Harlequin Romantic Suspense April 2021 Karen Whiddon (best fiction books to read TXT) 📖

Not that he wouldn’t enjoy making love to her again. Dang it, this was going to hurt when it was over. Losing her all over again.

The portable phone unit that was connected to the paper’s landline lit up and she hit the speaker function again. “Dominique de la Vega.”

“It’s Johnny Blanchard.” The witness Dominique had sought, had been attacked for, whom he’d taken a bullet graze for.

“Mr. Blanchard, thank you for getting back to me. I’m sorry we haven’t been able to connect.” Dominique’s voice reflected none of the excitement he saw in her alert posture, the way her fingers reached for her cell phone to record the interchange and then flew across her keyboard as she took notes.

“You have no idea. You almost got me killed over this. I want to help you out, but I can’t risk coming into the paper, or even into Grave Gulch.” His voice was muffled, almost a whisper, and Stanton’s hackles were up. If he were alone, wouldn’t he be able to speak more clearly?

“Can you tell me where you are?”

“I’m working under an alias at an event place up north. I used to do this before, before...”

“You don’t have to explain. Can you tell me where, exactly, and I’ll meet you?”

“It’s not going to be that simple, Ms. de la Vega. How do I know you won’t be followed by them, and bring them to me? I’m safe up here.”

“I’m working with the top in the business regarding security. My bodyguard takes all precautions to ensure we’re not followed. You can trust me on this.”

The static of the connection echoed in the lounge area as Blanchard vacillated.

“You can’t bring the cops, whatever you do. Or any kind of personal protection. It’ll be a tip-off, if I’m being watched by my former boss. I can’t risk it.”

“I understand. When were you looking at meeting?”

“I have to work an event on Saturday. It’s actually two weddings, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. I think we’ll have a better chance of not being targeted, if they’re watching us, at such a big public venue.” Blanchard gave the information as easily as someone discussing the weather.

“That makes sense to me, but can you give me the address? I have a lot going on with this story and will have to rearrange my schedule.” Stanton admired Dominique’s ability to sound equally casual, yet continue to pressure him for some answers.

“I’ll give you the address at midnight, Friday.” He saw her suck in a breath. That would give them only an hour or two of leeway, if this event site was as far “north” as he suspected.

“If you change your mind—”

“I won’t. And call me Johnny. We both have too much riding on this to be so formal, Dominique.” Before Stanton could let himself get riled by the man’s flippant tone with her, he disconnected. Dominique sat still, as if processing what Blanchard had said.

“It’s a setup, Dominique.”

“Maybe. But maybe not. We can ask GGPD to help us out here, can’t we? I don’t want to alert the local authorities, wherever this resort is. Besides, there wouldn’t be enough time to inform them, and then have the kind of backup we’re going to need.”

He shook his head. “I don’t like this.” He hesitated before dropping another information bomb on her. “I heard you on not wanting to involve either of our families in this anymore than needed. Before you suggest it, we can’t go to either of our apartments. The cartel’s already been checking on both, I’m certain.” He set the hot mug of tea next to her laptop, careful to avoid any situation where they’d have skin-to-skin contact. The air was filled with the electricity of the danger they faced. The lethal situation that Dominique was contemplating putting them both in.

“Why don’t we go to a hotel? Two adjoining rooms, of course.” She blushed and he had a shock of satisfaction for a few seconds, realizing that she was as affected as he was by their being together again.

“I can’t trust that. There could be a lookout in every hotel between here and wherever Blanchard is, especially if it’s a setup.” He saw the realization soak in as the lines between her brows deepened and her skin paled. The reach of the cartel seemed indomitable. “I do know of a place that’s safe, further north.”

CHAPTER 13

“We can go to my parents’ cabin.”

“The cabin, as in almost five hours away?” Dominique stared at him. “How do you expect me to work there? Do they even have Wi-Fi?”

“Yes, that cabin. It’s most likely an hour, two at most, from where Blanchard claims to be working. The wedding venues he’s talking about are clustered along the lakeshore. I’ll surveil it before you can go anywhere near it, Dominique. I’m almost certain this is a setup, but I know you won’t let go of it unless we give it a try. We’re going to have to have backup from local police, and it’ll take time to coordinate it. We’ll head up there tonight, and then have all day tomorrow before you meet with him on Saturday.”

She contemplated her options as she looked into his vivid eyes. No games, no harsh walls, just Stanton being real with her.

“You’re certain the cabin is wired? That it’s not a dial-up connection?” She watched the insistence in his eyes meld into laughter.

“Yes, positive. And if it fails, you can use my phone as your hot spot. On my dime.”

Stanton and the words “hot spot” were a dangerous combination, so she shifted her attention to the newsfeed exclusive to the Gazette. It scrolled on a large monitor mounted in the corner of the lounge room, next to two other monitors that displayed various news outlets and the local police scanner’s audio feed. A name caught her attention.

“Stanton, there’s been a Len Davison sighting on the outskirts of town.” She heard the catch in her