“We will wait for the phone call after the cash has been verified,” El Libertador announces.

The next ten minutes are the longest in my life. Julio says nothing. El Libertador says nothing. I say nothing. Yet, the air is full of unspoken words. Julio, with reverence for El Libertador. El Libertador, with obvious disdain for the both of us. Me, with fear of El Libertador.

Relief from everyone when the phone rings. El Libertador says nothing when he picks it up, just listens. He hangs up without a word. Then he focuses his attention back on Julio. “Your parents will be given safe passage across the border. Customs won’t bother them. My men will meet them in the desert and bring them as far as Austin. It’s up to you to transport them the rest of the way.”

“And the passports?”

The clown face nods. “The passports will be provided to them as soon as they cross the border.”

“What if they get caught?”

The question isn’t from Julio. It’s from me. And Julio is just as horrified as I am. Still, I press on. “Well,” I say defensively, “we’re paying this man a lot of money. What if he fails? Then what?”

“Carlotta!” Julio whispers.

“Your sister is foolish,” El Libertador says, “to question me.”

“Yes, she is,” Julio seethes.

“I think it’s foolish to hand over all that money and not have any collateral,” I say. I feel Julio tense up beside me. He shifts his feet beneath the desk.

El Libertador stands and leans over the desk. The clown face is inches from mine. I think I might be sick. “Shut. Up.” He looks at Julio. “Get her out of here.”

I don’t ask any more questions. I don’t wait for Julio to tell me to leave. I just get up and walk out.

As I wait in the cab for Julio, I decide two things:

One. I’m going to have to tell Arden the truth about my parents. Soon.

Two. If El Libertador turns out to be a fraud, and he can’t get my parents back to the United States, I’m not trusting Julio with my money again.

Twenty-Two

Arden laces the string through the tab of the first empty soda can and Carly sucks in a breath. “I don’t know about this,” she says. He knew he would need to really put up a good argument for this one. But it will be so worth it. She’ll just have to trust him on it.

“It’s Deputy Pardue. He won’t do anything about it.” Mostly because he’s lazy, but partly because Arden is the son of the esteemed Sheriff Moss.

“I seriously doubt that.”

“I’ve done it before. I swear, he just gets all mad and blustery. He won’t talk to me for about a month. That’s pretty much the extent of it.”

“Won’t he get in trouble?”

“The beauty of it is, he doesn’t tell because he doesn’t want to get in trouble. I don’t tell because I don’t want to get in trouble. See how that works?”

She massages her temples with her fingertips and inhales again.

“What’s with you?” She’s been acting weird the past couple of days. Quiet. Distracted. Woefully inattentive, if Arden does say so himself.

“It’s just … I’ve had a lot on my mind.”

“Such as?” He pulls the string through the second soda can tab and ties a knot. Then he ties the two cans together and picks up the third one. “Talk it out with me.”

“It’s about Julio. I’m not sure I agree with the way he’s spending our money.”

“You think?”

“It’s more complicated than that, Arden. There are things you don’t know about.”

“Such as?”

She shakes her head. “Forget I said anything.”

“You need some serious practice with communicating.” He smiles to himself, because he knows he’s pounded on a sensitive button of hers. But what she says next surprises him—and makes him feel guilty for goading her.

“I’ll tell you one of these days. I promise. When I’m ready.”

Arden wavers in his crafting. “Sounds heavy. Should I be worried? Because if you think Julio’s spending your money on me—”

She punches him in the arm, but the mirth in her smile doesn’t quite reach her eyes, which almost alarms him. And true to Carly Vega form, she drops the subject altogether, in favor of the one at hand. “This plan of yours is insane. Tell me how Pardue deserves this.”

Arden decides to take the bait. Carly can be an ornery bit of goods, and if she’s done talking about it, she’s done. “I happen to know that he lets the bad guys go.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, Glass told me that he thinks Pardue is a dirty cop. That he takes money in exchange for not arresting drug dealers.”

She bites her lip. Staunch disapproval is all over her face. “But you can’t prove that. Besides, why doesn’t Glass turn him in?”

“Because of the cop code. You don’t turn in other cops. You’ll catch hell if you do.”

Carly considers. But she doesn’t seem entirely convinced. “Cops are beginning to sound like some weird cult. And I don’t want to get on their bad side. Your dad already hates me.”

Arden shrugs. He doesn’t want to rehash all the things his dad said that night, and he’s sure Carly doesn’t either. He’d love to say that his dad doesn’t hate her, but he’s positive his dad would have despised her no matter how that situation played out. So he skims over the subject. “I’m telling you, this will be harmless. You’ll see.”