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backed off from her even before she left town.”
    Consumed with emotion, he raked his hands through his hair and got up to pace. “I didn’t have much contact with her after she started dating Nick. He didn’t like her having other male friends, if you remember. So I stayed away.”
    “This is my fault,” Jonas muttered. “Not yours.”
    “How do you figure that?”
    “I should’ve done something about my suspicions months ago, when I first became concerned that she hadn’t contacted me in a while. But I was afraid she was having second thoughts, and I didn’t want to pressure her.”
    “Second thoughts? About what? Nick?”
    Jonas sighed. “No, not exactly. It wasn’t long after I told her that she and I were related that she left town. So I thought perhaps—” He grimaced. “I was afraid she’d decided I wasn’t someone she wanted to be related to.”
    Stunned, Levi stopped pacing and stared at him. “That’s nonsense, old man. Don’t even go there. Tess loves you. I know she does. You gave her the only family she’s ever had. I doubt she even considered the crime syndicate part of it.”
    Guilt joined the cocktail of emotions churning inside him. “Which makes this more my fault than yours. I should’ve known something was wrong when her shop was sold. But I was actually relieved when I heard she’d gone to Chicago.” He shoved his balled fists into his pockets so he couldn’t slam them into the wall. “I should’ve kept in touch with her, but it just hurt too damn much knowing she was in love with Nick.”
    “Christ, Levi. I told her the family would help and protect her if she ever needed it. And the first time she does, we both let her down.”
    “Yeah, we did.”
    “Then we’ll make it up to her now,” Jonas declared, the light of battle brightening his eyes. “Find out where she is and what’s going on. I want her back. Safe. And find out what Nick did to make her run away.”
    Levi headed for the door. “I’m on it. And try not to worry. I’ll get her back safe.” Unless it’s already too late .
    He clenched his jaw, locking out his emotions so he could concentrate on the mission. But one thought refused to back down: if Nick and Tony had hurt Tess, even being members of the family wouldn’t save them.
     
    ***
     
    11:51 a.m., Baja California Sur :
     
    Tess didn’t know anyone who would come to her front door, so the knocking filled her with dread. Her landlord showed up occasionally but always at her back door. Pablo and his family used that one as well.
    The visitor had to be a stranger.
    Her knees quaking, her pulse roaring in her ears, she pulled the gun from her backpack, dropped to the floor, and slithered on her stomach to the living room window. Holding her breath, she peeked through a slit in the curtains.
    A dark-skinned, dark-haired man stood on her porch. Not Mexican. His features were too sharp and angular to be Hispanic. He wasn’t one of Nick’s men either. Nick was a bigot and only worked with Whites—although, she couldn’t be sure whom he and Tony might’ve recruited if they’d gotten desperate.
    Since the man wouldn’t have seen the cottage at all if he hadn’t been looking for it, he must’ve intended to come here. But why? If he’s looking for me and thinks I’ll answer the door, he’s brain dead .
    He knocked again then rattled the doorknob. Tess cocked the revolver and braced herself, thankful she’d locked up last night. Not that a lock would stop an assassin—if that’s what he was.
    But the man didn’t attempt to break the lock. Or pick it. Instead, he turned and strode to a Chevy truck. She heard him say something to a companion waiting in the pickup, but she didn’t understand the language.
    When they drove away, she sank to the floor, shaking with relief and the giddy aftereffects of fading fear.
    Good thing it’s almost noon . Between Griffin’s peanut-butter-surprise and strange men showing up in the cove, she’d had