“You see?” Reid said to Diego. “The Collars are useless when they really want to do something.”
“If you despise Shifters, why are you asking for Eric’s protection?” Diego asked.
“Because I’m not a fool. The Shifters here would kill me without it, and my greatest wish is to return home. I’m willing to do what it takes. I’m not a killer. I only want to go home.”
Whatever truth was in Reid, he at least believed what he said. Diego himself was not sure what to feel.
He rose to his feet. “If Reid is staying here, I want Cassidy with me.”
Eric moved his arm enough to peer at Diego around it. “You don’t have to ask my permission.”
“I just don’t want you talking about ripping my head off.”
“Cassidy’s a grown female. She can do as she pleases.”
“Cassidy’s standing right here,” Cassidy said, hands on hips. Dios mio, she was sexy when she did that.
Diego shot her a grin. “I asked you before, want to come home with me? Or better still, to my mom’s house? There’s some things I still need to take care of.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
His mother’s house. Cassidy wasn’t sure how she felt about that as she slung an overnight bag into Xavier’s truck.
Diego was talking in a low voice with Xav a little way away from the truck. Cassidy worried a bit about leaving Eric and Jace here alone with Reid, but, interestingly, Nell had volunteered to stay over and watch him. She looked delighted, Reid apprehensive. Nell wouldn’t rough him up too much. Maybe.
Cassidy got into the front seat, leaving the door open, and waited. She pretended to study her hair in the visor’s mirror, but she strained her Shifter hearing to listen.
“You sure, hermano?” Xav was saying. “Enrique’s word isn’t necessarily reliable. He could be luring you down there for a reason. A dying man’s last nasty trick.”
“I can’t not check it out. First lead I’ve had in a long time.”
“If the captain finds out, you are dead meat. I like you, Diego. You’re not bad, for a pain-in-the-ass older brother.”
Diego shrugged. “Captain Max told me to take some leave. Nothing says I can’t go to Mexico for a vacation.”
“Yeah, but most people vacation in Mazatlan or Cabo. Not some bandit town in the middle of nowhere. Besides, what about Cassidy?”
Out of the corner of her eye, Cassidy saw Diego look her way. She busied herself rubbing at an imaginary dirt mark on the corner of her mouth.
“With Reid here, Cass will be good at Mamita’s,” Diego said. “Especially with you to look after her.”
“No way, Diego. If you’re going down there, I am too. You’ll do something stupid and end up in some Mexican jail, and we’ll never see you again.”
“It’s true that I could use your help. After I make sure Cassidy is safe.”
“Good. I’m with you.”
“Just don’t tell Mamita.”
Xav laughed. “You got that right.”
Cassidy put up the visor as they approached and pretended she hadn’t heard a word.
She wasn’t sure why Diego wanted to go to Mexico on the word of this Enrique, the one he’d been forced to shoot, but she sure as hell wasn’t letting him go alone.
Cassidy did want to see the house that Diego called home. She knew from what he’d told her that he hadn’t grown up in the modest house in Boulder City he took her to, but even so, Cassidy knew it was a home the minute she walked in the front door. Just as the house she lived in with Eric and Jace in Shiftertown was now home, so was this one. Loved ones were there, the people with whom you shared sleepy mornings around the breakfast table, who didn’t mind that your hair was a mess or your clothes unkempt.
Comfort and love. This house rang with it.
Diego hugged his mother, a woman half his height, with a firm embrace. “Mamita, this is Cassidy.”
Cassidy found herself under the scrutiny of a sharp-eyed, dark stare. The stare wasn’t unfriendly, just interested and assessing. So, this is the woman sleeping with my son.
“I heard you jumped out the window when you heard Xavier coming,” Juanita Escobar said.
Cassidy’s face heated to roasting. “I wasn’t sure who it was, and I didn’t want to cause trouble for Diego.”
“Because you’re Shifter.” The small woman nodded. “I understand that. Gang warfare is the same all over, even though humans and Shifters might not admit that’s what it is. Don’t be found with the wrong people.”
“Something like that,” Cassidy said.
“Diego won’t let anything happen to him because of you. Or to you because of him.” Juanita held out plump arms. “Diego tells me that Shifters don’t worry about showing affection. Very sensible. Come here, mi ja.”
Cassidy surrendered to her hug. The small woman held her tightly, and Cassidy returned the embrace.
“Now,” Juanita said when they parted. “That’s done with. I made another batch of chilaquiles, since these two boys ran off without eating any. We’ll have them now.”
Cassidy admired herself for her patience all the way through the flavorful dinner. She listened to Diego and Xav banter, answered their mother’s questions about Shifters, and praised Juanita’s food. Not until after she’d helped Juanita do the dishes, while the brothers went outside for an impromptu game of basketball, did Cassidy have the chance to confront Diego.
She walked out to the front driveway where they played in the growing twilight. Diego had his shirt off, Xav keeping his on—so they could tell which team they were on, she supposed. Not that she minded watching Diego’s well-honed muscles play under his dark skin.
Diego dribbled the ball, keeping his back to Xav, while Xavier tried to get around him. Diego shot, but the ball hit the rim of the hoop and bounced off. Cassidy dashed in, jumped, and tipped the ball into the ring.
Diego whooped, laughing, lifted Cassidy off her feet, and whirled her around.
“Hey, no fair getting help from your girlfriend,” Xav said, catching the ball. “Your tall girlfriend.”
“We make a good team,” Diego said. He set Cassidy on her feet and kissed her lips, turning the swift kiss into a lingering one.
Cassidy liked him like this, smiling, relaxed with his family. Happy.
“If you despise Shifters, why are you asking for Eric’s protection?” Diego asked.
“Because I’m not a fool. The Shifters here would kill me without it, and my greatest wish is to return home. I’m willing to do what it takes. I’m not a killer. I only want to go home.”
Whatever truth was in Reid, he at least believed what he said. Diego himself was not sure what to feel.
He rose to his feet. “If Reid is staying here, I want Cassidy with me.”
Eric moved his arm enough to peer at Diego around it. “You don’t have to ask my permission.”
“I just don’t want you talking about ripping my head off.”
“Cassidy’s a grown female. She can do as she pleases.”
“Cassidy’s standing right here,” Cassidy said, hands on hips. Dios mio, she was sexy when she did that.
Diego shot her a grin. “I asked you before, want to come home with me? Or better still, to my mom’s house? There’s some things I still need to take care of.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
His mother’s house. Cassidy wasn’t sure how she felt about that as she slung an overnight bag into Xavier’s truck.
Diego was talking in a low voice with Xav a little way away from the truck. Cassidy worried a bit about leaving Eric and Jace here alone with Reid, but, interestingly, Nell had volunteered to stay over and watch him. She looked delighted, Reid apprehensive. Nell wouldn’t rough him up too much. Maybe.
Cassidy got into the front seat, leaving the door open, and waited. She pretended to study her hair in the visor’s mirror, but she strained her Shifter hearing to listen.
“You sure, hermano?” Xav was saying. “Enrique’s word isn’t necessarily reliable. He could be luring you down there for a reason. A dying man’s last nasty trick.”
“I can’t not check it out. First lead I’ve had in a long time.”
“If the captain finds out, you are dead meat. I like you, Diego. You’re not bad, for a pain-in-the-ass older brother.”
Diego shrugged. “Captain Max told me to take some leave. Nothing says I can’t go to Mexico for a vacation.”
“Yeah, but most people vacation in Mazatlan or Cabo. Not some bandit town in the middle of nowhere. Besides, what about Cassidy?”
Out of the corner of her eye, Cassidy saw Diego look her way. She busied herself rubbing at an imaginary dirt mark on the corner of her mouth.
“With Reid here, Cass will be good at Mamita’s,” Diego said. “Especially with you to look after her.”
“No way, Diego. If you’re going down there, I am too. You’ll do something stupid and end up in some Mexican jail, and we’ll never see you again.”
“It’s true that I could use your help. After I make sure Cassidy is safe.”
“Good. I’m with you.”
“Just don’t tell Mamita.”
Xav laughed. “You got that right.”
Cassidy put up the visor as they approached and pretended she hadn’t heard a word.
She wasn’t sure why Diego wanted to go to Mexico on the word of this Enrique, the one he’d been forced to shoot, but she sure as hell wasn’t letting him go alone.
Cassidy did want to see the house that Diego called home. She knew from what he’d told her that he hadn’t grown up in the modest house in Boulder City he took her to, but even so, Cassidy knew it was a home the minute she walked in the front door. Just as the house she lived in with Eric and Jace in Shiftertown was now home, so was this one. Loved ones were there, the people with whom you shared sleepy mornings around the breakfast table, who didn’t mind that your hair was a mess or your clothes unkempt.
Comfort and love. This house rang with it.
Diego hugged his mother, a woman half his height, with a firm embrace. “Mamita, this is Cassidy.”
Cassidy found herself under the scrutiny of a sharp-eyed, dark stare. The stare wasn’t unfriendly, just interested and assessing. So, this is the woman sleeping with my son.
“I heard you jumped out the window when you heard Xavier coming,” Juanita Escobar said.
Cassidy’s face heated to roasting. “I wasn’t sure who it was, and I didn’t want to cause trouble for Diego.”
“Because you’re Shifter.” The small woman nodded. “I understand that. Gang warfare is the same all over, even though humans and Shifters might not admit that’s what it is. Don’t be found with the wrong people.”
“Something like that,” Cassidy said.
“Diego won’t let anything happen to him because of you. Or to you because of him.” Juanita held out plump arms. “Diego tells me that Shifters don’t worry about showing affection. Very sensible. Come here, mi ja.”
Cassidy surrendered to her hug. The small woman held her tightly, and Cassidy returned the embrace.
“Now,” Juanita said when they parted. “That’s done with. I made another batch of chilaquiles, since these two boys ran off without eating any. We’ll have them now.”
Cassidy admired herself for her patience all the way through the flavorful dinner. She listened to Diego and Xav banter, answered their mother’s questions about Shifters, and praised Juanita’s food. Not until after she’d helped Juanita do the dishes, while the brothers went outside for an impromptu game of basketball, did Cassidy have the chance to confront Diego.
She walked out to the front driveway where they played in the growing twilight. Diego had his shirt off, Xav keeping his on—so they could tell which team they were on, she supposed. Not that she minded watching Diego’s well-honed muscles play under his dark skin.
Diego dribbled the ball, keeping his back to Xav, while Xavier tried to get around him. Diego shot, but the ball hit the rim of the hoop and bounced off. Cassidy dashed in, jumped, and tipped the ball into the ring.
Diego whooped, laughing, lifted Cassidy off her feet, and whirled her around.
“Hey, no fair getting help from your girlfriend,” Xav said, catching the ball. “Your tall girlfriend.”
“We make a good team,” Diego said. He set Cassidy on her feet and kissed her lips, turning the swift kiss into a lingering one.
Cassidy liked him like this, smiling, relaxed with his family. Happy.
