quietly for her perusal.
“You’re very brave,” he said at last.
“Brave?” she choked out. “I’m crying.”
“You don’t need to be brave now. But when you needed your strength, you had it. I saw you face that gunman. Like a true Apache woman.”
She was hardly that. Even her Sunrise Ceremony could not change the truth of her origins. “I was terrified.”
“But you didn’t fall to pieces. And when the windshield went out you dove away from him and took cover. You used your radio to call for help. You survived him. That’s not just luck.”
What he saw as bravery, she saw as resignation. Acceptance that she would forfeit her life instead of trying to kill the man who would kill her. It was not until the bullets shattered the glass that she had acted.
She lifted her head and stared up at Kino as a question formed in her mind. He had not been close enough to see her lift her radio.
“How do you know all that?”
“I saw you through my scope.”
That sent a chill through her. He’d had her sighted, as if she were an elk or bear. He’d watched that man point the gun at her and then he had acted.
“He killed them all, didn’t he?”
“Yes.”
“Why would he do that? They were just people. They weren’t even armed, were they?”
“No. They weren’t.” Kino looked at her a long minute as if deciding how much to say. “He’s been killing all his mules. He meets them, shoots them and takes the drugs. We don’t know if he’s their contact or if he’s robbing them.”
“But why? He doesn’t need to kill them to take the drugs.”
Kino gave a long sigh. “Could be so he doesn’t have to transport them to Phoenix.”
“Is that what you think?”
He gave a quick shake of his head.
“Why, then?”
“Maybe he likes it.”
“Likes it? What? The killing?”
Kino shrugged. “Or...”
She moved to the edge of her seat. “What?”
“No witnesses.”
Her heart beat in her throat. “Until now. I saw him.”
“And he saw you. That’s why I picked you up. I want to keep an eye on you.”
“Oh.” Did he hear the disappointment in her voice? She had no right to expect that her interest in him was mutual. Besides, wouldn’t it be better if he didn’t find her attractive? Then, at least, she’d have another good reason not to make more of a fool of herself.
Visions of that gun loomed in her mind, the black center of the barrel staring at her like a soulless eye. She was shaking again. He tightened an arm around her shoulders. Lea clutched at his hand as if she dangled from a cliff. She clung to him as her convictions wavered. It was one thing to hold faith in theory. It was another to place your life where your morals were. She didn’t know if she had half the courage he seemed to believe she had.
“You think he’ll come back for me?” She met his gaze and saw the concern there.
“I would.” He squeezed her shoulder and then pulled away, resting his hands loosely on the steering wheel as his attention flicked to the rearview mirror before he pulled them back onto the road.
He glanced over at her. “You can’t go home, Lea. Not until we have a unit in place. Clay is working that out with the tribal police. He’ll call when it’s safe. Until then, you stick with me.”
“I thought you were taking me home.”
“Not a good idea.”
“You think he might know where I live?”
“Probably not. But it’s possible. Let’s just be on the safe side. It’s your life we’re talking about.”
“It’s possible...” His words sent a shot of adrenaline zinging through her and she stiffened, gasping.
Kino’s glance shot to her and then returned to the road, his brows low over dark eyes. “What?”
She pressed a hand over her pounding heart, the beating so fast her chest ached. “He might know!”
“What?”
“Ernesta. Nita. My neighbors. I told them they could use my shower.” Lea knew she was babbling, but she couldn’t seem to stop. “Their water is off
“You’re very brave,” he said at last.
“Brave?” she choked out. “I’m crying.”
“You don’t need to be brave now. But when you needed your strength, you had it. I saw you face that gunman. Like a true Apache woman.”
She was hardly that. Even her Sunrise Ceremony could not change the truth of her origins. “I was terrified.”
“But you didn’t fall to pieces. And when the windshield went out you dove away from him and took cover. You used your radio to call for help. You survived him. That’s not just luck.”
What he saw as bravery, she saw as resignation. Acceptance that she would forfeit her life instead of trying to kill the man who would kill her. It was not until the bullets shattered the glass that she had acted.
She lifted her head and stared up at Kino as a question formed in her mind. He had not been close enough to see her lift her radio.
“How do you know all that?”
“I saw you through my scope.”
That sent a chill through her. He’d had her sighted, as if she were an elk or bear. He’d watched that man point the gun at her and then he had acted.
“He killed them all, didn’t he?”
“Yes.”
“Why would he do that? They were just people. They weren’t even armed, were they?”
“No. They weren’t.” Kino looked at her a long minute as if deciding how much to say. “He’s been killing all his mules. He meets them, shoots them and takes the drugs. We don’t know if he’s their contact or if he’s robbing them.”
“But why? He doesn’t need to kill them to take the drugs.”
Kino gave a long sigh. “Could be so he doesn’t have to transport them to Phoenix.”
“Is that what you think?”
He gave a quick shake of his head.
“Why, then?”
“Maybe he likes it.”
“Likes it? What? The killing?”
Kino shrugged. “Or...”
She moved to the edge of her seat. “What?”
“No witnesses.”
Her heart beat in her throat. “Until now. I saw him.”
“And he saw you. That’s why I picked you up. I want to keep an eye on you.”
“Oh.” Did he hear the disappointment in her voice? She had no right to expect that her interest in him was mutual. Besides, wouldn’t it be better if he didn’t find her attractive? Then, at least, she’d have another good reason not to make more of a fool of herself.
Visions of that gun loomed in her mind, the black center of the barrel staring at her like a soulless eye. She was shaking again. He tightened an arm around her shoulders. Lea clutched at his hand as if she dangled from a cliff. She clung to him as her convictions wavered. It was one thing to hold faith in theory. It was another to place your life where your morals were. She didn’t know if she had half the courage he seemed to believe she had.
“You think he’ll come back for me?” She met his gaze and saw the concern there.
“I would.” He squeezed her shoulder and then pulled away, resting his hands loosely on the steering wheel as his attention flicked to the rearview mirror before he pulled them back onto the road.
He glanced over at her. “You can’t go home, Lea. Not until we have a unit in place. Clay is working that out with the tribal police. He’ll call when it’s safe. Until then, you stick with me.”
“I thought you were taking me home.”
“Not a good idea.”
“You think he might know where I live?”
“Probably not. But it’s possible. Let’s just be on the safe side. It’s your life we’re talking about.”
“It’s possible...” His words sent a shot of adrenaline zinging through her and she stiffened, gasping.
Kino’s glance shot to her and then returned to the road, his brows low over dark eyes. “What?”
She pressed a hand over her pounding heart, the beating so fast her chest ached. “He might know!”
“What?”
“Ernesta. Nita. My neighbors. I told them they could use my shower.” Lea knew she was babbling, but she couldn’t seem to stop. “Their water is off
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