Page 54 of Dina's Favorite Mistake

“You’re here talking to his mother.”

“I was here with Dina and her mother visiting her former mother-in-law,” Steve rebutted. “It was a chat between family.”

“Oh, I’m sure that’s all it was,” Morales dryly replied.

“Why do you think someone is trying to kill me?” Steve asked, desperate to get away from Morales and back to Dina.

“Chatter,” Morales said. “We’ve got CI’s up and down the coast and all through Jalisco reporting that Diego is trying to find someone to kill you. Apparently, he doesn’t take kindly to agringocop dating his wife.”

“Ex-wife,” Steve corrected. “And with what money? Unless you’ve got hitmen out here taking contracts on IOUs?”

Morales laughed harshly. “I’d be more worried about Diego coming after you himself, but the latest intel from your side of the border says he broke his hand and probably his leg during the escape. They finally had a chance to get through all of the footage from the drones on scene. There’s no way he can handle a weapon even to defend himself.”

I need to get to him soon. While he’s vulnerable.

“What did you learn from his mother?” Morales asked, prying for information.

“Nothing useful,” Steve said. “She swears she didn’t have a hand in breaking him out of that transport, but she does have contact with him via phone calls. Sporadic,” he clarified. “He wants money.”

“I bet he does. It’s not cheap being on the run from two governments and a whole shit load of enemies who want him dead.”

“You think they’ll get to him before we do?”

“If he’s lucky, they won’t. God knows we’ll be easier on him than those enemies he made while working for the cartel.” Morales grimaced. “If they get to him first, we’ll be lucky to find pieces.”

“Maybe we let them,” Steve suggested carefully.

“I would if I didn’t think there might be collateral damage,” Morales admitted.

“Fair,” Steve agreed. “Listen, those two guys who shot at us—.”

“The kid is alive. He’ll be fine,” Morales assured him. “He’ll be shitting in a bag for the rest of his life, but he’ll live.”

“You should look into the counselor at Camila’s school.” Steve decided to throw Morales a bone. “She’s the one who got Camila all twisted up about her father. She was feeding her lies, manipulating her. Mirta says that the counselor and Diego were some sort of pen pal boyfriend and girlfriend.”

Morales made a face. “Millions of men who aren’t in jail, and she goes after that one?”

“No accounting for taste,” Steve muttered. “I think she’s got more connections to this mess than we know. If there’s a way to get to Diego, she’s probably it.”

“What’s her name?”

“Isabela Campos.”

Morales nodded. “All right. I’ll look into it.”

“Is that it?”

Morales sighed. “I’m supposed to escort you to the airport and get you on the first plane back to Texas.”

“But?” Steve suspected Morales was more on his side than he let on.

“But I’m going to tell them we couldn’t find you,” Morales said, shooting him a pointed look. “Yet.”

“Understood.”

“I can give you a few days, Steve, but you’ve got to stay out of the way.”

“Done.” Steve promised.

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