“I couldn’t have warned you about the gun. I have no doubt in my mind he would’ve drawn on you and shot you—and then probably abducted me in the process.” She waved her arm around the room of regular people enjoying their lunches. “Do you think any one of these people would’ve done anything to stop him?”
“You don’t have much faith in my abilities, do you?” He raised his brows and took a gulp from her cup.
“When it’s a fair fight I do, but not when it’s a sneak attack or ambush. Anybody can get to anybody else if they really want to.”
Clay smacked his hand against his forehead. “I’m not your brother, April. You don’t have to look out for me.”
“Speaking of my brother, he wanted Adam.” She ripped the crust from her sandwich. “It’s the flash drive again. He thinks Adam or I have it.”
“Damn it.” Clay pounded his fist on the table. “When is this going to end? Adam must have the flash drive, and I’m gonna get it from him.”
“He said he didn’t...”
Clay skewered her with a look and she trailed off, too embarrassed to continue.
“Exactly. We can’t trust anything Adam says...about anything. He’s probably had it all this time. Who knows if Jimmy and his guys would’ve been able to get it out of him, if they hadn’t been distracted by their other troubles? I wish they had, and then when Las Moscas came to call on Jimmy, they would’ve gotten the flash drive from him and this would be over.”
“And Adam would be dead.”
“He’s dead, anyway, April, unless he turns over that flash drive to Las Moscas. Do you think the fat man is fooling around? But now, Adam has dragged you into it—just like he always does.”
“Maybe I can convince Adam to give it up. If it does contain a map of Las Moscas’ border tunnels, Adam doesn’t have the connections to make use of that information, anyway.”
Clay spread his hands on the table, his thumbs touching. “Was this the note? Did this guy leave you a note to meet with him?”
April blinked several times in rapid succession. “Yes. I thought he was going to give me some information about why the heads were left on our porches.”
“Do you have the note on you? Can I see it?”
“I burned it.” She picked up her ragged sandwich and took a big bite.
“I could’ve taken prints from it.” He cocked his head. “How did he know Meg’s car?”
“He was probably watching the house before.” She dug her elbows into the table and rested her chin on her palm. “How’d you know I was in this café? How’d you know to come charging in here? You always seem to know exactly where I am.”
“Paradiso’s a small town. I was driving out this way and saw your car parked on the street—just like before. I was coming in to join you for lunch when I saw that goon at your table.” He could lie with the best of them.
“So join me for lunch.” She glanced over her shoulder. “In case he comes back.”
“You told him you didn’t have the flash drive?”
“Of course I did.” She toyed with her straw, scattering drops of liquid across the table. “I don’t know whether or not he believed me, but if I don’t have it, he thinks Adam does.”
“I’m with him there. Any way you can talk Adam into giving it up? To spare both of you?” He grabbed her drink before she sprinkled it all over the table, and chugged it back so fast the carbonation brought tears to his eyes. “Scratch that. He’s the one who set you up with a dangerous man in the first place.”
“I can try to talk to him. I may have a way to convince him.” She lowered her lashes, which told him she had no intention of telling him what she could use to persuade her brother to give up the flash drive.
At this point, he didn’t care as long as it didn’t involve marrying another drug dealer—or marrying anyone at all. He drilled his fist into his other palm. “How about some good old-fashioned violence?”
She flattened her lips into a thin line. “You propose to beat Adam until he tells you where the flash drive is? Yeah, that’s not going to work, and if you don’t think Adam would press charges against you, you don’t know Adam. He’d see that as an opportunity for a lawsuit and some easy money.”
Clay curled his hand around his clenched fist.
“You’re right. I don’t know Adam that well. I’d always seen him as trouble, but more of a hapless, sweet screwup. But setting you up with Jimmy Verdugo?” He skimmed a hand across the top of his head, his short hair tickling his palm. “That’s a low I didn’t think he had in him.”
“I didn’t, either.” April pushed away her plate. “I’m going to text him and tell him what happened here. I’m going to convince him to turn over the flash drive to you.”
“Even if he does that, April, he’s still in danger from Las Moscas. He may no longer have the info they don’t want him to have, but turning it over to us isn’t going to endear him to the cartel. They’ll want their revenge. He’s gotten into some real trouble—and dragged you with him.”
“And I’m going to get us out of it.” She held up a hand, palm facing outward. “Don’t ask. Don’t try to stop me. I know what I’m doing.”
“When it comes to your brother, I doubt that.” He placed his palm against hers and clasped her hand. “But you do what you have to do.”
And he’d do what he had to do. He’d already dropped off the blood samples to Duncan. Two could play this game. Could he help it if she were so much better at it than he was?
APRIL HAD TWO different sandals on in front of the mirror as she turned this way and
