Page 70 of Deep Within Me
Although she hadn’t been able to do much more than Paul had with the image-enhancing software, she’d taken what she was able to see and searched the Internet for similar calendars.A short while ago, she’d gotten a hit. A strip club in Albuquerque offered the calendar as a gift to its loyal patrons. Digging deeper, she’d learned that the club had once belonged to Carreon’s father. And now, to him.
She was certain he was there, waiting out the hours until Liz returned. Or until he had his man murder that other woman.
Bastard.
If not for Carreon, Zeke and Jacob would never have been near death. Liz wouldn’t have come here to restore Jacob’s health. The fight between their clans wouldn’t have escalated. Kele wouldn’t have put her own people at risk for a man who’d never loved her as she desired.
Shame rolled through her, making her sick. She should have left when her clan demanded it upon Zeke’s and Liz’s re—
“How much longer are you going to be?” Diaz asked, breaking into her thoughts. “We’ve already perfected our plan.”
“I don’t want anything to go wrong.”
“We’ve made it as perfect as we can. That’s all we can do.”
Kele didn’t comment, nor did she move from her computer.
Diaz sighed loudly. “It’s been a half hour since Ike told us Zeke approved our strategy and to let us leave when the time came. That’s now. We have to get Pedro.”
“We can’t go until it’s safe.”
“What are you talking about? When is that supposed to be?”
Kele looked at her computer screen, the time. “In a little bit.”
“Why wait? It’s been dark for quite a while. The drive there is going to take a couple of hours.”
The route to the strip club would take even longer. However, Kele didn’t want to arrive too quickly. “I promise we’ll get your cousin…I just want to make certain I have all of this down.”
Slumped in his chair, Diaz reviewed the strategy he’d written in longhand, no doubt believing Kele had keyed the same into her computer and that’s what she was going through now.
She wanted to keep it that way. “There’s a bedroom down the hall, second door on the left. You should take a nap. Rest before we have to leave. It’s going to be a long night.”
“I’m not tired.”
He looked as beat as she felt. “You will be.”
“I’ll sleep on the drive over.”
Kele fisted her fingers, wanting him out of this room so he wouldn’t get curious and finally look at what was on her monitor. “You might have to drive part of the way. I get tired too, you know.”
He lowered his notes and studied her as if he hadn’t considered that. “Maybe we both should take a nap.”
“No. I want to make certain we have everything down right.” She forced herself to sound neutral rather than irritated. Deliberately, she reached for the coffeepot even though she knew it was empty. She’d drunk the last of the brew an hour earlier. When only a few drops fell into her cup, she swore.
“Want me to get you some more?” Diaz asked.
“You’d have to make it.”
“So? I’m capable.” He glanced around the room. “Where’s the equipment?”
“Over there.” She inclined her head to the adjoining room then added, “There should be some biscuits and cinnamon rolls in the refrigerator. You need to bake them.”
He frowned. “You’re hungry?”
“Aren’t you? If you’re not,” she said before he could answer, “you will be. We have a long trip there and back. It’s not like we can stop for fast food, not with Carreon’s men on the prowl. Forget it,” she added quickly, “I’ll make the stuff.”
“I’ll do it. Keep studying the plan so nothing goes wrong. But after we eat, we leave.”