Page 43 of Desperate Justice

It was a fact of life. Allison was the smart and plain daughter and Diana the beauty. But damn, for once she’d like a guy to pay attention to her, really see her worth, not her sister’s. Rafe wasn’t a guy Allison could date. He was too dangerous, too involved in a job that would always come first. Yet she couldn’t help her attraction to him.

Then she realized Rafe wasn’t watching Diana the way other men did, with an appreciative gaze roving over her lithe body and lovely face. His gaze was speculative.

Like a cop watching a suspect. It amused and alarmed her.

“No wonder Hernandez likes her. He always likes pretty women as decorations.”

“She’s not a decoration.”

“But she is marrying into that family.” Rafe narrowed his eyes. “Diana has to know what Hernandez is all about. No matter how clean her fiancé is.”

“Paul’s okay. He’s head over heels in love with her. And she loves him, so I guess love is blind, for her, anyway.”

“You don’t want her marrying him.”

“Yes and no.” There it was, out in the open. “I think she’s rushing into marriage, and I hate the fact Paul’s uncle is Hernandez. Forget about the rep with the drugs and criminal activity. He’s slimy. When I met him at Di’s engagement party, he kissed me on both cheeks. I had the urge to sanitize my face.”

Rafe’s mouth quirked. “I can only imagine how distasteful that was to you.”

He gestured to Diana walking away from Sam, who had joined Keith and Debbie. “Your sister has barely said two words to anyone other than you. For someone who’s always on social media, she’s being quite antisocial.”

“She misses her fiancé.” It sounded lame.

Rafe walked her over to the trash can. “You always make excuses for her?”

“It’s not an excuse, it’s the truth. I had to talk her into coming with me. Our family has a cabin near the bike rally, and Diana wanted to see it one last time before she gets married. She needs the alone time.”

“And what about your needs, Allison? When do you think of yourself?”

The question stung. It sounded almost like an accusation, but looking at him, his gaze was kind.

She shrugged. “Later. I’m trained to put the needs of others before myself.”

“Work is one thing. What about your family?”

That hit too close to home. Allison drained her water. “What about you, Special Agent Rodriguez? Your job? Your family?”

“Supervisory Special Agent Rodriguez,” he corrected, but with a smile. “We’re talking about you, not me.”

“You’re Cuban, so I bet you have a family who is always in your business.”

“Half Cuban.”

“Aha. There you go.”

“What?” He frowned.

“Most Cubans say they’re Cuban. They’re proud of their heritage. They don’t say they are half Cuban, even if they are. At least the ones I’ve met. They may say they’re Cuban American.” Allison gave a long stretch. “Your nana said your dad was American. A cop who died on the job. That has to have an effect on you.”

His entire demeanor went from friendly to ice-cold. “I don’t want to talk about him. It’s getting late. Let’s roll.”

As she barked at Diana to get on her bike, Allison donned her helmet and started up the Harley. She’d hit a nerve with him. So Mr. Supervisory Special Agent Rodriguez had a vulnerable spot when it came to his family.

Don’t we all? Sighing, she followed Rafe out of the parking lot and back onto the highway.

CHAPTER 12

At the motel in North Florida, they checked in and were assigned their rooms. Allison arranged to share a room with Diana. Diana wanted her own room, but the motel was fully booked.