When Love Matters Most

  “He knew about the ambush on Jeff.”

  Rick could have sworn he heard his heart pounding in his ears, felt the blood rushing through his veins. “Yeah?” he finally muttered, and linked his fingers. Glancing down, he could see his knuckles turning white and relaxed his grip.

  Logan rose and walked around his desk to Rick’s side. He leaned against it and crossed his arms. “Rick...as we guessed, it wasn’t a random occurrence...”

  Rick nodded. He could hardly hear through the roaring in his head.

  “Jeff wasn’t the target.”

  Rick sat up straight and unclasped his fingers. He thought about the fact that he was supposed to have been on shift that night. He was afraid he knew what he was going to hear. “Then, who?”

  “It’s you they want. The cartel bosses have you in their crosshairs. Your aggressive stance on curtailing the flow of narcotics across the border has apparently had a huge impact on their operations and therefore their bottom line.” Logan’s eyes were steady on his. “Rick, you’re the target. They’re not done yet.”

  Silence hung between them.

  Rick pushed out of the chair, shoved his hands into the pockets of his cargos and turned his back to Logan, staring out the office’s interior window into the squad room. He watched the cops out there working, a couple of them sharing a story that made them both laugh.

  Cops knew the risks they faced each day they reported to work. It was the nature of the job. But being targeted by the cartel was bad news. That took the risk to a whole different level. Not only did they seldom back down until their target was dead, often mercenaries wanting to ingratiate themselves with the cartel bosses would take up the cause, too. They could strike anywhere, anytime. And in this case, it had cost a good cop his life.

  Rick had managed to put the guilt associated with Jeff’s death aside, but now it was back with a vengeance. He’d been the target, so he had every reason to feel responsible for Jeff’s death. His murder. And if the Los Zetas Cartel bosses had it their way, he’d be next. That tail the other night made a lot more sense now. He doubted it had been a chance occurrence or punks out to cause trouble.

  Rick had been able to avoid execution by cartel enforcers in a number of instances by the age of twelve. Could he beat the odds again?

  Perhaps he’d known all along that at some point it might come to this. After the initial shock, he now felt a fatalistic calm. Hadn’t he believed after he’d escaped the massacre at his home in Mexico that he was living on borrowed time?

  Logan was obviously giving him a chance to digest what he’d told him.

  Rick faced his captain. “This doesn’t change anything,” he said unequivocally. “Our plan goes ahead and I remain co-lead.” It was a statement, not a request, but he knew he needed Logan’s support. Under the circumstances, Logan could call off the plan altogether, have someone else spearhead it or pull him off. He could require Rick to maintain a low profile until the threat blew over.

  But they both knew it wouldn’t blow over unless Rick did something drastic, like leave the state. He wasn’t significant enough to the cartel for them to chase him down if he did leave their sphere of influence. But that wasn’t happening. He wasn’t going anywhere. The only option was to take down the cartel.

  Logan nodded slowly. “Yeah, we go ahead as planned.”

  Relief flooded through Rick. He was more determined than ever to put an end to Los Zetas. “Thanks,” he said, and moved to the door.

  “Watch your back, Rick. Keep your eyes open, and don’t take unnecessary chances. If you suspect anything, call for backup,” Logan told him. “We’ll put on a protective detail, do drive-bys and so forth, but you’ve got to watch out for yourself, too.”

  He wouldn’t take chances, and he’d think about all the rest later. He was still on the case, and they’d make their plan work. Now it was personal.

  Walking back into the squad room, perversely all he wanted to do was call Madison. Just hear her voice. He felt bad that he hadn’t connected with her the day before. He wanted to thank her for the evening they’d shared and apologize for the way it had ended. She hadn’t called him, either, and he hoped it wasn’t because of that.

  Two dates, two days since he’d spoken to her, and he missed her.

  He took his personal cell and went into a conference room, nudging the door shut behind him with his foot. He didn’t want anyone overhearing him. He dialed the clinic number and Heather answered. “Ah, Heather. Hi. It’s Rick Vasquez. How are you?”

  “Fine, Enrique. You’d like an appointment for Sniff?”

  He could understand the uncertainty in her voice. It was usually the SDPD’s admin who made appointments for the K-9 Unit’s dogs. “No. Ah, is Madison available?”

  “Oh?” There was an odd little inflection to the word, and Rick squirmed in his seat. “She’s with a patient right now. Can I take a message... Oh, wait. She’s just finishing. Hold on a second, and I’ll see if she can take the call.”

  Rick listened to the hold music for a while and was about to hang up when Madison came on the line. “Rick?”

  Damned if he wasn’t flustered, and he probably had a silly grin on his face, too. “Hi, Madison. Um, do you have a minute?”

  He heard the chuckle that sent a wild current of longing through him.

  “Yes, I do. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have taken the call.”

  “Right. About the other night... I had a great time, but I want to apologize for how it ended...” His voice trailed off. Why hadn’t it occurred to him before that if it was the cartel chasing him, and if she was with him, she could be in danger, too?

  He’d been worried that she might not want to see him again because of what had happened. If that wasn’t the case, was it right for him to keep seeing her, potentially putting her at risk? He’d just have to make sure that his circumstances didn’t expose either of them to unnecessary risk.

  “Rick?”

  She seemed hesitant. Yes, this was going to be it. He could feel it coming. He knew the drill. He’d dated women who couldn’t handle being with a cop and everything that entailed. But it had never really mattered to him before.

  With Madison it did matter. And that in itself was something to think about later. If she didn’t dump him now.

  “Is everything okay? Are you okay?” she whispered. Her voice was infused with emotion. It sounded like deep concern.

  “Yeah. Why?”

  “Because...because I...care,” she said softly. “And because of my father, I know that what went on the other night probably wasn’t random. I think it has to do with whatever you’re working on.” He heard her suck in a huge breath. “So...are you okay?”

  Not too many people surprised him, but she’d just thrown him a curve. He’d expected fear, questions, maybe even recrimination that he’d subjected her to that kind of risk or—at best—grudging acceptance. But not concern...for him. “Yeah. I’m good.”

  “I’m glad.” She paused again. “I was worried.”

  He was floored. In his experience, women he’d dated worried about themselves, not him, and he’d been fine with that. But Madison was thinking of him and not herself... Something shifted inside him and settled around his heart. “It’s okay. Really.” He tried to reassure her. “Occupational hazard,” he said with a small laugh. “I’m just sorry it happened when you were with me.” He needed to see her again, but he’d have to be very careful to not put her in danger. And if at any point it appeared that she was at risk... Her safety would always come first. But for now... “I’d like to make it up to you, if you’ll let me.”

  “Oh, no...”

  Here it comes, he thought. Fine words, but the incident had scared her off. He felt regret slice through him like the sharp edge of a knife. He was sure he could protect her from whatever danger he faced, but
he didn’t want to lose her.

  “Please don’t feel you have to make it up to me. I had a nice time,” she continued. “If you’d like to do it again, I’d love that, but I don’t want you to feel it’s an obligation.”

  “That’s...” Was he really at a loss for words? “That’s great!” He laughed. “How about if you decide what we do?”

  “Okay... How about this? If you’re not working next Saturday, let’s go for a hike. Take the dogs with us. Give them a chance to meet. That’s okay for a police dog to do, isn’t it? To play with other dogs?”

  Rick was grinning again. He was glad he was in a private conference room because he more than likely looked ridiculous. “Yes, of course. Sounds perfect!”

  “Rick?” Her voice had turned serious. She hesitated as if debating whether or not to say something.

  “What is it?”

  There was another short pause. “Oh, nothing. I was just going to ask you a question, but it can wait. See you Saturday.”

  * * *

  THERE WAS A LOT happening at work for Rick, between all his regular tasks and getting everything set up for the Los Zetas takedown.

  He’d started carrying his gun at all times, just in case.

  Even though he was technically off duty, he swung by the division Saturday morning to catch up on some paperwork.

  He was at his desk and the only one in the squad room when Brody wandered in. Rick looked up and did a double take. Brody seemed more unkempt than usual. “Morning,” Rick greeted him curtly, not wanting to engage, and slouched over the files again.

  He wanted to get his paperwork done and get the heck out of there. He was looking forward to spending time with Madison. He heard Brody approach. The man was anything but light on his feet. Sniff, who’d been curled up under Rick’s desk, gave a low, uncharacteristic groan, not quite a growl. Rick moved his foot over to gently rest against Sniff’s side for reassurance and glanced up at Brody again. He was standing in front of Rick’s desk, arms folded across his chest. His stance was confrontational, his face belligerent.

  “You want something?” Rick asked.

  “Logan had a talk with me. Said there were some concerns raised about how I was treating Nitro. That and the reprimand you wrote up about the...chat we had makes me think you’ve got it in for me. If you had an issue, why not come to me direct?”

  Rick stifled a groan. He couldn’t believe Brody would be stupid enough to confront a higher-ranking officer in this manner. He didn’t want to get into an argument with him. Certainly not today. He gave Brody a hard stare and the option to back away. When Brody just kept scowling at him, Rick couldn’t hold back the frustrated sigh, and he pushed out of his chair. He wanted to avoid a nasty scene, if he could. If it couldn’t be sidestepped, it wouldn’t end well for Brody, and Rick would have to write him up again.

  When Brody still didn’t back away, Rick leaned on his desk. This close up, he could see Brody’s eyes were bloodshot, a likely indication of a long night of drinking. “Brody, think about what you’re doing here.”

  When Brody opened his mouth to speak, Rick cut him off. “Think long and hard before you say something that could result in another reprimand on your file. Yeah, I talked to Logan, but did you really expect me not to after what happened? I had a responsibility to do it.”

  Again, Brody started to speak. This time Rick straightened and held up a hand. “Unless it’s an apology, I suggest you don’t say anything. You’ve got one reprimand right now. You know how the system works,” he said, referring to Brody’s family connection to the police union. Because of that connection, he’d get transferred, but he wouldn’t be let go. “It’s no big deal in the greater scheme of things. But you don’t want another strike against you...”

  The words hung between them, and Rick gave Brody some credit for the silence that ensued.

  “Get to work and let me get to mine,” Rick suggested.

  Deep ridges furrowed Brody’s brow, and Rick could see the calculation in his eyes. To his credit, he uncrossed his arms and took a step back. “If you have a problem with me in the future, just say so.”

  Rick raised an eyebrow, held his gaze, but didn’t respond.

  “Just saying,” Brody grumbled before walking away.

  Rick sank back into his chair, and reached down under his desk to run a reassuring hand along Sniff’s back.

  When Brody was out of hearing range, he snorted and shook his head. That guy badly needed an attitude adjustment. He’d drop it this time and not report the incident to Logan, but he’d keep an eye on Brody. Every instinct told him this wasn’t the end of it. He just didn’t trust Brody.

  But right now, his priority was to finish the paperwork quickly. He wanted to go back home and get ready for a date with a gorgeous woman...and two dogs.

  * * *

  MADISON AND RICK had agreed to meet at the Torrey Pines State Reserve north of San Diego. Madison couldn’t wait to see Rick, and she thought it would be fun to introduce their dogs to each other. Going for a hike gave them the ideal opportunity to introduce Owen and Sniff to each other on neutral territory. They both knew enough about animal behavior that neutral territory would minimize the potential for any conflict.

  When Madison drove into the parking lot, she saw Rick immediately. He was dressed casually, in faded jeans, a soft blue T-shirt and hiking boots. He was leaning against his SUV, his hands tucked into his pants pockets and his feet crossed at the ankles. Sniff was stretched out beside him. Madison backed into the spot next to him and hopped out of her car. She’d tied her hair back, but the wind teased some tendrils out of the elastic. She swiped at them, then greeted Rick and bent down to rub Sniff behind his ears. When she straightened and her eyes met Rick’s, the clear admiration she saw reflected in them caused a light-headed sensation. She gave him a bright smile. “So how do you want to introduce the dogs to each other?” she asked.

  Rick clipped the leash to Sniff’s collar. “Why don’t you let Owen out? I’ll start walking Sniff toward that open area there—” he gestured “—and you and Owen can come join us.”

  That made sense. It was what she would have suggested, too. Casual and no pressure. She nodded, grabbed Owen’s leash from the passenger’s side and told him to jump out from the back. When they met, Sniff and Owen showed interest in each other but there were no signs of aggression or discord.

  Rick and Madison strolled along, side by side, the dogs keeping pace. Once they reached the clearing, they released the dogs and watched while they did the doggy version of meet and greet. Soon they both dropped down on their front paws, back ends in the air, jumped around a bit and sped off chasing each other.

  “Sniff’s hind legs don’t seem to be bothering him today,” Madison observed.

  “He has good days and bad ones. As you’d know, it can be both exertion-and weather-dependent.”

  “I’m glad he’s not in pain today,” she said and turned to Rick. He was standing close, his eyes steady on her. Her breath caught in her throat, and she felt the heat rise to her face. He traced the curve of her cheek with a finger. She had a strange feeling of needing to gasp for air.

  “I wondered what your skin would feel like,” he murmured. “You’re so beautiful.”

  She couldn’t seem to take her eyes off him, even when the dogs ran over to them and in frenzied little circles around them. There was warmth in his dark eyes. A depth and intelligence, too, that drew her in. The crinkles at the corners became more pronounced when he smiled and gave him character. His olive-toned skin was smooth, except for the slight stubble of five-o’clock shadow on his jaw.

  Madison was mesmerized.

  When Rick stroked her cheek, she exhaled, really more of a sigh. Her eyelids closed. She was certain he was going to kiss her, and yearned for the feel of his lips on hers.

  Abrupt
ly, her legs were bumped from behind, and she collided hard with Rick. She cried out from the shock, and would probably have crumpled to the ground if he hadn’t gripped her upper arms and steadied her. The dogs, oblivious that one of them had crashed into her, continued their game of chase.

  Madison looked back up at Rick and again found it difficult to breathe.

  “I hope you don’t mind,” he whispered as he lowered his head to softly brush his lips across hers, then deepened the kiss. “I’ve been wanting to do that more than you can imagine. Consider it a proper good-night kiss I didn’t have a chance to give you the other evening.”

  They stood in silence for a long moment. Finally, he took her hand in his and tugged it lightly. “Shall we?”

  They entered the forest by way of one of the trails. Owen walked sedately at Madison’s side, while Sniff moved in a zigzag pattern ahead of them, his nose held high and twitching. He was favoring his hind leg slightly, but Madison wasn’t surprised after all the running he’d done with Owen. They meandered along the path, her hand clasped in Rick’s. She loved the feel of it. For reasons she couldn’t explain, his touch gave her a sense of security...of belonging.

  Walking along the trail, her thoughts drifting, Madison recalled the incident at her home. “Rick. There’s something I’d like to ask you.”

  He glanced over at her. “Sure.”

  “The other night when I got home from the rehab center, there was someone outside my house. It’s possible he’d been waiting for me.”

  Rick came to an abrupt halt and turned Madison to face him. “And you’re only telling me this now?”

  “I...I was planning to tell you when we spoke, but it just didn’t seem that urgent. The person left, and I decided I was overreacting because of what happened the night we had dinner.”

  “Did you call 911?”

  “No. I thought about it, but I had Owen and the person was long gone by then. I don’t know what the police could have done...”

  Rick grasped her shoulders and bent his head to look directly into her eyes. “Tell me what happened. Exactly.”