Page 76 of Her Reluctant Hero
She couldn’t hear what Alex said next because his phone crackled. Her initial relief at hearing his voice returned to panic. He was still too far away. “We’re in an SUV, Alex,” she shouted toward the phone, hoping he could hear her. “A big blue one, a Chevy—”
Lionel backhanded her, sending her head bumping off the passenger window. She cried out and heard Alex swear as Lionel righted the vehicle on the road. Liquid gushed into her mouth, a coppery taste, and her ears rang as she tried to focus on the conversation.
“I’m just a delivery guy, son.”
“Delivering her to Santiago?”
Danes was silent.
“He’s going to kill her.”
The connection was clear now, because Isabella could hear the frustration in Alex’s voice.
“Not sure he will,” Danes lied, though to appease her or Alex, Isabella wasn’t sure. “Make her suffer, most certainly. But you know women like this, my boy. She deserves what she gets, no matter how tasty she is.”
Her skin crawled when the old man reached across the cab to caress the cheek he’d just hit.
“Lionel, don’t do this.”
Danes turned his focus back to the phone. “You’re mistaking lust for affection, Alex.”
“She’s a mother looking for her kid. He’s just a little guy. What chance is he going to have without her?”
The old man’s expression in the dashboard light tightened. “With the price on her head, what chance will I have?”
Isabella understood, then. He was in debt to Santiago in some way and she was the payment. She was nothing more than currency. He must have crossed a line with Santiago. He must really believe turning her over would get him off.
“It’s a done deal, Alex,” Danes continued. “Walk away.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Look, son, I’m sure she’s a nice piece of ass, but you know as well as I do, they’re a dime a dozen. Walk. Away.”
“No, sir. I’m coming after her.” Alex hung up.
Isabella’s heart tripped over his words. He was coming after her.
How, she had no idea.
Several miles passed before she dared speak again. Her cheek still stung from his last blow. But anger and resentment bubbled forth, and she decided to risk speaking out.
“He trusted you,” she said, low.
He glanced at her in surprise, as if he’d forgotten she was there. “What?”
She gained confidence, straightening in her seat as she turned to him. “He came to you because he trusted you.”
“I didn’t hurt him. I didn’t want to hurt him.” The old man was on the defensive. Did he really think he’d done nothing wrong?
“You betrayed his trust. To Alex, that’s the same thing.”
He whipped around on her, and the truck swerved in the lane. “What do you know about Alex? For that matter, what do you know about trust?”
“I trust Alex,” she said, lifting her chin. “He said he’d come after me and he means it.”
“I’m a Ranger, like him. He won’t choose a woman over a fellow Ranger.”
The words silenced her for a minute. Maybe he was right. But no, the Alex she knew protected those who couldn’t protect themselves. The choice wouldn’t be easy, but he would choose her.
