and even if I didn’t, my mom would kill me.” As Jorge spoke, he touched the cross he wore around his neck.
“I know. It’s all right. Just get better.”
“I will.” Jorge closed his eyes.
Manny motioned for Cruz to follow him into the hallway. When they’d closed the door behind them, Manny’s expression hardened.
“I don’t like this crap,” he said, sounding angry. “Jorge told me he was out with friends, having a drink. That there were a bunch of guys at the next table who started asking questions about what they did. Who they raced for, that sort of thing. That it wasn’t just fans. Jorge said it was almost like they wanted to know who was who.”
Cruz listened intently, not liking the feeling in his gut. “And?”
“The other guys bought a couple of rounds. It was all very friendly. Jorge wasn’t drinking, but one of the guys got real upset he wouldn’t let him buy him a drink so he got a beer.”
“What was he drinking before?”
“Bottled water.”
Something without flavor. Something safe.
Manny confirmed that. “The doctor said he thinks he was given some kind of black-out drug, but whoever dumped it in gave him too much. It could have been on purpose or by accident. They’re going to give him more tests to make sure he’s all right.”
“Is the hospital reporting this to the police?”
“They want to,” Manny said. “Because it’s you, they’re waiting to talk to you first.”
Because it was him? As if he was somebody? In other circumstances, that would have made him laugh. “I’ll speak to the doctor,” Cruz told his partner. “I think we should get the police involved. Nobody screws with my drivers.”
“I agree. But I don’t get it.” Many shook his head. “Who would do this? It’s stupid and dangerous. If it’s traced back to another team, they’ll be disqualified for a couple of seasons. Jorge is good, but he’s not that good. It’s not worth it.”
Cruz agreed. This was something different than regular sabotage. But who would want to do this to him? He’d made a few enemies on his climb to the top, but none recently. Besides, this was more annoying and frustrating than damaging to him.
“A random attack?” he asked. “Some twisted bastard getting his kicks?”
“Maybe. I don’t know. It doesn’t feel that way to me.”
“Me, neither. Could it be someone Jorge knows?” Cruz asked. “Has he been sniffing around someone’s wife?”
“No. He’s a good kid. Close to his family. His parents are strict Catholics, and Jorge goes to church a couple of times a week. He won’t date anyone his mother doesn’t approve of. He’s not the kind of guy to mess around with a married woman.”
So if the attack wasn’t random and it wasn’t about Jorge, who was left? Who would want to…?
Cruz thought about the possibilities. The one he most wanted to dismiss was the one that kept coming up again and again. Garth Duncan.
First Lexi with the loan, then Jed and the horses, followed by the insider trading. Then Skye and the possibility of money laundering. Was this Garth’s way of welcoming him to the family? And if it was, what was Cruz going to do about it?
LEXI FINISHED HER review of the quarterly accounting statements. Numbers were easy, she thought. They didn’t talk back or try to hurt your feelings. They simply were. There was power in numbers and safety.
As she logged off the computer program, the light caught her engagement ring and caused it to sparkle. They only had a deal, she reminded herself. The ring was to fool the rest of the world. It wasn’t significant. She and Cruz had never pretended to be more than business partners who slept together. Not that he’d been in her bed in a while. Ever since Kendra had shown up and thrown everything off.
Not that she was blaming the teen. The problem was more about Cruz than her. Lexi had the feeling she and Kendra could get along, under the right circumstances. Mostly Kendra giving her a chance and her planning to stay permanently.
Lexi had always thought she would get married and have a family. One day. One day when she was successful. One day when she had her life together. One day when she fell in love.
One day when she stopped being afraid to give her heart.
She leaned back in her seat. Was that the problem? She was afraid to care, to let someone in? No, not someone. A man. It was easy to love her sisters and Erin. Even Kendra would be easy to love. But they were all safe. A man was different. A man might be able to see inside her, to know her flaws. What if they were too awful? What if she wasn’t loveable?
“Don’t go there,” she told herself, but it was too late. She’d started the downward spiral and all that stood between her and the bad place was a lifetime of people walking away.
Her mother, who had not cared enough to take her little girl when she left. Jed, who wasn’t able to love anyone but himself. Pru, who had abandoned Lexi and her daughters when she’d decided it was better to be dead than deal with the fact that her husband loved what she represented rather than who she was. Andrew, who had only wanted her for what she could bring to the table.
“Time for a pity party break,” she said aloud, standing and drawing in a deep breath. She knew where this was going. She would feel worse and worse until she crawled into bed and cried herself to sleep. It was stupid and a complete waste of time.
If she was a jogger, this would be a great time to go for a run. Why hadn’t she opened a gym instead of a spa? A massage or facial would only give her too much time to think.
The phone rang before she could figure out another way to distract herself.
“It’s Kendra,” the caller said before Lexi could identify herself. The teen sounded frantic. “It’s C.C. Something’s wrong. I don’t know what it is, but I think he’s going to die. Oh, God, Lexi, hurry. Please hurry.”
Lexi drove like a maniac, praying that she wouldn’t get pulled over and that if she was stopped that it would be by Dana who would yell and scream and possibly ticket her, but only after she’d gotten her home in record time.
She stopped in front of the house with a screech of brakes, then raced up the front stairs, two at a time.
“Where are you?” she yelled.
“Up here, but he’s okay.”
Kendra stood at the top of the stairs, C.C. cradled in her arms. The kitten looked fine, but Kendra was a mess. Mascara dripped down her cheeks and her nose was red, as if she’d been sobbing.
Lexi hurried up to meet them.
Kendra passed over C.C. who snuggled close and purred before batting at Lexi’s dangling earring.
“What happened?”
Kendra sniffed. “I don’t know. We were just playing. I had the ribbon and I was pulling it, then he just hunched over and started making this horrible choking noise. His sides were going back and forth. I think maybe it was some kind of seizure or something.” Tears filled her eyes. “I didn’t know what to do. It was awful. I didn’t hurt him. I swear. I wouldn’t do that. He sleeps with me and I…I love him. He’s just a kitten. I wouldn’t do anything.”
“I know,” Lexi told her. “Let’s go back in your room.”
Kendra led the way, her shoulders still shaking as she cried. Lexi tried to pass her the kitten, but the teen shook her head.
“I don’t want to hurt him.”
“You didn’t. It sounds like he had a fur ball. It’s really common. Cats groom themselves and they swallow the fur. I’ll pick up a brush and you can brush him every day. That’s supposed to help.”
Kendra paused in the entrance to her room. “A fur ball?”
“Uh-huh. If he keeps getting them, we’ll talk to the vet to see if there’s something else we should be doing, but the brushing will help.”
Kendra reached for C.C. who went easily into her arms. The girl held the kitten close.
“Don’t die,” she whispered.
“He’s not going to die.”
Kendra raised her head. “Are you mad?”
