Mike watched the agents carrying out bundles. One hundred and fifty pounds was a good haul of marijuana. “I understand a tip came in.”
“Anonymous. Could have been a neighbor or someone associated with the coyotes who are smuggling in the UDAs, for all we know.” Davies nodded toward the men and women sitting on the ground along the fence. “From what we’ve gathered the coyotes have barely been giving them any food. They’re weak from hunger.”
“Any of the coyotes here when you raided the place?” Mike asked.
Davies shook his head. “All we found here were the UDAs and the marijuana.”
Mike blew out his breath. “Damn.”
A vehicle came to a hard stop, skidding in the gravel in front of the house. Davies and Mike looked to see a reporter and cameraman climbing out of a van with Channel 7 News on the side.
“Who the hell called the press?” Davies muttered.
Mike shook his head. How reporters managed to end up wherever Mike went was a mystery. Sometimes he wondered if there was a leak in his department. The news could put a negative or positive spin on the bust. One, the success in tracking down illegal aliens and an illegal substance. Or two, how human and drug trafficking was only getting worse, which this bust helped to prove.
The reporter, Paige Windhaven, approached Davies and Mike while the cameraman filmed the scene.
“Sheriff,” Paige said, microphone in hand. “What can you tell us about tonight’s bust?”
“I’m out of here,” Davies muttered so that only Mike could hear.
“Thanks,” Mike said dryly.
Fact was, as sheriff it was Mike’s job to be in the spotlight and handle reporters. Whether or not he pulled off a good interview with reporters depended on the situation.
He spoke several minutes with the reporter, giving her what he knew about this bust. He also gave a comment that gave his stance on human trafficking, something that was expected of him. It was his job to uphold the laws, and that was exactly what the sheriff’s department and the Border Patrol were doing.
As soon as he could, he excused himself and headed off to join his deputies. He mentally shook his head. His least favorite part of the job was the publicity, but it came with the territory.
When he reached his deputies, he spoke to Sergeant Reg Schmidt. “What have you found out about the connection to Jesus Perez?”
Schmidt was a harsh man and spoke in a hard tone. He gave a nod toward one of the UDAs sitting against the fence. “According to Luis there, the name Perez has been tossed around. Luis thinks Perez is the head honcho, but isn’t sure the bastard has actually ever been here.”
“Well, hell.” Mike looked at the house. “Any other names come up?”
“Yeah.” Schmidt nodded. “But none I’ve ever heard of before.” Schmidt gave him the names.
“Can’t say I’m familiar with them.” Mike rocked back on his boot heels. “Must be new to the area.”
“New delivery service,” Schmidt said.
Mike stayed at the scene until the last of the deputies and BP agents were leaving. The reporter and photographer had hung around for a while but eventually left.
When he was finally on his way home, he allowed his thoughts to turn back to Anna as he drove. It had been a hell of a good day—up until he’d had to go to the bust.
His gut told him that Anna Batista was a hell of a woman, and might just be the one he’d been waiting for. His gut was usually right on, and he was confident he was right about Anna.
She was so damned beautiful. She’d had a good sense of humor when he’d teased her, was intelligent, fun, and he enjoyed being around her. He’d never felt like this around any other woman.
It had been some time since he’d been in a relationship. Being a public figure and doing his job as sheriff hadn’t left a lot of time for a relationship or much of a private life. Everything he did was scrutinized.
He frowned as he thought about that. It was too soon to start thinking of long-term with Anna, but he still wondered how she would handle being in a relationship with a man in the spotlight, not to mention the fact he was a lawman.
With a shake of his head he pushed his thoughts away from the permanent and focused on the here and now. He’d take it one day at a time with Anna.
Chapter 9
In Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Anna stood with the choir, waiting as the priest conducted mass. She clenched her hymnal, tried to push distracting thoughts out of her mind, and concentrate on the mass.
It did no good. Her thoughts bounced from the amazing time she’d had yesterday at the pumpkin festival with Mike, to the moment he had to leave and the reason why, to Chad’s blackmail. She knew she should go to confession, but she was afraid of what the priest would say. What might he consider to be the right thing to do? What if he thought she should have her aunt and uncle turn themselves in?
A sick feeling bottomed out her stomach. What would she do if they were deported?
What about Josie and Pablo?
Jaci elbowed Anna in the side and she jumped. Everyone in the choir had raised their hymnal and Sister Gracie was standing in front of them, ready to lead them in a hymn. Anna raised her own hymnal and waited for the cue from the nun.
Anna was grateful for the reprieve from her thoughts. Her voice rose with the choir as they sang
If Ye Love Me
. She focused on singing each verse with her heart and soul.
As she sang, she glanced at the place where her family was sitting—and faltered in song. Chad Johnson was sitting beside her cousin, Josie.
Anna’s throat seemed to close off as Chad gave her a knowing look. He glanced at her family and then back to Anna and smiled.
Flames burned her cheeks as she forced herself to continue singing. She couldn’t look away from Chad as he smirked at her. Finally, she was able to tear her gaze from his and back to Sister Gracie’s as the last strains of the hymn faded. The sister turned to face Father Bernard, who then continued to conduct mass.
Every word that was spoken was nothing but a buzz in Anna’s ears as she was hyperaware of Chad sitting next to her family. Chad was not Catholic and she had never seen him at mass. She knew that he attended the Baptist church with Chandra. His presence here was a message to her—he knew about her family and was making sure she knew he was serious in his blackmail.
The rest of the service passed in a blur. Even after accepting the sacrament, she was on autopilot. She went through the ritual of shaking hands with those around her and giving the traditional greeting, “Peace be with you,” and receiving the response back, “And also with you.” She barely head the words.
As Father Bernard walked down the center aisle at the end of the service, she and the rest of the choir sang a final hymn,
Nunc Dimittis.
The parishioners followed the priest outside the church. There was much greeting, talking, and smiling as usual.
Anna was praying that Chad wouldn’t be there when she walked out of the church. But when she made it out into the sunlight, Chad stood to the side on the church steps, talking with Uncle Tito and her Aunt Maria with Josie and Pablo standing nearby.
Heart pounding, she walked up to Chad and her aunt and uncle. She tried to sound normal as she said, “Hi, Chad.” She smiled at her aunt and uncle. “I assume you’ve met Chandra’s brother, Chad?”
Her aunt and uncle nodded and smiled at Chad. “It is nice to meet your friends,
hija,”
Uncle Tito said. Even though he was her uncle, he still called Anna daughter in Spanish because she was like one to him and her aunt.
“Are you staying for refreshments?” Aunt Maria asked Chad. “I brought my
tres leches
cake, Anna’s favorite.”
Anna held her breath, hoping Chad would say no.
Chad looked at Anna and smiled. “I would love to.”
Anna swallowed. “Why don’t we go before all of the cake is gone?”
Uncle Tito chuckled. “Maria’s cakes are popular.”
Maria gave an approving smile, as if she thought Chad was there because he was interested in her in a romantic way.
Trying to look relaxed, Anna hooked her arm in her aunt’s with Josie taking her opposite hand. Tears pushed at the backs of Anna’s eyes and she struggled to keep a single tear from falling. This was her family, the people she loved, and Chad was threatening them to blackmail her.
Refreshments were always in a large basement room at the back of the church. Anna wasn’t hungry but took a piece of her aunt’s cake and ate it so that her aunt wouldn’t worry that she was ill. Heaven forbid that Anna imply she wasn’t feeling well. Aunt Maria would be mothering her the rest of the day.
When Aunt Maria and Uncle Tito were occupied, talking with friends, Anna turned to find Chad standing behind her. He was holding a paper cup filled with punch and he took a drink while his eyes met hers.
“What are you doing here?” she demanded in a low tone.
He lowered his cup. “Just making sure you’re doing what I asked you to.” He gave such a fake smile that she wanted to slap him.
“I’m doing what you are
blackmailing
me to do.” She clenched one hand into a fist, the other holding the plate with what was left of her cake. “Stay away from my family.”
“Blackmail?” He raised his brows. “All I did was ask you to get in good with Sheriff McBride.”
“That’s a load of—” She took a deep breath and let it out. “Call it whatever you want, but you know it is blackmail.”
“As long as you know I’m serious, we’re fine.” Chad gave a shrug of one shoulder. “Make sure you update me regularly.” He drank from his punch cup.
She really, really wanted to slap him. Instead she gritted her teeth then said, “I went out with him yesterday. I’ll start working on his campaign on Monday.”
“I’m impressed.” Chad smiled and nodded. “You’re working faster than I expected. Look what can be accomplished when you’re properly motivated.”
She thought seriously about smashing the rest of her cake into his face but managed to restrain herself. “I’ll be in touch if I learn anything that might be of use to you.” She said the last words with distaste.
“Good.” Chad tossed his empty paper cup into a nearby garbage can. “I’ll plan on talking with you soon.”
Anna clenched her jaw as she watched him wend his way through the crowded room.
“Is something wrong,
hija
?” Aunt Maria laid her hand on Anna’s arm.
Anna fixed a smile on her face and faced her aunt. “Not at all. I’m just a little tired. I had a long day and evening yesterday.”
“You should rest when we get home,” Maria said.
With a shake of her head, Anna put her hand over her aunt’s. “I’m fine. I’m going to help with Sunday dinner as usual.”
Maria raised her other hand and patted Anna’s. “Are you ready to go home?”
“Yes.” Anna felt some relief as her aunt let her concern slide. “Is everyone else set to go?”
Maria nodded toward the door. “Tito is waiting with
mis hijos
outside,” she said, referring to Uncle Tito and her children. Even though Maria preferred to speak English, she would slip into Spanish at times.
Once they were in Anna’s Honda and left the church, they reached home in no time. For dinner, Maria and Anna made homemade flour tortillas along with
carnitas,
a tender and juicy fried pork;
arroz con frijoles negro
, which was black beans and rice; and
pico de gallo
, a traditional salsa. It was a simple dinner, but Uncle Tito’s favorite.
As they ate dinner, Anna looked around at the people she loved and wondered if they should move. With Chad knowing the truth and the chance that he might report her aunt and uncle, maybe she should convince them that they should pick up and go. No matter how much they enjoyed their lives in Prescott, they could always start over somewhere else. They’d done it before, when they left Bisbee.
There were no easy answers. She could do as Chad had blackmailed her to do, and still be discovered.
Anna let her breath out slowly, trying to release the tension in her body. She smiled and nodded to her aunt and uncle as they spoke about work, and she listened as Pablo talked about his activities in third grade. Josie had just turned five and would start kindergarten in the fall.
Deciding to enjoy her family, Anna pushed thoughts aside of Chad, Mike, and everything else that tore at her heart. She needed to take this all one day at a time—it was all she could do at this moment. Maybe they’d have to move, maybe not. But for now she needed to be present for the ones she loved.
She spent the rest of the day teasing her young cousins and laughing with them as well as her aunt and uncle. She let the day unfold as every Sunday did, allowing herself to enjoy the time she had with her family.
A family she loved with every part of her heart and soul.
* * * * *
Mike slapped his Stetson against his thigh, shaking off the dust as he walked toward his cousin Jayson’s truck. He’d had just driven onto Mike’s property, hauling a horse trailer behind his vehicle.
The afternoon sun shone brightly in the clear, cloudless sky and the still air was cool against his face. A horse’s whinny came from the direction of the corral.
Dust rose from around the tires as Jayson parked his truck. He killed the engine, opened his door, and jumped out. “How’s it going, Sheriff?” Jayson asked with a grin as he rounded the vehicle.
“Just fine.” Mike met up with Jayson and slapped him on his shoulder. “Any cattle get out while your fence was down the other night?”
Jayson nodded. “Took us a good part of the night to round up about twenty head and get them back on my property. Repairing the fence was the easy part. Helped that the moon was bright.”
They walked toward the back of the trailer where the backside of a horse was visible. Jayson unlocked the back gate and swung it open. He patted the horse’s rump. “Let’s go, little girl.”
It didn’t take much coaxing before the beautiful mare was out of the horse trailer. Jayson held the Quarter horse by her halter while Mike took a good look at her.
Mike stroked the sorrel’s neck as he admired her. “She’s a fine mare.”