Evasive Action (Holding The Line Book 1)

a threat?
His foot pressed on the gas pedal and his truck growled in response. Denali panted beside him, their reunion cut short when he got the call from Espinoza about April finding a head in a box on her porch. She must be regretting her visit to Paradiso even more now.
He rolled past her address and kept going, as emergency vehicles clogged the street in front of her house. The scene must remind her of the night Adam found their mother’s body on the kitchen floor, and his heart ached for her all over again.
He parked the truck and slid out. He came around and opened the door for Denali. If he didn’t let him out, the dog would be howling and eventually scratch through the door.
Denali kept up with Clay’s long stride, undeterred by the lights and activity, nose in the air, ears pricked forward. Did he smell April already?
Clay spotted her talking to Detective Espinoza, her arms folded, her face a pale oval. Denali must’ve detected her at the same time because he tore away from Clay’s side, making a beeline for April.
When she saw the dog running toward her, April dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around his squirming body, burying her face in his gray-and-white fur.
When she looked up to meet Clay’s eyes, tears streaked her face, but a wide smile claimed her lips. “He looks great.”
To reward the compliment, Denali licked the tears from April’s face.
Clay shifted his gaze to Espinoza. “Is it our girl from the border?”
“Without any scientific proof, I’d say it is. The head belongs to a young Latina. I paid attention this time, but maybe I shouldn’t make any assumptions.”
Clay swore. “Two heads, one body down, one body to go. What kind of game are they playing and why involve April?”
“They must’ve seen her with you, although why Las Moscas is targeting you is puzzling.” Espinoza eyed him beneath the brim of his hat as if inspecting a bug.
“Hey, I have no clue.” Clay held up his hands. “If you think I’ve been on their payroll or something, you’re welcome to check me out. Do a full investigation. You won’t find anything.”
“Don’t get your back up, but if you can think of any reason why Las Moscas would be more interested in you than any other Border Patrol agent in the area, let me know.”
“Maybe because I’m one of the few who lives in Paradiso. What surprises me is that someone is still lurking around depositing body parts in town. Usually, strangers are executing strangers at the border and leaving us to clean up after them.”
April popped up beside them, brushing her hands together. “Has anyone notified my cousin yet? She should be home from work soon and she’s going to be freaked out by all this. Do you think at least the head will be gone by the time she gets home?”
“April.” Clay took her by the shoulders. “You don’t need to worry about Meg right now. Are you all right?”
She swiped a hand beneath her red-tipped nose. “It was like déjà vu all over again—only the box wasn’t as pretty this time. At least I knew enough not to pick it up, so the head didn’t go bounding down the walkway.”
The glassy blue of her eyes and the slight quiver to her bottom lip were the only contradictions to her flip words.
His fingers caressed her flesh beneath the light cotton of the blue T-shirt that matched her eyes. “I’m sorry you had to go through this again. It’s my fault they left that for you.”
“It’s not your fault. It’s your job.” She addressed Espinoza. “Do you have the right head this time?”
“We think so, but we’ll run the tests to make sure.” Espinoza pointed down the street. “The Paradiso PD officers canvassed the neighborhood and, just like at your place, Archer, nobody saw a thing.”
“If someone did, do you really think they’d step forward?” Clay scratched the top of Denali’s head, still shaking with joy at his reunion with April. “People around here are familiar with Las Moscas. They’re going to keep their heads down and not interfere with business. They don’t want the violence at the border creeping up here.”
A wail from the street had Denali stiffening and pointing his head, nostrils quivering a mile a minute.
“Oh, boy. Here comes Meg.” April adjusted her position, pulling her shoulders back and widening her stance as if getting ready for a tackle.
Denali got ready, too, leaving Clay’s side to take up his position in front of April.
Meg came bobbing and weaving up the walkway as if trying to gain purchase on the deck of a ship, a helpless Paradiso PD officer trailing in her wake, hand outstretched.
“A head? Did I hear that right? A head was on my porch?” Meg, all five feet of her, steamrolled up to Detective Espinoza. “Somebody out there told me a head was on my porch.”
Espinoza, his face impassive, asked, “Are you the owner of the house, ma’am?”
“No, but I live here.” Meg flung out an arm toward April. “She owns the house.”
Meg stopped flapping her lips, froze and then turned toward April. “This is you, isn’t it? You come back to Paradiso and heads start appearing on porches wherever you are.”
Denali emitted a little growl. He’d never bitten anyone in his life, but he just might make an exception if Meg continued her verbal assault on April.
“Whoa, wait a minute, Meg.” Clay took a step between her and April. “This is all me. It has something to do with a body of a mule we found at the border yesterday.”
Meg’s light-colored eyes flicked in his direction. “You would say that.”
“It’s the truth, Ms....?” Espinoza’s question hung in the air unanswered. “These are two dead women, involved in the drug trade, murdered by a drug cartel. They’re just trying to make some point with Agent Archer and probably saw him with Ms. Hart. I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”
Clay gave