Texas Christmas Defender. Elizabeth Goddard

wanting this man to remember her?

      As she studied him closely, the truth became plain in his eyes. This Texas Ranger with the piercing green eyes knew who she was, all right.

      She saw something more than just recognition there. Appreciation?

      Warmth flooded her. She couldn’t help but smile on the inside at that. The two of them had a connection from the past. Something about him had drawn her then, and it drew her now, even though he had his weapon aimed point-blank at her.

      Right. The gun. She couldn’t let herself forget that. She shook off her illusions that the Ranger owed her anything, or that he would never harm her because he felt something for her. He could very well be here on Rio Garcia’s cartel business, after all. He could have been bought and turned like so many other supposedly good guys. Everyone had their price.

      What is your price, Ranger McCord?

      Adriana took a step back. “You know who I am, so why ask the question? Who sent you? My brother?”

      “What?” His face morphed into a deep scowl, as if she couldn’t have offended him more. “Didn’t you hear me? I’m a Texas Ranger.”

      Though he’d emphasized those last two words, she scoffed. “There are Americans, law enforcement officers, on my brother’s payroll. Maybe even Texas Rangers. He could have sent you because he knew I would more easily trust you.” At his obviously shocked and offended reaction to her words, she almost wished she could take them back. But she reminded herself that she shouldn’t trust this man, even if she’d saved him. Even if he owed her his life.

      “You mean because you saved me before.”

      She nodded and noticed that Kiana had shifted around and edged closer, extending her neck.

      “You could be a double agent.”

      His face scrunched up. “What? No...no, I couldn’t.”

      She’d turned the tables on this man. Now he had to defend himself. With his back to Kiana, the Ranger didn’t pay any attention to the llama.

      “I want to hear you answer the question. Are you Adriana Garcia, sister of Rio Garcia, or not?”

      Adriana prayed for direction. And forgiveness. If this man had been sent to kill her, then she’d failed in her biggest mission in life—to take down her brother once and for all. Since her escape from that life, she wanted nothing more than to destroy Rio’s cartel. But she’d let her guard down today of all days because it was Christmas.

      Christmas...

      “Don’t you realize it’s Christmas Day?” she asked, avoiding answering his question. He already knew who she was anyway. For some reason he wanted to hear it from her. “You’re here at my llama ranch on Christmas. Don’t you have family?”

      He was one serious Ranger to have given up his Christmas for work. Or maybe it wasn’t such a sacrifice—maybe he didn’t have anyone to spend the holiday with. She understood about being alone, far from her family, on Christmas. The thought both saddened her and filled her with relief that she had escaped that life. Better to be alone than with her family.

      “If you’re Adriana Garcia, you’re wanted for the murder of a border patrol agent,” he said. “I’m here to take you in. I’ve heard that you’re as ruthless as your drug-lord brother. That you only came across the border to start your own cartel here.”

      The news rolled over her, crushing her under the weight of it. She was wanted for murder? Her knees buckled and she thought she would drop to the ground, but she stood taller, defying this man’s accusations. Her brother must have framed her, somehow. How did she make the Ranger believe her? Words failed her.

      If only he understood that the reason she’d had to flee was because she had put herself between her brother and this man, maybe he wouldn’t be so willing to accuse her. Though she’d planned to run, wanted to escape her family and break all ties with them for so long, saving the Ranger and subsequently being pursued by the cartel had given her all the reason she’d needed to act.

      But for him to accuse her like this...

      Did she imagine it or did he aim his weapon a little higher? Did he finger the trigger?

      Adriana lifted her chin in defiance. “And what do you believe, Ranger man? Do you think I killed the border agent? That I’m here to start up my own cartel to rival my brother’s?”

      Agent McCord finally noticed Kiana—llamas were normally friendly and sociable, but the very pregnant llamas were territorial, and Kiana had sensed the danger this man was to Adriana. Though Kiana didn’t stand close to him, her ears were back, and Adriana knew what came next.

      Did Ranger McCord?

      He frowned at the creature and continued to aim his weapon at Adriana. “It doesn’t matter what I believe or want to believe. The truth is all that matters.”

      She released a pent-up breath at that. “I’m glad to hear it. I didn’t kill anyone. If it looks like I was involved in the death of a border agent, then I must have been framed by my brother.”

      Kiana raised her chin and stretched her neck.

      “What? What is it doing?” he asked, but did not allow his gun to waver.

      “She’s letting you know she’s not happy with your aggression toward me.”

      Kiana spit at Ranger McCord from where she stood.

      * * *

      Brent took the spit like a man and didn’t move at first, knowing that any reaction on his part could spook the creature into more aggression. Grimacing, he slowly ran his sleeve over his face and swiped at his eyes but kept his weapon trained on this woman—Adriana Garcia.

      In the flesh.

      But seriously? Could anything smell worse than llama spit? Not even this barn smelled worse.

      He’d ignore the llama for the moment. The pregnant animal appeared moody. Adding insult to injury, Brent had come into the barn and agitated her even more, the same as he’d done to Adriana.

      But he’d found her, finally found her.

      As part of the Ranger reconnaissance team, in Company “E” stationed in El Paso, Texas, his assignments varied, but they’d been on what they’d termed the Garcia Mission for weeks now—trying to capture cartel leader Rio Garcia when he crossed the border in search of his sister. At one point, they’d even learned from undercover operative Texas Ranger Carmen Alvarez the date of a planned crossing. Unfortunately, one of their informants, Valentina, had given them the location but then she’d been murdered. Since then, Garcia hadn’t been successful in locating his sister. None of them had.

      Until now.

      Adriana was the key to Garcia.

      As for Carmen...she hadn’t been heard from since before Thanksgiving, and they were concerned for her safety. She could either be in deep cover and unable to find a way to get a message out or hiding until she could safely return. At least she’d been able to gather good intel on Garcia. That was how they knew how ferociously Garcia was hunting Adriana.

      He wanted revenge for her betrayal and wanted it bad. Because not only had Adriana defected, she’d taken something extremely valuable from her brother—cartel cash and drugs.

      The Garcia Mission called for them to find and prevent Garcia from coming across the border and find his sister. And if they found her... They’d been on the fence about whether she should be locked up. Had she come to Texas to start her own cartel with the drugs and money she’d stolen from her brother? Or, as Brent had initially argued, was she a good person simply trying to escape a dangerous situation, needing and deserving their protection from her brother?

      Some of the Rangers had seemed willing to consider the second option, at first. But that had changed when border patrol agent Greg Gunn was killed in a sting operation at a salsa factory