Authors: Lola Drake
“Stop fidgeting.”
“I don’t fidget.”
His hand felt so good on hers, big and warm and
safe. She couldn’t resist turning her own hand over to entwine her fingers with
his.
“Tell me the rest of it.”
“What rest?”
“You got all edgy when Harris told you who I’d
picked out of the photos. Who is he?”
“You don’t need to worry about those details.”
“Jake, I want to know. Everything. It’s my life
on the line, right? So I should be fully informed.
Jake sighed, seeming to accept the truth of
that.
“Miguel Martinez is a key player in a gang
called the V Street 13. I first heard about him when I worked on a joint task
force with the DEA and some other agencies investigating the local gangs’
connections with the Mexican Mafia prison gang and some of the Mexican drug
cartels. They’re all linked in one big narcotics and firearms trafficking
ring.”
“Did you catch any of them?”
“We got about twenty indictments, but the actual
drug distribution just moved to an affiliated gang and kept going.” Jake ran
his hand through his hair. She could feel his frustration like a blast of hot
air emanating from him. “What’s worse is these guys have huge influence inside
prison. Hell, it’s where they do a lot of their recruiting. Most of the Mexican
Mafia’s leadership lives behind bars.”
“How, with people smuggling cell phones and
stuff like that to them?” Juliet thought she’d seen an episode on another cop
show she watched that depicted something like that. Who knew watching all those
shows would give her knowledge she’d need in her own life?
“Yeah,
that’s part of it. It lets them arrange business deals with the outside world.
Local gangs are also required to pay these so-called ‘taxes’ to the gang
leaders in prison, which gives the inmates a lot of authority.”
Juliet found herself growing calmer the more
Jake talked. Yes, he painted a bleak picture of the men who probably wanted her
dead, but he spoke with such conviction she felt he could protect her from
anyone. When she’d been tempted to laugh earlier at his transformation into
“FBI mode” she hadn’t understood. It was always part of him, just more
imperceptible at times. He carried that power and responsibility with him in
everything he did.
“Okay, so tell me how this
“His cousin Luis Hernandez, also known as
Peligroso, serves as one of the main contacts to the cartel from his cell in
Pelican Bay State Prison.
with the suppliers and sell the drugs on the street, then smuggle money and
information back to the cartel.”
The words “drug cartels” echoed in her ears like
a panicked scream on a silent night. It sounded far more deadly than
shows – entire movies centered on the drug cartels. Movies filled with
shoot-outs, cops dying in the line of duty, executions, and kidnappings. Juliet
let out a deep breath. She needed to hold on to the confidence she had so
recently felt in Jake or her fear would paralyze her.
****
Jake studied Juliet, watching for any sign of
the terror he knew she had to be feeling. She stayed remarkably calm. Only her
absent-minded fidgeting revealed she may not be as unruffled as she strove to
appear. He gave her hand a squeeze, stroking it with his thumb as he studied
the stoic expression she fought to maintain. Admiration filled him. He had
known new recruits on the force to tremble in the face of danger, yet Juliet
seemed braced to handle whatever came at her.
Glancing down at the hand he held he realized
how amazingly soft her skin felt. A unique scent, like roses and honeysuckle,
wafted up towards his face as he kissed her knuckles. She must use a lotion or
something for her hands to stay that soft. As his fingers turned to caress her
palm, he wondered if her skin felt just as soft on the rest of her body. Maybe
she used the lotion all over, putting it on when she stepped dripping from the
shower…
Juliet’s voice snapped him from his thoughts
just in time. Picturing her naked had him shifting uncomfortably in his chair.
“What did you say?”
Juliet shook her head. “Never mind. Just
worrying out loud.”
“Juliet, I’m not going to let anything happen to
you.”
“I know.”
Her big blue eyes gazed up at him, projecting
all her trust and faith in his ability to protect her. He stared back. Shades
of auburn in her hair shone under the fluorescent hospital lights. He felt
himself drawn in, leaning forward without realizing it. Juliet’s lips parted.
“How the hell did you get yourself shot?” A
booming voice interrupted from the doorway.
“Aaron!” Juliet reached out her good hand to
greet her brother.
Jake felt as though a bucket of ice water had
been dumped over his head. What the hell was he doing? Had he really been about
to kiss Aaron’s baby sister?
Hell yeah. And right now he still felt as though
he could cheerfully throttle Aaron for disrupting that charged moment.
Jake sighed heavily as the siblings greeted one
another. Juliet was injured, vulnerable, looking at him like her proverbial
knight in shining armor. He couldn’t take advantage of that.
Aaron gave him a brotherly hug. “Thanks for
keeping her company at the hospital last night. I couldn’t get a flight out
until this morning.”
“What are you doing here at all?” Juliet
demanded. “
Both Juliet and Jake snorted at the explosion of
pride that crossed Aaron’s face.
“I’m booked on a flight back home to
she’s not due for another three weeks or so. I had to see you and make sure you
were okay.”
“Well, however short your visit, it is good to
see you.”
Aaron turned toward him. “Jake, I hate to
impose, but do you mind watching out for Juliet a bit longer? With our dad away
on that cruise and
“Not a problem.”
Of course he’d stay. Too bad he couldn’t spend
the time with Juliet the way he kept imagining. Jake had to keep reminding himself
that he was here at Aaron’s behest. That didn’t involve Juliet ever getting
naked. Or into his bed. Under him. Over him. Her soft hair sweeping across his
stomach as she….
“What?” he asked, becoming aware both siblings were
watching him. He had to calm down.
“I asked what you thought of the detectives. Are
they good?”
“Yeah, definitely. Actually, since you’re here,
I want to talk to a few people about the investigation. I’ll be back soon.”
Before either of them could reply, Jake made his escape. He had to clear his
head before he could handle being around Juliet anymore.
After contacting his boss at the FBI, it didn’t
take Jake long to get a detailed background on
he became. Officially the FBI had no involvement in this specific
investigation, since the LAPD and district attorney’s office planned to go
after
activities. Then they hoped they could convince him to give evidence on the
drug trafficking in return for a lighter sentence.
Unfortunately, that put Juliet front and center.
With no murder weapon or other forensic evidence at this point, the entire case
rested on Juliet’s eyewitness testimony.
Hernandez decided to help his cousin by reaching out to the cartel for extra
insurance. The cartel routinely arranged kidnappings and murders to keep
witnesses off the stand.
Jake had accrued plenty of holiday time, so he
asked for personal leave to watch over Juliet himself. He would do this for any
friend’s little sister, right? He’d known Aaron for years. Of course he wanted
to watch out for Juliet, for Aaron’s sake. He nodded to himself, refusing to
question his motives any further.
He returned to the hospital that evening along
with the detectives. Juliet had drifted off to sleep again, but she woke up as
the door opened. Aaron sat beside her, reading. A harried man rushed past Jake
before he or the detectives could say a word, and practically screeched to a
halt in front of her bed as though slowing to a walk before reaching her would
take far too much time. Jake instantly guessed this was Wetherby, the DDA
assigned to the case. He looked to be in his late thirties, with blonde hair,
almond-shaped hazel eyes, and a
“Miss Morris, how are you feeling today?” the
man gushed, reaching to shake her hand. He stopped almost comically with his
hand outstretched toward her, obviously realizing she couldn’t shake his hand
with her right arm in a sling.
Jake took in his briefcase full to bursting with
papers, his slightly disheveled suit, and hair that badly needed a trim. Still,
he supposed some women might find him attractive, if they liked that type. He
wondered what Juliet thought as she gave him a bemused smile.
“Um, I’m fine, thank you.”
“Oh, sorry, I should probably introduce myself.”
He fumbled around in his pockets until he found a business card, which he set on
the bedside table. “Michael Wetherby. I’m a deputy district attorney, and I’ll
be handling this case from beginning to end. The district attorney may get
involved as trial gets closer as well. Now, first things first, do you have any
questions for me or concerns? I know the detectives are working on getting you
guards.”
“Guards? She needs guards at the hospital?”
Aaron sprang to his feet, his body tensing as though an attack were imminent.
The attorney looked confused as Jake swore under
his breath. He’d come to agree with Juliet that they should keep Aaron in the
dark about exactly how much danger she faced.
“No, no, probably not,” Wetherby hurried to
reassure him. “I doubt the gang would dare do something as bold as attack her
here.”
“But you do think they’ll go after her?”
Wetherby looked from one sibling to another,
exhaling loudly. “I won’t lie to you, much as I’d like to. This gang has a
reputation for witness intimidation. In all likelihood they may try something.
We can, of course, put you into witness protection, Miss Morris.”
“I’ll take her back to
Wetherby and Juliet both started shaking their
heads, albeit for very different reasons. “I’m afraid I need her here in
being. The moment we find
the record. It may help keep her safe, since that testimony can be used at the
actual trial if something were to happen to Juliet.”
Aaron didn’t look the slightest bit comforted by
that. Juliet laid a hand upon his arm.
“Aaron, after all this, I want to go home. Sleep
in my own bed.”
Detective Harris stepped forward before the
argument could continue. “Before we get into all of that, do you mind looking
at a few more pictures for us, Miss Morris?”
Juliet nodded. Jake let out a breath he hadn’t
known he’d been holding, grateful for anything that could distract Juliet’s
protective older brother. Detective Harris placed a sheet with eight photos in
front of her. “Do you recognize any of these men?”
She studied each face intently before shaking
her head, “No, I’m sorry. Who are they?”
“Other members of the gang,” Harris explained.
“We’re trying to figure out who else witnessed the murders that night. You’re
sure
“Definitely. It’s not an image I’ll ever
forget.”
“Okay, then…thank you, Miss Morris,” Wetherby
replied. “You’ve been a big help. We’ll have a guard here at the hospital
tonight and maybe tomorrow we can discuss what you’d like to do when you’re
released.”
“What happens now?” Juliet asked.
“It all depends on how soon we find
worry about that. Concentrate on feeling better. We’ll talk more soon, I
promise.” With that Wetherby scurried from the room, leaving a resounding
silence in his wake. Harris, Reed, and Jake all looked at one another, then the
detectives shuffled off after Wetherby, mumbling their goodbyes.
“OK, Jake…level with me,” Aaron demanded.
Jake shrugged, not knowing what exactly to tell
him. He caught Juliet’s eye and she gave a slight shake of her head. “It’s
unlikely the gang even knows who Juliet is.”