Elizabeth Goddard - Texas Christmas Defender

Did Ranger McCord?

He frowned at the creature and continued to aim his weapon at Adriana. “It doesn’t matter what I believe or want to believe. The truth is all that matters.”

She released a pent-up breath at that. “I’m glad to hear it. I didn’t kill anyone. If it looks like I was involved in the death of a border agent, then I must have been framed by my brother.”

Kiana raised her chin and stretched her neck.

“What? What is it doing?” he asked, but did not allow his gun to waver.

“She’s letting you know she’s not happy with your aggression toward me.”

Kiana spit at Ranger McCord from where she stood.

* * *

Brent took the spit like a man and didn’t move at first, knowing that any reaction on his part could spook the creature into more aggression. Grimacing, he slowly ran his sleeve over his face and swiped at his eyes but kept his weapon trained on this woman—Adriana Garcia.

In the flesh.

But seriously? Could anything smell worse than llama spit? Not even this barn smelled worse.

He’d ignore the llama for the moment. The pregnant animal appeared moody. Adding insult to injury, Brent had come into the barn and agitated her even more, the same as he’d done to Adriana.

But he’d found her, finally found her.

As part of the Ranger reconnaissance team, in Company “E” stationed in El Paso, Texas, his assignments varied, but they’d been on what they’d termed the Garcia Mission for weeks now—trying to capture cartel leader Rio Garcia when he crossed the border in search of his sister. At one point, they’d even learned from undercover operative Texas Ranger Carmen Alvarez the date of a planned crossing. Unfortunately, one of their informants, Valentina, had given them the location but then she’d been murdered. Since then, Garcia hadn’t been successful in locating his sister. None of them had.

Until now.

Adriana was the key to Garcia.

As for Carmen...she hadn’t been heard from since before Thanksgiving, and they were concerned for her safety. She could either be in deep cover and unable to find a way to get a message out or hiding until she could safely return. At least she’d been able to gather good intel on Garcia. That was how they knew how ferociously Garcia was hunting Adriana.

He wanted revenge for her betrayal and wanted it bad. Because not only had Adriana defected, she’d taken something extremely valuable from her brother—cartel cash and drugs.

The Garcia Mission called for them to find and prevent Garcia from coming across the border and find his sister. And if they found her... They’d been on the fence about whether she should be locked up. Had she come to Texas to start her own cartel with the drugs and money she’d stolen from her brother? Or, as Brent had initially argued, was she a good person simply trying to escape a dangerous situation, needing and deserving their protection from her brother?

Some of the Rangers had seemed willing to consider the second option, at first. But that had changed when border patrol agent Greg Gunn was killed in a sting operation at a salsa factory near the border. All the evidence pointed to Adriana as the killer. Later, they learned that Gunn had been working both sides of the law. That news had both stunned and devastated them, but no one more than Ranger Colt Blackthorn, who considered Gunn his best friend. Brent was still sick over it, and Gunn’s murder had only increased their unit’s determination to find Adriana.

Now all manner of law enforcement was after Rio’s sister for the killing. The Texas Rangers had wasted a lot of time on false leads, but Brent... Brent had been the one to find her.

So he couldn’t afford to let her get away now.

Except...in his gut he’d believed all along she was innocent. This woman had risked her life to save his in Mexico on a sting gone bad and he couldn’t forget that. Maybe he wanted to believe she wasn’t a murderer. Wanted to believe she wasn’t working with her brother. But he needed to get the truth out of her, here and now.

“I don’t want to hurt...what did you say her name was?”

“Kiana.”

“Kiana. I don’t want to hurt her. Mind calling her off?” Right. Like he would harm the creature under any circumstances. But maybe Adriana wouldn’t see through his bluff.

She appeared to consider his words, and maybe even humor flickered in her gaze, but finally it seemed her concern for Kiana outweighed the risk she was willing to take. Adriana lifted her hands. “Let me approach her. I can calm her.”

Her English was good. Smooth, like honey, not as broken as he remembered.

“Fine. Don’t try anything.” I’m not letting you get away now that I’ve finally found you.

He watched Adriana approach the llama, who visibly relaxed as the young woman spoke soothing words.

Adriana’s gaze drew back up to hold Brent’s.

Good. Now he’d attempt to get the answers he needed. “Why would he frame you?”

Her chuckle was incredulous. “Come on. You’re smart. I’m sure you can figure it out.”

I have my suspicions, but... “I want to hear it from you.”

Adriana dropped onto a bale of hay near Kiana and her shoulders sagged. “My brother is hunting me. There is nothing he wants more than to get his hands on me for what he believes is the worst kind of betrayal.” Her brown eyes pierced his.

“Four months ago he learned that I helped you to get away, and I had to escape. And once I was settled, I began enacting my plans to take him down.”

Brent slumped under the weight of that news. He hadn’t realized how great a risk she had taken in helping him, or that it had been the catalyst to her fleeing to Texas. “Go on.”

“So, if he made it look like I killed a border patrol agent, his problem would be solved. Others will find me for him. The Texas Rangers will hunt me down and lead him right to me. And...here you are.” Her gaze flicked to the barn entrance.

A chill ran over him. Had he done just that? Led her brother and his bloodthirsty cartel members to this ranch? He didn’t think so, because he’d been on his own in his search for her. After the discovery that Greg had been a double agent, they were all wary of sharing their leads through any means that another spy might be able to track. The reconnaissance team didn’t know where to find him, which also meant no backup was on the way if Garcia showed up to take Adriana.

Lord, please don’t let that be the case.

But her words confirmed his own suspicions as well, that her brother hoped the authorities would lead him to his sister. It had already nearly happened once, when a woman who had borne a surprising resemblance to Adriana had been found by the Rangers—and then subsequently attacked by Garcia’s men. That was why he’d been so careful when coming here today. Still, the suspicious tone of her words had him itching to flee the barn and check the perimeter of the ranch.

Her gaze snapped back to him, and her eyes reflected that she noticed his anxiety.

“Look, I didn’t lead him here. I came alone.” Was he revealing too much? “I had to find you first. On my own.”

Emotions he couldn’t read shifted behind her gaze and her stern expression softened. “You came alone? But...why?”

He lowered his weapon but kept it ready. “Because I didn’t believe you were guilty of murder even though there’s evidence that shows you were at the scene.”

“What evidence?” Her hands fidgeted.

“A scarf and a bracelet. We’ve seen you wearing identical ones in surveillance videos.” Though Brent had always doubted her ability to strangle a man to death with a scarf—at least, a strong and sturdy man like Greg.

She blew out a breath. “That’s convenient, isn’t it? I mean, if you’re going to frame someone and have access to those sorts of things, makes sense to plant them at the scene, doesn’t it?”