She swerved around a pothole, jostling him out of his reverie. He tried to reel himself in, but his arousal wouldn’t abate. It throbbed against her, persistent. She finally pulled over and killed the engine. “I can’t drive when you’re like that.”
He didn’t say he was sorry, because he wasn’t. He couldn’t prevent his body’s response to her ass jiggling on his lap.
She dismounted and took off her helmet, letting out a huff of breath. Her cheeks were flushed, eyes glittering. Maybe the vibrations had been getting to her too. If it felt good on his balls, it probably felt great on her clit.
Damn.
Now he was hard as a rock.
They were at least thirty miles away from Benjamín Hill, but they both needed a break. He removed his sweaty helmet and adjusted his fly. She gave him a disapproving stare, as if it was impolite for him to grab his crotch in Mexico. He glanced around for children or nuns, but he didn’t see a soul. They were alone on the side of a deserted road. There was a church across the street. Maybe there was a strict no-erections rule in front of houses of worship.
They retreated beneath the shade of a nearby tree for lunch. He devoured a ham-and-eggtortawhile she ate some kind of salad out of a plastic container. It had grilled corn, tomato, and avocado. When she didn’t finish it, he polished off the rest. Pretty tasty.
He drove the final hour to Benjamín Hill. She wasn’t as nervous about riding on the back now. Being in control of the bike had eased her anxiety. She slipped her arms around him, holding steady. He planned to pull over on the outskirts of town and scope out the scene. There might be drug cartel members or corruptfederaleswaiting at the cargo station. He didn’t want to drive into a dangerous situation with Maria.
He’d leave her behind if he had to. He’d tie her up if he had to. Maria’s brother was involved, and she was determined to find him.
Ian wasn’t the only one who never quit.
He stayed on the back roads, avoiding the main drag. There was a water tower at the edge of town that appeared to offer a good vantage point. He headed in that direction. When they got close, he pulled over behind a large prickly pear cactus.
“What are we doing?” Maria asked.
He killed the engine and removed the binoculars from his pack. “We’re doing recon. I don’t know the word in Spanish.”
“Reconocimiento.”
“Yeah. That.”
They approached the water tower, which resembled a rounded barrel on stilts. It was about fifty feet tall. In the United States, there would probably be a safety feature preventing access to the ladder. Here, there was nothing to stop them. Maria proved she wasn’t afraid of heights by going first and climbing quickly. He followed her up, ignoring the twinge in his thigh. That magic potion had taken the infection and swelling away, but the wound still ached.
From the top, they had an excellent view of the cargo station, which seemed to be the lifeblood of the small town. It was right in the center of the main commercial area. There was a large metal footbridge that arched over the tracks. Small businesses lined both sides of the street.
“Someone is on the bridge,” Maria said.
Ian could see an indistinct, shadowy figure. He lifted the binoculars to his face for a closer look. There was a man in casual clothes and a brown cowboy hat, smoking a cigarillo. He could be a freight worker or a professional hit man. It was hard to tell.
He passed the binoculars to Maria. “What do you see?”
She squinted in concentration. “A man.”
“A local?”
Frowning, she examined him again. “I don’t know. His hat is norteño style, but it looks strange. Too new.”
Ian took the binoculars back, pleased with her assessment. In this dusty town, a pristine hat was suspicious. “Do men from the south wear cowboy hats?”
“Some do. In Mezcala they wearcampesinos.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s a traditional straw hat.”
While he surveyed the scene, two federal vehicles rumbled down the main drag. They stopped at the cargo station. Federal police piled out and stationed themselves along the tracks. The man in the cowboy hat glanced at them, still smoking.
“We can’t go down there,” Maria said.
“No.”
