or do you?”
He shook his head. “Nope, just me and Axe.”
She laughed, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m just messing with you, Mike. I’ve had a few relationships. But none of the guys hang around. I guess they don’t like competing with dogs for attention.”
“Hardly an even competition, is it?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, dogs are loyal, steadfast, always happy to see you, no matter what. No man can compete with that.”
“Are you saying I should date a Golden Retriever?”
“No, maybe just a man who has things in perspective.”
“Oh.” She raised an eyebrow, suggestively. “And do you have things in perspective, Mr. Michael Saunders?”
He smiled into his coffee. “Maybe. Oh, before I forget, is it alright if I take Axe out tomorrow?”
“He’s your dog. You don’t have to ask my permission.”
“I just thought that, as his doctor you should be consulted,” he said, his expression matching his serious tone.
“Well then, as his doctor I should probably know exactly what it is he’ll be doing.”
“Ah, that part’s a surprise.”
She frowned. “Well then, how can I know if it’s suitable for his condition?”
He grinned. “Well, I thought you could supervise.”
She set her coffee down. “Sounds like you’re trying to sneak in a second date.”
He leaned across the table, stopping when their lips were less than an inch apart. “That’s exactly what I’m doing. I’ve got to run, but I’ll pick you up tomorrow at ten.”
“Yes, sir,” she murmured, fighting the urge to kiss him.
“I’m not an officer, Ali. You don’t have to call me sir.”
She pursed her lips seductively. “What if I want to?”
“Now, that’s a different matter altogether.” He settled back in his chair and downed the last of his coffee. “I really do have to run. I’ll pick you and Axe up at ten hundred sharp.”
“I look forward to it.”
Ali’s gaze followed his every movement as he went to the counter and paid the bill. Her eyes were fixed on his buttocks. Damn, they looked good in the tight jeans he wore. He glanced back at her before disappearing through the door. She sighed as she finished her coffee. Crap, she hadn’t asked Mike what to wear. A ten o’clock pickup with Axe suggested something physical, she hoped. Because the last thing she wanted to do was turn up in heels and a skirt when they were going on an adventure.
***
Outside the café, as Mike approached his truck, he spotted a white sedan across the street. His eyes narrowed as he studied it. The car was familiar. Too familiar, right down to the dented front right fender. He swore he had seen it earlier today, parked outside Ali’s clinic. As he eyeballed the car, trying to make out the driver, it pulled out into traffic.
He drummed his fingers against his thigh as he watched it disappear behind a sixteen wheeler. Shaking his head he opened his truck and climbed in. The coffee had left him a little edgy. Not to mention he hadn’t been sleeping well since Axe was shot. He managed a smile as his mind turned to the date he’d planned. Now at least he had something to look forward to.
Chapter Eight
Ramirez located Barbosa perched on a bag of coffee beans, smoking a cigar at the rear of the rusted warehouse. A number of heavies stood in a semicircle around the elderly, battered, man crumpled at the Butcher’s feet.
He didn’t trouble himself with the victim. That wasn’t his business. He was being paid to find Juan Barbosa’s killer and exact revenge.
The cartel boss exhaled a mouthful of smoke into the face of his victim, before looking up. “You got something for me?”
Ramirez’s eyes narrowed behind his aviator sunglasses. “Can we go somewhere private to talk?”
“No. I am comfortable here.”
“That’s not what concerns me.”
Barbosa laughed. “Oh, don’t worry about Pedro. Where he’s going there’s no one to talk or listen.” He prodded the
He shook his head. “Nope, just me and Axe.”
She laughed, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m just messing with you, Mike. I’ve had a few relationships. But none of the guys hang around. I guess they don’t like competing with dogs for attention.”
“Hardly an even competition, is it?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, dogs are loyal, steadfast, always happy to see you, no matter what. No man can compete with that.”
“Are you saying I should date a Golden Retriever?”
“No, maybe just a man who has things in perspective.”
“Oh.” She raised an eyebrow, suggestively. “And do you have things in perspective, Mr. Michael Saunders?”
He smiled into his coffee. “Maybe. Oh, before I forget, is it alright if I take Axe out tomorrow?”
“He’s your dog. You don’t have to ask my permission.”
“I just thought that, as his doctor you should be consulted,” he said, his expression matching his serious tone.
“Well then, as his doctor I should probably know exactly what it is he’ll be doing.”
“Ah, that part’s a surprise.”
She frowned. “Well then, how can I know if it’s suitable for his condition?”
He grinned. “Well, I thought you could supervise.”
She set her coffee down. “Sounds like you’re trying to sneak in a second date.”
He leaned across the table, stopping when their lips were less than an inch apart. “That’s exactly what I’m doing. I’ve got to run, but I’ll pick you up tomorrow at ten.”
“Yes, sir,” she murmured, fighting the urge to kiss him.
“I’m not an officer, Ali. You don’t have to call me sir.”
She pursed her lips seductively. “What if I want to?”
“Now, that’s a different matter altogether.” He settled back in his chair and downed the last of his coffee. “I really do have to run. I’ll pick you and Axe up at ten hundred sharp.”
“I look forward to it.”
Ali’s gaze followed his every movement as he went to the counter and paid the bill. Her eyes were fixed on his buttocks. Damn, they looked good in the tight jeans he wore. He glanced back at her before disappearing through the door. She sighed as she finished her coffee. Crap, she hadn’t asked Mike what to wear. A ten o’clock pickup with Axe suggested something physical, she hoped. Because the last thing she wanted to do was turn up in heels and a skirt when they were going on an adventure.
***
Outside the café, as Mike approached his truck, he spotted a white sedan across the street. His eyes narrowed as he studied it. The car was familiar. Too familiar, right down to the dented front right fender. He swore he had seen it earlier today, parked outside Ali’s clinic. As he eyeballed the car, trying to make out the driver, it pulled out into traffic.
He drummed his fingers against his thigh as he watched it disappear behind a sixteen wheeler. Shaking his head he opened his truck and climbed in. The coffee had left him a little edgy. Not to mention he hadn’t been sleeping well since Axe was shot. He managed a smile as his mind turned to the date he’d planned. Now at least he had something to look forward to.
Chapter Eight
Ramirez located Barbosa perched on a bag of coffee beans, smoking a cigar at the rear of the rusted warehouse. A number of heavies stood in a semicircle around the elderly, battered, man crumpled at the Butcher’s feet.
He didn’t trouble himself with the victim. That wasn’t his business. He was being paid to find Juan Barbosa’s killer and exact revenge.
The cartel boss exhaled a mouthful of smoke into the face of his victim, before looking up. “You got something for me?”
Ramirez’s eyes narrowed behind his aviator sunglasses. “Can we go somewhere private to talk?”
“No. I am comfortable here.”
“That’s not what concerns me.”
Barbosa laughed. “Oh, don’t worry about Pedro. Where he’s going there’s no one to talk or listen.” He prodded the
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