Ridge (Texas Boudreau Brotherhood Book 4) Page 13

  The woman squeezed the burner phone in her hand, staring at it, and for a second Maggie wondered if she knew how to use it. Watched the woman run her thumb across the keypad, before she raised her head and smiled. “I know I’ve said it already, but thank you.”

  “You are welcome. Now, let me go and get your friend settled. You get something to eat. Give the kid a snack. And relax. Sleep. Do whatever you want; it’s your life.” Giving the woman a final smile, she climbed the steps and closed the door behind her, and headed for the next house.

  Time to get the next family settled, and head back home.

  And pray Ridge didn’t find out what she was doing, because she didn’t want to drag him into her web of lies. Hiding her activities from him had been almost impossible, and she knew it was only a matter of time before he figured it out and confronted her. She didn’t want to lie, not to Ridge.

  When all of this started, when the plans were made to provide shelter to these victims, Ridge hadn’t been in the picture—she hadn’t even imagined somebody like him existed. But he was quick, and he was smart. It wouldn’t take him long to figure out her illegal activities, and when he did, she knew he’d walk away. He was too much of a straight shooter, a standup guy who’d never step across the line.

  In her heart, she knew once he found out, any thoughts of building something with Ridge would blow up and she’d find herself standing in the ruins.

  Alone.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Huge black clouds hung low, threatening to burst any minute, and Ridge cursed as big fat droplets of rain splattered against his windshield. He’d raced to catch up with the van Maggie drove out of the hotel parking lot, but by the time he’d reached the front doors, she’d disappeared. Finding her now would be like searching for a needle in a haystack, so he did the next best thing. He called Shiloh.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “You remember that plan we talked about? It starts now.” Ridge swerved to avoid a bicycle rider who’d drifted into his lane, and he slowed down. Still in the middle of town, he couldn’t hit the gas, no matter how much he wanted to speed through the streets to catch up with Maggie. Because he knew it was her he’d seen through the hotel room window. Nobody moved like she did, with a sensual grace that made his insides turn to mush. Nobody had the long chestnut hair pulled back into a sleek ponytail that bounced with each step. And nobody cried out to his soul the way she did, because his heart would recognize her anywhere.

  “I’m on it. I’ll head to her place. What moved up the timetable?” Shiloh sounded almost breathless and Ridge knew his brother was running while they talked. He never did anything at half-speed; it was all full out or nothing with Shiloh. Ridge didn’t like pulling him into this mess, but things were starting to spin out of control with the cartel and with Maggie. As much as he proclaimed Maggie’s innocence, the odds were stacked against her, and he didn’t trust anybody else to watch over her except his baby brother. He heard a car door slam and then the roar of an engine, and knew Shiloh was on his way.

  “I had a meeting with Daniel Kingston and Roland Abernathy this morning at the hotel. While I was there, I saw Maggie. She was there picking up some people in a beat-up old van. I don’t know why, but it’s got my Spidey-senses tingling, so I need eyes on her while I’m not there. Looks like the cartel will be moving the shipment any minute, and I can’t be in two places at once.”

  “Gotcha. How do you want to play this? Want me to stay outta sight, or pretend I’m there to see you and wait?”

  “Bro, I don’t care what you do. Use your best judgment. Just don’t let her leave the house. Sit on her if you have to, tie her to a chair, but keep her there. She cannot meet the cartel today.”

  “I’m about ten, maybe fifteen minutes away from her place. I’ll guard her with my life, bro, I promise. Keep me posted.”

  “Will do.”

  He’d barely disconnected the call when his cell rang. Caller ID showed it was Kingston. Muttering under his breath and cursing fate, he knew what Daniel wanted even before he answered. The sky opened, and a deluge flowed from the sky. Thunder cracked, the loud booming sound shaking the car.

  “Daniel, what’s up?”

  “The cartel’s on the move. Like right now. The trucks are passing through San Antonio as we speak, so we’ve got about an hour, maybe an hour and a half before they’re here. The team is scrambling, they’ll be ready to head out in ten minutes.”

  “Son of a—I’m on my way.” Ridge pressed harder on the accelerator, maneuvering through traffic, and wondering where in the heck all these people came from in the middle of the afternoon. Didn’t anybody work?

  The rain continued to pour as the skies opened and the daylight faded to darkness. His wiper blades barely kept up beneath the barrage, enough that he had minimal visibility. Thankfully, he knew the route by memory, having driven it so many times in the past few days.

  “Ridge, you’ll need to meet the team on site. We’ll have people stationed on the road in front of Ms. White’s property on the south side, and more on the north. Tracking them in this storm is going to be a pain in the butt, but we don’t have any other option. If we don’t stop ’em before they hit Burnet County, we’ll have to start all over again, because we didn’t find their hidey hole.”

  “You’ve got a tail on them, right?”

  “Of course.” Daniel sounded exasperated at his question, but Ridge didn’t care. He wanted this case over and done. The flow of drugs through his home state, the freedom with which these mules seemed to run with impunity through the cities, made him sick to his stomach. He knew this one bust would barely make a dent, because every time they arrested the drivers, five more sprang up and took their places. It was like trying to kill a hydra: cut off one head and two more grew back. But this time, more than any other, it was personal—because of Maggie.

  “How many?”

  “Two trucks, pickups with customized camper shells. One dark blue and one black, very nondescript. We got three tails following them, standard formation, rotating out so they don’t get spotted. But, get this,” Daniel paused and Ridge wanted to scream at him to get on with it, “I just found out Diego Rivera is in one of the trucks.”

  “You’re kidding! Has that been confirmed?”

  “Oh, yeah. Got his pic captured on cell phone, sent by one of the tails. It’s him alright.”

  Excitement surged through Ridge at Daniel’s news. What were the odds of one of the top enforcers from the Escondido cartel riding into Texas with this latest shipment? It was like the gods were smiling down on their operation. If everything went right, this could be one of the biggest coups for the DEA in years, in addition to taking down one of the biggest connections to the Escondido cartel they’d ever managed.

  “Boss, we’ve gotta make this work.”

  “I hate to ask, but what about Ms. White? Have you uncovered anything to confirm she’s knowingly providing them safe passage?”

  “Daniel—”

  “Look, I know you like her. But, Ridge, you’ve got to do the right thing here. If she’s innocent, it’ll be proven today, and we’ll offer her a most sincere apology when the smoke clears. However, if you haven’t found anything concrete clearing her of wrongdoing, she’s going to be hauled in with the rest of the Escondido crew.”

  “I’ll do my job. I never let emotions cloud my judgment when it comes to taking down these scum. Not gonna start now.” Ridge bit back the urge to tell Daniel exactly where he could shove the job right now. There’d never been a time in his life where he wanted to walk away more than right now—but he couldn’t. Daniel would have no qualms about pulling Maggie in with the rest, exactly like he said.

  Daniel sighed. “I know. This op ratcheted up into the stratosphere with Diego Rivera being in the truck, you know? He’s slippery as an eel, and rarely crosses the border. I don’t know what he’s doing here, and I don’t care. All I want is to throw him so deep in prison he never sees daylight again.”
/>
  “Right there with you.”

  Rain pounded against the windshield, the sound reverberating inside the car, and a crack of lightning struck, close enough he could practically smell the ozone. Didn’t it figure the one day they needed to catch a break, the heavens opened up and complicated things tenfold?

  “You want to take the north side or the south?”

  “I’ll take the north. If by some fluke they make it all the way across the property, I want to be there.” He didn’t add to stop them, knew it was understood.

  “This will work, buddy. See you on the other side.” Daniel hung up, and Ridge prayed the man was right.

  Maggie left the van parked about a quarter mile from her house, deep in the wooded area, and jogged back toward her house. She’d only made it about halfway before torrents of rain soaked her, and she shivered beneath its onslaught. Should she go back and make sure Isabelle and Caroline and the kids were okay? She’d just left them, but hadn’t expected this downpour. Living in Texas, she was used to the skies opening suddenly with cloudbursts that lasted ten or fifteen minutes, but left enough rain to flood.

  Picking up her pace, she clamored through the kitchen door, and began peeling off her shirt, squeezing the water from it. At the sound of a throat clearing, she spun around, finding Ridge standing in the middle of the living room.

  Only something was off. Oh, he must have gotten a haircut while he was out. She wasn’t sure if she liked it. Most of the time, Ridge wore his dark hair pulled back and tied with a piece of leather. In the evenings, when they’d sit out on the back patio, he’d take it down, and her fingers itched to caress it, feel the silken strands as she speared her fingers through it, pulling him in close for a kiss. Oops, that was her fantasy, they’d never done that—yet. She jerked the shirt against her chest, covering her bra, which was almost transparent from the rain.

  “Sorry. I didn’t see you there.”

  “No problem, sugar. I don’t mind at all.”

  Eyes wide, she studied him, really studied him, because that didn’t sound like the man she knew. The voice was the same, and other than the hair he looked exactly like Ridge. But he wasn’t.

  “You’re Shiloh.”

  His lips parted in a blindingly white grin, and he shrugged. “Guilty. Though in my defense, I didn’t expect anybody to walk in and start stripping.”

  “Where’s Ridge? He didn’t mention you were coming.” She hadn’t meant for the accusation to sound so harsh, but she was embarrassed. It wasn’t like her to parade around half dressed, and it left her feeling at a disadvantage. Another feeling she didn’t like.

  “I’m not sure where big brother is. When I talked to him earlier, he was supposed to meet me here. He even told me where the spare key was, in case nobody was home when I got here. I am sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. Can we start over? I’m Shiloh Boudreau, and I’m guessing you’re Mary Margaret White?”

  Maggie blew out a breath and swiped at the bangs plastered against her forehead. “Call me Maggie. Why don’t you make yourself at home, while I go change?”

  “Do you have to? I kinda like the drowned rat look. You pull it off beautifully.”

  She chuckled. “I doubt that, but thanks. I’ll be right back.”

  “Sure. Want me to fix you something hot to drink?”

  Maggie smiled over her shoulder as she walked away. “That would be awesome.”

  Jogging to her bedroom, she closed the door and headed for the master bath. Peeling off the wet clothes, she grabbed a towel and swiped it down her damp body, rubbing hard to get her circulation flowing. Yanking her hair out of the rubber band, she scrubbed the towel against her head, and then ran a comb through it and pulled it up into a messy bun.

  Sitting down on the edge of the bed, she thought about the man standing in her kitchen, fixing her a drink. Shiloh looked exactly like Ridge, right down to the same crooked grin. Other than his hair being shorter, at first glance they were identical. Same eyes, same nose. Yet, Shiloh didn’t make her feel inside the way she did with Ridge. When she was around Ridge, she felt excited, giddy like a schoolgirl, a teenager with her first crush. But more than that, she felt secure and safe from the world around her. He was a shelter, a refuge. He was home.

  Eyes widening, her mouth dropped open in an “O” as the realization struck her—she loved him. She was in love with Ridge Boudreau. Accepting what she felt was real, she fell back against the mattress, laughter spilling from her. A kaleidoscope of emotions coursed through her, each racing through her body until she felt lightheaded, awestruck by the reality of acknowledging she loved him.

  “Coffee’s ready,” Shiloh yelled down the hall, pulling her out of her revelry.

  “Be right there.”

  She quickly finished dressing, and headed for the kitchen. Shiloh pushed a mug across the countertop, along with the carton of milk and the sugar bowl. Watching him, she couldn’t help judging his movements against his brother’s. Everything he did looked like an imitation of Ridge, right down to his hand movements. When she looked at his face, she noted his smirk.

  “Sorry, it’s just…you’re so much like your brother. It’s almost scary.”

  “Well, we are identical twins. Not surprising that we’d be alike. For the most part, though we are different in a lot of way.”

  “Really? How?”

  “Well, for one thing, I’m better looking.”

  “Oh, please. Ridge is much more…” She caught herself before finishing the sentence, as warmth flooded her cheeks. “You are very sneaky, Shiloh.”

  “Guilty.” He took a sip of his coffee, studying her closely over the rim. “You seem to know my brother pretty well. Should I be worried that you’re going to break his heart?” All trace of joking disappeared from his tone.

  “I would never hurt your brother. Ridge is the best thing that’s happened to me in a long time. We’ve known each other such a short time, and yet there’s definitely something there. At least for me. I don’t know how he feels.”

  “Honestly? I think he’s crazy about you. Which is why I have to make sure you’re serious about what you feel for my brother. If you’re not, end this now before it’s too late. I don’t know you, Maggie, but you don’t seem like the type who’d toy with his emotions. Know this; if you deliberately lead him along and then break him, you’d better look over your shoulder, because I’ll be there. That’s a promise.”

  “Shiloh, I…” Before she could continue, her phone rang. The one she’d shoved in her pocket when she’d changed. The burner phone. “I have to take this.”

  Shiloh turned his back and crossed the kitchen, pouring himself another cup of coffee, while Maggie moved to the living room. “Hello. What’s wrong?”

  “Mary, I…I think the house is sinking. There’s so much water, it’s flowing under the house. The kids are crying. Caroline is here with her children, we’re all together, but I don’t know what to do.”

  “I’m sure it’s the rain. The ground can’t soak it up as fast as it’s coming down, so the mud might be messing up the ground a little bit. Don’t worry, everything will be okay. It should stop raining soon, and everything will be great.” At least I hope so.

  “Okay…I’m sorry we panicked. When the house moved, the kids got scared, and I didn’t know what—” Isabelle’s words turned into a scream, and Maggie heard the shrill yells of the children in the background. Something was definitely wrong, and she needed to get there. Now.

  “I’m on my way. I’m coming, do you understand?” When there was no response, she repeated her words, and finally heard a small hiccupping sound.

  “I understand.”

  “Stay inside. Keep the children occupied. Maybe give them a snack or something. I’ll be there as quickly as I can. I promise, it’s going to be fine.”

  “I’m sorry to be so much trouble.”

  “You haven’t caused any trouble. I’ll be there soon.”

  Hanging up, Maggie spun around to tell S
hiloh she had to leave, when she found him right on her heels. Dragging a deep breath into her lungs, she scolded, “Don’t do that.”

  “Sounds like you’ve got a problem. Can I help?”

  “Nope, it’s something I need to take care of that can’t wait.” Sprinting to the hall closet, she pulled out her rain slicker and shoved her arms into it. “Sorry to leave you alone, but I’m sure Ridge will be here shortly. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  “Miss Maggie, I can’t let you go out in this downpour. Whatever it is, it’ll have to wait until this thunderstorm lets up.”

  Maggie stiffened at his use of her nickname. “Don’t call me that.”

  Shiloh’s brow furrowed. “Don’t call you what?”

  “Miss Maggie.” She shrugged, trying to act nonchalant, while her instincts were screaming for her to move. “That’s what Ridge calls me.” She gave him a half-hearted smile to downplay the importance of the nickname. It might not mean anything to Ridge, but it was special to her.

  Shiloh’s expression lightened. “Ah, gotcha. Still not letting you leave the house though.”

  He folded his arms across his chest, and she took a single step back, her whole body going rigid at his words. Michael used to talk to her that way. Isolate her. Make it impossible to leave her home, kept her from having friends. Nope, she wasn’t going to allow anybody to do that to her ever again.

  “You can’t stop me.” Steely determination underlined her words.

  “Whoa, sugar, hang on.” Shiloh raised both hands to shoulder height, in a nonthreatening manner. “I didn’t mean to ruffle your feathers, I simply figured whatever it is could wait until this storm passes, and the rain lets up a bit.”

  Closing her eyes, Maggie counted to five, and blew out a sighing breath. “Alright, I might have overreacted. But this can’t wait. I’m not sure how long I’ll—”

  “I’m going with you.”

  “You can’t! I mean, it’s…you don’t have to.” Panic rose, her chest tightening. She couldn’t let Shiloh come with her, because one, she didn’t know him; two, he was Ridge’s brother, and she doubted he’d keep anything secret from his family; and three, she couldn’t expose him to what she was doing. It would make him complicit, and if they were caught, he might be arrested. It was too much to ask anybody.