Second Chance Hero (2 page)

Her husky voice hit him in all the wrong places.
Us. Not him
. She was already in this, and she wouldn’t get out. Not until she’d found victory or death.

Oh man. She had no idea. No idea at all.

This was going to take the help of the Feds. No problem since he worked with them. But then he didn’t want Lil to know about that bit of trivia because once she did, she’d put two and two together, come up with ten and hate him for real.

Maldita sea
. This little kid had just walked in and blown his last five years to hell and back. But maybe just maybe he was the key they’d been looking for.

Everyone talked about Degas. But no one really knew him. David had almost decided he was something along the lines of the boogey-man. A story to terrorize local kids into walking the straight and narrow.

Almost. But not quite. Not with the number of girls disappearing on both sides of the border or with the increase in drug traffic from Mexico to the US. Or with the bodies. At least with bodies families had closure. David blew out a deep breath and wiped his hand over his face as he tried to focus on the positive in this bombshell.

“Yeah. I can help, but I can’t make any guarantees, Lil. You said this was bad. You have no freakin’ idea how bad it is.”

The seriousness in David’s eyes as he stared out her window, taking in every possible angle scared Lil almost as much as the idea of Miguel and Solidad with a man like this Degas Rafe talked about. Because David didn’t do serious. In fact, the man standing in her classroom was almost a stranger. He might look like the world-class playboy she’d tried to love, but the dark danger exuding from him was new and scary and, if she was honest with herself, a little intriguing.
 

As she watched, David squatted down in front of Rafe so they were on the same eye-level. “You just walked in the school, no big?” he asked sounding completely calm, easing the tension emanating from the boy.

Rafe nodded, looking at David with complete trust. “I waited until after the last bell and then I came in the back door. I didn’t see anyone but Mr. Pipes.”

The janitor. Surely that was okay. She loved Mr. Pipes. He handed out peppermints and never erased her boards unless she asked. He couldn’t be involved with anyone like the man Rafe had described.

“You sure no one followed you?”

“
Sì
Señor
. If they had, I would be dead or disappeared too, no?”

Rafe talked about death and disappearance as if they were every day occurrences, and David responded as if that made perfectly logical sense. She started to ask why, but before she could speak, David stood back up, ran a hand through his thick black hair and pulled a gun out from under his jacket, and she could only stare.
 

A gun. On campus. As in federal offense.
 
What was he thinking? “David, you know who to call, right?”
 

He gave her a look she couldn’t quite interpret, but if she’d hurt his Mr. Macho feelings, too bad.
 

“I’m taking the kid to my place,” he said. “Follow in about five minutes, but don’t get in too big of a hurry.”

Right. A madman was out there after Rafe and she was going to take her time following them.

He didn’t give her a chance to question his plan. Instead he shocked her even more. “Here take this.” He shoved the gun in her hand and she started to protest, but then thought about Rafe’s story and decided the gun was a good idea even if she didn’t know how to use it. “What about….”

“Got another in the glove compartment.” And then he was standing behind her, wrapping her hands with his around the gun. One to steady, one to pull the trigger.
 

His hot breath whispered across her cheek as he spoke and she told herself to breathe, to focus on anything other than his hands, his hard body, the spicy scent of his cologne.
This
David she knew all too well.
 

“If anyone tries to hurt you, don’t point and shoot, don’t try to aim, just hold the gun to your chest, pull the trigger fast and scream bloody murder and someone will be there to help shortly. Just remember, Lil, you asked me for help.”

When he stepped away, the gun was cold and heavy in her hand, and when his eyes met hers, she swallowed. His he-who-does-no-wrong smile clicked back in place, totally at odds with the deadly advice he’d just given.

“You want me to take this,” she held up the gun and tried not to hyperventilate, “then wait around a few minutes before following you to your apartment?”
 

He must’ve read something in the incredulous look on her face because he tried to put her at ease. Which was crazy. She had a
gun
in her hand. Ease was totally out of the question.
 

 
“Look, Lil. The kid’s right. If Degas knew he was here, you’d probably both already be dead.”

Oh now, that was reassuring. “Probably being the operative word.”
 

David rubbed the skin between his nose in frustration. “Lil, if someone’s out there looking for this kid and they see us leave together, you’re screwed. I’m not willing to take that chance.”

She hated the way her body responded when he looked into her eyes and poured on his whole concern routine. “You’re worried enough to give me a gun I have no idea how to use.”

David closed his eyes, rubbed the scar on his eyebrow, the one he’d gotten because of her, then blew out a long breath as he looked out her window again before speaking.

“I need you to trust me here, Lil. Trust me when I say you’ll be safe.”

Trust him? With her heart, absolutely not. With her safety, maybe. Still, there was something… “How can you be sure?”

David looked down at Rafe, out the window, then back at her, and she wondered about the resignation she saw there a moment before he spoke. “There’s a black car at the end of the street just beyond the playground.”

Peeking out the window, she followed the line of his finger, saw the car at the same time he held up his phone, switched it to speaker and spoke. “I’m in the classroom with Lil Palmer. I’m going to leave the building within two minutes. You stay behind and follow her. Just like before. Flash your lights now to show her you understand.”

The car’s lights flashed once and Lil looked from David to the car and back, confused, but David didn’t give her a chance to ask questions.

“I’ll tell you everything when you get to the apartment. But the kid and I need to get out of here now, Lil. I don’t want you hurt, and this is the only way I can see to make sure that happens.”

Okay. She could agree to his plan. She didn’t have to like it, but obviously David was involved in something big here.
 

“I guess I don’t really have a choice.”

His sexy smile back in place, he once again looked like the playboy she’d almost fallen for instead of the serious secretive man from a minute ago. “Give us five, then do what I said. We’ll be waiting for you at my place.”

With those words, David grabbed Rafe’s hand, looking like a sexy single dad with a kid in detention, and walked out the door.

A few seconds later they were in his truck, leaving the gravel parking lot as if some monster named Degas wasn’t going to kill them both if he found out the truth. The black car didn’t move and she wondered how often it had been there, blending in with the rest of the cars parked on the side of the road.

She packed her bag with shaking hands, then made sure she had the gun covered with her sweater and her keys out and ready if she needed them.

The halls were dark and cool and down at the very end she saw Mr. Pipes swirling the mop back and forth across the floor. The buffing machine must be broken.
 

“You calling it a day Miss Palmer?”
 

Try to be normal.
Lil said the words to herself as she forced a smile. “Oh, it’s definitely been a day. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Mr. Pipes laughed as he continued mopping the entry to the school. “You can count on that, Miss Palmer. You can count on that.”

By the time she made it to David’s apartment, Lil was feeling a tad bit cranky and a whole lot scared. A monster by the name of Degas was out there stalking the citizens of San Mario, Texas, and David—playboy, goofball, great for a good time—Martinez knew about some unknown person in a black car she hadn’t seen since leaving the school.
 

The hair on the back of her neck stood on end and she turned, but once again, no one was there.
 

She climbed up the stairs armed with a mental list of questions. Only she didn’t get a chance to ask them. Because the minute he opened the door, David claimed her mouth with his in a very public kiss that reminded her again of why she’d told him to hit the road.
 

David Martinez kissed with the promise of heaven, delivered just that and then left a girl feeling all alone when she couldn’t give him what he wanted. He wanted too much and not enough. He wanted her heart, but only on his terms. No promises of forever. She wasn’t even sure the kind of love David wanted existed. Without a commitment, she hadn’t been willing to try to hard to find out.

Still, she couldn’t help giving back as good as she got. When he came up for air, she saw the glazed, determined look in his eyes and frowned. It didn’t matter how he kissed. No way was she willing to play pretend. He was going to answer her questions and he was going to answer them now.
 

She started to push her way past, but he leaned in close to her neck.

Oh Dear Lord. He remembered.

Only he didn’t. Instead he put his mouth right next to her ear and whispered, “You’re doing a great job, Lil. They’re watching. Make this one better.”

Chapter Two

David took her mouth with his and slowly worked them into his apartment, closing the door with his foot and then locking all four locks with pure Lil Palmer Sex Goddess between him and the outside world.

He wanted to take this kiss to the next level. But Degas was out there and he finally had a chance to catch the bastard. Forcing himself to lighten his response, he stepped away.

“Whoa,
Chiquita
. That was some serious lip action.” He licked his lips and shook his head, and then looked out the peephole to see if their audience was still out there. Who the hell was it? Not Degas. He didn’t bother watching and waiting. Not the Feds. Them he knew.

He turned his gaze back to Lil. She still looked a little shell-shocked, and he wondered if it was his kiss or the whole life and death shock thing settling in. Sometimes he remembered what it was like to be a normal guy with a normal life. Kissing her again almost made him wish that life was possible.

“Come on in. Rafe’s playing a video game. And I’m making supper while I wait on a phone call.”

“A phone call from the man in the black car.”

No sense denying it. “Yeah.” Damn she was going to hate him.

“So who is he?”
 

Trying to block thoughts of her lips on his, he uncorked a chilled bottle of the sweet wine he knew she loved, poured it into a glass for her then grabbed Rafe a Coke at the same time Scamp came running to investigate who was visiting. No doubt the poor pooch remembered Saint Lil and her rescue attempts.

Saint Lil wasn’t willing to let this one wait. “You said trust you. You said you’d tell me everything when I got here.”

He stepped into the living room, handed Rafe his drink and tried to act normal. Over the last few years he’d learned that was the key. Don’t act suspicious and no one suspects. Lil did more than suspect, and he was going to have to tell her the truth.

Just not yet. Walking back into the kitchen he thought through his options. “I will tell you everything, Lil. But not right this minute.”

He nodded his head toward Rafe and they both watched as the boy gulped down the soda in a few seconds and set the cup on top of the
Sports Illustrated
on the coffee table. Poor kid was a great diversion.
 

Because Lil took one look at his worried face and caved. “Okay, fine. But we are going to have this discussion.”

Reprieve sweet reprieve. For a few minutes at least he could enjoy Lil’s company. Could imagine those lips of hers on his once more. Hell, he could imagine a lot more than her lips. Damn, she was hot.
 

In the living room, Rafe obliterated giant frogs with a hammer. Doing to them what he hadn’t been able to do to Degas.

“I can’t believe he can play video games right now,” Lil’s voice interrupted his thoughts.
 

Definitely time to stop thinking about how to get her naked.

“I’ve seen kids play video games in the middle of what looks like World War III. Blood. Gunshots. Handcuffs and screaming parents. Sometimes it’s the way kids cope. It’s good for him. Takes his mind off….” He didn’t finish and he didn’t need to.
 

She shivered. “Who is this Degas?”

She’d moved to town right about the time the Feds had shown up and asked for his help. How did his little miss do-gooder not know Degas?

“Think of everything bad you’ve ever heard of since you moved to the border and then multiply it by a thousand. That’s Degas.”

“But Rafe said he saw the police.”

“Yeah. Probably police and
federales
and Degas thugs. Not a good thing you’ve gotten mixed up in here, Lil. Not a good thing at all.”

“I didn’t exactly volunteer this time, but I’m not sorry Miguel sent Rafe to me.” Suddenly she seemed to remember something. He didn’t even bother to hide his appreciation at the way her hips moved as she walked across the room. Grabbing her bag, she tossed a red sweater on the counter then handed him the gun. “Here. You might need this.”

He shook his head. “You keep it. I’ve got others. And before this is said and done, who knows what’ll happen.”

“Oh. Well.” Flustered she put the gun back in the bag, then moved the bag to the top of the fridge. “I don’t want Rafe….”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” He didn’t tell her Rafe’d probably been messing with guns since he was born.