"I'm disappointed Remi didn't stay."

"And?"Kristen prompted.

"Bob was here last nightwaiting for me." She opened the canister of coffee and inhaled the aroma before scooping out a couple of spoonfuls. She'd started the ritual the first time she could afford to buy good beans. "He was in one of his moods, but he said the studio called, and I've got an appointment this week."

"Remi saw that a.s.shole there and left anyway?"

"She never saw him. She's not like that."

"It doesn't matter what's she's like. You need to be more careful.

One of these days Bob's going to really hurt you trying to prove how far he can push you, and then he'll just move on to the next person he can exploit."

"We don't have a choice, Kristen. If Bob makes good on his promises, what happens to you?" She poured a cup of coffee and sat on a stool at the counter.

"I don't care about me. I want you to walk away. We have enough to live normal lives and don't need something glamorous. That's not who we are."

"Honey, it's not that simple. I've done a lot I'm not proud of, but humiliation never killed anyone. If I'm serving twenty to life and have to leave you all alone, that would kill me, but the jail time wouldn't bother me. I've hidden you as much as I can, but I can't guarantee that someone like Bob won't find you." The buzzer for the gate cut her off and she came close to ignoring it. "Hold on, somebody's here."

"If it's Bob, tell him to go to h.e.l.l."

Dallas laughed as she reached the intercom by the back door. "Can I help you?" she asked.

"I wanted to see if you were free for breakfast," Remi said as a greeting.

She'd been depressed because Remi had left, but now a sense of panic seized her. Last night's wrinkled outfit and running makeup spelled a troubled woman, and Remi wouldn't be attracted to that kind of person.

"Dallas?" Remi's voice came through again.

"Go open the door and say yes," Kristen said.

"I'm not looking too good," Dallas said, feeling disgusted with herself.

Kristen said jokingly, "Even if you slept in pig slop, you're beautiful. It's your curse, so learn to deal with it. I'm hanging up so let her in, make her wait while you shower, and go out for pancakes.

And call me when you get back."

"I love you." Dallas gripped the phone, wanting to hang on as long as she could.

"I love you too, and it's time you took a chance on being happy.

Whether it's Remi or not, you need to open your heart to someone other than me."

"Thanks, and I'll call you later." She took another sip of coffee, more as a delay tactic than needing the caffeine, before she walked outside to the gate. "Good morning," she said, opening the gate a little.

"Good" was the only word Remi got out before she stepped forward and put her arms around Dallas.

"I wasn't expecting you," Dallas said. She kept her arms tense, like she didn't want to get too comfortable against Remi's chest.

"My meeting wasn't as long as I thought." Remi held her a little apart from her so she could see Dallas's face. Most of her makeup had been wiped away during what looked like a bout of crying. The blue eyes were rimmed in red and Dallas appeared tired. "Is everything okay?" She ran her thumbs along Dallas's cheeks and stopped breathing for a moment when Dallas started crying. "Hey, it's going to be all right."

Remi held her, hoping Dallas would calm down, but when she only cried harder Remi picked her up and carried her to the chair Dallas used to sit in and read. With Dallas sitting on her lap, Remi held her until the outburst burned itself out.

"You must think I'm a nutcase," Dallas said, her voice raw.

"I deal with nutcases all the time, and you're not even close." Remi leaned back when Dallas snuggled closer. "Want to tell me what's wrong?" She wiped away the wetness on Dallas's face.

"Just fighting old demons," Dallas said, then shook her head as if anything else she was thinking of saying died in her throat.

"It's okay. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but I've probably faced worse nightmares than whatever haunts you. We haven't known each other long, but if you need me, I'll be happy to help you carry that heavy load."

"I know you would." Dallas put her hand behind Remi's neck and kissed her cheek. "But this is something I...I have to deal with myself."

"Like I said, nopressure, but let me at least try to take your mind off it by treating you to breakfast."

"Just the two of us?"

"I gave Simon the rest of the day off, so it's just you and me."

Dallas finally smiled at her fully and started to move off her. When Dallas stood in front of her with the sun shining above her, Remi noticed her arma complete set of fingers outlined in a vivid bruise on Dallas's right bicep. "Who did that?" Remi asked, consumed with tempered rage.

"I had a little disagreement, but it's nothing," Dallas said, her words rapid and nervous sounding.

"Anything that leave that kind of marks isn'tnothing , Dallas."

Remi stood and held one of Dallas's hands. "Who did that to you?"

"It was Bob, but really, it's okay."

"Did he hurt you in any other way?"

"Please, Remi, forget it. You may not understand certain things, but I can't afford to change them right now."

"You're going to have to learn to trust me a little." Remi held her other hand as well. "I'm not asking to use your answers against you."

"I know that, but I'm under contract with him, and I just want to go back to work. When I'm filming, Bob usually entertains himself doing something else."

She sounded like a battered wife who was used to making excuses for her deadbeat husband. Remi didn't understand why Bob would still be in Dallas's life, since no contract was that ironclad anymore if someone in Dallas's position wanted to break it. The information her father had given her the night before at first made her think this was a setup, but now, looking at Dallas in the morning light, Remi thought Bob seemed more like a pimp than a law-enforcement partner. "If you want, I can arrange for Bob to entertain himself permanently away from you."

Dallas shook her head and grabbed the front of Remi's shirt until she was wrinkling the material. "What do you mean?"

"I'm more of a manager than an attorney these days, but I'm sure if I asked Dwayne and Steve, they can make any deal Bob struck with yougo away. Loyalty to someone who helped you get started doesn't mean they have the right to do this to you, Dallas." Remi skimmed the tips of her fingers over the bruise. "No one has the right to do this to you, for any reason."

"You may not think I'm all right, but I am. If you want to help me, forget about this and leave Bob out of it."

Remi didn't move back, and even though Dallas was pressed up against her, she was out of reach. It would take more than one talk to get her to see reason, if she ever would. Bob had been there from the beginning of Dallas's career, and G.o.d only knew how long before that. It'd take drastic measures to flush him out.

"Do you want me to go?" Remi asked. She was willing to wait until Dallas was ready.

"I wouldn't blame you," Dallas said in a whisper. "This whole thing is my problem, and you don't need to get involved."

"That's not what I asked." Remi combed away some of the hair that had fallen into Dallas's face. "We'll take this slow, but it's important for you to tell me what you want, so..." She gently brought Dallas's head up by putting her fingers under her chin. "Do you want me to go?"

"I want you to stay."

"Good, now how about a shower, a comfortable pair of jeans, and a stack of pancakes from the Camellia Grill?"

"You like pancakes?"

"There's nothing in the world maple syrup can't cure." They held hands to the door, and once they were inside Remi noticed the discarded coffee cup. "Go on and I'll make you a fresh cup." As Dallas reached the stairs, Remi couldn't help but give in to her impulses. "While you're up there, why not pack a bag for a few days?"

"Where am I going?"

"Some place where I know you'll be safe."

Dallas closed her eyes and held her breath for a long while. "Are you playing savior today?"

She didn't ask the question in anger or disgust, and Remi didn't take it that way. "If I said yes, I'm guessing that'd be the wrong answer."

"Not if it's the truth. I'm just wondering what happens tomorrow when you put your cape away?" she asked like a woman used to disappointment. "Maybe you should take your own advice to go slow."

"How about we make a deal instead?" Remi walked across the kitchen and held her hand out. "I won't jump to any conclusions about you, if you give me the same consideration. If we try to do that, tomorrow won't be a problem."

"Deal."Dallas shook her hand.

Remi watched her climb the stairs and smiled at how relieved Dallas had appeared right before she left the room. She still had her doubts, which made what she had in mind totally ludicrous, but that wasn't important right now.

"I was raised by a gambler," she told the coffee pot, "and Ramon always says to be a good gambler, you have to take chances."

Letting Dallas in this much would definitely qualify.

Chapter Thirty-One.

"What time do you want me there in the morning?" Anthony asked Juan as they headed to the airport. Because of Rodolfo's displeasure that Juan had hired him and their dinner the night before with Nunzio Luca, Rodolfo was sending Juan home. In the short time Anthony had spent with Juan, though, he knew Juan would never go, and he was right.

"You weren't paying attention, Mr. FBI?" Juan asked, sounding p.i.s.sed. Since they'd pulled away from the Piquant, Juan had stared out the window and slapped his hand against his leg. "I've told you a hundred times already, and if you didn't understand, maybe I f.u.c.ked up by hiring you. Maybe Casey was right when she said you're all a bunch of dumb f.u.c.ks."

"Cain Casey is about as smart as a bag of s.h.i.t. She has more luck than brains, I a.s.sure you." Anthony tried not to let his bias show, but when Juan smiled at him for the first time that day, he knew he'd failed miserably. "Do you want me to do anything about her while you're gone?"

"Don't worry about Cain. I've got that covered."

"But if you're not here, don't you want to make sure it's done right?"

Juan quit staring out the window and faced him. "You just worry about what I asked you to do and forget the rest."

The Spanish accent made Juan'sy' s sound likej's , but he spoke so slowly Anthony couldn't mistake the words as well as the threat behind them. Perhaps he wasn't as much of an idiot as Anthony had believed; perhaps Juan really had learned something from Rodolfo.

"I just wanted to help since I thought that's why you wanted me around," Anthony said, trying to appease him. "Cain isn't someone to take on lightly."

"Didn't you say she's just lucky?"

"She is, but you have to give her some credit. If you go after her and fail, remember she's hot-headed. She'll come after you with all she's got, and if she's joined forces with Ramon and the evil twins, they could be dangerous."

Juan laughed and reclined farther into the seat. "Who said anything about going after that b.i.t.c.h?"

The question made Anthony pause. Juan obviously had a plan, and Anthony was running out of time to try to figure out what it was.

"Sounds interesting," Anthony said, fishing for more information.

"Tomorrow at nine," Juan said as the car stopped at the AeroMexico terminal. Rodolfo's man Carolos Santiago, carrying Juan's ticket and pa.s.sport, emerged from the front seat and held the door for him. "Be here ordon't f.u.c.king call me," Juan added before getting out.

"Your uncle expects you to stay home until he returns," Carlos said in Spanish. "He has your mother waiting at the house."

"For what?To babysit me?"

"As soon as he's done with his business here he wants to talk to both of you," Carlos said, obviously not caring to respond to Juan's sarcasm. "He wanted me to express how disappointed he'll be if you choose to ignore him again."

"He could've told me himself."

"You and I both know it'll be better for you if he cools off." Carlos handed him his papers as another man lifted his luggage out of the trunk. The other guard waited to walk Juan in. "Jesus will wait with you until your plane leaves."

"I can get on a plane by myself, Carlos," Juan said with aggravation.

"I used to think you could do all sorts of things to help out Mr.

Rodolfo, but you proved me wrong so I'm not taking any chances."

"Remember that my uncle won't live forever, and one day you'll work for me. When that day comes, I won't forget this one." Juan shoved his ticket into his jacket pocket and stormed off, with Jesus trailing him.

In the car, Anthony stayed quiet, trying to decipher some of the conversation. It took him a second to realize that Carlos was still standing there holding the door open. He started to get out, since he figured these goons weren't about to give him a ride back to the city.

"Agent Curtis, you don't think we'd leave you stranded?" Carlos asked, almost as if he'd read his mind. He had his hand up, blocking Anthony. "Sit back and let us give you a ride."

"You don't have to bother, I can catch a cab." Anthony tried to get out again, but Carlos leaned farther in, his jacket flapping open to the gun he wore. Someone else opened the other pa.s.senger door, slid in, and pressed a pistol into Anthony's side before he could reach for his.

"Mr. Luis would like to talk to you, so I insist on giving you that ride," Carlos said before he slammed the door shut.

The guy sitting next to him had to have come from another car, since Anthony had never seen him, and he froze as the guy removed his gun and handed it to Carlos. After that his new friend patted him down and removed the other weapon from his ankle holster. He slipped that one into his jacket pocket. Then he ran his hand along Anthony's body for any surveillance equipment, going so slowly and doing such a thorough job that he felt violated enough to crave a shower.

"What does Rodolfo want with me?" Anthony slapped his hand to the side of his head as soon as heasked, trying to rub away the pain of the blow the guy had delivered with the b.u.t.t of his gun. When he took his hand away his fingers were b.l.o.o.d.y. "What in the h.e.l.l was that for?" he asked louder than he'd intended.