Chapter16
Before the ink even had a chance to dry, they were whisked away, taken to an unmarked car and loaded into the back seat. Only Miguel got in the car, leaving the other agents to plan the takedown while Miguel got Alex and Nina secured. Nina took one last look at her Audi A8L as they drove away, then focused on the road ahead.
Alex saw her, taking her hand and squeezing.
“I’ll get you another car,” he said.
“I know they’ll be other cars, I just really loved that one. I know you loved your house, so I guess I shouldn’t complain.”
“A house can be replaced, and so can a car. You are the only thing I care about.”
Nina caught Miguel looking at her in the rearview mirror, his eyes the same hard ones she’d come to know from her time with “Jaime.”
“How long before you go back to being normal?” Nina asked him.
“What do you mean?”
“I think you know. I can see it in your eyes. One minute, you’re Miguel, then you slip back into ‘Jaime’. I guess after five years being a thug comes naturally.”
He stiffened.
“I never forgot who I was,” he said almost angrily. “The law is what’s most important. My friendship with Alex was just a means to an end.”
“I don’t believe that,” Nina challenged. “And I don’t think you do, either. It’s just us. You can be honest.”
But Miguel stood his ground.
“It was just a job.”
“Why aren’t you taking down Carlos with the rest of the agents?” Nina asked, already in too deep to worry about pissing Miguel off.
She had questions, and she didn’t know when she’d have another chance to ask him.
“I have information that no one else has, and I have to testify. If I get killed before the trial, the state’s case weakens. Your evidence is great, but they need what I have, too.”
“So, you’re going to be stuck in the safehouse as well?” Alex said.
“Unfortunately, yes. But I’ll have my own location. They don’t keep criminals with the agents.”
He smirked when he delivered that last dig, and Nina glared at him.
“You remember what I said about not getting lucky a third time,” she warned. “Don’t push me.”
“Well, this is where you get out,” he said, pulling into the parking lot of a McDonald’s and parking beside another dark colored car. “I’ll see you in court.”
He unlocked the child locks on the driver’s side rear door and leaving the other lock engaged so they both had to exit on Nina’s side of the car. The other car had backed in so that opening the doors created a chute, protecting them from gunfire and herding them into the other car without a hitch.
“Why do I feel like a wild animal?” Nina muttered, then addressed the men in the front seat. “Hit the drive-thru, I’m starving.”
“We’ll order food at the safehouse,” one of the two agents in the front seat said, but Nina was already shaking her head.
“You don’t want to see me when I’m hungry,” she shot back, and Alex rushed to cover his mouth to contain his laughter.
She glared at the men, then finally, they gave in.
“Not a peep out of either of you,” the agent driving warned. “And no eating in my car.”
Nina raised an eyebrow and shook her head.
“Don’t even start with me. I’m tired, I’m pregnant and I’m hungry.. This is not a fight you want to get into.”
The agents looked at each other, then the driver shrugged.
“Whatever,” he grumbled. “Just don’t make a mess.”
By the time they hit the highway, Nina was almost done and feeling so much better.
“Your kid is hungry all the time,” she joked, snuggling against Alex in the back seat as the car headed north. “I can’t wait until December.”
“You know the trial might last longer than that,” one of the agents said.
“Not if you do your job, it won’t,” she countered, but she knew he was right, even if she didn’t want to admit it. “I’m not having this baby in a safehouse.”
“She’s feisty. You might be better off taking your chances with the cartel, Alex.”
She ignored the agent, too tired to deal with them anymore. She just wanted to get to the safehouse and get in bed. She would worry about the fact that she didn’t have a thing except the clothes on her back and her phone. Everything else was destroyed with the house, and that was more than she could handle right now.
Tomorrow, they would worry about getting clothes and comfort items to pass the time until court was over. Right now, the only thing on her mind was crawling into bed with Alex and forgetting all about what had happened that night.
She was starting to doze off when the car slowed, then backed into a garage. Alex was still awake, watching her sleep and tenderly stroking his thumb across her hand. She smiled sleepily at him, and when the agents called the all clear, she let him lead her inside.
The house was small, with three rooms; a bedroom,kitchen dining room combination, and a living room. All the windows were covered with blackout curtains, and multiple screens in the kitchen showed cameras from every angle, covering the yard and the streets beyond on all four sides.
It was like a fortress, but even though she knew they were safe, she wasn’t sure she’d ever feel as safe as she had in Alex’s house.
“Damnit, I miss Jaime,” Nina muttered.
“I do, too,” Alex admitted.
“You’ll take this room. Someone will bring your things once they’ve been checked.”
“We don’t have things,” Alex said. “It all went up with the house.”
“In that case, write your sizes down and we’ll send someone for clothes and anything else you need. Plan on being here at least six months, though we’re trying to push it through the courts. These guys make bail and flee to Cuba. We’re going to keep that from happening if we can.”
The man handed a pocket-sized spiral notepad to Nina. She quickly jotted down what she needed, then handed the pad off to Alex. When Alex handed it to the agent, he looked at her list and sighed.
“I’m assuming that none of this is negotiable.”
“Smart man,” she said.
She turned, walking through the bedroom door without waiting to see if Alex followed her. She was exhausted, and even though the bed was nowhere near as nice as the one she’d been sleeping on for weeks, she was asleep before her head hit the pillow.
She had no idea when Alex joined her, but she woke up once in the night with his arms wrapped tightly around her. She snuggled against him, kissing him while he slept, then closing her eyes and letting herself drift off.
A thin ray of bright sunshine had found its way through a slit on the edge of the heavy curtains when she awoke to a knock at their door.
She groaned, getting up and answering the door. She almost panicked when she didn’t recognize the face behind the door, but the man quickly identified himself.
“Agent Rivers with the DEA,” he said, showing his badge. “I thought you might want to have some lunch and make sure these clothes fit.”
He was young, his eyes still bright with ambition and passion for the job. She knew it was only a matter of time before he’d seen too much, and that changed. But for now, he was exuberant, and that was already rubbing off on Nina even though she was still so exhausted.
“Lunch?” she queried, not sure she’d heard him right.
“You slept through breakfast. It’s probably a reaction to all that adrenaline. Did you know that when the body is stressed by some kind of catastrophic event, it floods your system with adrenaline, which is why you can do things you never could before? Like jumping from a building without getting hurt and dodging bullets. It’s actually very interesting, and—”
“Slow down there, Einstein. It’s too early for this much talking.”
“It’s actually quarter past noon.”
She gave him a withering look.
“Right,” he said, nodding. “Well, anyway, your clothes are in the living room, and here’s the menu. I’ll put in the order as soon as you’re ready.”
“Thanks,” she said, closing the door slowly so she didn’t slam it in his face, but made it clear she was done talking for now.
“He’s peppy,” Alex said, still in the bed.
“That’s way too much energy for me.” She laughed. “They want us to order lunch.”
She sat beside him on the bed and he kissed her cheek.
“How are you feeling today?”
“Tired. Raw. A little numb.”
“That will pass.”
“I’m glad.” She circled the items she wanted with the pencil Agent Rivers had given her, then passed it off to Alex.
“Let’s get dressed. It’s time to face the day.”
There were bags of clothes in the living room as promised, along with everything else they’d requested. Nina was helping Alex gather up their things when the show on the television disappeared and a Breaking News Alert ticker filled the screen.
“We interrupt this program to bring you breaking news,” a steady, almost bland female voice announced. “The DEA has mounted a mass sting today, bringing in nearly one hundred members of the Cienfuegos drug cartel, including cartel leader, Carlos Managua. This is part of a five-year investigation into the cartel’s activity in Miami and surrounding areas, and their ties to the city of the same name in Cuba. We’ll have more as this story progresses, so keep your televisions tuned in.”
“One hundred?” Nina asked, incredulous.
“It was a big operation,” Agent Rivers offered. “Most of those men will do minimal time. They’re not after the foot soldiers, they’re after Carlos and his closest confidants. It’s good you got out when you did, Mister Conrad. Very lucky.”
“When do we testify?” Nina asked.
“There will be hearings to determine bail, if any, then more hearings while the lawyers attempt to stall. You’ll give your taped deposition in the room in the back, and when they’re ready for Alex to testify, they will let us know. You probably won’t be called, but it is a possibility.”
“I can do that,” she said.
“I’m sure you can. From what I’ve seen, you were the catalyst in all this. Anyone who can bring down a major player in a cartel and convince him to turn state’s evidence can probably do anything she sets her mind to.”
“I like this one,” she said to Alex. “Let’s make sure that he’s always our guard.”
“As the low man on the totem pole, I’ll likely be your main agent, so you’ll probably get your wish there.”
“At least something is going my way,” she said, picking up the bags and leaving the agents to their television.
She put the bags on the bed, rummaging through the clothes until she found an outfit that spoke to her, then she gathered the clothes and toiletries up and headed to the bathroom. When Alex followed her in, she didn’t argue. She was hoping he would.
Together, they washed away the events of the past twenty-four hours until Nina finally felt like herself again.
When Alex moved up against her, his meaning was clear. This shower was a tighter fit, and somehow, that brought its own level of excitement though it didn’t compare to the places they’d made love before.
Nina arched against him, warm water spilling over their bodies as he rode her hard and fast. They climaxed together a few minutes later, Alex holding her hips as he pounded into her from behind. She sighed when he slipped out of her, turning to face him and wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him passionately. Her tongue slipped between his lips as she deepened the kiss, then pulled back and smiled.
“That was exactly what I needed,” she said, heart still racing.
“Me too.” He playfully brushed his thumb over her nipple, causing her body to twitch.
She giggled, then turned serious, totally oblivious to the water that was starting to turn cool.
“We’re going to make it through this,” Alex assured her before she could voice her fears. “I know it doesn’t feel like it, but we will make it out.”
“I believe you. I’m just so scared. Not for myself. Even if I have to testify, it’s probably only going to be one day, maybe two. But you have over a decade with Cienfuegos, and every time you walk into that courtroom, your life is in danger.”
“I’m going to be fine,” he told her.
“I hope you’re right.”
He reached behind her and turned the water off, stepping out of the shower first, then helping her out. He took his time toweling her off, then got dressed while she did the same. By the time they were dressed and ready to leave the room, lunch was served.
They sat down at the table with the two agents, and Nina couldn’t help but think back to the day before, sharing breakfast with everyone like one big family. It didn’t matter that they were thugs, they were human. If she’d had dinner with them the night before, she probably would have died with them.
A single tear slid down her cheek before she managed to stop herself. Alex took her hand and squeezed, and her heart nearly burst with the sadness hanging between them.
“I’m going to miss them, too,” Alex said softly.
And with that, the flood gates opened, and Nina turned her head, burying her face in Alex’s shoulder as he held her there in front of the agents, and let her cry until she ran out of tears for people she knew that the world would never miss.