After the Fall ba-2 Read online

  Chuy threw Lalo a glance and then turned to Megan with a smile. “Prescott Oil. We’re in their job-training program.”

  Her green eyes widened. “You guys are engineers?”

  Lalo wiped a napkin over his forehead. “Nah, they have me doing janitorial work in one of the offices. But Chuy, they have him working on the wells, and—”

  The glasses and beer bottles on the table trembled.

  “What’s that?” The bartender asked, trying to keep the glasses from falling to the floor.

  “I think it’s an airplane flying overhead,” a waitress said.

  “It’s happening again.” Jeremy glanced at Naomi, his face furrowed with worry.

  “Do you know anything about this?”

  He shook his head. “I was only told about my assignment. It’s not difficult to figure out where this could lead to, though.”

  The shaking grew more violent. People started screaming and running toward the exit.

  Naomi watched Chuy catch Megan when she lost her balance and then help her to the door. She followed them closely, thankful that she was near Chuy and Lalo and could make sure they were okay. She hoped Welita was safe, wherever she was.

  As soon as they stepped outside the bar, the trembling stopped.

  “Are you okay?” Chuy kept his arm around Megan.

  “Yes, I’m fine.” The flirtatiousness in her voice was gone, and her face grew serious. “I-I need to get home.”

  “I’ll walk you to your car. Where is it?”

  “My truck’s over there.” She pointed to across the lot.

  When they reached the truck, Chuy and Lalo stood off to the side as she tried to start it.

  “Damn it!” She slapped the steering wheel when the engine didn’t turn over.

  “Hold on.” Chuy popped up the hood and tinkered under it for a few minutes. “Try it again.”

  She turned the ignition. “Nope. Still nothing.”

  “Could be the alternator,” Lalo said.

  “Yeah, it looks like it. Megan, let me take you home. I can fix this up for you in the morning.” Chuy closed the hood.

  “Oh, I don’t want to be a bother. I’ll find someone to give me a ride.”

  “No bother at all.” Chuy grinned. “Lalo, I’ll leave you off at Sunrise Haven. Look in on Welita, and let her know I’m helping out a friend.”

  * * *

  Naomi stood in the middle of the circular drive in front of Sunrise Haven. Welita was in there, somewhere inside that two-story building. She wanted to see her so badly.

  It was a nice facility. Paved sidewalks were lined with perfectly trimmed hedges, and there were beds of flowers scattered around the building. There was even a huge porch that wrapped around one side of the wood and brick building. Naomi could imagine Welita sitting in one of the rocking chairs, enjoying the evening sunset and fussing with the landscapers for not feeding the surrounding flowers and plants enough.

  When Lalo jumped out of the truck and waved after Chuy and Megan, she watched with deep yearning as he went through the sliding glass doors of the entrance. It took every ounce of strength for her to not run inside.

  “Naomi,” Jeremy said softly. “We need to go.”

  “Can’t I stay? Just for a few minutes?” The glass doors slid open as a couple walked out. It would only take her a few seconds. She would be quick. Run in and out. She just wanted to make sure Welita was safe.

  Jeremy placed himself in front of her, blocking her view of the building. He placed a hand underneath her chin, lifting her head. Blue eyes gazed into hers. “We have jobs to do. If you see her, it’ll just make it harder for you to leave. We need to go.”

  Naomi looked deep into his eyes and saw how much he wanted to let her stay, to give her what she wanted. Then she thought of Lash, and her heart ached. She was still upset with him, but she couldn’t help that she needed him, wanted him with her. He would understand.

  No, Jeremy’s right. She had a job to do. She pushed the thought of Lash to the back of her mind, focusing on what was expected of her.

  “Okay, let’s go.”

  They caught up with Chuy’s truck as it rambled down a rural gravel road. There were no other houses in sight, and she wondered how far from town Megan lived.

  After a few minutes, he finally turned the truck onto a dirt path, barely visible from the road. He came to a stop a few yards from a small ranch house with green shutters. The porch was a matching dark green that looked freshly painted. On one side of the porch, a Texas flag hung proudly. A U.S. flag waved on the opposite side.

  A few yards to the left of the house were a few cars. Most of them had flat tires. She smiled, thinking how Chuy and her father would love to get their hands on them. They loved to bring old cars back to life.

  Naomi took a deep breath, wishing she could turn back time. She missed her parents.

  She furrowed her brow as she inhaled a strange odor. “Do you smell that?”

  She looked to Jeremy with alarm when he didn’t respond. He simply looked down at her with a knowing sad look in his eyes.

  Her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach. Whatever it was, he knew, and he wasn’t telling her. She tensed, readying herself. Whatever was coming, it was coming soon. She hoped and prayed that Chuy wasn’t involved.

  She watched carefully as Chuy jumped out of the truck, ran to the door, and opened it. Megan’s pink lips curled into a delicate smile.

  A breeze blew hard, making the flags flutter wildly. Megan swiped a hand around her hair as it blew wildly in the wind and then tied it into a ponytail.

  “Everything looks all right,” she said, glancing at the house. “Thank you for everything tonight. You don’t have to fix the truck. I can get it towed in the morning.”

  “I want to. Lalo and I fix up stuff like that all the time. It’s simple, really.”

  “You’re sweet.” She tapped his muscular chest. Her finger slid down his tight-fitting T-shirt and started outlining his abs. She then looked up at him and smiled.

  Chuy reached out and tucked a loosened blonde strand behind her ear. “So are you.”

  He dipped his head, and his lips gently touched hers. Her hands worked their way up his bulging arms and into his thick hair. A soft moan escaped her as he placed a hand against the small of her back and pressed her against his chest.

  The front porch light switched on, and there was the sound of a door slamming.

  “Megan, is that you out there?”

  They jumped.

  “Crap! It’s my aunt.” Megan stepped away from Chuy. “Yeah, it’s me. Are you guys all right?”

  “Emma’s in her room, sleepin’ like a rock.” Verna took out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from the pocket of her robe. “The house could fall down ’round her and she’d still be sleepin’. Nothin’ can wake her up once she’s down.”

  “That’s good!” Megan yelled back. “I’ll be right in!”

  Verna placed the cigarette in her mouth. “Take your time.” She raised the lighter.

  “I should be going,” Chuy said as Megan turned back to face him. “I’ll call you—”

  Naomi heard the flick of Verna’s lighter, followed by a loud explosion. She screamed as fire flashed out toward Chuy and Megan.

  Chuy threw himself over Megan, sending them both to the ground. Without thought, Naomi rushed to them, her body shielding both from the intense heat.

  “Aunt Verna! Oh my God!”

  Chuy tightened his grip on Megan, who clawed the ground. His eyes widened at the ball of fire blazing on the side of the porch.

  There was another explosion, and flames shot through the windows, sending shards of glass flying through the air. He covered Megan with his body and ducked his head.

  “What do I do?” Naomi looked in horror at the spot where Verna was.

  Jeremy stood by her, holding her hand. “You’re doing it. Just stay with Megan.”

  “Emma!” Megan cried as she tried to push Chuy off her. “
I have to get Emma.”

  Emma!

  The thought screamed in Naomi’s head and slammed her chest like a sledgehammer. An image of a cute little girl with red hair, freckles, and chocolate-stained lips flashed before her eyes. She looked frantically at Jeremy, her eyes wild.

  He squeezed her hand, eyes glistening, and shook his head.

  “No. Stay here. I’ll get her.” Chuy scrambled to his feet. “Where is she?”

  “Second door on the right. Towards the back of the house. Hurry, please, hurry!” Megan cried.

  “Chuy, don’t!” Naomi screamed as Chuy leapt to his feet and headed for the burning house.

  Jeremy tackled her by the waist when she attempted to run after him.

  “Let me go! Let me go! It’s Chuy!” She kicked out, trying to escape his grip.

  “You can’t do this,” he grunted as she continued to struggle against him.

  “He’s my family. Please, please let me go,” she cried, tears streaming down her face. He was too strong for her, and he wasn’t budging.

  Slowly, he turned her to face him. Fiery shadows danced on his tense face. His eyes flicked between her and the house. He brushed the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs and gazed intently into her eyes. “Stay with Megan. Whatever happens, do not leave her side.”

  She nodded as she choked back the lump in her throat and watched Jeremy fly into the house.

  Naomi turned at the sound of Megan gasping and crying. She stayed on the ground clutching her stomach and mumbling Emma’s name over and over.

  Naomi circled Megan, twisting her hands as she fought a war within herself. She was torn between wanting to calm Megan and wanting to run inside the house. She knew it was her job to stay with her. She had been given direct orders. Every fiber of her being wanted to disobey them and go protect Chuy, her own flesh and blood, at any cost. It was eating her up, having to protect the woman she had once loathed and being forbidden to help her own family. She could only hope that Jeremy would help Chuy and Emma.

  Naomi inhaled sharply as a sudden thought crossed her mind. Jeremy is the angel of death. He is in there with Chuy.

  Curling her fingers into fists, she banged them against her thighs. Why hadn’t she thought of that before? And she’d let Jeremy go in there! Who was he there for? Chuy? Emma? Maybe it was Megan’s aunt.

  She glanced at the spot where the older woman lay. She jerked her head away as bile rose in her throat at the sight of the poor woman.

  Guilt gnawed deep within her. What kind of angel was she? She couldn’t believe she was hoping someone else would die, just so Chuy would be safe.

  Sirens screamed in the distance, and she prayed for them to come faster. She stared at the front door, where the flames grew larger.

  “Come on, Jeremy. Come out with them. Please come out,” Naomi prayed.

  Fire engines emerged from the distance. Within minutes, they came to a halt near them.

  Megan got up and ran to them. “They’re still in there. My Emma is in there! She’s just a little girl. Please get her!”

  Just as two of the firemen ran into the blazing house, Jeremy stepped out.

  Pained eyes locked with hers.

  No! No! No!

  She felt herself failing as the world collapsed around her. Flashing lights of the fire engines shrank into tiny specks of light as the darkness took over. Sirens and the yells of the firefighters merged into one sound that muffled until there was nothing but white noise whistling in her ears. She wheezed, struggling for air as a sea of pain washed over her, drowning her. She reached out, desperate to hold on to something, anything to keep her from falling further into the darkness. A pair of strong arms found her and held on to her tight as she sank to her knees and wept.

  12

  “Place the bags over there,” Jane instructed the young man carrying two of her suitcases. “Does Mr. Prescott have the Dallas paper?”

  “I’ll have it brought to you, Ma’am.”

  “Thank you,” she said as he walked out the door. She should have known Luke would have everything she needed ready for her. Why wouldn’t he? The size of his house staff could rival that of all the boutique hotels in the area.

  It wasn’t the first time she’d stayed in Luke’s sprawling Dallas ranch home. Although this time, she would’ve preferred to stay at a hotel, especially since she was back in Texas specifically to make her announcement to run for president. She was surprised when Luke insisted that she stay with him. He didn’t seem at all concerned that the media would accuse him of seeking congressional favors.

  She still hadn’t decided what to do about Congressman Keith’s bill. She had a funny feeling it was why Luke insisted that she make her presidential campaign announcement in Gardenville rather than Austin, the state’s capital. He wanted her to see the families who would be impacted by the bill if it passed.

  She sighed. Luke had never pressured her like this before. Voting down the bill must be really important to make him act like one of the hundreds of lobbyists who hounded her on a daily basis. It was so unlike him, and she wondered if there was more to it than just business.

  Just as she was about to take off her shoes and relax, there was a knock at the door.

  She opened the door. “Yes?”

  “Mr. Prescott is waiting for you in the library,” said a young woman who stood at the entrance. “He would like to go over details of the presidential announcement in Gardenville as soon as possible.”

  “Of course.”

  “Oh, and here is the paper you requested.” The woman handed her a copy of the Dallas newspaper.

  Jane skimmed the headlines. She felt a knot in her stomach when one caught her attention.

  Gas Explosion Kills Gardenville Woman.

  “Ma’am?”

  She blinked and looked up at the woman. “Tell Mr. Prescott I’ll be there in a moment.”

  She nodded and closed the door.

  Jane pulled out her reading glasses and sank to the plush sofa. Scanning the paper, she inhaled sharply when familiar names appeared.

  A gas explosion in Gardenville, Texas, a small town west of Abilene and the hub of Prescott Oil’s hydrofracture drilling, ripped through a home, shaking the nearest neighbors, miles away.

  The blast instantly killed the homeowner, Verna Dalene, 45. Emma Dalene, 4, was seriously injured and taken to a nearby hospital for burn injuries and smoke inhalation. Megan Dalene, 21, and Chuy Duran, 23, were treated for smoke inhalation and released.

  Authorities reported that the explosion may have been caused by a gas leak after a gas line in the home was damaged. One authority noted that a recent string of earthquakes has caused cracks in underground pipes and gas lines.

  Residents in the community suspect that the quakes are linked to the recent fracking in the area and are calling for local officials to investigate Prescott Oil.

  Billionaire Luke Prescott is well known for his ties to Senator Jane Sutherland, who will be formally announcing her presidential campaign in Gardenville on Friday.

  She folded the paper, tucked it under her arm, and headed out of her room toward the library. As she walked down the stairs, she wondered if Luke knew anything about this and if maybe they should move to a different location for their announcement. Or maybe postpone.

  And the name...Chuy Duran. It couldn’t be the same Durans. Could it? It was too much of a coincidence. Maybe Luke could have Sal look into it.

  When she was a few feet from the library, she heard muffled voices arguing. She stopped outside the door, shocked when she recognized Sal’s harsh, baritone voice. She’d never heard him raise his voice at Luke before. Something was wrong.

  “How can you be so sure she’ll make an appearance?” Sal’s voice drifted down the hall.

  “Do not forget, Saleos. The girl’s greatest weakness is her love for her family,” Luke said. “She is so much like Raphael.”

  Raphael? Who’s Raphael?

  Luke shared a lot of his business co
ntacts with her, often giving her little bit of gossip to amuse her during boring social functions she had to attend in Washington. She didn’t recall anyone named Raphael. And why was Luke calling Sal ‘Saleos’? Was that his real name? Strange.

  “You’re taking much risk going after that one. We should focus on the plan to increase the company’s investments so that we can take Prescott Oil global. Without it, you’ll not be able to rise in power. As we speak, Michael is gathering forces.”

  “It’s a risk worth taking,” Luke snapped. “Your job is to make sure that the Durans stay put, and see to it that they’re not put in harm’s way until the girl is here.”

  Jane gasped. The Durans! It wasn’t a coincidence. It was Anita Duran’s grandson who was in the paper.

  Why was Luke bothering that poor family, especially after the girl, Naomi, disappeared in the desert a year ago? She wondered what he was hiding and why. Why would he do something like that? She remembered asking him about the boy, Javier Duran. Could it be that he lied to her?

  She shook her head. None of this was making sense. What did Sal mean about Luke’s rise in power? Luke was already a powerful man with his vast amount of financial resources. She knew he wanted to expand fracking into third-world countries. He was also expanding into water exploration. Was this Michael who Sal mentioned a business competitor?

  “I’ve checked the hospital. The boy called Chuy suffered no injuries, other than smoke inhalation.”

  “Good, make sure he and his grandmother stay out of trouble.”

  Sal laughed.

  “Do you find anything humorous about the situation?”

  Sal cleared his throat. “Don’t you? It was the quake that created the leak in the gas pipes that eventually led to the explosion. Do you think Michael placed Megan Dalene in Chuy’s path?”

  “That would be very unlikely. It would be an act of desperation for Michael to place a human at risk. He has too much faith”—Luke sneered the word—“to do something like that. No, I think it was mere coincidence.”

  “Should I do something about the Dalene girl? There’s a lot of media attention on her right now. Your political adversaries may use her against the senator.”