The Kay Sister, Levi Fuller [top novels .TXT] 📗

unravel the message that seemed to be linked to their dad’s old bookstore.

That can’t be it, though, can it? If all Lucia wanted was for me to take over the store, she could have just said so.

“Ms. Kay. This is a nice surprise.”

Her head snapped up, and her eyes locked on the steady caramel gaze watching her. Part of her mind panicked and was sure that Reis somehow knew where she had gone today and was about to arrest her for harboring and aiding illegal immigrants.

She shot that part down and forced a sarcastic smile onto her face, even as her pulse raced in instinctual fear.

“I think you’ll find that you’re the only one that is surprised, Agent Reis,” Rosa said, moving towards the mission again. To her consternation, he fell into step beside her.

“Really? It is a wonder then that your sister could leave without anyone being any the wiser.”

Rosa stiffened and wondered if he realized that his own point disproved itself. It was true that if everyone knew where everyone was likely to be, it should be easy to find them. Conversely, it also made it easy to plan a route through town likely to be empty of watchers. Rosa realized belatedly that she had a half-amused, half condescending look on her face and quickly wiped it away.

“Ah, I see,” Reis said as they both stepped into the building. “You think that it was by that very merit that Lucia managed to escape.”

Rosa felt her eyes harden as she looked up at him. “Escape? You make it sound like she had some reason to run.” Rosa sensed him about to ask a new question and quickly put an end to their little meetup. “In any case, I won’t hold you up any longer. I am only here to collect my sister.”

“Rosa, you’ll never guess what I…” Camelia trailed off, her hazel eyes going wide when they fell on Agent Reis and grew impossibly wider still as Agent Boone came in silently behind them.

Her abrupt stop caused Pastor Ian, who was scanning a paper attached to a clipboard, to bump into her.

“Sorry, Camelia,” he said, steadying himself and looking down at her.

Her early shock vanished, and she turned a brilliant red. “No, no. It was my fault.”

Deciding that that was already far more than the FBI needed, Rosa stepped forwards and took Cam’s hand.

“Come on then. We’re having your favorite for supper.”

“Really?” Cam asked, still blushing furiously and casting glances at the agents.

“Yes. A good evening to all of you,” Rosa said, locking eyes briefly with all of them in turn and trying to steer Cam out the doors. Cam seemed to have finally realized that the FBI was not there for either of them and she dug her heels in.

Rosa gave her a warning glare as she turned back. Camelia gave her an exasperated look and opened her mouth.

“I’ll be back tomorrow,” she called, not doing a great job of hiding the suspicion in her voice. “Have a good evening, Pastor Ian.”

Both agents raised their eyebrows as she failed to greet them and strode past Rosa out the door. Rosa stifled an annoyed sigh, gave everyone a brief nod, and followed her sister. Whatever qualms she had had about continuing to keep Cam in her bubble of ignorance vanished like morning mist. Camelia had been too young when her parents had left them. She never knew even half of what was going on. Even her knowledge of Pedro and Joanna was only because she had stumbled across their father’s papers accidentally. That was when he stopped putting anything in writing. A habit Lucia seemed to be continuing.

Sorry, Cam. It is for your own good. As well as everyone else’s.

****

Agent Reis exchanged a glance with his partner, wondering if she had noticed it too. The Rosa they had spoken to with her two sisters was not the same Rosa Kay they had just encountered. It was as if she had been behind a veil, her potential hidden beneath a murky mist but could be glimpsed if one looked the right way. Now, as Boone dipped her chin a tiny fraction, he knew they had both seen it. A keen mind, determination, and fierce loyalty that rivaled their own.

She could be a worthy ally, or enemy, depending on how things played out, Reis thought, secretly hoping that she didn’t end up as an enemy. It would make his job here even harder than it already was.

“So,” Pastor Ian said as the silence grew. “How can I help?”

Reis, who had been watching Rosa intently, turned back to Ian and gave the man his best attempt at a friendly smile. In the corner of his eyes, he watched Boone fighting a smile and gave up, letting his chiseled face fall into its natural stoic planes.

“I wanted to know if you would be willing to help us sound the town out,” Reis began.

The young pastor’s face became hard. “Excuse me? Are you asking me to share the details of my friends, neighbors, and parishioners so that you can better get them to answer your questions?”

Reis couldn’t help the chuckle that bubbled from him. “Very astute for a small-town pastor.”

Ian’s eyes lost even more of their warmth, and Reis quickly tried to correct the situation.

“I didn’t mean any offense, but I apologize all the same.”

Pastor Ian nodded. “So what do you want then, Agent Reis?”

“Your help, as I said, but not quite in the way you inferred,” Reis said, hoping the other man would let his first request slide. Clearly, he had moral qualms helping in that way, but there was more than one way to get to where he wanted.

“Then, in what way do you propose?”

Reis sighed. “I’m an outsider. None of the people here trust me,