heart plummeting. Watkins was bound, unconscious, a pool of blood soaking into the expensive carpet. He checked the bedroom, the bathroom, and the balcony. No Angel. Ally was on the phone with 9-1-1 when he came back in.
“Is he dead?”
“No.” Conner knelt beside Watkins, a towel pressed into his back. “There’s no exit wound, which is bad. He’s lost a lot of blood, so I’d guess he’s been here at least half an hour or more. It doesn’t take long to bleed out.”
“Why didn’t we hear it? It was a fucking gunshot.” Kade’s mind was running in a million different directions.
“Silencer,” Conner said. “Jeremy, I need more towels. We have to stop this bleeding.”
Kade sank down on the bed, unable to process the scene in front of him and what it meant. “They have Angel.”
“And they’ll die for it.” Conner’s promise was cold and full of the dark that lived inside him. His eyes had gone to a place Kade only ever read about when studying serial killers. Even Jeremy recoiled from the expression on Conner’s face when he handed over the towels. “No one fucks with my family and lives.”
For once, Kade didn’t say a word about threatening to kill someone in front of the police. He and Conner were in agreement. Rivera wouldn’t live past the next twenty-four hours.
The last time Angel had been taken, he’d broken down, and it cost them precious time. He couldn’t do that this time. She, Matthew, and their unborn child were counting on him to find them.
He saw a text message from Max that simply said,
“I got them.”
Which meant he was following the people who took Angel. Max was very good at what he did. He’d let them know as soon as they stopped. He called Dylan.
“Where are you?”
“About thirty miles outside Miami. Max is using a drone to keep sight of them while we stay out of their line of sight. I never even thought about equipping a drone with a remote camera.”
“How is she? Can you tell if they hurt her?” He was prepared for anything.
“She was fine when we saw her change cars. We won’t know anything else until they stop.”
“And Matthew?”
“Your son was moved in a different car, but I’m fairly sure they are all going to the same place. I’ll text you the address as soon as they stop.”
“We have a plan?” Conner asked as soon as Kade hung up.
“Max and Dylan are following them. They’ll text as soon as they reach their destination.” He looked to Allison. “Call Cole and have him coordinate with MPD. They’re already out of the city, so we may need police support from whatever place they end up.”
“I’m on it.” She already had her phone out and was scrolling through her contacts. While she may not have Cole’s number, she had the MPD in her contacts.
Kade took several deep breaths. He couldn’t lose it.
“You good, brat?” Conner’s voice reached him, but it sounded like he was talking through a tunnel. Images of Angel rose, but they weren’t her smiling, laughing face. It was her screaming in pain, pieces of her being whittled away, all the while calling for him to come save her.
He knew this cartel intimately. He’d infiltrated it, witnessed what they did to their enemies. They had his family.
Conner slapped him, and his head whipped back. “Shut it down. Whatever you’re feeling, whatever you’re seeing, shut that shit down. Lock it away, do what you have to do to feel nothing, or we’ll never get them back. Do you understand me?”
Conner the Marine was shouting at him, and Kade blinked. He was right. He had to get this under control now. He let himself go to that place he’d only gone when he’d witnessed murders the cartel had committed in front of him. That cold, desolate place he never thought he’d go again.
“There he is.” Conner nodded. “Allison, get the door. It has to be the EMTs.”
Kade detached himself from the situation. He watched as they checked Watkins then loaded him up. Conner stood next to him, barking out orders, and Kade let him. He felt empty.
“Come on, brat. We’ll go to the hospital and wait for them to call.”
Kade nodded and followed them out, silent all the way to the hospital. He answered all the questions asked of him, coordinated as best he could between Jeremy, Cole, and the police. They’d called in the state police because of the potential Rivera might move them out of the county. Dealing with the state police was easier than trying to get the local police on board.
Three hours he sat at the hospital, waiting for news from either the surgeon or Max. Three hours of nothingness.
When his phone finally rang, he pulled it out and saw Max’s face. “Hello?”
“Kincaid. I’m sending you the text now. They’re both here. Guards posted everywhere. There’s no way we can sneak in.”
“We’ll alert the local authorities. Thank you, Max.”
“You okay, man? You don’t sound like yourself.”
“I’m fine.” Kade hung up before Max asked him questions that would require him to think, require him to leave his cold, dead place. “We have an address. I’m sending it to everyone. Allison, can you stay and wait for word on Watkins?”
“Of course.” Allison stared at him, unsure how to react to his demeanor.
“Conner?”
“I’m ready. Jeremy, let’s go.”
The three of them loaded up into the SUV and headed out, none of them sure what was about to happen.
***
Angel let out a small sigh of relief when they finally pulled up to a concrete wall, the gates steel doors. The gate swung inward as they approached, and she looked out over a vast green lawn with a garden most old women would die for. The house was a three-story stone structure with accents of natural wood. Armed guards were visible anywhere she cared to look. Kade would not get in easily.
She’d come to realize as they drove, Kade would come for them. She had to hold out until he came. He’d found her when she’d been taken by Boston’s serial killer who had eluded the police for months. Kade had found her when all hope was lost. He’d come then, and he’d come now.
“Here we are.” Tomás closed his laptop and waited for the men to open their doors. “Let’s go meet your son.”
Angel got out and blinked as the bright sun blinded her. Her eyes were burning, and a headache started to form. The car had tinted windows, but now that the full glare of the sun assaulted her, some of her symptoms from her concussion returned.
“Forgive me.” Tomás came around and placed his hand on the small of her back, pushing her toward the front porch that wrapped around the entire building. “I forgot you had an injury yesterday. A concussion, sí?”
“Yes.” She closed her eyes briefly then allowed him to lead her inside. The cool air hit her in the face the moment she stepped over the threshold. The entry was beautiful. Hispanic tile covered the floor, and the walls were a soft, creamy beige. Antique furniture decorated what she could see of the entrance and the living room off to the side.
“Maria, please bring our guest some tea and have Mateo brought to my office.” Tomás pushed Angel on toward the rear of the house. They turned at the back of the grand staircase. A small door was tucked under it.
Tomás’s office. There was a large desk facing a bank of windows that overlooked the gardens. Bookshelves lined two walls, and a fireplace dominated the other. An antique couch faced the fireplace, and that was where he led Angel.
“Please sit.” He went over and held the door while a tray was wheeled in, a crystal pitcher of iced tea and glasses on it, along with several pastries. He pointed out the lemon cakes. “Those are Mateo’s favorite. The boy loves lemon. The first time he tasted one, his face screwed up and he asked for more. Even I can’t suck a fresh lemon dry.”
Peter loved lemons. He’d do the same thing when he was a little boy. Drove their mother nuts every time she tried to make fresh lemonade and he’d sneak all the lemons out of the kitchen.
“Ah, here is our boy.” Tomás smiled benevolently at the little boy as he entered. Angel’s heart swelled at the sight of him. He stared at her curiously from her own eyes. He looked as he had the day she met him. A miniature Kade with cat eyes.
Tomas went over to the tray and poured three glasses of tea. “It looks like Miss Anna made your favorite lemon cakes, Mateo.”
His eyes swept the sweets tray, and Angel saw a spark of delight in them. It warmed her heart to see a glimmer of childhood left in him.
“Would you like one?”
“Sí.” He didn’t move from where he stood.
“Then come get as many as you want. You know Tío Tomás always has them for you.”
A grin a mile wide lit up the little boy’s face, and he dived at the tray, his little hands snatching up at least three. Tomás laughed and handed him a delicate china plate. “Maria will tan your hide if you get crumbs on the carpet.”
Angel saw how much her son adored the man in front of her. Tomás must have been good to him, or at least slightly better than the man who was raising him. She hated the cartel leader for taking the love that should have belonged to her and Kade.
Matthew grinned, his mouth full of cake.
“Manners, Mateo, manners. We have a lady present. Don’t open your mouth when it’s full of food.”
He flashed her an apologetic smile. He was so at ease with Tomás. Nothing like he’d been with his caretaker. “Pardon, señora.”
“English, Mateo. Remember we’re working on English this week.”
The little boy nodded and swallowed. “Sorry.”
He was so precious. There was a light in his eyes that hadn’t been there before. Here he was, talking and grinning. Alive and well. And happy, for the moment. Tomás made him happy.
“Mateo, remember I promised a surprise today?”
“Yes, Tío.” He bounced on his heels, his cakes forgotten at the promise of a surprise.
Tomás laughed at the boy’s obvious excitement. “I want you to meet your mother.”
The little boy’s excitement shriveled up and died. His gaze shot to Angel, and he backed away. “No, Tío. Don’t let her hurt me.”
Dear God, what lies did they tell her baby to make him scared to death of her? The need to snatch him to her grew almost unbearable.
“Be easy, little one.” Tomás went to stand beside him, hunkering down until he was on the same level as Matthew. “I would never let anyone harm you. Didn’t I promise you that?”
“Sí.” His eyes were wide as saucers and he inched closer to Tomás. “But Juan, he says she will kill me.”
“No, Mateo. Juan was wrong. Your mother thought you died. She didn’t know you were alive or she never would have left you. I promise you this is the truth.”
He looked from Tomás to Angel, clearly not knowing what to do or say, who to trust.
“Matt…Mateo.” She refrained from calling him Matthew, but just barely. He only knew Mateo. “The hospital told me you had died and wouldn’t let me see you. I died a little that day. It left a hole in my heart knowing you were gone. Please, sweetheart, I wouldn’t have left you here had I known you were alive. I swear it.”
“See?” Tomás swept a thumb across the boy’s cheek. “There was a mistake at the hospital. Your mama doesn’t want to hurt you. She loves you very much. That’s why she’s here. She came for you.”
His little nose scrunched up, trying to sort out what he was being told. He cocked his head the way Kade did whenever he was struggling to understand something. “You no throw me away because I was a bad baby?”
“No.” Angel shook her head and stood, approaching the child slowly, like one would a skittish dog. She sank down on her knees in front of him. “You were a not a bad baby. You were perfect. Your papa and I both loved you the moment we found out you were growing in my belly.” She rubbed her stomach, hoping Tomás wouldn’t pick up on how much she’d been clutching her stomach over the last few hours.
“My papa?” His green gaze burned with curiosity. “He is no dead?”
“Not dead,” Tomás corrected him automatically. “And no, he’s probably looking for you both right now. I expect you’ll get to meet him soon enough.”
“No, baby boy. He’ll come for us both, and then we can go home.”
“Home?” Mateo tilted his head. “This is my home.”
“And it will remain your home.” Tomás stood and brushed off his pants. “Whether your mother remains here is yet to be determined. There is a price to be paid for all the care I gave you while she was away.”
Price? Her entire body froze. She expected the torture to begin, but not so soon.
“Mateo, you know sometimes I have to do bad things, even to the people I love. Things I don’t want to do, but I have to.”
The little boy nodded solemnly.
“It hurts me to do these things to those I love.” He walked over to the desk and took out a knife from one of the desk drawers. “But I must to keep my place as head of our business. Come here, child.”
Mateo’s eyes went dead. The same way they’d been that day she’d saved him in New York. He understood what was coming and blanked it out. It was his coping mechanism.
Fury unlike anything she’d ever felt snaked through every cell in her body. She was on her feet and shoving her son behind her. “I will kill you with my bare hands before I let you hurt him.”
“You had best think carefully, my beauty. Do you really want your punishment to begin earlier than necessary?”
“If it saves my son, I will take whatever you want to throw at me.”
He smiled, and the evil glowing in that smile made her shudder away from it. “You are going to entertain my guards tonight. If I remember, you were quite the dancer. My men will appreciate a show and then taking turns with you. If you survive it, you are welcome to stay and be a mother to Mateo.”
He planned on letting his men rape her all night? She had no idea if Kade would be able to find her before then. If not, she’d endure it for Matthew. She had to.
“Like I said, if it means my son is safe, I will handle it.”
Tomás studied her for a long moment. “You are magnificent. I hope you remain that way after tonight. As long as you don’t fight us, I will not cut the boy. The film of my men having a go at you will cost Kincaid more in the long run.”
Angel kept her body from shaking by sheer force of will. “I mean it, Tomás. You ever harm a hair on my son’s head, and I will kill you with my own hands.”
“I believe you would try.” Tomás nodded and looked at Mateo. “You see? Your mama loves you. She will protect you with a fierceness unlike any you will ever know. No one will love you like your mother.”
Angel glanced down at the little boy who was staring at her with something akin to wonder and awe. It broke her heart that no one had shown him this kind of love. He might love Tomás, but it was a guarded love that came with conditions.
“No one will ever hurt you again. I promise.”
The little boy nodded and gave her a small smile, his eyes still wary.
“Now, my beauty. You will need to rest after such a long journey and prepare for tonight. I have had a costume taken to your room. Lie down and rest for bit. The alarm is set to go off with enough time to allow you a bath before tonight’s festivities. Mateo will be waiting for you in the morning. Now, Mateo, I want you to go to your room and stay there the rest of the night. You and your mother can get acquainted in the morning.”
“Sí, Tío.”
“Give your mother a hug and kiss, and then go on.”
The child did as he was bid and wrapped his little arms around Angel. She choked back a sob and dropped to her knees to hold him close. Her baby boy. Her tears wouldn’t stop when his wet, sloppy kiss hit her cheek.
“No llores, Mama.” His eyes were so sad, like he knew something bad was going to happen to her.
Don’t cry, Mama. That was what he’d said to her, and she made up her mind to show no weakness in front of him. He needed her to be strong and withstand what was coming. He needed his mother.
“They’re happy tears.” She hugged him to her. “I’m just so happy to have found you, baby boy. I love you so much.”
He gave her a small smile then disentangled himself from her and collected his lemon cakes before doing as he was told.
“You see? He is perfectly safe. And he will remain that way as long as you don’t fight us tonight. Agreed?”
“Agreed.” She hated him more than she’d ever hated anyone in her life. Not for what he was going to make her do tonight, but for what he’d done to her son. He’d made that child love him, but Matthew understood and accepted that Tomás could and would hurt him. A child should never think being harmed by the person they loved most was okay.
“Here is Maria. She will show you to your room, my beauty. Get some rest. You will need it.”
Angel stood and followed the housekeeper out of the office and upstairs to her room to await the night’s festivities.
All she could do was pray for the strength to get through it and hope it caused no harm to the baby.
She’d do whatever it took to keep Matthew safe.
No matter the cost.