Free Body Heat by Brenda Novak Page A

brooding, drinking and glaring at her. Sophia knew they were trying to intimidate her. What she didn’t know was whether they’d act on the not-so-subtle threat in their eyes.
    Feeling the pressure of her Glock against her calf, she glanced at her watch and decided to wait another fifteen minutes. Any longer was too dangerous. She didn’t want to be the last to leave the bar. That would give her friends near the front an easy opportunity to get her alone. The gun made her fairly confident that she could defend herself if attacked. But she didn’t want to shoot anyone, especially in Mexico. There was no telling how that would go down with the local police or the Mexican government. They might not believe she’d acted in self-defense, and the fact that she’d brought a weapon into the country wouldn’t be a point in her favor.
    Waving the waitress away when the girl circled back to see if she wanted another ginger ale, Sophia toyed with the change on the table. Why hadn’t she asked Starkey to come down here with her? He would’ve loved the chance to play protector. He enjoyed nothing more than acting tough. He was tough. But she knew better than to accept any favors from him. That would only get his hopes up that she’d take him back, and she didn’t need that right now, not after years of trying to convince him that they were over for good.
    Still, giving him a call would help pass the time and take her mind off the two thugs at the door, one of whom had basically threatened her with rape. The way she’d spouted off about the money she’d be willing to pay for information made robbery another possibility….
    She checked her watch again. The minute hand wascreeping toward 12:25 a.m., but there was no need to worry that she might wake Starkey. She’d never known him to go to bed before two or three. He partied with the other Angels almost every night.
    Pulling her cell from her pocket, she hit the key for Starkey’s number. She expected it to go through its usual speed-dial sequence, but she got an error message instead, warning her that she was out of network range. Because she was within twenty miles of the town where she lived, she hadn’t realized her phone wouldn’t work. But, of course, that made sense. She wasn’t in the States, anymore.
    â€œOh, boy,” she muttered, and put the phone away.
    Ten more minutes passed before she stood. She’d promised herself she’d stay fifteen, but another four people had sauntered toward the exit, making her worry that she’d delayed her departure too long already. Bracing for what could happen when she passed that front table, she started to leave. But as she took a step toward the door, the man she’d been waiting for came charging into the cantina, along with two lanky companions. At least twenty years younger than their sturdier counterpart, they looked like identical twins—until they came close enough for Sophia to see that they were only siblings. “ Señorita, I have what you want,” the man she’d hired stated proudly.
    This was promising—if it was real and not something he’d concocted in an effort to get paid.
    As she sank into her seat, she gestured for the men to join her.
    They were short a chair, but borrowed one from an empty table.
    â€œJuan can help you.” Indicating the guy to his left, theman who’d accepted her offer tapped the pictures. “He and his brother, they act as polleros …er—” deep groves lined his forehead as he struggled with English “—guides? Sí, guides, for these people. They take them across la frontera. ”
    â€œThey’re coyotes?”
    â€œNo. They work for a coyote who can no longer cross.”
    â€œWhy can’t he cross?”
    â€œHe get caught by La Migra? The CBP? He go to jail. You understand?”
    â€œHe’s on the list. If he gets caught trying to cross