Page 32 of Fighting for Julia (Laguna Beach Cops #6)
FROM LAGUNA BEACH INTO MEXICO
Miguel and Julia
“If General Escobar takes Miguel and Julia, he’ll face the wrath of the United States government,” Brielle prophesied.
“Julia is the daughter of U.S. Secretary of State Barbara Washburn who’s now running for President.
And Miguel is one of her Secret Service agents and my husband’s beloved friend.
Justice will stop at nothing to get them back. ”
Brielle dropped her gun into her shoulder bag and took a step closer to Alfredo.
“Our quarrel isn’t with your grandfather, Alfredo.
It’s with Axis and Axalia Anderson. Justice and I killed their parents four years ago, then their brother when he threatened us, and Axis and Axalia were institutionalized when they posed a clear danger to everyone.
Think about it. They’re using Julia as bait because they want to drag your grandfather into some master plan they have in mind.
I promise it won’t end well for you or General Escobar.
“Call him, Alfredo. Tell him what I said. Tell him to kill Axis and Axalia before it’s too late. Or, if that’s distasteful to him, he can allow Miguel and Julia to take them into custody. End this now.”
Alfredo faltered. Clearly, Brielle’s warning affected him. Doubt crossed his face a moment before he shook it off and squared his shoulders. “I’ll let my grandfather decide what to do. Let’s go, Julia.”
“Wait.” Brielle hugged Julia and shoved something into her back pocket. “Until we bring you and Miguel home, be smart.”
Julia murmured, “Thanks,” and allowed Alfredo to escort her out of Miguel’s house at gunpoint.
They cut through Miguel’s backyard to the next block. A plain white van was parked in the driveway of an empty house for sale. Alfredo slid back the side panel, and Julia gasped.
Miguel was in a desperate struggle with Alfredo’s accomplice. He tried to maneuver his legs around the guy’s neck while sustaining blows to his wounded side. Julia stared in horror at his bloodstained sweatshirt.
“Miguel!”
“Juan! Cesar! ” Alfredo commanded in Mexican.
Julia jumped into the van and yanked Juan away from Miguel. She smashed her fist into his face again and again, stunning him. A well-aimed roundhouse kick knocked him off his feet, and Julia landed a few more punches to his face.
“Julia!” Alfredo’s voice held a sharp warning.
“Get him away from Miguel!” Julia knelt next to Miguel and pulled off the black hood. She bit back a sob that had risen in her throat. His face was a bloody mess. “Oh, God.”
Reaching into her pocket, she removed the Swiss army knife that Brielle had slipped to her. She cut the zip ties around Miguel’s wrists and gently lifted his sweatshirt.
“Oh, God. God .”
The mangled staples glistened in the blood running from the reopened wound.
Julia looked up at Alfredo. “He needs a doctor. These staples need to come out, and the wound treated. It might have to be restitched.”
“Dr. James Knight,” Miguel muttered as he pressed his hand against the wound. He gritted his teeth. “Call him. Free clinic.” He rattled off the number from memory.
“No!” Juan snarled and attempted to rise to his feet. “It’s a trap!”
Julia swung her arm and knocked Juan back down. She jammed her knee into his midsection and brandished the Swiss army knife. “Shut the fuck up, or I swear to God, I will cut out your tongue.” She faced Alfredo again. “If Miguel dies, I’ll kill you both.”
Alfredo pointed his gun at Juan. “Get back into the driver’s seat.” As Juan scrambled to do his bidding, he continued, “Call this Dr. James Knight.”
Thank goodness they hadn’t confiscated Julia’s cell phone. With trembling fingers, she pressed the doctor’s number. He answered on the second ring.
“Dr. Knight.”
Julia’s breath left her in a rush. “Dr. Knight, this is Julia Washburn. I’m with Secret Service agent Miguel Rivera. We’re in some trouble, and Miguel needs your help. Are you at the clinic?”
“Yes.”
“Alone?”
“Yes.”
“Turn out the lights and lock the door. I assume there’s an entrance in the back?”
“Yes.”
“Good. We’ll meet you there in…” she gazed at Miguel.
“Ten,” he gasped.
“Ten minutes.” Julia pulled up the address on her cell phone. “Drive.”
As she cradled Miguel’s head in her lap, Julia guided them to the clinic. Juan drove around to the back and jammed the gear shift into park. He and Alfredo jumped out first and opened the side panel door.
Dr. Knight waited for them. The sight of two men pointing their guns at him didn’t faze him.
He assisted Miguel out of the van and into an examination room.
Dr. Knight didn’t waste any time asking unnecessary questions but focused on Miguel’s injuries.
He removed Miguel’s sweatshirt and adjusted a powerful lamp to illuminate the wound in his side.
“How long ago were you shot, Miguel?”
“Over a week ago, I think.”
“Okay. These staples are ready to be removed. I’ll clean the area first, take the staples out, then see what we’re dealing with.”
Dr. Knight allowed Julia to stand on the opposite side of the examination table and hold Miguel’s hand. With careful precision, he gently removed the staples and more blood flowed. The pressure he applied to stop it caused Miguel to buck from the pain, and he tightly squeezed Julia’s hand.
“Miguel, there are a couple of places that have broken open, but you don’t need stitches. Butterfly bandages will be sufficient until they close again. You also have some cracked ribs. I’ll wrap your midsection to keep them in place. Do you want me to fix your broken nose?”
“No,” Alfredo interjected. “We have to get moving. This detour has already cost us too much time.”
Julia noticed Dr. Knight slowly wrapped Ace bandages around Miguel’s midsection which agitated Alfredo and Juan.
They waved their guns in a threatening manner and urged him to hurry, to stop delaying.
When he’d run out of tactics, Dr. Knight handed Miguel his bloody sweatshirt and helped him off the table.
“Thanks, Doc. I feel better.”
Dr. Knight stared at Alfredo and Juan. “You won’t make it out of Laguna Beach once I call the cops.”
Juan released the safety on his gun. “Well, then, you’re a dead man.”
Julia rolled her eyes and hissed in Spanish, “Estupido!” She forced his arm down. “Dr. Knight, Brielle McQuaid already knows that we’ve been taken. Everything will work out. Trust me. Thank you for treating Miguel.”
He nodded. “Godspeed.”
Back in the van, Julia and Miguel huddled together. With his face cleaned of blood, he looked better, but the area around his eyes was turning black and blue, his nose was swollen and slightly off center, and his lips were split. She placed a gentle kiss on them.
“We underestimated the General and the Andersons,” Miguel whispered.
“Yes, but I’ve got some power as his granddaughter.”
“I noticed.”
His wry tone brought a smile to Julia’s face. “You’re not intimidated or feeling inferior, are you?”
“Hell no! Watching you handle Alfredo and Juan is a huge turn-on.”
“You’ve chosen an unfortunate moment to be romantic.”
“Speaking of romantic, did you find a wedding dress?”
“Yes, I did. But getting married is moot now, isn’t it?”
“Only for the time being. Unless…you’ve changed your mind and don’t want to marry me at all.”
She heard the disappointment in his voice, and her breath hitched. “No, no. I haven’t changed my mind.”
Miguel nuzzled her neck. “Good, because I did my own shopping today and chose our wedding venue, if you’re amenable to it.”
Now her breath quickened. “You did? What’s it like?”
Miguel opened his mouth to tell her, but Alfredo twisted around in his seat and demanded, “What are you whispering?”
Julia started to reply, but Miguel laid a hand on her leg. “We’re planning how we’re going to fucking kill Axis and Axalia, then you and your amigo.”
Alfredo let out a strangled cry of outrage. Something occurred to him, and he shouted, “Give me that pocketknife and your cell phone, Julia!”
“Why don’t you come back here and take them from me?
” she flung. “Listen, cousin , you’re not calling the shots anymore.
Don’t think for one minute that Brielle and I couldn’t have taken you down.
She’s SWAT, and Justice taught her martial arts moves you can only dream about.
Gramps and his psycho sidekicks fell right into our trap. So, shut up and enjoy the ride.”
Alfredo’s fury rolled off him in waves, but he turned around and ignored them.
“Badass,” Miguel murmured. “I’m so hot right now I wish we were alone. I’d take you hard and fast.”
Julia’s core curled with long pent-up desire. She lifted her mouth, and they risked a hard and fast kiss as the van traveled south into Mexico.