Page 100 of Last Chance

But he was worried about something, though. “What concerns you?”

“He’ll remove me from your protection detail.”

“Why would he do that?” She held up a hand. “Wait. Never mind. This is the same deal as what he tells the other operatives involved with their principals, isn’t it? The distraction thing.”

“That’s right.”

“I’ll take care of it.”

Sawyer was silent a moment, then said, “Please, let me handle it.”

“But it’s not right for him to separate us.”

He cupped her nape. “I won’t let him do that, but I may not be part of your protection detail.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You will. Trust me, all right?”

For the moment, Janie would let Sawyer work it out on his own. If Brent tried to replace her protection detail, he’d have a fight on his hands from Sawyer and from her. “All right.”

Jesse walked into the security room and stopped just inside the doorway. “Should I leave again?”

Sawyer shook his head. “Find anything?”

The medic glanced at Janie. “I did.”

Her stomach knotted. “Is this about David?” What had she not known about her brother and would it come back to haunt David or her?

“Indirectly. I asked Simone to check into Maria’s background.”

“Why?”

“It’s standard procedure to check into everyone connected to our principals,” Sawyer said as he seated her at the computer console. “You’d be surprised how many problems lurk in background checks.”

She sat as her knees weakened. Jesse’s girlfriend must have found something. “Don’t keep me in suspense, Jesse.”

“Your sister-in-law, Maria, has relatives who are in the upper ranks of Vatos Locos.”

Janie’s breath stalled in her lungs. “Is she sure?”

“Simone traced the family line and last name of Reyes.”

“That’s a popular last name in Chile.” Janie had lost count of the people she’d met with that last name while visiting Maria and David. “It’s like Smith or Jones.”

The medic’s expression was sympathetic. “You’re right, but Simone doesn’t make that kind of mistake, Janie. She traced the family lines back several generations and hacked into databases, bank records, hospital records, and the like. She’s not wrong. Your brother’s wife is connected to the gang targeting you.”

Stunned, she sat back in her chair. “But it makes little sense. I didn’t detect any animosity from Maria, and I lived with them for two weeks. Wouldn’t I have sensed something was off?”

Sawyer wrapped his hand around hers. “Maybe she wasn’t involved in what’s been happening to you.”

“He’s right,” Jesse said. “Although Simone is still digging, she has yet to find evidence Maria is involved with Vatos Locos.”

She appreciated their efforts to protect her and spare her feelings. However, the facts had to be faced. “But Maria’s family members are part of the gang. She told me she’s close to her family and is in contact with them daily.”

“We’ll look into it more, Janie.” Sawyer raised her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles.

“If Maria is involved with the gang, is David safe with her?”