Read Online The Omega Team: Hot Target (Kindle Worlds Novella) by Jordan Dane - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jordan Dane
Ads: Link
it?
Jacquie could only imagine how devastated Rafael would’ve been to read such trash. To accuse his wife—and the mother of his little girl—of drug connections that had gotten her killed, would have been the final indignity. The justice system had failed him. Money talked and people could be bought. She had no idea what she would’ve done in his place, but it ripped her apart to imagine the depth of his pain. No man should lose his wife and his baby girl to such a gruesome murder—with no hope for justice.
No way. I don’t believe this.
“Rafael,” she whispered his name and turned off her laptop. Athena would want to know.
***
Rafael felt gut punched when the knock finally came to his door. Lying on his bed, he stared at the ceiling and took a haggard breath before he sat up and flipped on the lamp. He braced himself for the look on his sister’s face. She would know Ruiz hadn’t planted his fingerprints—that the digital scan of his prints was correct—and he was capable of murdering in the name of Elena and Ariana.
How could she not know this?
He trudged across the room and grasped the handle. When he opened the door, Rafael was surprised to see Jacquie Lyles.
“We have to talk,” she said as she pushed by him.
“Please. Come in.” He closed the door behind her, to give them privacy.
Jacquie walked toward Rafe’s window and didn’t turn to face him. She looked beautiful in the glistening rain with her blonde hair picking up the pastels of the city. He wanted to remember her like this, before she turned and accused him of murder.
Chapter 7
Hotel Inglaterra
1:45 AM
“I found an article online about the death of your wife and little girl,” Jacquie said with a catch in her voice. “I didn’t mean to pry, but I think you know why I had to do the search.”
Rafe didn’t say a word. In the reflection of the glass, she saw him slump onto the corner of his mattress, waiting for her to go on. The rain bled trickles of color down his face and body. She wanted to hold him, but she couldn’t.
Jacquie crossed her arms tight and stared out his bedroom window, watching the storm outside. She had things to say and she didn’t want to be distracted by his soul searching eyes. His little girl’s face haunted her. She couldn’t imagine the magnitude of his loss at losing a child.
“The article said there was a link between Elena and Ariana’s deaths and the Borrego drug cartel. How is that even possible?”
She didn’t believe in coincidences in her line of work. She’d learned to be skeptical from her time with the Tampa PD and her work with the Omega Team, but she found it nearly impossible to believe Rafael would lie to his sister about the tragic deaths.
“There’s only one connection between Hector Borrego and the death of—” He couldn’t finish. “Me. I’m the connection.”
Jacquie didn’t know what he would say next, but whatever it would be, Rafael paid a price whenever he spoke of Elena and Ariana.
“Talk to me, Rafe. You know why I’m here. I have to know the truth.” She turned and knelt in front of him, pleading for him to trust her. “If you tell me you didn’t do this, I’ll believe you. Just say it. Please.”
Rafael couldn’t look her in the eye. The fact that he didn’t question what she meant by ‘Tell me you didn’t do this’ confirmed her worst fears—that he knew they’d find his fingerprints on the shell casing—but she had to hear it from his lips. She had to understand how it had happened and why.
“I can’t do that, Jacquie.” Rafael reached for her hand, but pulled back from her.
His silence made it hard for her to breathe.
“What do you want me to do?” The words came out of her mouth before she really understood what she meant.
Would she lie for him? Could she forget about their mission and dismiss a man’s murder because his death didn’t count as much as an innocent woman and her child?
“I can’t tell you
Jacquie could only imagine how devastated Rafael would’ve been to read such trash. To accuse his wife—and the mother of his little girl—of drug connections that had gotten her killed, would have been the final indignity. The justice system had failed him. Money talked and people could be bought. She had no idea what she would’ve done in his place, but it ripped her apart to imagine the depth of his pain. No man should lose his wife and his baby girl to such a gruesome murder—with no hope for justice.
No way. I don’t believe this.
“Rafael,” she whispered his name and turned off her laptop. Athena would want to know.
***
Rafael felt gut punched when the knock finally came to his door. Lying on his bed, he stared at the ceiling and took a haggard breath before he sat up and flipped on the lamp. He braced himself for the look on his sister’s face. She would know Ruiz hadn’t planted his fingerprints—that the digital scan of his prints was correct—and he was capable of murdering in the name of Elena and Ariana.
How could she not know this?
He trudged across the room and grasped the handle. When he opened the door, Rafael was surprised to see Jacquie Lyles.
“We have to talk,” she said as she pushed by him.
“Please. Come in.” He closed the door behind her, to give them privacy.
Jacquie walked toward Rafe’s window and didn’t turn to face him. She looked beautiful in the glistening rain with her blonde hair picking up the pastels of the city. He wanted to remember her like this, before she turned and accused him of murder.
Chapter 7
Hotel Inglaterra
1:45 AM
“I found an article online about the death of your wife and little girl,” Jacquie said with a catch in her voice. “I didn’t mean to pry, but I think you know why I had to do the search.”
Rafe didn’t say a word. In the reflection of the glass, she saw him slump onto the corner of his mattress, waiting for her to go on. The rain bled trickles of color down his face and body. She wanted to hold him, but she couldn’t.
Jacquie crossed her arms tight and stared out his bedroom window, watching the storm outside. She had things to say and she didn’t want to be distracted by his soul searching eyes. His little girl’s face haunted her. She couldn’t imagine the magnitude of his loss at losing a child.
“The article said there was a link between Elena and Ariana’s deaths and the Borrego drug cartel. How is that even possible?”
She didn’t believe in coincidences in her line of work. She’d learned to be skeptical from her time with the Tampa PD and her work with the Omega Team, but she found it nearly impossible to believe Rafael would lie to his sister about the tragic deaths.
“There’s only one connection between Hector Borrego and the death of—” He couldn’t finish. “Me. I’m the connection.”
Jacquie didn’t know what he would say next, but whatever it would be, Rafael paid a price whenever he spoke of Elena and Ariana.
“Talk to me, Rafe. You know why I’m here. I have to know the truth.” She turned and knelt in front of him, pleading for him to trust her. “If you tell me you didn’t do this, I’ll believe you. Just say it. Please.”
Rafael couldn’t look her in the eye. The fact that he didn’t question what she meant by ‘Tell me you didn’t do this’ confirmed her worst fears—that he knew they’d find his fingerprints on the shell casing—but she had to hear it from his lips. She had to understand how it had happened and why.
“I can’t do that, Jacquie.” Rafael reached for her hand, but pulled back from her.
His silence made it hard for her to breathe.
“What do you want me to do?” The words came out of her mouth before she really understood what she meant.
Would she lie for him? Could she forget about their mission and dismiss a man’s murder because his death didn’t count as much as an innocent woman and her child?
“I can’t tell you
Similar Books
