No Boundaries, page 12
Next, she called Carter and spoke with him, giving directions to her place. She explained what had happened and that Travis had spoken with his parents. He planned to pick up the boy the next day.
Later that night, when they were sitting on the porch after dinner, she leaned against the back of the chair. "I love a story that ends well," she said with a sigh.
He decided to take a chance. Even if Amelia was working with Alejandro, he could help her get away. He couldn't do anything if she wasn't honest with him. "Tony said not all your life was happy. He told me it was bad. Is that why you help people? To make up for what happened to you?"
He wondered if she was going to say anything. Maybe he'd pushed her too hard, too fast. Then she began to talk.
"What exactly did Tony say?" Her words clipped.
Dammit, he would have to smooth things over or she wouldn't say anything. "Nothing, really. Only that you never talk about it. He's fiercely loyal to you. I don't mean to pry, but sometimes, if you talk about something that hurt you, it eases the pain."
"Tony is a good man." She came to her feet. "I'm tired. I think I'll go to bed. There's been too much excitement for one day. I'll see you in the morning."
He stood, blocking her from running away. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to pry.” He placed his hands on her shoulders and pulled her against him. She was stiff at first, but then relaxed when all he did was hold her close.
“Maybe this isn’t a good idea,” she said. “There might be too much between us. You don’t know everything about me, and I don’t know you, either. Not really.”
He closed his eyes and held her tight. For the first time since he went to work for Carter, he wanted to walk away and leave it all behind—all for this woman who fit perfectly in his arms, and in his heart. But that was crazy.
“I have to go inside. We can’t…can’t… I don’t want you to hate me,” she said with a tremble in her words. She slipped out of his hold and hurried inside.
He let her go. There was nothing else he could do. What the hell was she hiding from him?
His phone began to vibrate in his pocket. He looked around, frowning, and pulled it out and answered it. "Hello?"
"Did she tell you anything?" Kanon asked. "She didn't look too happy with you."
Renegade glared into the darkness. "Quit spying on me. No, she didn't tell me anything."
"I'm spying on you in case you run into trouble. I've got your back. You should be grateful."
He rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to run into any trouble. I don't think Amelia is a threat."
"You trusted Miguel and look where that got you."
"That was different. I'll call you if I need anything." He slipped the phone back into his pocket. When he turned around to go back inside, he thought he saw a shadow approaching the barn. He narrowed his eyes, but he couldn't make out anything. Kanon wouldn't have come in this close. So, who was spying on him? He shook off the feeling. Maybe he was just paranoid.
He went inside but headed for the kitchen. He paused when he saw Sophia pulling a pan of cookies out of the oven. She'd been with Amelia for a while. She was also fiercely loyal, just like Tony. She could be easier to deal with, though. Someone who, with a little encouragement, might open up.
"Those cookies smell good." He stood in the doorway.
She jumped just a little and turned. "And you almost made me drop the pan on the floor. Do you always sneak up on people?"
He smiled. "I try not to. If they'd fallen on the floor, I still would have eaten them. You know, the five-second rule and all that."
She watched him for a moment, then sighed. "Sit," she commanded.
He didn't hesitate. She brought a plate with six large oatmeal raisin cookies on it. He closed his eyes and inhaled the cinnamon scent. He had a long-ago memory of his mother baking cookies just like this. Damn, she’d died way too young. His resolve to bring down the cartel strengthened.
He bit into one, then closed his eyes as he slowly chewed. The flavors hit his taste buds: warm cinnamon, just a little nutmeg, soft raisins, and small bits of walnuts. He was transported to Heaven.
"These are even better than Mama Rose’s." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he wanted to call them back.
"Mama Rose? I thought Amelia said your mother was dead."
"The name just popped into my head." Guilt washed over him. He hated himself for lying, but he didn’t want to blow his cover either. "I think it was a friend's mother, but I can't be sure. Everything is still pretty foggy."
She cast a smile of pity at him. "I'm sure it will come back to you in time. You’re remembering something every day."
Renegade was glad she bought his story. Suddenly, he felt like the deceitful one in the room. He plunged forward, trying not to dwell too much on what he was doing. "I'm afraid Amelia will get tired of having me hanging around. After all, she doesn't know anything about me."
Sophia brought a glass of milk, setting it in front of him, and went back to the counter and put more cookie dough on the pan. "I think she'll surprise you with her feelings. She seems taken with you."
He leaned back in the chair. "But she knows nothing about me. What if I'm not a good person? I don’t exactly know my past or why Alejandro tortured me."
"You can always judge a person by their actions. You found that little boy. Then you helped with Travis. And any man who can have a wild stallion eating out of his hand tells me that person is good."
He bit into another cookie and slowly chewed. "She's holding back, though. Amelia's afraid I might think she's a bad person."
Sophia put the cookies in the oven and then shut the door. When she turned back around, her forehead was creased. "She told you that?"
"Yes, she did. I told her nothing she could do would change my opinion of her, but I couldn't convince her. Maybe if I knew what bothered her, I could help relieve some of those fears."
"She's not a bad person. She's a lot better than most."
"I know that, after all, she saves people."
Sophia nibbled her bottom lip as if she was trying to decide something. He had a feeling she was about to tell him something when the back door opened and Tony came in. Renegade let out a frustrated breath. He couldn't catch a damn break.
"I can smell those cookies all the way to the barn." Tony turned and met his gaze.
Renegade could immediately tell he wasn’t happy. Was Tony jealous that he was talking to Sophia? Or was he the shadow Renegade had seen after he got through talking to Kanon?
He didn’t confront him about it, though. If it had been Tony, he would want to know where he'd gotten the phone. When he didn't mention it, Renegade figured it was more about Sophia. After four cookies, he pushed the plate away.
"Those were delicious, but I can't eat anymore. I think I'll go on to bed, goodnight." But once he was out of the kitchen, he paused in the dining room, listening to what they had to say.
"I don't completely trust him," Tony said. "What did he want?"
"Same as you. Cookies."
"Did he say anything else? Did he ask you any questions?"
"I think he's worried about Amelia. She doesn't think she's good enough for him."
He snorted. "That's crazy. Amelia's too good for any man."
"I know that, and you know that, and I think he knows that. It's Amelia we have to convince. I think she likes him. He likes her, too."
"I don't know. He was asking me about her earlier. If she wants him to know anything, she'll tell him. Otherwise, we don't say a word. She's the only one with the right to tell him anything."
"I know, I know. I won't say anything. Amelia saved my life. I would never betray her trust."
When they began to talk about her cooking, Renegade went to his room and went inside. He was frustrated as hell. He hadn't learned a damn thing. Once more, he’d been close, but no brass ring.
And then he’d slipped up and mentioned Mama Rose. His smile softened. She’d become a second mother to him. She was always fussing over the team. She didn't have children of her own, so she adopted all of them. He missed her.
He pulled the phone out of his pocket and began to text:
I was close to discovering something, but it fell through at the last minute. Maybe tomorrow.
It had better be soon, or we're coming in. This ground is damned hard, and there are crazy coyotes out here howling their heads off. If I get eaten, it's all your fault!
Renegade chuckled. Kanon always blew everything out of proportion, but he was a pretty good guy. He didn’t have much patience, though. He frowned as he undressed and crawled beneath the cover. He wouldn’t put it past him to do something crazy. Like come in with guns drawn and threaten everyone if they didn’t tell the truth, someone would die.
Maybe he wasn’t that bad, but close.
Yeah, he’d better find out something tomorrow.
Chapter Sixteen
Amelia was still awake when she heard the door to Renegade's room close. She turned onto her side, then her back, then her other side. This was ridiculous. They both wanted each other, but their stupid pasts held them back.
What if she went to him? She was the one who walked away. It could be just sex, no commitments.
Is that what she wanted, though? She flung the cover to the side and sat on the edge of the bed, scraping her fingers through her hair. No, God help her, that wasn't all she wanted. She was so freaking lonely. Sure, she had Tony and Sophia, but it wasn't enough. She wanted to crawl into bed at night, feel a man's arms pulling her close, and then wake up beside him the next morning.
But was Renegade that man? He stirred something inside her that had been dormant for a very long time. Until she knew more about him, she had to keep him at arms-length. It would be safer that way, even if she didn’t like the idea.
When she drew in a deep, frustrated breath, she caught the scent of cinnamon and nutmeg. She smiled. Sophia loved staying up late and cooking. She said it kept the house cooler, and it relaxed her.
She scooted out of bed and grabbed a robe before padding barefoot to the kitchen. Tony and Sophia looked up when she came in.
“Did we wake you?” Sophia asked.
“The wonderful smell of the cookies kept me awake, but I was having trouble falling asleep anyway.”
Sophia smiled and brought more cookies to the table, then poured two glasses of milk and joined Amelia and Tony.
“How’s Travis doing?” She reached for a cookie.
Tony took a bite of his, then slowly chewed. "He'll be okay. Red took him under his wing. He let him ride Buster. The kid went crazy he was so excited. Can you believe it? He'd never been on a horse." He shook his head. "Everyone should know how to ride. What if the oil companies stop producing gas? Then they would need horses. No one learns how to survive anymore."
"Exactly. I mean, what if there was an apocalypse?" She kept her face free of emotion as she looked at him. Sophia snorted, and Tony glared.
“It’s not funny. The way the world is today, it could happen.”
"Well," Sophia said. "We have a pantry full of food, beef in the pasture, solar panels, a well, and horses. We could survive."
“That’s because you were raised the right way.” He smiled at her, and she blushed. "But at least Travis will have ridden a horse before he leaves here. We can give him that much."
Amelia was okay with Travis riding Buster. The horse never got in any hurry and was as gentle as a baby. Maybe the horse would help Travis get rid of some of his bad memories while in Mexico. It was a great country if people took the chance to see it. Not everyone was in a cartel, and it wasn't all desert.
“He seems to be a good kid,” Sophia said.
“He was lucky he found his way to us.” Amelia took a sip of her milk.
"Or someone led him here. Just like they've led so many people to you." Sophia picked off a small portion of her cookie and then put it in her mouth.
“And some people we find,” she said.
Tony frowned. “Speaking of finding people, Renegade has been asking questions. He was asking about you, Amelia.”
She sat a little straighter, her heart pounding. “What do you mean?”
“He said he wanted to help you. He was asking about anything bad in your life.”
Sophia stopped chewing, then visibly swallowed. "He was asking me, too. He made me feel as if he wanted to help, and there was kindness in his eyes. I didn't tell him anything, though." She grimaced. "I wanted to, but Tony interrupted our conversation," she admitted.
Tony continued, "I thought I heard him talking to someone before I went inside the barn, too, but no one was there. I figured he was talking to himself, but now that I think about it, he's not the type who talks to himself. Something is going on. I don't like this, Miha."
She set the cookie down, no longer hungry. “He was questioning me as well.” She looked at Sophia. “You’re right about him being easy to talk to. I almost blurted out my life history.” She turned back to Tony. “Why would he want to know more about me?”
He shook his head, his hands fisting. “I don’t know, but I’ll find out tomorrow.”
“No, don’t confront him yet. I want to see where he’s going with this.”
“Amelia, he’s trouble. He might even work for Alejandro. I wouldn’t put it past him to drop a spy in our midst. He wants you back. We’ve always known he did. The only reason he lets you help people is so he can keep a close eye on you, but his patience will only go so far.”
She raised an eyebrow. "You don't believe that about Renegade, do you? He was almost dead when we found him. It was only by chance that we did."
But as calm as she tried to be, anger began building inside her. Renegade had been using her to get information. For how long, though? Did he have his memory back the night they made love? Maybe he never lost it. She couldn't believe anything he'd ever told her.
Damn! She should’ve known not to trust a stranger. She could take just about anything except someone’s betrayal.
“Are you okay?” Sophia asked.
Amelia looked at her. “I’m fine, but I want to know more about him.”
Sophia nodded. "He mentioned a Mama Rose tonight, then tried to blow it off as a name that just happened to pop into his head. That might be a code name for his leader. Maybe they're trying to break into the cartels territory and steal their business. That would be a good enough reason for Alejandro to torture him, then leave him for dead.”
“She has a point.” Tony leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “Maybe his gang wants to take over the south end. You know, get a piece of the action, if not all of it. This wouldn’t be the first time there was a territorial war. We have to make sure we don’t get caught in the middle.”
Something about today wasn’t adding up, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. Then it hit her. “There wasn’t a phone number.” She saw the confusion on their faces. “I’m not great at finding stuff on the computer, so Renegade took over. He went to a government site and discovered Travis had been kidnapped.”
“Are you sure it was a government site?”
She began to tap her finger on the table. “I’m pretty sure. It looked official. The name Carter James was there, but there was no phone number listed. How did he know the number?”
“Maybe we have this wrong. What if he works for the government?” Sophia looked between them.
“Carter James has his own company. I think I read he takes jobs for the government.”
“People have to be able to hire him. Maybe this Carter James is who you should research,” Tony suggested.
“I’ll be in the study.” She couldn’t help but feel like Renegade was using her. Except he’d seemed so sincere, and when they’d made love, she was positive he’d felt the same way she felt.
"I'm coming with you." Tony came to his feet. "Maybe together, we can find out what's going on."
Once inside, she closed the door and went straight to the computer. Tony pulled up a chair beside her. For some strange reason, she didn't want to learn that Renegade might have betrayed her trust after they'd saved his life.
“Go to the history,” Tony said.
“You should sit in my chair.”
He shook his head. “I have fat fingers, and you type better.”
She went to the history and quickly pulled up the last place they’d gone. Her hands trembled. “I can’t get in. It’s password-protected. Now what do I do?"
Tony thought about it for a moment. “Do a search for Carter James.”
She nodded, then put his name in the search engine. She scanned the first article. “If this is the right man, He’s the son of a senator.” She scanned the article. “There’s not a lot here.”
“Keep looking.”
Deep breath, she could do this. Why did she feel disloyal all of a sudden? She shook off the feeling. She wasn’t the one here under false pretenses.
It took longer than either she or Tony anticipated. It was late when she finally stumbled upon an article about Carter's team saving the life of an heiress. At the end of the article, it mentioned some of the men on the team, and the reporter had come up with pictures, although they were grainy. Only one of them drew her attention.
“There’s his picture. He goes by the code name Renegade.” She frowned. “At least he didn’t lie about that.” She continued reading aloud. “He served in Afghanistan. Received the Purple Heart. It says the team rescues people from bad situations.”
“Like you,” Tony said.
“But we’re pretty sure he has his memory back. Why hide it from us?”
Tony looked down at his hands.
Cold chills of dread washed over her. “What are you thinking,” she asked.
“There’s only one reason he would keep his identity a secret.”
She shook her head, still not understanding. “Why?”
“He thinks we’re the bad guys, Miha.”
"Why would he think that?" The blood rushed to her brain, and her head began to pound. In a matter of seconds, everything returned to normal. "No, that can't be right. You're reaching for answers now."
