Texas Christmas Defender. Elizabeth Goddard

take down your brother.” And then she’d be free, she’d said.

      “And I can’t do that behind bars, can I?”

      “True enough, but you hid the drugs and money before the border patrol agent was murdered.”

      She held her chin high, anger flashing in her gaze. “I’m Rio Garcia’s sister. I couldn’t risk turning the supplies over to the law, who would imprison me, one way or another—whether to use me for their own devices or because they would never believe I’m innocent of any involvement in my brother’s cartel. I will never give up the drugs and cash. Not until I’ve taken down my brother. There is no one I can trust. Tell me I’m wrong!”

      Brent sagged. I...can’t.

      His grilling her even wore on him. And for some insane reason he couldn’t fathom, he found himself wanting her to trust him, as he’d trusted her two years before. “Look, Adriana... I want to believe you.”

      As she gazed into his eyes, he hoped she read the truth of his words there.

      Her face softened and she spread out her palms. “Look, it’s Christmas. Inez, the woman I lease this property from, helps me run the ranch, lives with me in the house. We’re family now. We had planned our own small celebration. She doesn’t have anyone, and apparently neither do you. Why else would you be here on Christmas morning?”

      He hadn’t taken time off for Christmas in years.

      Could he believe that she was innocent and had told him the truth? He’d suspected much of it and had hoped to hear as much from her. But he could very well be blinded to the truth staring him in the face for the simple reason that she’d saved his life before. Any criminal would claim to be innocent.

      He wasn’t sure if he could trust his own instincts when it came to Adriana. Though he shouldn’t, he really shouldn’t, he had a soft spot in his heart with her name on it. He buried the thought and focused on his task.

      “I haven’t decided what I’m going to do with you yet, even though it’s Christmas.”

      A measure of fear flickered in her gaze. “How did you find me?”

      “I’ve been receiving anonymous letters that gave me clues. Llamas. That you’re somewhere on the Rio Grande. The last one urged me to find you before your brother catches you.”

      She gasped.

      “I’ve visited a lot of ranches along the Rio Grande looking for you, including a llama ranch or two. And I had hoped this would be it. When I saw the booby traps, I guessed it could be you.”

      “Well, that’s comforting, that I’m so easy to locate.” She rubbed her arms, clearly distressed. “And then you decided you would just accost me in my barn.”

      He was a Texas Ranger. A lawman. Why should he be sorry for his actions? But he was. “I had to make sure it was you.”

      “And you have. My brother won’t be long behind you.”

      “If he’s tracking me, or has his own lead on you. I only found you because of the letters. Who do you think could have sent them?”

      Adriana led Kiana to the barn’s exit and urged her outside to the blue skies and sunshine and this beautiful Christmas Day. “I don’t know, which is what worries me most. What else can you tell me?”

      “We had the letters analyzed. It’s someone young. Probably female. We believe English is her second language.”

      “Rosa...” she whispered.

      Who?

      Her eyes brightened, lifted to meet his gaze. “It could be Rosa. She was in my brother’s cartel. A low-level drug runner. While I wasn’t part of his cartel, just being his sister, being Adriana Garcia, made me feel dirty. The only thing I could do to feel better about myself was help people. I figured that God had me there for a reason—to help others get out. Rosa was one of those people. I mentored her and tried to help her change her life. Get out of the ugly business, but...”

      “But escaping the cartel isn’t so easy,” he added.

      Brent saw the truth of it in Adriana’s eyes—she really wanted to be free of her brother. She wanted to be free of her family ties to the cartel. This young woman she’d mentored was proof enough of that.

      “How did she ever know where to find me? I can’t believe she sent the letters and has been trying to lead you to me. She must think—”

      “That we’re the good guys and we can protect you.” He cut her off, but he didn’t want to risk the conversation taking another direction.

      “As long as you, Brent McCord, aren’t on my brother’s payroll. And even if you’re one of the good guys, you still found me and you made it through my security network of booby traps.” She paced the barn, agitated. “If you can, so can my brother. He’ll be coming for me soon.”

       TWO

      “Tanya!” Inez called, using Adriana’s assumed name.

      She kept her gaze fixed on the handsome Ranger but angled her head toward the barn door, where Kiana had finally exited. “If I don’t tell her something, she’s going to come out here to the barn and see you. I don’t want her to get hurt.”

      Adriana didn’t see any point in trying to escape the Ranger. He was here now. But she didn’t want Inez to come between them and end up becoming collateral damage. Maybe Adriana should have thought about that when she’d chosen to stay with Inez and take on the llama ranch, but Inez had saved her life.

      As far as Ranger McCord was concerned, Adriana wasn’t sure if she could trust this man yet, though she wanted to, and though she had a strong feeling she could. He tried to appear cold and intense, but she saw the compassion behind his gaze. The problem was that she didn’t know if she could trust her own judgment when it came to him—a man she didn’t even know. The only thing she knew for sure was that she had saved his life. And risked her own life to do it. That one decision had forever changed everything about her life. Did it matter as much to him as it did to her?

      What was it about this handsome Texas Ranger that had her head spinning when she was near him? Had her doing crazy things?

      He nodded. “Tell her, then. And don’t worry. I have no intentions of hurting anyone.”

      Sorrow flickered in his gaze. Interesting.

      She stepped to the barn door opening. “I’m out here,” she called. “I’ll be there in a minute, Inez.”

      Her friend nodded, her bright smile easy to see from the porch of the house. “The cinnamon rolls are baking. They’ll be ready soon.”

      Adriana focused her attention back on Ranger McCord. “Though you say you’re not going to hurt us, that doesn’t mean I’m ready to trust you. I can’t be sure you’re one of the good guys. But what now? Are you going to join us for our Christmas celebration or arrest me and take me in?”

      He appeared to ponder her question. Hadn’t he already thought this through? Just what had he planned to do once he found her?

      Then, finally, he said, “I don’t want you running away.”

      Was that his agreement to spend Christmas Day with them? “Where would I run to? Inez is expecting me any minute. So you’d better make your decision. Are you going to join us, and if so, are you marching into the house as a gun-wielding Texas Ranger?”

      He frowned. “I’ll...sneak around so she won’t see me leaving the barn. Knock on the front door. You can introduce me as an old friend. Act surprised to see me or something.”

      “Are you saying that you’re not going to take me in yet? You’re going to let me enjoy my Christmas?” If she even