John was so miserable that he didn’t even question where Tonio had obtained the new video game he was playing. He kept busy at work, and at home, during the holiday break. He’d sent Adele shopping for Tonio, but mostly what the boy was getting was educational software and a new jacket. He didn’t have the heart to go to town himself. He didn’t want to go shopping in San Antonio for fear that he might run into Sunny.
His heart was breaking. He’d lied to her about wanting her only out of desire. She’d become such a part of his life that he felt like half a man. He’d deleted her phone number and contact information in the heat of anger. He’d have given a lot to have it back. He might have tried to text her. But he doubted that she’d even answer him.
Apparently she and Hollister had discovered a mutual attraction. The man drew women, but John had been sure that Sunny belonged to him alone. Had he driven her away by not calling after they’d been intimate? Women were sensitive about intimacy, after all, and he’d only hinted of a shared future. In fact, he’d told her that there was no hope of them being together in the near future because of his son. He hadn’t meant that it was hopeless; only that he had to get his son to accept her. But she’d taken it for a goodbye and she’d gone out with the only other man in her life. He hated knowing that Hollister was dating her. He didn’t know how he was going to live if they got involved.
And still, above all, there was the matter of Tonio and Rado. The gang leader couldn’t get to Tonio on the ranch, but after the holidays he’d be back in school, vulnerable. John would have to make sure that he was watched around the clock.
Tonio avoided him, even just after presents were opened on Christmas morning. He stayed in his room. He wouldn’t even go out to see the horses, and he loved them. He did sit at the table for Christmas dinner, but he hardly said two words to his father and those had to be dragged out of him. John felt like a castaway. He’d managed to alienate the only two people on earth he loved, and he had no idea how he was going to get them back.
* * *
Christmas was lonely. Sunny had hoped she’d be going places with John. But that had been an illusion of love. He’d only wanted a night in her bed, not forever.
She wondered if he even had a son. It was probably a line he used to push women away if they got too close. He was very handsome. He could have any woman he wanted, women much prettier than Sunny. All that talk about the future, about children. Had it really all been just a means to an end? He hadn’t called since he’d blown up at her over Cal Hollister.
She grimaced and placed her hand on her flat stomach. The nausea was ongoing. She was tired all the time. She felt and saw changes in her body that she knew all too well meant she was pregnant.
She didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t go to a clinic. That was impossible. Even if she hadn’t been a person of faith, she couldn’t step on an ant, much less terminate the tiny life inside her.
She thought of having a child, and she felt warm all over. A child of her own. It was something she’d dreamed of. Of course, the dream had also included a husband and a home together. She looked around at her lonely apartment. This wasn’t her dream of happiness.
She walked to the back to do laundry and grimaced at the back window whose screen still hadn’t been fixed. The lock was wonky, too. Sometimes it didn’t quite catch. She’d have to contact the superintendent again. He was overworked, especially during the record cold snap, so she’d have to wait in line for repairs. He had bigger issues, including a fire in one of the apartments that meant major repairs. Fortunately it was at the other end of Sunny’s building and didn’t affect her.
She wondered if Hollister had found the bad apple in his department yet. She grimaced as she recalled John’s fury that she’d gone dancing with him. If she’d had the chance, she would have told him that she’d only done it because Rado would think it was a date, not that she was imparting confidential information to the captain of detectives. But she hadn’t had the chance.
Once, she’d been tempted to text John, just to have any contact with him. But she’d chickened out at the last minute. He’d made his position crystal clear. She’d been a bit of fun and now he was off to new conquests. She had just enough pride not to throw herself at his feet. It wasn’t easy. She missed him terribly.
* * *
Christmas came and went. So did New Year’s. Sunny faced the new year with a home pregnancy test that was decisive. She wasn’t showing yet, so there was time to make decisions. She wasn’t sure that she was going to stay in San Antonio. There were nursing jobs in Houston, and even Hollister admitted that she might be safer far away from Rado. She didn’t tell him why she wanted to leave, however.
But Hollister seemed to understand that her breakup with Ruiz had spoiled things in the city for her. He didn’t understand what was going on. Ruiz was obviously crazy about her, and vice versa. But all of a sudden, they were enemies. He hoped they could work it out.
* * *
Colter Banks was poring over an arrest report when John walked into his office the second week in January. His fellow Ranger had called and asked him to come over, because he thought they might have a break in the cold case.
“What’s new?” John asked.
Colter grimaced. “Something hopeful, something else that’s pretty bad. Hollister’s got a rogue cop in his department. He doesn’t know who it is. Very likely it’s one of Rado’s men, and he’ll do anything he’s told.”
“How did Hollister find out?” John asked, frowning.
“He has a contact,” Banks said. “I don’t know who, but somebody who has a friend in Los Diablos Lobitos and is willing to risk his life to betray Rado. Hollister’s known about it for a few weeks, but he hasn’t been able to track down the informant. He’s got an old comrade helping him, from what I hear. They may turn him up.”
“Brave so-and-so, whoever gave him the information about the bad cop,” John commented.
“Very brave. The word is that he’s a kid,” he added. “Which makes it an act of very rare courage.”
“Considering Rado’s reaction to anyone talking about him, yes, it is.” He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. “How about anything connecting Rado to our cold case?”
Banks grinned. “That’s the only good news I have. We’ve had a backlog in the forensics lab because of the holidays and several more gang shootings. But forensics found dog hairs on our female victim’s clothing. They were brown. I understand that Rado keeps a brown pit bull chained outside his house to ward off unwelcome visitors. They also processed a partial tread print from a pair of sneakers and a cigarette butt of the type Rado is known to smoke.”
John felt lighter. “That’s probable cause.”
“Yes, it is, although it’s largely circumstantial. But I found a judge who was willing to sign a search warrant.” He waved it. “I’m waiting for Marquez to send two patrol officers over to go with me to take hair samples from the dog. We’re taking Animal Control along as well. The warrant also allows me to obtain biological samples from Rado himself, look for the pair of sneakers that might match the tread pattern and look for samples of the cigarettes Rado smokes.”
“That’s going to cause some problems,” John remarked.
“I hope it’s going to cause Rado some,” came the dry reply.
“I mean, for anybody Rado suspects of selling him out,” John amended, and he was thinking with cold fear about his own son. Rado wouldn’t hesitate to kill a child. Only the fact that Tonio was watched made him hopeful that the boy would be safe. He frowned. “Damn! I forgot to get with Longfellow on the note Hayes Carson found!”
“It won’t help,” Banks said. “I phoned her, just to check. She said it was a telephone number. The victim’s.”
“Damn.”
“Yes. But when we serve this warrant on Rado, we may get all we need. I’ve put everything but the kitchen sink on the list of things I want to search.”
John chuckled. “Wise man. Need backup?”
“Not really.” Banks grinned as he stood up. “The two patrol officers are also on the SWAT team.” He raised his eyebrows. “It would be totally cool if Rado decided to resist.”
“Bad Ranger,” John said, shaking his finger at the man.
Banks just chuckled.
* * *
John was working on an assault case. A young woman’s boyfriend had gone after her at the restaurant where she waitressed after they broke up, argued with her and assaulted her with his fists. Customers broke it up, but she was bruised and broken and terrified. He’d been pulled off her by customers and the manager just in time to save her from being strangled to death. The boyfriend yelled that he’d kill her next time as he ran out the door. The manager had called 911. SAPD, overwhelmed with gang violence, had requested a Ranger to help find the young man.
The boyfriend had fought free from the customers as soon as he heard sirens coming closer. John had interviewed customers, along with the patrol officer who’d responded and a detective assigned to the case. He was tracking the boy down, slowly, through friends and family.
He sat at a traffic light with the engine idling. Out the window, he saw a blonde woman in nursing scrubs walking along the sidewalk toward a clothing store. Blonde, like Sunny. His heart jumped. The light changed and he moved slowly ahead. But when he got even with the woman, it wasn’t Sunny. He ground his teeth together and drove on. He’d missed her so much. It was like losing an arm. If only he hadn’t jumped to conclusions and shot his mouth off.
He really was the way Tonio had once described him: an avalanche when he got going. Looking back, he knew that Sunny had no real attraction to Hollister. They were friends. He’d been the detective on her case. They’d had years to get involved if there was any interest there. But there wasn’t. He’d let jealousy prod him into an unwarranted outburst, and now he’d lost her. Maybe if he’d been less judgmental, maybe if he’d tried to talk to Tonio instead of at him about Sunny, maybe, maybe, maybe...
He’d had to go by the children’s hospital one night on a case. Sunny had been in the hall when he walked toward the emergency room. She’d seen him and gone straight into the women’s restroom to avoid him. His heart had sunk into his boots. The look on her face had been one of shame, embarrassment, anguish. He’d hurt her so badly that she wouldn’t go near him anymore. That was when he lost hope.
It could have been so different. He drew in a long breath and drove on to the next witness’s house. Looking back would serve no purpose. He had to go on, no matter how much it hurt.
* * *
Tonio had noticed that Sunny hardly smiled anymore. She had hot chocolate with him after school most days when she was working. She worried about Rado and gossip that he was about to be interrogated in the murder cases. She didn’t want anything to happen to Tonio. But she was sad.
He wished he could do something to cheer her up. His dad had been morose lately, too. He never smiled. He went to work. He came home. He watched the news and went to bed. He made no more overtures toward Tonio. It was as if he lived alone now.
Adele had remarked about the sad change in Tonio’s parent. He’d been so happy lately, she remarked, as if he had the world at his feet. Then, so suddenly, he was quiet and somber and dead inside. She wondered what had happened to change him so much.
Tonio knew. His father had loved the woman, whoever she was. Tonio had made a scene and acted like a spoiled brat. He’d run away, scared his dad. Now his father had given up the woman he wanted. Tonio had what he thought he wanted. But he didn’t. He and his father were so apart that they hardly spoke to each other. Tonio felt guilt like a brand on him. He could have given the woman a chance. She might not have been like the other one. He’d never know. And he still had no idea how he could introduce Sunny to his father. If he could just meet her, he might find her as fascinating as Tonio did.
“You’re very quiet,” Sunny remarked.
He grimaced. “I did a stupid thing,” he said. “My dad liked this woman. I made threats. I ran away.” He made a face. “Now Dad won’t even talk to me. He walks around like a zombie. He never smiles. It’s like his heart died or something.”
Sunny knew exactly how that felt. She was the same. “We hope for things in life,” she said quietly. “But sometimes, God has other plans for us.” She smiled sadly. “Tonio, I may be moving soon.”
“What?” he exclaimed. His expression was one of pure horror. “Sunny, you can’t,” he said miserably. “You’re the only real friend I’ve got. What will I do if you go away?” he asked, fighting a lump in his throat.
That was very flattering. She managed a smile. “It isn’t definite,” she said, trying to wipe that horrible expression off his face. She didn’t want to hurt him. But she couldn’t stay here once she started showing. “It’s just an idea...”
“Please don’t go,” he said, and his big brown eyes glimmered with unshed tears. “Please don’t.”
“Tonio,” she began, grinding her teeth together. “Things have happened in my life,” she began. “I’m not sure what I’ll do. But I have to make some changes. Listen, even if I go, I’ll be as close as the telephone. We can text each other. We can talk. I’m not leaving you. Honest.”
The panic died down a little with those words. He drew in a breath. It might not be as bad as he feared. “Okay,” he said after a minute.
“Don’t worry so,” she said. “We don’t control anything, really. Life just happens, you know?”
He sighed. “I guess it does.”
* * *
The next day after school, Rado confronted him in the parking lot. The man was raging mad.
“Somebody ratted me out,” he said icily. “They took hairs from my dog. They got blood and a pair of my sneakers. If you had anything to do with this, I’ll make you pay. I’ll make everyone around you pay!”
Tonio’s heart raced. “Please, don’t hurt Sunny,” he pleaded. “Do anything you want to me, but leave her alone!”
“The nurse?” he laughed coldly. “I owe her already, for threatening me. She talked to that cop. Didn’t think I’d find out, did you? I got people everywhere! She went on a date with him, but it wasn’t a date. She was passing information. Where’d she get it, Tonio? From you? And where the hell are David and Tina Lopez?” he added, moving closer.
“I don’t know,” he said, flustered.
Rado kept coming. He grabbed Tonio by the front of his jacket and drew back his fist. “I ought to—!”
“Let him alone!” Sunny said, moving toward them. She had her phone out. “I just put in 911,” she said, holding it up. “I push the button and you go up for assault! I’ll testify! So will Tonio!”
Rado let Tonio go with a jerk of his hand. His eyes danced with fury. “I’ll get you,” he said harshly. “And nobody will know. I got ways. I can off you and make it look like suicide. I know how!”
“Be my guest,” Sunny dared. She even smiled.
He threw off a couple of curses, motioned to his friends in the distance and stalked off.
“He means it,” Tonio said worriedly. “Sunny, he’ll hurt you!”
“I’ll call Cal Hollister,” she assured him. She was shaking inside, but she forced a smile. “Now let’s have some hot chocolate. It’s cold out here!”
Tonio went with her. He worried all the way into the hospital. If anything happened to Sunny, he’d just die.
* * *
“Rado did what?” John asked the man he had watching Tonio.
“He was about to hit the kid,” Chet Billings, one of Eb Scott’s men, said coldly. “I started toward them when the blonde woman pulled out her phone and threatened Rado with the police. He cursed her and Tonio and went off with his gang.” He shook his head. “He means it. You watch that boy on the ranch. Rado really does have people everywhere.”
“I’ve got good people on the ranch,” John said. “Some were feds. They know how to secure the place. A blonde woman?”
He nodded. “Tonio seems to know her.”
“He mentioned a woman to me. She got him in touch with a policeman,” John recalled. “He told the cop what he wouldn’t tell me, about Rado and his connection to the Lopez boy and his sister,” he added coldly.
“Marquez says he’s zeroing in on the rogue cop. He thinks he knows who it is.” He shook his head. “Sad case, the man’s two years away from retirement. He should never have gotten mixed up with Rado.”
“Neither should my son,” John said heavily. “Well, Banks says he thinks they have enough proof to put Rado away. They’re rechecking samples at the forensics lab this evening. Tomorrow Banks plans to make the arrest. If he’s right, and he can prove it, they may link Rado to Melinda McCarthy’s murder two years ago.”
“Rado would look good behind bars,” Chet said.
“My thoughts exactly. Don’t let Tonio out of your sight tomorrow,” he added. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this. Rado’s going to be out for blood.”
“Tell me about it,” Chet agreed. “I won’t let the boy get hurt. I promise you.”
John managed a faint smile. “I know you won’t.”
* * *
That night, when Sunny got home, she had an odd feeling that she was being watched. She laughed silently at her own thoughts. It had been a long shift, with several emergencies. She was just tired.
She put up her coat and her purse and went into the bedroom to change clothes. The last thing she remembered was walking through the door...
* * *
It was odd that Sunny was late for work. Tonio knew that she was supposed to be on duty today, and she hadn’t seemed sick the day before. He was worried. Rado had made threats. What if he’d done something to her?
He was concerned enough to go up to the floor where she worked and talk to a nurse that he knew was friendly with her, Merrie York.
Merrie was talking to another nurse. Her eyes were red. Tonio had a very bad feeling.
“Have you seen Sunny?” he asked Merrie, watching the supervisor warily, because he wasn’t supposed to be up here.
Merrie tried to smile. “You’re her friend,” she said. “You’re Tonio.”
“Yeah,” he said. “She’s not downstairs. She’s always early. She’s supposed to work today, isn’t she?”
Merrie drew in a breath. “Tonio, they’ve taken her to the trauma center at Marshall Memorial—”
“What?” he exclaimed, and lowered his voice quickly. He was terrified. “Did Rado do something to her? He threatened her...!”
“They say it was a suicide attempt. She’s not conscious.”
“She wouldn’t commit suicide. It was Rado! I know it was! I have to go see her,” he said. His brown eyes were tragic. “Please! Please! I have to see her!”
Merrie grimaced. “Wait right there.” Merrie spoke to her supervisor and went to get her coat and purse. “Come with me,” she told Tonio. “We’ll both go. Don’t you have a cousin who works in the office?”
“I ride home with her,” he said.
“Rosa, right?” Merrie punched in numbers on her cell phone as they got to the elevator. “Rosa, Tonio’s going to Marshall Memorial with me. Sunny’s just been taken there. No, I don’t know how bad it is. I’ll call you when we get back, okay? Sure.”
She turned to Tonio. “She says she’ll wait downstairs for you when she gets off work.”
“Will they let me see her?” Tonio asked plaintively, because he knew about hospital rules.
“I know several nurses at the main hospital,” she said, smiling reassuringly. “I’ll work it out.”
* * *
As it turned out, the nurse in charge of ICU, where Sunny was now, was a friend of Merrie’s who’d worked at the children’s hospital for a number of years before transferring over here.
She sighed as she registered Tonio’s quiet anguish. “This is highly irregular,” she began.
“She’s like my mother,” Tonio pleaded. “Just let me see her, even just for a minute. Please?” His big brown eyes were poignant.
The nurse grimaced. “Okay, but if anybody finds out they’ll hang me with a bedsheet.”
“Thanks!” Tonio said huskily.
“From me, too,” Merrie added. “How is she?”
“Not good,” the nurse said quietly as she led the way down the hall to a cubicle. “They’re running blood work, but it looks very much like an overdose.”
“A suicide attempt?” Merrie asked, horrified. “But she’s the least suicidal person I’ve ever known!”
“Sunny would never kill herself. She’s religious. It was Rado,” Tonio said solemnly. “He threatened her. He said he could make it look like suicide if he killed her. She told a detective what he’d done,” he added. “She wouldn’t kill herself,” Tonio said firmly. “I know she wouldn’t.”
“You should talk to the police,” the supervisor said.
“I’ll call them right now,” Merrie assured her. “Tonio can talk to them later. I’ll be in the waiting room. Thanks, Mildred,” she added, smiling at the supervisor.
“You owe me,” Mildred teased.
Merrie just grinned.
Tonio went inside the cubicle. Sunny was unconscious, hooked up to several machines. There was a drip going in her arm. He went next to the bed, and put his book bag in a chair. He brushed back her tangled blond hair and stifled tears.
“Oh, Sunny,” he said, his voice breaking. “I’m so sorry!”
* * *
John Ruiz had gone by Hollister’s office after he finished tracking down the man who’d assaulted the woman in the restaurant. He wanted answers.
“Why are you dating Sunny?” he asked bluntly.
Hollister just stared at him, surprised. “I’m not.”
“You were dancing with her at Fernando’s,” John said belligerently.
Hollister sighed. “She has a friend, a young boy,” he said. “He told her that Rado has someone in my department, a mole, who works for him. She didn’t dare meet me at the hospital, because Rado has people watching her. So we danced and she gave me what information she had.”
John relaxed. “I see.” Now he understood where Banks had gotten his information. And he felt worse than ever.
“You idiot,” Hollister said. “She’s crazy about you. She and I are friends. That’s all it ever was.”
John ground his teeth together. He’d really messed up. He drew in a harsh breath. “Banks got a warrant yesterday to get biological samples from Rado. He said the man threatened vengeance on everybody, especially the boy who told.”
“A very brave young man,” Hollister said. “I don’t even know who he is, but Sunny does. She says he’s like family to her.”
“Any luck on finding the mole?” he asked.
“Marquez fingered him about an hour ago, through a CI,” he added, indicating a Confidential Informant.
“That’s one good thing,” he said. “How about the Lopez family?”
Hollister’s eyes twinkled. “Don’t you know Tom Smart, over at the Marshals’ office?”
“I know him.”
“He might tell you,” he said. “I’m not allowed to. Privileged info, and I gave my word.”
John’s heart lifted. He’d been concerned about the boy and his sister. This indicated that the US Marshals had them hidden, safe from Rado. “State’s evidence?”
Hollister chuckled. “I can’t say.”
John smiled. “Okay.”
“I’ll see if—” His phone rang. He picked it up. “Yes?” Hollister stood up. “When?” He listened, wincing. “Is your CI sure? That little punk!” he exclaimed. “I’ll have him picked up right now. I’ll send someone to her apartment to check on her. Yes. Yes. Okay.” He hung up. “Rado threatened Sunny’s life,” he said. “We’ve got a witness who heard Rado bragging about offing a nurse. He’s being picked up and I’m going to send someone over to check on Sunny right now!”
“I’ll go,” John said at once. He was out the door before Hollister got another word out.
* * *
Rado. John was furious. Sunny and her young friend had stirred up a hornet’s nest with what they knew. Rado wouldn’t hesitate to kill her. He hoped she had her doors locked and her phone handy.
She might not let him in, but he wanted to know that she was all right. He’d see if Hollister could spare someone to watch her. Alternatively, John could get one of his people to do it. He couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to her. Sunny was the most important person in his life, next to Tonio, even if she hated him.
* * *
He pulled up at her apartment building and went to knock on the door. Her neighbor was just coming out of his unit.
“Something going on there,” the old man told John, nodding at Sunny’s door. “Three boys came running out of there about ten minutes ago. I called 911. You the police?”
“Texas Rangers,” John said. “Is she home?” he asked quickly.
He nodded. “Heard the television going earlier.”
“Thanks. I may need a statement from you,” he added, feeling apprehension like a chill.
“I’m just off to the store. Be back in a few minutes. I’ll help if I can.”
“Okay.” John was banging at the door, but Sunny didn’t answer. He tried the door. Locked.
He vaguely remembered her concern about a loose screen on a window in her apartment. On a hunch, he went around back. The screen was torn, the window was wide open.
His heart raced as he climbed in the window. “Sunny!” he called. “Sunny!”
But she didn’t answer. As he walked into the living room, he saw why. He whipped out his phone and punched in 911, gave the information and got an ambulance rolling.
He unlocked the front door and opened it, going at once back to Sunny, to kneel beside her prone body. He phoned for a detective and a forensic team to come with the ambulance. There was a syringe still sticking in her arm and she was unconscious. Her heartbeat was weaker than he’d have liked, but she was breathing normally, if a little slowly.
He couldn’t rouse her. There was only a trace of liquid in the syringe. He took photos with his cell phone, detailing everything while he waited for help to arrive. It kept him from going crazy as he worried about her condition.
He was remembering two other victims of Rado’s wrath, Melinda McCarthy and Harry Lopez. Both had been found exactly as Sunny was now, overdosed from apparent suicide. Except this time, Rado had made threats and bragged about killing a nurse, and a neighbor had seen three men running out of Sunny’s apartment. Apparently this had just happened, thank God, which meant Sunny might yet be saved.
If only the damned ambulance would hurry! John had hung up on the 911 operator because he had to take pix of the crime scene—because it was definitely a crime scene. The needle was in Sunny’s right arm and she was right-handed. Rado had made a second fatal error by not knowing which hand his victim used. With any luck, he could put him away for life, especially with the evidence Banks had already collected.
But Sunny was in desperate condition. He couldn’t move her. He looked at her face and groaned aloud. If she died, and she could, how would he go on living? The last memory of him she had would be of him raging at her, shouting that she was a two-timing flirt and that he was only playing with her.
The sound of sirens finally came close. He went to the door to motion to the policeman who accompanied the ambulance and assured him that it was safe for the EMTs to come in. But he cautioned the officer about procedure. Only essential personnel inside, keep a record of who came and went and what time and assist detectives when they arrived with canvassing neighbors. It was a crime scene. He especially wanted the neighbor next door questioned, because he’d seen three men running from Sunny’s apartment and he’d called 911. There would be a record on file of the call.
An SAPD detective showed up while the EMTs worked on Sunny. They had no idea what drug was used. The detective stood by while the crime unit, quickly responding, collected evidence, including the syringe, which had traces of the drug in it. The detective promised John that it would go to the crime lab at once to be processed, so that they’d know what was used on her.
By the time they loaded Sunny onto the ambulance, John had called his lieutenant and requested a Ranger to relieve him, because he was going to the hospital with Sunny. He added that this would almost certainly tie Rado to attempted murder. Lieutenant Avery said he’d phone Banks and have him go to the crime lab to wait for test results. He knew about John’s involvement with Sunny through Banks. He added that he hoped she’d be fine. So did John.
* * *
They took her into a cubicle where a doctor worked on getting her stabilized. But not knowing what drug was used, they could do very little for the time being. She was sent to ICU to be observed while the crime lab pinpointed the drug. She was still unconscious.
John went with her to ICU, bypassing staff and security people alike. He was going to make sure that nobody could get to her while they struggled to save her life.
The truth was that he wasn’t about to leave her, for any reason. They’d have to take him out feet first, he told the supervisor.
She just sighed and let him into the room.
* * *
He sat with her, agonizing over her condition. He held the soft hand that wasn’t being fed fluids through a drip and turned it over in his big one.
“You have to get well,” he said huskily. “I’ve screwed up everything, but I love you, rubia. You have to get better so I can apologize, on my knees if you want me to. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life alone.” He stared down at her hand. “I’ve been an idiot, Sunny. You have to live, so you can forgive me.” He drew in a long breath. “Mi alma,” he whispered, his voice breaking. “¡Mi vida, mi corazon, sin ti, no tengo nada!”
He bent over her hand in silent anguish. If only he could go back and unsay the things he’d said. She had to live. She had to!
It was agonizing to see her like this. Sunny, so happy and bright and alive, smiling up at him as they rode in the SUV, lying so soft and sweet in his arms while he loved her.
He touched his mouth to her hand and closed his eyes, praying for all he was worth. The cold fear in his stomach boiled up, almost choking him. He fought the dampness in his black eyes as he stared helplessly at her prone body.
One more chance, he thought silently. I’d give anything for one more chance, rubia, to keep you in my life. Because without you, mi alma, I have no life!