Free Her Only Protector by Lisa Mondello Page A

in frustration, she shifted her position on the sofa. “Obviously, you still don’t believe me.”
    â€œI believe what you’ve told me is true. But I don’t believe you’ve told me everything.”
    She bit her lip. “You want something I can’t give you.”
    â€œCash.”
    She nodded. “I don’t know where he is.”
    â€œThen why did you come here? And why do you have his baby, a baby you don’t even know how to take care of?”
    His words, however true, stung. She closed her eyes for a brief moment to hold back her tears. A good cry was long overdue. She hadn’t really allowed herself that for fear she’d never recover enough to do what she had to do.
    â€œDo you know who can find your brother?”
    Eduardo Sanchez could give Gil a whole lot of information. But she didn’t want Gil or his team to mess with the Colombian kingpin. Or connect anyone in her family to him. At least not until she and Ellie were in the United States again.
    When she didn’t answer, he went on in a quiet voice. “Your loyalty to your brother is admirable. It’s clear by your actions that you love him very much. But you’re not doing Cash or yourself any favors. He needs to come out of hiding.”
    â€œYou don’t even know me or my family. How can you make a claim like that?”
    â€œHe was arrested for a crime and if you cared for him like you say you do, you’d make sure he was brought in for justice.”
    She laughed humorlessly. “Is that why you’re doing this? For justice? Don’t even go there, Gil. I know what you’re after. Money. Isn’t that what all bounty hunters are after?”
    His eyes darkened for a brief moment. “I’m not going to lie to you. I get paid well for bringing criminals back in to face trial. But I want justice, too.”
    â€œFor who?”
    â€œFor the people.”
    She shook her head. “You don’t know anything about this case, do you? All you know is there’s a nice bounty up for grabs.”
    â€œI don’t need to know all the details. I know that bail was set at one million dollars and judges don’t issue that kind of bail without a good reason. DEA or not, there had to be compelling proof for the judge to set bail so high. Your loyalty and love for your brother don’t change the fact that he’s guilty of a crime.”
    It was hard to sit still with Gil talking about Cash as if he was a common street thug. “You’ve been out of the country too long, Gil. In America, a person is innocent until proven guilty. You’ve forgotten that.”
    Their eyes met. Sonny liked his eyes. When he wasn’t being hard and accusing, his eyes were warm and she found herself drifting away from all that was happening, focusing on the depth of his gaze instead of the stress of the past few weeks.
    Instead of the words he was saying.
    She shook the thoughts out of her mind. She was tired. And she was sure he was using that to get her to talk. She couldn’t allow herself to be trumped in a battle of wills.
    â€œYou’re right,” he finally said. “But Cash can’t prove his innocence unless he comes in.”
    â€œI couldn’t agree more. And believe it or not, we want the same thing.”
    â€œDo we?” He scanned her face intently, looking into her eyes, then at her lips, then back to her eyes.
    â€œYes,” she said, shaking away the fluttering feeling in her stomach. “I miss my brother. Despite what you think, I’d like nothing better than for him to come home. His wife, Serena, feels the same way. And before you start thinking you can grill her, she’s not in Colombia. And she doesn’t know where he is, either.”
    â€œThen trust me. Help me find him.”
    â€œI have put my trust in others that justice will be served.”
    Gil cocked his head to one side. “Others?