Jodie Bailey - Christmas Double Cross

“You can’t question her like that. You’re way out of line.” Austin kept his voice low, a reminder, not a reprimand.

Digging his teeth into his lower lip, Colt stayed quiet. Austin spoke the truth. They had to tread lightly or a technicality would wreck this case in court.

“Now come with me—there are some things you should know,” Austin continued, leading Colt a short distance up the hallway where Rangers Trevor Street and Ethan Hilliard waited.

Trevor’s glance raked over Colt’s then stuck to a bulletin board on the wall, something like pity, maybe even frustration, in the look.

Ethan just watched.

“Carmen?” Colt wasn’t going to wait for someone to lob the grenade. He was going to pull the pin himself.

Ethan shook his head. “No word on that front.”

That was either good...or very, very bad. Bad news meant closure. No news meant she was still out there, and no one knew her condition. But Colt knew Carmen. She was smart. Tough. Savvy enough to keep from being found out. Knowing her, she was hiding, waiting for the right time to come in and blow this whole thing wide open.

If that was the case, why did everyone look as though someone had keyed their pickups?

Austin blew out a loud breath and scratched the top of his head. “No easy way to say this, Blackthorn.”

“Then spit it out.”

“That woman is not Adriana Garcia. Not even close.”

Colt backed off and stalked up the hallway away from his teammates, dragging his hand through his hair. No way. The woman in that hospital bed had to be Adriana Garcia. The photo wouldn’t lie. Neither would his gut.

Except his gut had proven wrong one too many times recently, which was probably why Trevor couldn’t look him in the eye.

Colt turned back to his team but didn’t step closer. “Prove it.”

“The print we lifted off the business card? It belongs to Danielle Segovia. The same one that’s been showing up in the database all along. Twenty-six. Born and raised here in El Paso. Mother was Mexican. Father an American she met when he was stationed at Bliss. Both died in a car wreck a few years ago. She’s raising a younger brother. We have school records, taxes filed. She’s solid. The print doesn’t match Garcia’s.”

“A good cover.” Except fingerprints didn’t typically lie.

“There’s more. Lizzie called. Preliminary DNA testing on the blood found in the car’s trunk is way off. Danielle Segovia is not even a twelfth cousin to the Garcias.”

The words hit Colt in the chest, forcing the air from his lungs. He gripped his cheeks and dragged his hand along his mouth, tugging at the tension in his jaws. “So why did someone try to take her?”

“Same reason we came after her. Same reason local law enforcement tipped us when she called them about the break-in at her store and she looked just like the BOLO we put out on Adriana.” Ethan straightened and shoved his hands in his pockets. “I glanced through the window of the room just now while you two were talking.” He held his phone up, open to the passport photo of Adriana Garcia that they all carried. “She’s a dead ringer, right down to the way she parts her hair.”

Trevor sniffed and finally spoke. “Which means Manning and Rook are at the wrong apartment right now, searching for evidence they’re never going to find.”

“Major Vance already called them off,” Ethan said. “They’re headed here, because we’ve got bigger problems in that hospital room right now.”

Colt dropped his chin and shook his head. Bigger problems was an understatement. Not only had they not found the woman half of the state was hunting, they’d led Rio Garcia here and put a civilian in danger. That meant Danielle Segovia was one more complication in the hunt for Adriana Garcia.

One that could prove deadly for the woman they had placed in harm’s way.

FOUR

Pain, fear and confusion spun into a cocktail that threatened to swamp Danielle.

When the door closed behind the two men, the tension in the room dropped palpably. Danielle sank into the pillow and closed her eyes, willing the world to stop spinning. A Texas Ranger had gone undercover in her shop, then rescued her from kidnappers only to interrogate her now. This had to be a trauma-induced nightmare. The way he’d talked to her, it was clear that he believed she’d done something wrong, but he’d never said what it was.

The only thing she knew with certainty was that she wanted out of here before Colter Blackthorn came back. If he started in on her again, she didn’t know what she’d do. Too much had happened in the past few hours. The last thing she needed was to fall apart in front of the angry Ranger. He’d probably view the weakness as some sort of confession.

Her finger hovered over the call button for the nurse. They couldn’t keep her here. She could refuse treatment, tell them she wanted to be discharged. There were plenty of people from church who’d be willing to drive her home.

But the Rangers knew where to find her. This wouldn’t be over until they got whatever it was they wanted from her.

Dropping her hand to the bed beside her, Danielle gave up and closed her eyes. She’d have to ride this out and pray she didn’t wind up in jail for someone else’s crimes.

Jesus, I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t understand anything that’s happened tonight. But, Lord, give Colter Blackthorn the truth about me. Don’t let me go to jail and leave Justin on his own.

There it was. Her biggest fear. If something happened to her, who would take care of her brother? Especially now, when he was spending more and more time with those friends of his who now had him believing he needed a gun at fifteen. None of this boded well.

Two light taps on the door drifted across the room, followed by a slight shuffling sound.

Danielle didn’t even open her eyes. It was probably the doctor. Finally. He could discharge her and get her out of here.

“Ms. Segovia?” The male voice was quiet, but its speaker was unmistakable.

Danielle stiffened. He was back.

She had a choice. Knuckle under and collapse in front of him or put up the brave front she’d used when her parents died, the one that had gotten her custody of her brother when she’d fought for him in front of the family court judge.

Easing her eyes open, Danielle prepared for battle. She wasn’t backing down to a lie. Fixing a hard gaze on Colt, she bit out her next words. “I have nothing more to say to you.” The fire was unfamiliar on her tongue. She was used to being customer-service-oriented and friendly at all times, used to cooperating with law enforcement even when they didn’t cooperate with her.

The tiniest fringes of regret blew across her heart. He’d seemed so nice earlier, and to think it had all been an act...

Disappointment she really shouldn’t feel chewed at her, lighting a fire under a righteous indignation. He deserved her anger. “You can go now. I’ll speak to you when I have an attorney.”

Standing near the door, Colter Blackthorn stared straight at her, his brown eyes serious but lacking the rage they’d held earlier. Something else was there now, something like regret and possibly sadness. His jaw worked slightly, probably in frustration. Finally, he pulled his phone from his pocket and glanced at it, then looked at the chair Justin had pulled up beside her bed. “May I?”

She should tell him no after the way he’d charged in here the first time, accusing her of vague crimes. But there was something about the air around him that said this time was different. It might be a tactic to get her talking, but he had her curiosity. “If you can be civil, you can sit.”

His mouth twitched, and a flash of amusement skipped across his face before he could reset his stern Ranger look.