Page 18 of Grave Peril

She wasn’t asking; she was telling. And Rip understood—he just disagreed. “I thought you were going to think about letting me help you?”

Lela shook her head. “I considered it, but it’s not a good idea. I’ll be okay. I’ll work this out.” She took a breath. “It hasn’t gone well so far, but there has to be a way to stay low until the trial. Anyway, it’s not your problem.”

Rip didn’t tell her how it really was. She was probably more worried than she let on, so there was no reason to go out of his way to scare her. “I have some business to attend to. I’ll be close if you change your mind.” Then he got up and left, dumping his garbage in the can on the way by.

He returned to the schoolyard and leaned against the wall beneath the awning. It was time to check in. Rip got Travis on the second ring. “Talk to me, buddy.”

The phones had security installed, so the call was private. Rip proceeded to bring his boss up to date.

“Good that you found her so fast,” Travis said, “but she’s far from safe.”

“I’m aware of that. And her family must be worried, but it won’t do to let them know we’ve found her.”

“It’s to our advantage that the feds and the cartel don’t know about you. There’s no previous connection between you two. That will buy you some time.”

“Correct, but it’s not enough. Lela has to disappear, but there’s a bit of a snag.”

“What’s that?” Travis said.

“She doesn’t want me around, says she doesn’t want to drag me into her mess.”

“You dragged yourself.”

“And I’m not leaving her,” Rip said. “She may think she can deal with this alone, but you and I know that’s not going to happen.”

“With the kind of enemies she has, there’s no chance she’ll make it on her own. Lela has a bodyguard, whether she likes it or not,” Travis said.

“Damn straight.”

“So what do you need?”

“Lela needs ID,” Rip said. She can’t get by without it. And it’s best if you make us look like a couple. The hunt is on for a woman alone, not for a married couple. That will help throw them off the trail.”

“I’m on it,” Travis said. “I have a few contacts in Houston. I’ll let you know when and where to pick up the new cards. Meanwhile, I’ll keep an eye on the situation from here. I’ll put Coop to work on background, see what else we can dig up.”

After hanging up, Rip strode around the building and spotted a patrol car going by. It didn’t slow as it rolled by the church, so the cops weren’t alerted to anything unusual there. But it reminded him that Lela was going to need a disguise. With photos of her published now, it would be harder to hide. He needed to have a talk with her.

For the rest of the day, Lela assisted in the school’s activities. It was probably good that she had a distraction, though danger couldn’t have been far from her mind. While she stayed busy, Rip played his role as bodyguard. He was discreet, but kept an eye on things without straying far from Lela.

The lack of visible threat was more unnerving than an attack. Too many times on deployment, Rip had endured the anxiety of waiting. The fight had been a relief, as then the enemy had been in sight. Wondering about a potential attack was worse than the battle.

Rip wasn’t about to look away from Lela while he was aware of what lurked in the shadows. Gangs weren’t in the habit of announcing their arrival in advance.

Dinner was a humble meal with the priest and his family. Rip was invited, and it was an acceptable reason to be close to Lela. But after the evening prayer service, Lela announced that she’d retire to the spare room. She told her host that she’d be gone early the next morning, and thanked him for his hospitality.

When she walked down the hallway, Rip followed. “I thought you’d sleep in the public area,” she said. “There are cots out there.”

Rip didn’t object to spending the night next to some guys who were down on their luck. But he had no intention of being separated from Lela. “Look, I heard you when you said that you want to do this alone. But you’re staying the night, and so am I. All I ask is that you cut me a little slack. I won’t be able to sleep unless you are nearby. That’s the only way I know you’ll be safe…for tonight.”

Lela balked, but the plea seemed to get to her. “All right, I’ll allow that. But only so you can get some sleep. I can’t send you off into the night tired. Anything could happen.”

Rip followed her into the spare room, then pulled a worn recliner next to the door. “I’ll use the chair.” He checked the windows to make sure they were locked before shutting the curtains. One look into the small bathroom told him that there was no window.

After dropping his duffel next to the chair, Rip settled in and reclined. “I’ll shut my eyes, so you can pretend I’m not here.”

While Lela got ready for bed, Rip couldn’t help imagine what she looked like. He was hot for her, and his body responded. He pulled up the thin blanket she’d tossed to him to hide any evidence of his condition.

Her life hung by a thread, and her brave attitude only made him want her more. But it wouldn’t be right to take her at such a vulnerable moment, even if she did want him, which she didn’t.

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