Chapter 26

JANIE LOOKED FROMSawyer to Logan and back. “What is it? What’s wrong, Sawyer?” Whatever was going on wasn’t good. That much was plain.

“The Vatos Locos VIP is coming to Hartman to lead a hit squad.”

Oh, man. “Let me guess. The target is me?”

“No confirmation of the target’s identity,” Logan said.

“But?”

He inclined his head.

Great. Nothing like having one of her worst nightmares roar back to life. “So we’re back to the same puzzle. Why do they want me? As far as I know, I’ve never crossed paths with Vatos Locos.”

“Maria is related to several members of the gang,” Sawyer reminded her. “With 10,000 plus members, no one knows the complete roster.”

She sighed. “All right. I’ll give you that point. Since I don’t know the members, I might have encountered more than one besides the hijackers. That still doesn’t solve the mystery of why they want me.”

“I might have an answer for that one,” Logan said.

Sawyer folded his arms. “Let’s have it.”

“My contacts have heard several references to a money debt.”

A frown. “That’s not all, is it?”

“Two deep sources mentioned the VIP’s compromised identity.”

Blood drained from Janie’s face. “The missing hostage.”

Logan glanced at her with approval in his eyes. “Agreed.”

She shoved her fingers through her hair. “I don’t get it. The hostage was just another guy I saw once. Why does it matter if I might remember him? Fortress didn’t get a hit on facial recognition. Why do Vatos Locos members care?”

“They’ll care a great deal if the missing hostage was the leader of Vatos Locos.”

“Wait a minute. Fortress has a sketch of the hostage’s face. I’m not the only one who would recognize him now.”

“They don’t know that, sweetheart,” Sawyer said. “As far as they know, you haven’t realized the importance of the missing hostage.”

“What does this mean long term, Sawyer?”

“There are thousands of members.”

Her hands fisted. “And?”

“They won’t stop coming until you’re dead or we stop them.”

Janie scowled. “Who cares if I saw the gang’s leader? I’m not a threat to anyone. Who’s going to listen to anything I have to say about someone on the hijacked plane who disappeared? Maybe I lost track of the passenger in the chaos at the compound.”

Sawyer cupped her nape and drew her into his arms. “You know why.”

That earned him a scowl. “Details would be nice since I have little experience with criminals.”

“The leader’s primary protection from attack has been his anonymity. As soon as he’s outed as the gang’s leader, he’ll be a target of every rival gang wanting to take over his territory and businesses.”

She swallowed hard, forced to face the dangerous reality of her situation. “Do we at least know this man’s name?”

“Working on it,” Logan said. “One of my contacts should call in the next hour with the information.”

Sawyer’s eyebrows rose. “Do I want to know how deep undercover your contact is?”

“No.”

“Trustworthy?”

“He hasn’t lied to me yet.”

“Doesn’t build my confidence in his loyalty to you.”

A shrug. “He owes me for saving his life and that of his family. He won’t risk retaliation by lying to me or setting me up.”

Janie stared at the other operative. Those statements weren’t a joke. Good grief. How dangerous were Sawyer’s teammates? Then again, as long as they did the job, did she care what lines they pushed to protect their principals?

Since she was one of those principals who depended on their skills, the answer was a resounding no. Texas Team did what was necessary to save their principals and their loved ones. Of all people, she wouldn’t fault them for it.

Janie turned to Sawyer. “Let’s assume you’re correct and I’m the target of the gang because I’m a threat to their leader’s identity. How will we convince them to call off the hunters?”

He gave her a slow smile. “We identify him, capture him, and convince him to bring the hunters home.”

Skepticism filled her. “You make it sound easy.”

“Simple plans can work.”

Somehow, she didn’t think this situation would be resolved so easily. “If this man is the mysterious leader of the gang, I doubt having a chat with him will do the trick.”

“Probably not.”

“Do I want to know how you’ll convince him to cooperate?”

“No.”

With Sawyer watching her so carefully, Janie had to work at keeping her expression neutral. This was not the time to act squeamish about the methods used by the man she loved.

Janie gave a slight nod. “Then I won’t ask for details.”

His response was a soft, light brush of his lips over hers. “Do you need to do anything else to prepare for tomorrow at the shop?”

She shook her head. At least she’d had enough downtime to order supplies and pay invoices.

“Want to watch a movie with me? It might help you relax so you can sleep.”

“Hmm.” She tapped her chin with her forefinger. “Sit on the couch in the circle of your arms and snuggle close for a while? Granny Irene didn’t raise a fool. I’d love to spend some time with you.”

Logan’s eyes lit with amusement. “And on that note, I’m headed back to the security room.”

Sawyer chuckled as his teammate left the room with haste. “Go choose something for us to watch while I do another perimeter check. I’ll return soon.”

Mindful that Sawyer wouldn’t be a fan of a movie with a large romance plot, Janie picked up the remote control for the television and scrolled through the stations. Spotting one of her favorite movies, she chose that station and settled back to watch and wait for Sawyer.

The movie was just beginning when the operative joined her on the couch. He wrapped his arm around Janie’s shoulders and tucked her close to his side. “How did you know this movie is one of my favorites?”

She laughed. “It’s my favorite movie, too.”

“Nice.” He kissed her temple and settled deeper into the cushions. “I’ll have to do a perimeter check every half hour.”

“I’ll pause it when you’re outside so you won’t miss anything.”

“Thanks, sweetheart.” Another kiss from him.

They watched the movie until time for Sawyer to check outside again. He returned two minutes later.

Logan walked into the living room, his expression grim.

Sawyer stopped. “What?”

“My contact called.”

“And?”

“The Vatos Locos VIP heading to Hartman is Diego Hernandez, the leader. Word is that since no one has been successful in taking care of your woman, he plans to kill Janie himself.”