Jess knew she was reading way more than Payton’s sad eyes conveyed, but in the instant he focused on her, her world faded to bright white and the sounds of plane engines muffled to nothing. All she heard was the smooth drizzle of his voice. And she felt drawn to the warmth of his body, wanting nothing more than to feel her fingers on his skin and to explore the extent of his tan lines. But reality brought all her enticing images to a grinding halt.
“Yeah…right. Home.”
Images of the dump she called home flashed in her mind, especially after Lucas Baker added his decorator touches. If that wasn’t enough to deal with, Sam had reminded her that her car had been destroyed in the explosion. Plus, she remembered that the Russian had taken her Colt Python, and thanks to Baker, she didn’t even have a backup gun. Since she’d been chasing that not-so-dearly departed bastard and ignoring her pursuit of bounty, she had no cash flow. Marginal though it was, her life had taken a dive into the dumper.
But you ain’t the only one who’s got it rough, sweetheart, she reminded herself.
None of her troubles measured up to Payton and his sister’s. And by the expression on the man’s face, he sure looked as if he could use a friend. And maybe a little hope.
“Why don’t you let me drive, big guy? We need to talk.” Trying not to look too grim, she held out her hand, asking for the keys to the SUV. “But first, I’m hungry and you probably haven’t been eating. You trust me?”
He raised an eyebrow but didn’t reply. He simply complied by handing over his car keys and following her to the SUV.
Jess had no idea how he would take her suspicions regarding the blond mystery woman and an alternate scenario about the explosion, especially after she’d encouraged Payton to accept that Nikki had been a casualty. She hoped a public restaurant might temper his initial reaction and make him more willing to listen to her reasoning.
But no matter what happened, none of what she had to say would be easy for him to hear—especially if his niece were alive and in the hands of a cruel man. With no leads on how to find Nikki, they’d be as powerless as they were the night of the explosion. The Russian held all the cards, backed by a slick and elusive international organization.
Innocuous mariachi music wafted from the overhead speakers on the outdoor patio of Jalisco Jim’s, a local dive near her neighborhood that had served them a sizzling platter of fajitas to share, along with all the fixings and two mugs of Dos Equis. Under a festive umbrella at a table bordered by a wrought-iron enclosure, she and Payton sat in the far corner of the patio, nearest the back parking lot.
As secluded as the spot was, they were still drawing attention from the other patrons, but she had to get him to consider her scenario of what might have happened the night of the explosion.
“Like you said the other day, if this blond woman got help for me, she would’ve done the same for Nikki if your niece was in the control room. This mystery woman would’ve pulled her out too.” Jessie narrowed her eyes. “Payton, don’t you see? You didn’t leave Nikki behind, because she wasn’t there by the time you found me. She couldn’t have been.”
“Then what happened to her?”
As soon as the question was out of his mouth, a look of dread swept over his face. She could have filled in the blanks for him, but she needed Payton to draw his own conclusions.
“Oh, God.” He fought to say the words. “Maybe those men didn’t leave Nikki behind either.”
Jess shivered with his realization. She reached for Payton’s hand and held it until he looked at her.
“We’re going to find her. I believe Nikki is alive, Payton, and we’ve got a shot at locating her.” She stared into his eyes. “I’ve seen enough proof that Globe Harvest and its obscene network really exists, and that Russian bastard went to great pains to blow up an abandoned textile plant. He wanted to bury the proof of his link to a larger organization, but not all of that proof got burned. We’re gonna find her.”
Payton tightened his jaw and pulled his hand away.
“You’re mad because I held out on you,” she said. “I know how this must sound, but—”
He jumped in, not letting her finish.
“I’m not mad, I just…don’t know what to think.” He shoved back from the table and slouched in his chair, staring at his plate of half-eaten Tex Mex. “If you’re right, what the hell am I going to tell Susannah?”
“You see? That’s why I didn’t say anything before now…until I was…”
“Sure? Until you were sure? Is that what you were going to say?” He shook his head and didn’t wait for her to reply. “Are you still trying to convince yourself…or me?”
Now he did sound angry, his tone infused with frustration.
“We’ve got nothing to go on, Jessie. If she’s out there, still alive, how are we going to find her?” He stared off across the patio and muttered under his breath, “How are we going to find Nikki?”
A million-dollar question—a question for which she had no answer. And by the look on his face, Payton knew it too. Her theory on the blond woman was pure speculation. And yet, without any bodies being recovered from the destroyed factory, they had nothing more substantial to cast a doubt on her rationale.
“Sam told me the FBI is looking into the case. They may have jurisdiction. They’re analyzing the report I took—”
He interrupted her.
“May have jurisdiction?” He threw up his hands and leaned back in his chair. “While everyone is playing by the rules, in the meantime Nikki’s trail is getting colder. And why would the FBI care about one kid…a kid who has a history of running away from home?”
Aware he had spoken too loud and had drawn attention, he lowered his voice.
“This isn’t right, Jessie.”
“For what it’s worth, I’ve got Seth running his own analysis of those pages.” When Payton rolled his eyes, she leaned her elbows on the table and continued, “The FBI is not going to share what they find out, unless they have a solid lead. Even if you are family. Hell, they may not even take the case. As far as I’m concerned, nothing much has changed. We’re on our own, just like before.”
Payton clenched his jaw and stared across the parking lot. She hadn’t connected with him.
“Look, you came here looking for Nikki. She could still be in the area. If Sam hasn’t found any bodies at the debris, there’s a possibility the Russian took her. He must’ve gotten out like the others. When my head cleared enough, I remembered there was a tunnel out the back. I didn’t see where it led, but it was there. Maybe Nikki’s trail isn’t so cold after all.”
Now she had his full attention. He sat up in his chair and propped his elbows on the table, same as her.
“God, you’re right,” he said. Those gorgeous blue eyes had a spark of fire to them.
“Yeah. Occasionally, it’s been known to happen.” She nodded. “I’ve been thinking about this…a lot. A couple of days in a hospital bed will do that.”
Before she threw out more of her theories, her cell phone rang. She recognized the number.
“I gotta take this. It’s Seth.” She couldn’t help but smile at Payton. Hope had finally settled on his face.
Plus, she’d come to trust her quirky but genius sidekick, Seth Harper. If the kid already had a lead, she could add good timing to his list of excellent qualities.
“Hey, Harper. What’s up?”
“Hey, Jess. I just called to tell you the blue monster is yours, at least until you get a new car or settle with your insurance company.”
What he said didn’t register at first.
“Excuse me?” she questioned, but he didn’t stop talking long enough to hear her question.
“I already made arrangements for a loaner—from a friend. So you don’t have to worry about me. I parked my van at your apartment, in the visitor’s section out front. And I left a spare key in an envelope, marked with your name. Your apartment manager said she’d see that you got it.”
“Gosh, thanks, Seth. You didn’t have to do that, but thanks.” She smiled at Payton. He looked anxious, waiting to hear what Harper would report. “How’s that research coming?”
Silence. Seth didn’t answer right away, and when he finally did, he preceded his reply with a heavy sigh. Jess forced a grin for Payton’s benefit and waited for the bad news.
“Not very well. I’ve got nothing. I think there’s a pattern that’s jumbled on the page, but that only implies an infinite number of possible combos. And I don’t have the technology to run all the iterations. I’m not sure where to go from here, but I’m still trying.”
