“That doesn’t mean you have to spend the rest of your life that way.” Remi intertwined their fingers and faced Dallas. “If you don’t let me in just a little, I can’t help you.”
Dallas couldn’t maintain eye contact with her and dropped her head to stare at their joined hands. “It’s not that I won’t let you in. It’s just hard. I’ve survived this long because I don’t let myself get hurt.”
“I’m not asking because I want to hurt you.” Remi put her fingers under her chin and lifted her head.
“I wouldn’t blame you for losing patience with me, but I can’t express in words exactly how hard this is.” She put her hand on Remi’s cheek, then outlined the dark brows with her fingertips. “I’ve truly never taken this kind of chance.”
“I want you to stay even longer than you might’ve planned for. I’m not comfortable letting you go home, and with our time together, maybe you’ll start believing I’m the best problem solver you’ll ever meet.”
“I already know that.”
Remi smiled and leaned closer and kissed her.
“Why do you want me to stay longer? Not that I mind spending time with you.”
“Cain and I have a theory as to what’s going to happen next, and the guy who’ll be responsible for any more bloodshed saw us together. If he thinks we’re a couple, he won’t hesitate to hurt you to get to me.”
When Remi lifted her arm, Dallas took the invitation and moved closer. “It’s that guy that stopped at our table, isn’t it? The one with the dead eyes?”
“Nunzio’s more known for his dead heart, but yes, that’s the guy.” Dallas smiled when Remi kissed the top of her head, because she felt that Remi had done it unconsciously. “Until I know you’ll be safe on your own, I want you to stay with me.”
“Do you think it’ll take long?” Dallas rested her head on the front of Remi’s shoulder and put her hand on her abdomen.
“Could take years.” Remi laughed.
“I don’t know, having you as my jailer might be like winning the lottery.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t keep you captive in your room, but I do have something in mind, and I want you to think about it before you say no.”
“I’ll go along with whatever you think.”
“I might get used to such cooperation.”
Dallas laughed also and ran her fingers down Remi’s leg. “I wouldn’t do that, if I were you. After all, Emma keeps preaching to me that making you work for it makes it that much more rewarding.”
“I’m more than capable of doing heavy lifting when it’s required, ma’am,” Remi said as she picked Dallas off the seat and sat her on her lap. “I need you to be okay so I can prove myself as a worthy companion.”
“If you offer references to that fact, you could end up with a few bruises.” Dallas held up her thumb and index finger in a pinching position.
“All my references would be glad to tell you how much fun I am for about two dates, then how hard it is to get in touch with me, so I’ll pass.”
“You’re hoping for more than two dates here?” Dallas dropped her hand to Remi’s neck and came close to holding her breath, waiting for an answer.
“You know where I live. That makes it harder to avoid you, but that’s the last thing I want to do. I want to take my time and get to know you. Hopefully, once that’s accomplished, you’ll have learned something about me as well and won’t be running for the hills.” Remi smiled at her before she lowered her head and kissed her.
“Hopefully you’ll feel the same way about me,” Dallas said as soon as their lips parted. “I don’t want to disappoint you.”
“The only way that’ll happen is if you don’t give this a chance.” Remi kissed her again, only this time it was longer and laced with more passion.
“And you don’t mind going slow,” Dallas said, her voice dropping lower and her breath speeding up.
Remi combed Dallas’s hair back and placed her finger over her pulse on her neck. “I’m looking forward to the long scenic route, Ms. Montgomery,” she said, then replaced her fingers on Dallas’s neck with her lips. “I’m sure it’ll make arrival much more enjoyable.”
“Uh-huh.” Dallas tilted her head back as encouragement for Remi not to stop. “You aren’t going to make this easy, are you?”
“I wouldn’t want you to lose interest along the way.”
For the first time Dallas felt like she was glimpsing what it would’ve been like to grow up in a world where people dated and fell in love. She was no innocent by any means, but spending time like this with Remi was showing her what being respected and courted was all about. If anything could help heal her soul, she was certain Remi would go out of her way to give it to her.
“I don’t think there’s any chance of that,” Dallas said to Remi. They spent the rest of the trip in each other’s arms.
*
“If you were hoping for the easy answer and an even easier target, you’re out of luck,” Muriel said as she dropped the list of passengers that had arrived the day before. “Juan isn’t on the list. Well, the name Juan is on the list, but only because it’s as popular as John is in the States.”
“Then your Jorge arrived early and his welcoming committee put a bullet in Rick’s head,” Cain said in return. She flipped through the pages and dropped them on her desk in disgust. “It’s either that, or new players have joined the game and no one gave us a heads-up about it.”
“I talked to Katlin and she’s trying to find out. If there’s something to know, somebody on the street will tell us eventually.”
“Eventually might be too late.” Cain stretched before standing up and waved Muriel into her chair. “Make some more calls and see if we can’t speed up the process before we end up planning someone else’s funeral.”
“Where are you headed?”
“To visit Rick’s mother and to see a man about a fake ID,” Cain said, waving as she left.
The first visit was short, but Cain sat with the grieving mother as long as the woman could keep her emotions in check and went willingly into Cain’s arms when she could no longer keep her tears at bay. She’d lost her son, but Cain promised that her daughter could stay in college, and they wouldn’t lose their home now that Rick was no longer the main breadwinner. Lou had only been able to shake her hand and step back to the doorway, unable to say anything. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to pay his respects, but Cain knew Rick’s loss had made Lou feel guilty.
As Cain started to leave, a young woman in her early twenties stopped her at the door and asked to speak to her. “You’re Cain Casey, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I am, and you must be Sabana. I didn’t know your brother long, but he did a good job of describing you.” Cain held out her hand but, from the angry set to the redhead’s mouth, didn’t expect her to take it. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
“My father worked for yours when he was alive.”
“I remember him.” Cain brought her fingers together and dropped her hand when Sabana ignored it. “He died too young as well.”
“After my dad died, getting cancer was Rick’s biggest fear, since everyone always said how much alike they were. I guess he should’ve worried about getting killed doing something he really liked.” As Sabana spoke, she sounded as if her throat was closing with emotion. “Can you promise me something before you go?”
“I’ll try my best.” Cain accepted the hand that Sabana now held out.
“I know you talked to my mom and you’re not going to forget about us. But you don’t have to feel like you’re responsible for this, because you’re not.” She held Cain’s hand in both of hers. “I know you can make this right. I want you to get justice for Rick.”
“Help your mother through this and call me if you need anything. Leave the rest to me.”
She pulled slightly on Cain’s hand as if she were desperate for her to listen to what she was saying. “I know you think I’m too young or too naïve to know why this happened, and the FBI has already sent a couple of guys over here to see if me or Mom would roll on you, but I’m not and we didn’t.”