Second Chance Hero (4 page)

He had to make her understand. “People die doing this, Lil. Lots of people. Trained agents. Police officers. Government officials.”

“Which is what makes her perfect.” Ryan slapped his hand on the bar. “Who’s going to suspect an English teacher?”

“I’m not okay with this.” He said the words even though he knew they made it more certain Lil would do exactly what Ryan wanted.
 

“You haven’t even heard me out.”

“I don’t have to. I don’t want Lil anywhere near this monster. Not now. Not ever.” Ryan had to understand.

“I’m not leaving, so I’m either helping you guys or I’m going to try to find Miguel on my own.”

Of course she was. Of course she freaking was. “You have no idea what you’re talking about, Lil.”

He looked at her sitting there all regal in the barstool like she knew something about men like Degas. About men like Ryan Jamison. “This isn’t some charity project, Lil.”

Lil winced, but she didn’t back down. “Let’s hear the plan, David. Then we can decide.”

Like there was a
we
. She was doing this. Ryan had known this was the way it would play.
 

“Go ahead, Jamison. Tell Lil your plan.”

Ryan looked completely at ease. As if this wasn’t some sort of major malfunction just waiting to happen. “It’s easy. You guys have already set it in motion. You’re a couple. Lil’s got the school connection. She keeps her eyes open. Someone there is helping Degas. Maybe she can find out who. And once again you have a reason to be at the school on a regular basis.”

Lil looked intently at Ryan, so positive she could play the role Ryan was assigning. “You’re sure someone at the school is helping Degas.”

“Definitely. Too many coincidental disappearances.”

“And we,” she looked at David, “have to be a couple for this to work?”

Ryan nodded. “It’s the easiest way.”

“Then it looks like we’re a couple.” She said it like it was a done deal.

No way was he going to let her do this. No way. “A couple isn’t enough.”

She shook her head and a piece of blonde hair slipped from her ponytail and curled around her ear, making her look young and innocent. Perfect Degas bait.
 

“Come on David,” she said. “What more does the plan need? Ryan’s right. I have a school connection. You’ll be dating me. It’s perfect.”

His heart thundered at the thought of Lil in the path of Degas. “If it were perfect it would’ve worked the first time I tried it.”

He ignored the frown on her face, the pain in her out-to-save-the-world eyes, and he knew exactly what he had to do. He wasn’t letting her put herself in danger. This would definitely change her mind. “A couple isn’t enough. But a committed couple, that’s another story.”

She wasn’t backing away. “Committed how?”

“You come live with me.”

She shook her head and her blue eyes flashed pure fury just as he’d known they would. “No way.”

Good. Get mad, Lil. Leave.
“I’m not letting you do this unless you’re with me every night.”

“Degas won’t even know about me.”

“Maybe, maybe not. I’m not willing to take a chance.”

“You’re right, David. This is better.” Ryan slapped the table again. “Much safer. Much easier to control. We can have people watching one place instead of two. No need for phone calls. Definitely a better plan.”

Lil suddenly didn’t look all that convinced. He could see her puzzling the whole thing out in that mammoth mind of hers. “Why your place?”

David pretended to laugh. This wasn’t happening. But if it were, he had a very good reason. “You have a microwave and a freezer full of dinners and your stove’s electric. I’m not moving in with you.”

But then Lil wasn’t moving in with him either. No way would she go for this.

He saw the indecision on her face and he knew he had to fight dirty. It was the only way to get her away from Jamison and his stupid ass plan. He leaned in close, made sure only she could hear him. “We’ll play Scrabble. I know you like it.”

The last time they’d played Scrabble, he’d had her naked in twenty minutes. He knew she remembered. Could tell by the way her cheeks heated, by the way she bit her bottom lip. Oh yeah. Sweet Lil was definitely going home.
 

She might hate her family’s mega-money lifestyle. But at least she’d be alive. Maybe she could go save some kids in Alaska. Degas wouldn’t get her there.

In the den Rafe killed a neon purple monster and advanced to the next level on the game. Scamp rubbed against Lil’s leg completely at home by her side. She ran her fingers over the dog’s head, looked over where Rafe sat on the black leather couch typing his initials into the game’s high score field and took a deep breath.
 

“Okay. I’ll do it.”
 

Lil wished she could photograph the look of surprise on David’s face. If it weren’t all so horribly serious, she might’ve laughed.

But nothing about this was funny. In fact, she thought she might be sick. Living with David was going to be pure torture.
 

David’s “What?” and Ryan’s “Fabulous!” blended along with the sound of a new level starting on the PlayStation game.

She escaped from the over-testosteroned kitchen and moved Scamp out of the way in order to sit next to Rafe on the leather sofa. A sofa she was way too acquainted with. She closed her eyes and told herself she’d made the right decision. She knew the truth about David now. He couldn’t hurt her again if she didn’t let him get too close, and she’d help find Miguel and Solidad. She could do this.

Scamp nudged her hand with his wet nose and she opened her eyes then turned to Rafe. The bedraggled bear still sat on the boy’s dirty blue shorts.

“Your bear have a name?”

Rafe concentrated on the television screen. “
Sì
. He’s Bear.”

“Bear? That’s interesting.”

Rafe clobbered some tumbling monkeys with a giant bomb glove. “He’s Bear Three.”

Lil smoothed the skirt of her dress with hands that were still trembling. How could this boy be so calm? “What happened to the other Bears?”

Rafe shrugged and changed his weapon of choice to a flame thrower. At least that’s what the screen said. “I don’t know. They belonged to Miguel and Solidad.”

The last words he whispered and Lil realized the boy wasn’t calm at all. He was terrified for his life. For his brother and sister. His parents too.

“You’ll be fine now, Rafe.” She patted his shoulders even though what she wanted to do was gather him in her arms and hug him. He looked like he could use a hug. She just wasn’t so great at giving them.
 

The boy sent her a shy smile and then turned his attention back to the game. “I know Miss Palmer. I did what my brother said. I hope we can find Miguel soon. He spent all afternoon yesterday writing his papers for you.”

Lil’s heart hurt at the thought of Miguel and his dreams of the future. Dreams she’d encouraged.
 

She didn’t want to stay with David, but she’d do whatever it took to find Miguel and the others. Whatever it took.

David watched Lil talking to Rafe and it took everything in his power not to slam his fist into Jamison’s smiling face. Damn, damn, damn. “I don’t want Lil hurt.”

“What’s it going to hurt for her to look around the school? You know there’s a connection. A connection we haven’t been able to find. She’ll be as safe working with us as she was not knowing the truth.”

Which was why he’d wanted her gone. “Somehow I doubt that.”

Ryan clapped his hand on David’s shoulder. “You’ll keep her safe, buddy. I trust you.” He stood and walked into the den. “It’s time for us to go, Rafe. We’ve got a lot to do.”

Then he turned to Lil and smiled that victor’s smile. He knew he’d won. He had no problem using Lil. No problem at all.

“Miss Palmer, thanks for volunteering. I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other.”

Rafe saved his game, grabbed his bear and stood looking like exactly what he was. A lost, afraid little boy whose entire family was gone. Taken by a monster with a scarred face wearing a huge ring that told those who saw him he was invincible.

David stepped forward, pulled the little boy close in a hug. “It’ll be okay, Rafe.”

The boy hugged him back, and David could tell the little boy knew it was a lie but didn’t care. “
Gracias
. Don’t let Degas hurt Miss Palmer.”

He met the little boy’s serious eyes with his own and hoped this answer was the truth. “I won’t.”
 

With that the boy and his bear were gone with Special Agent Ryan Jamison. The PlayStation screen saver the only reminder that Rafe Hernandez had spent the last couple hours waiting and hoping and pretending everything was okay.

One big lie.
 

Somehow though, David would live up to his promise. Because he’d never be able to live with himself if something happened to Lil. Never.

Enough of that. She’d signed on for a job and they had things to do.

“Better get your stuff,
chiquita
. Time’s a wasting and there’s a school to investigate.”

With the way her back straightened, he knew he’d said the wrong words.

She placed both hands on her hips as she stood. “Let’s just stop the games, David.”

“Come on, Lil. We’ve got work to do.”

Usually he was good at reading women. At saying the right thing at the right time. But judging by the color on Lil’s cheeks and the way her eyes were flashing, he’d totally screwed this up.

She stepped closer to him and ticked of her words, one finger at a time. “There will be no more
chiquita’
s, no more sweet Lil’s, no more kisses. We’re working together and that’s all. When we’re out in public, you can lay on all that pretend charm you’re so great at. But in private, no way. I’m not your girlfriend.”

He deserved it. Totally completely undeniably deserved the wrath of Lil. But damn she was sexy when she was ticked. What he wanted to say was
Lil, babe, you were way more than my girlfriend
. But he’d messed this whole thing up enough already. She was right. This wasn’t some sort of reunion. This was work. Serious life and death work.

Besides he had plenty of time to show her he really was sorry, he’d really messed up, and he really, really would like a chance for one good round of makeup sex.

“You’re right, Lil. How about this? I promise to tell you the truth from here on out, and treat you like exactly what you are. The woman pretending to be my live-in girlfriend with the sole purpose of catching that bastard, Degas.”

Lil glared at David’s outstretched hand then up to his face. The grin that he used to get his way with everyone from the grocery clerk to his mother to the mean old lady at the tax office was nowhere to be found. In fact, all she saw was sincerity. He might be acting, but she’d agreed to this job knowing about his lies.
 

She shook his hand once, then pulled away quickly, trying not to care that his hand was hot against hers. That one little touch made her want more.

“Now that we’ve settled the purpose of our mission, grab your bag. We’re going back to your classroom.”

Okay, he was nuts. “Are you totally insane? We can’t go up to the school right now.”

“Why not? It’s open, isn’t it?”

The smile he used so well was back in place. She wasn’t about to fall for it. Not this time. “Yes, but I left hours ago. If we show up now, it will raise all sorts of questions.”

“Why?” He grabbed his keys as if she hadn’t said a word. “You checked out early. I know you usually don’t leave that school until five or even six.”

She stood her ground, hands planted on hips. No way was she blindly following him like some besotted puppy. Or worse, some besotted girlfriend. “Once I leave, I don’t go back.”
 

He shrugged away her words. “Usually. This time, you do.”

“This doesn’t make sense, David.”

“You don’t think it makes sense.” He stepped into her space, met her eyes with a frown. “Well, how about this? An entire family just went missing, Lil. By tomorrow morning the police will be looking for answers. Some of the police looking might be working with Degas. We can’t let them find anything Miguel might have left for us. He sent Rafe to you and to me. I don’t know what or how he knew, but he did.”

She could see his point, but still. “I would know, David. There’s nothing there. Just a bunch of papers and books.”

He took her shoulders gently in his hands and even though she knew he wasn’t trying to break his word, that this touchy-feely thing was just the way he operated, she pulled away. She couldn’t pretend his touch didn’t remind her of their past. And she couldn’t do this if she couldn’t put the past behind her.

He continued as if her rejection meant nothing. “You’ve got to trust me here, Lil. If you don’t trust me on this, we’re screwed before we even start.”

He was right. She might not be able to trust him as far as a relationship went, but she had to where the investigation was concerned. “Fine. We can go, but it’s going to look strange.”

He smiled that sexy stop-her-heart smile and laughed that low rough around the edges laugh, and for a second she couldn’t breathe. “See, that’s where you’re mistaken, Lil. Because this is the story—not the truth we both know—but the story everyone believes. The story everyone has to believe for this to work. You rushed to my place so we could make up. If that kiss we shared was seen by even one person, half the town’s going to know all about it.” He trailed his hand down her arm, daring her to respond. “No one’s going to be surprised you left something behind.”

She brushed his hand away and reminded herself she’d always been a pawn in his game. This time she knew it. Under no circumstances was she going to be hurt by him again. She’d lived with people who didn’t care about her all that much her entire life. She could do this too. Somehow. “Whatever. Let’s just go see if you’re right.”

They pulled into the dimly lit, crowded parking lot at ten minutes after seven and David whistled. “Who knew half the town hung out at the high school?”

Lil rolled her eyes and bit her tongue to keep from telling him she’d told him so. “It’s Thursday night. The boosters meet, the cheerleaders are decorating the gym, the student council kids are decorating the halls, the moms are doing something with the lockers. We’ll probably see fifty people before we even make it to my classroom.”