Page 11 of The Last Promise You Made

“Hey, G?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for trusting me with this.”

I heard the remaining insecurities in her voice. The doubts that had been placed there because she’d stumbled into a Lovato operation that had gone bad. But Rory was damn good at what she did, and she couldn’t have done much differently without understanding the full scope of evil that trailed the cartel. “I brought you in for a reason. Not only can I trust you, but I also know you won’t stop until we end the cartel once and for all.”

We hung up, and I placed a similar call to my boss, who was at home with his wife, daughter, and two sons. Ken Leland had once been a top NSA operative in the Special Collection Service. But after he’d met his wife, he’d asked to be transferred to headquarters so he could stay closer to home. While I respected what he did as my boss, he no longer had any of the thrill—or the satisfaction—that came from being in the field. The intense, holding-your-breath moments that made my pulse quicken were exactly what I’d craved ever since I’d seen my first spy movie.

I’d told Leland once that I didn’t know how he’d given it up, and he’d simply said I’d understand someday when I found my partner. But I had no intention of falling in love and letting feelings for another human dictate my life choices. I’d seen what it had done to my mom, how she’d given up everything to traipse around after my dad and his military career. And as much as I loved my father, I certainly wasn’t going to do to a family what he’d done to us.

Love was a burden I didn’t want or need. I certainly wouldn’t risk the career I’d built for it.

Blue eyes glowering below the brim of a cowboy hat flashed at me once again, as if taunting me, but I simply pushed the image of Ryder Hatley aside. As tempting as he’d been, sex with him would have been a mistake. Letting even a tiny iota of a thought that there could ever be something more between us take hold would have been an even bigger one. Not only because of who he was, and how his family was tied to this case, but because our worlds would never meld. It was more than me being a city girl and him being a country boy. It was my career choice and vagabond lifestyle versus a man with deep-seated roots.

If I had a choice, I’d never go back to Willow Creek and the temptation he posed. But right now, the only thing that mattered was keeping Addy safe. Hiding her out in the middle of nowhere was a good idea. If I could find out what exactly the Hatleys had to do with Anna and the Lovatos at the same time, even better. And if there was a chance the little girl still had the insurance policy Anna had talked about, I’d find it.

When I said as much to Leland, he agreed, and we made the necessary plans.

After we’d talked through all the next steps, I turned back to the glass door and watched Addy sleep. Something in my chest threatened to crack open. Doors I’d firmly held shut. I wished I could take away what she’d been through. I wished I didn’t have to make her relive it by asking her what had happened, but we needed her story. Not just for the case, but to protect her. But how the hell was I going to get her to open up when I knew nothing about kids?

The crime scene tech who’d been at the scene hurried down the hall toward me with a black backpack in hand. He held it out.

“This must be the little girl’s. I thought she might need something familiar, so I got the okay to hand it off to her.” My heart leaped, wondering just what secrets it might hold, before the hope was whooshed away as he continued, “There’s nothing much in it except some kid clothes, a Nintendo Switch, and a couple of books. We documented everything and fingerprinted it all. There were a couple of long black hairs that could be the vic’s or the girl’s. We’ll need her prints and DNA to exclude it.”

I’d go through the items myself. See if there was anything hidden in code. “Thanks. Did Ramirez tell you we can’t talk about her?”

He nodded.

“I’m not a crime scene expert, but I can collect her clothes and the samples if you get me the supplies.”

“I’ll bring everything back.”

He darted down the hall and returned with a paper bag full of items. When I walked into the office, Addy was awake. Wide, teary eyes peeked out from beneath the edge of the blanket.

“Hey,” I said quietly in Spanish. “You hungry?”

She shrugged. I handed her a water bottle Ramirez had brought in with the blanket.

“At least drink some water.”

She looked at it warily, and my stomach churned some more. How bad had her life been that she already doubted beverages given to her?

I poured some of it into a coffee cup on the back counter, drank it, and then handed her the bottle. She accepted it and drank thirstily before her eyes landed on the backpack I had flung over one shoulder.

“This is yours, right?” I asked, sliding it off and bringing it to her.

She reached out and pulled it to her.

“It has some clothes in it. I need to take the ones you have on for the police. For their investigation. It would really help if you could tell us what happened.”

She closed her eyes and shook her head so violently I thought she’d pass out.

“Okay,” I said softly. “But we still need to get you changed and cleaned up a bit.”

She looked down at her blood-stained hands and clothes, and tears welled in her eyes once more. Then, she stood up, her gaze darting around, and I wasn’t sure if she was trying to figure out a way to escape or looking for a bathroom.

“Let’s go find a bathroom,” I offered.

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