Page 55 of Her Reluctant Hero
“Anything on Guillermo Morales?” Alex asked with no preamble.
“The waitress couldn’t ID him from pictures, but the credit cards have only been in use for a couple of weeks, which is enough to make us think it’s Saldana.”
“Still, would he be that arrogant?” Alex asked. “Does he not know we’re after him?”
“He’s been more cautious in the past,” O’Malley admitted. “But we’re not taking the chance. We have his spending patterns. Should be able to track him down from this in a matter of hours.”
Unease prickled along the back of Alex’s neck. Damn, he wanted this to be over but, “He wouldn’t be dumb enough to have a spending pattern.” He glanced at Isabella for confirmation.
She lifted a shoulder, uncertain.
“We’ll know in a few hours,” O’Malley said stubbornly.
“Call us,” Alex ordered. “As soon as you know one way or another.”
O’Malley muttered something that might be agreement, and disconnected. Alex scowled and tossed the phone to the bench seat between them.
“You don’t think it’s him,” she murmured.
“I think you were pretty scared that night. You wanted to see him, wanted to find your son,” he amended quickly when she opened her mouth to protest. “I think it’s the wrong guy.”
She sucked in a sharp breath, and he braced himself for what she might say, but she remained silent. He glanced over to see her staring out the window through her tears.
“You don’t have to dance tonight.”
“I screwed up with this thing, I need to make it up.”
“This is not your job.”
She whipped her head around. “Finding my son is my job. No one else will keep looking for him the way I will. If I have to dance to find him, then I will.”
It was his turn to suck in a breath. “I’m coming with you.”
She shook her head. “How would that look?”
“They won’t know I’m with you. They don’t know who I am.” He hoped. “I’ll be in the audience.”
She sucked her lower lip between her teeth. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
“What are you talking about? I’ll be there to make sure they don’t take you anywhere you don’t want to go.”
“I don’t know if I’ll be able to dance in front of you.” Her voice was muffled behind her hand.
He snorted. “That’s what you’re worried about? Your stripping ability?”
“You have weird ideas about my body—”
“What, that it should stay covered?”
She glared. “I don’t think I can act naturally with you there. I have to be able to convince them to confide in me.”
“I’m going to be there,” he insisted.
She squeezed her eyes closed. “If Santiago is there, and you catch him, you’ll ask him where Hector is first, right? Will you promise me you’ll do that?”
He stared straight ahead and resisted the urge to reach for her, to reassure her. All he could do was blow out his breath. “I promise.”
