Rescuing Baylee (Nightshade #3)

Chapter 16

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Landon was in trouble.

They’d made love twice last night, and it hadn’t even begun to satisfy him. Baylee was… like no other woman he’d ever met. She was giving and warm, spicy, and so damn smart. There had to be something off, or something she did wrong, some quirk he hadn’t seen yet. She couldn’t be as perfect as he thought. Right?

Man, she had literally rocked his world last night. He’d tried to be careful of her, and he was glad he’d taken the time, because she seemed to be okay today. He’d never been with a woman who had been assaulted before, so he didn’t know about her triggers. He’d gone to bed with her, knowing that at some point he might have to stop what he was doing immediately, if she freaked. And he was totally okay with that. The night had been more special than he could have imagined, though, and he was getting excited just thinking about it.

This was not the place to do that. They were at the graveside service for Dr. William Grant, former head of the emergency department of Dell-Seton hospital. And even though they’d gotten the strange promise on the dead body that they weren’t coming after Baylee anymore, Landon wasn’t going to trust the gang bangers. He would stand back and survey and watch out for everyone here. Morgan was stationed at the front of the cemetery with a couple of marked cars, and Cass was circulating through the huge crowd.

Dr. Grant had been a vital part of the hospital, and it looked like about two hundred people had shown up to honor him. It was standing room only. There were about thirty chairs positioned at the front of the service for close family and friends. Everyone else had to stand. Before he’d joined the staff at Dell-Seton, Grant had been in the Navy, so the military contingent was here as well. His coffin was in still in the hearse, though. Obviously, the funeral staff were waiting for the crowd to sort out.

Landon surveyed the area. It was a beautiful day in Austin, and a breeze had moved in to ease some of the heat. Which was good, because with that many people crowded around the gravesite, both sitting and standing, it would have been a lot.

For a while, it was hard to see Baylee. She stood with several other women, nurses, he assumed, before a younger man in a suit escorted her toward the front of the service and into a chair. The family must have requested she be closer, or something. He wasn’t sure how services like this worked. He could tell by Baylee’s expression, and the heightened color in her cheeks, that she didn’t like the special attention.

Landon moved around the crowd. There was a bit of a slope to the area, so it was easy enough for him to take a little higher elevation so that he could monitor Baylee. She’d been positioned at the end of an aisle, near an older man in a dark suit, and they seemed to be chatting.

The service was about to start, and he glanced around the crowd, watching for trouble.

Baylee didn’t like being singled out, so, when the attendant came to get her, she almost didn’t go. She wasn’t sure why the family wanted her seated near them, because she certainly hadn’t done Dr. Grant any good. Maybe if she’d acted sooner…

Whatever the reason, she wasn’t going to argue or put up a fuss, so she followed the man across the fake green grass carpet to the third aisle from the front. Smiling, the attendant removed the ‘reserved’ sign and motioned for her to sit. Baylee sat down, brushing against the older man beside her. “Sorry,” she said, smoothing down her dark skirt and crossing her legs.

“It is no problem,” the man said, his voice deep and tinged with an accent. He shifted a little to give her more room. “I don’t think they knew how many people would show up to pay their respects.”

“Yes, I don’t think so either,” she said, and leaned against the back of the chair. She looked for Landon and spotted him on the far rise. He wore a dark suit, sunglasses, and his hands were folded in front of himself. He’d gelled his dark hair today, making it look wet, and she wanted to run her fingers through it.

Last night had been amazing, and her body felt the effects of being loved so thoroughly. She was a little achy, down low, but certainly not enough that she wouldn’t make love with him again today, if they got the chance. Her breasts tingled as she thought about the way he had cared for her last night. They hadn’t made any promises to each other, or voiced anything about the future, but that was okay for now.

This morning he’d gone home to shower and change, and it had been so quiet in the apartment after he’d left. She’d taken her own shower and gotten ready for the eleven-a.m. service. Even though she’d known he was coming to pick her up, it still startled her when he knocked on the door at ten o’clock. It took about thirty minutes to get to the cemetery, so they needed to leave soon.

When he entered the apartment, though, he’d very naturally leaned down and dropped a kiss to her lips. Then he’d paused and spent a little more time kissing her. Neither one of them cared that the door was standing wide open, and anyone could have seen them. They were too lost in each other to even realize.

As she looked at him, he gave her a lopsided smile. It was enough to make her tummy flip, and she grinned back at him. Then she remembered where they were, and she sobered.

“He’s a handsome man,” the older Hispanic gentleman murmured beside her, drawing her attention. He nodded his chin up the hill, toward Landon.

“Yes, he is,” she sighed, glancing back at Landon.

“Is he your boyfriend?”

Baylee cocked her head. Was he? “It’s complicated,” she said eventually.

The man made a forward motion with his hand. “Did you know Dr. Grant,” he asked softly.

Baylee glanced around. The service was about to start, but there were still people getting settled and talking. “Not exactly. He was just an acquaintance.”

The older man twisted in his chair a little, looking at her. His gaze settled on her scar, tracing it from end to end, and something softened in his expression. “My grandmother’s grandmother was a soldadera . She fought in the Mexican Revolution, and stories of her heroism have been passed down through my family for generations. You have the look of a soldadera, with your fierce eyes and scar.”

Baylee winced a little. She wasn’t sure what to say to that. “Thank you.”

The man reached over and patted her hand. “Don’t ever be ashamed of your scars, mija . We all have them, and they mark your courage.” He reached up, pointing at his own widow-peaked hairline. There was a long line of scar that cut through his thick salt and pepper hair. It looked like it ran all the way around to the back of his head. “I received this when I first took over mi familia . But I survived and made them great.”

The laugh lines near his eyes deepened with a smile, and Baylee found herself responding. He seemed like a nice old guy, and he appeared to be here alone. Dr. Grant hadn’t been Hispanic, so the man must be a friend of the family, or maybe someone he’d worked with. He held an old-fashioned black fedora hat on his lap.

“You are the one who took out the attacker, yes?”

He gave her a searching look, and she took a deep breath. More than one person had tried to talk to her about that already today. The old man was looking at her, his brows raised, and she felt like she needed to answer him. “Yes,” she said reluctantly.

“Did you know he was a gang member?”

“We suspected he was, because of the woman he was looking for.”

“Well,” the man said with a heavy sigh, settling the hat on his head. “Sometimes, the young have more machismo than sense. You saved a lot of people.” The old man held out his hand, and Baylee took it, automatically. He leaned in toward her, his dark eyes gaining an intensity that hadn’t been there before. “You are a jewel, Ms. Mitchell, and I want to assure you that no one will be coming after you. Chino Vega was a walking dead man. You just corrected him before I had a chance to.”

Baylee blinked, wondering if she’d heard what she thought she heard. Frowning, she tried to pull her hand back, but the old man held it more firmly now.

“Don’t be alarmed,” he admonished, smiling at her lightly. Now, though, she could see the hint of threat. “If I had wanted to kill you, I could have done it a long time ago. Even in the middle of this grieving crowd. This is my way of proving to you that you are safe. I have no need to kill you. None of my Syndicate will kill you. I give you my word. Chino Vega and his Tango were a thorn in my side, and you rectified the situation for me. And I rectified the situation with Hector for you. Luis,” he made a face, “Luis is young, and I will take him in hand. I promise you that.”

He lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her knuckles.

Baylee’s heart was racing, and she tried to look for Landon, but the old man had positioned himself directly in her line of sight. To the side, the funeral director stood up to draw everyone’s attention. The hearse doors were opening, and the ushers were removing the coffin.

“And now, I have to go,” the man said, glancing toward the front. “Please, I came to pay my respects to the family, but maybe you can do that for me. I know your police friend is watching, but it’s in his best interest if you don’t react when I leave. Have a wonderful day, soldadera Mitchell.” He started to turn away but paused. “Oh, and your car is taken care of. It will be in your driveway when you get home.”

Finally, he let go of her hand, stood up, and faded into the crowd.

Landon felt his phone buzz in his pocket, and he pulled it out, then swiped open the message from Cass.

One of my informants says the head of the Texas Syndicate is going to be here . He’s not sure why.

Fear raced through him, and he searched for Baylee. He could see the edge of her dress, but her face was blocked by the old man beside her. The old Hispanic man.

Landon started moving, fear filling his heart. Everything was probably all right, but he needed to see her. He needed to see her face and make sure she was all right.

People were moving to the right, and he really didn’t want to disrupt a funeral, but he would if it meant keeping her safe. Then the crowd cleared, and he saw her. She was standing and looking straight at him. Even from this distance, he could see the fear in her wide eyes and open mouth. But she shook her head at him adamantly and made a halting motion with her hands. Then, very carefully, she smoothed her skirt and sat back down in her chair.

Everything in him screamed to move forward, but she seemed to be okay. There was no sense causing a scene if he didn’t have to. Despite the pounding drive to keep her safe, he waited.

Landon was sure the service was beautiful, but he was only peripherally aware of it. All his attention was on Baylee and making sure she stayed safe. She sat perfectly straight in her chair, the seat beside her now empty. The crowd had gone still for the ceremony, and there was no one moving anywhere else in the cemetery that he could see. He typed Cass a message that something had happened, but that Baylee seemed okay. They would meet up after the service.

As soon as the crowd disbursed, he waded through to Baylee and took her elbow in his hand. “What happened,” he hissed.

Her eyes met his for a long moment. “Not here,” she said.

They walked out of the cemetery and went straight to his car, on the far access road. The line of attendee cars moved slowly through the manicured grounds as they left. As soon as they reached his car, he took her into his arms.

Baylee sagged into him, and he could feel the slightest quiver shaking her body.

Landon breathed in her hair, resting his jaw on top of her head. It was totally unprofessional, and if anyone saw them, he would have some serious explaining to do, but he felt like they were pretty secluded. He held her for a long minute, before drawing back enough to kiss her. She cupped his cheeks in her hands and rested her face against his own as she breathed.

“What happened,” he asked again.

She drew back enough to look up at him, and she related the conversation with the old man. As he listened to the details, his blood chilled. He glanced around, but he knew he wouldn’t see anyone. “Get in the car,” he growled.

Landon secured her inside the vehicle, then circled and got in. Before he took off, he sent Cass and Morgan a message to meet up at the station. “I’m going to need you to do an official statement, Baylee.”

She nodded, drawing the seatbelt across herself. “I thought you would.”

Landon secured his own belt and waded into the traffic, leaving the cemetery. He clasped Baylee’s hand on her thigh and didn’t let her go as they drove.

“It was strange,” she murmured. “He reminded me of my grandfather, and he seemed to have a genuine kindness. But then this switch flipped, and I could tell no one around him mattered, just the safety of his family. And he would have disposed of me without hesitation if I was a threat.”

Landon glanced at her. Baylee had been through a lot in her life, but he could tell that the interaction had shaken her. “You’re okay,” he told her firmly. “If he gave you his protection, no one will touch you.”

“Do you know who he was?”

“I have an idea,” he said, sighing. “The Texas Syndicate and the Tango Blast gangs have been fighting over territory for a long time. I don’t think Chino Vega was a big player, but I think he was one domino in one crew. You knocked him down, and they knocked the next two down. More territory for them.”

Baylee shook her head. “It’s so crazy. To look at him you never would have thought…”

They confirmed the man’s identity as soon as they got to the station and into Cass’s office. She listened intently to Baylee’s description. “Only one man with a scar like that,” she said, and tapped into her computer.

When she pulled up a picture, Baylee nodded. “That’s him.”

“Roberto Ramirez was a long-time criminal,” Cass said. “He’s been in and out of prison many times, but in the past twenty years, he’d cleaned up his act. Now he just runs the Texas Syndicate, absorbing territory as his soldiers fight. He has a pretty big family now, and he’s a grandfather several times over.”

“He said he got the scar when he took over his family,” Baylee said.

“Yeah, he perpetrated a coup. We believe he killed his own father to take over the position, although it’s never been confirmed.” Cass grimaced, her pale eyes narrowing. “Most of what we know is hearsay, but we know he’s been the leader for a long time. And Hunter is right. If he promised you protection, no one will touch you. He could have killed you ten times over sitting beside you at the cemetery. I think you’re safe to resume your life.”

Baylee sagged in her chair, and Landon gave her a smile. She reached out and took his hand, which surprised him. It seemed to surprise Cass and Morgan as well, but they didn’t say anything.

They walked out of the station half an hour later, after she’d written her statement. Landon would add it to the case file, and his investigation would be complete. Once he debriefed his lieutenant, he would move on to the next case.

There was no moving on from Baylee, though.

They drove home, neither one of them saying much. It had been a crazy day, and they were each dealing with the information they’d learned.

“So, that means you’re off the case,” Baylee said, stroking her fingers over the back of his hand. It seemed so natural now when he drove to just rest his hand on her thigh.

“Yes. It actually means the case has been closed. It seems weird to take the word of a gangster, but they do have a strange honor they live life by. I feel like you’re as safe as you can be.”

She nodded, resting her head against the seat back. Her face was flushed, but the AC was pumping out good, cool air. They would cool down in a minute.

“I mean,” she said softly, “I’ve gotten used to seeing you every day. I might go through withdrawal.”

Landon slanted her a grin. “Oh, really? Well, we can’t have that, can we? Maybe you need to bring me cookies every day.”

Baylee laughed, her eyes glinting, and something cracked in his heart. After everything that had been thrown at her recently and throughout her life, she still found a way to smile and give back to people. He needed that kind of light in his life.

“I don’t want to go back to just passing you in the hallway,” he said. “Your ass is great, but I want to be snuggled up in bed with it, not watching it walk away from me.”

Her expression softened. “I don’t want to just pass you in the hallway, either. Let’s play it by ear and see where it takes us.”