Rosie shot a last look at Justice over her shoulder. The fear on her face broke his heart.
He inhaled a deep breath and drew strength from Brielle’s hand resting on his leg. “Right before the news broke about the Andersons, I learned that Julia Washburn is the biological daughter of Lola Anderson and her first husband Julio Escobar.”
Silence. Then, a cacophony of disbelief.
Miguel whistled. “Julio Escobar. I’m familiar with that name. He was the son of General Jorge Escobar, one of the most feared and ruthless leaders of a Mexican drug cartel. We know that his cousin Felipe murdered him, but his wife Lola, suspected of shooting Felipe, isLola Anderson?”
“Appears so,” Justice confirmed.
“What an ironic twist of fate that the general’s granddaughter is a DEA agent with two insane half-siblings.”
“Which raises some questions and concerns. Do the Andersons know about Julia?—”
“And do the Washburns know the truth?” Hutch interrupted.
“And where have the Andersons gone?” Luca concluded.
Justice’s lips curved into a faint smile. “You read my mind. Jiena, will you clear the way for us to work with the Director of the FBI given our history with the Andersons? We need someone there now to check out Western State Mental Hospital and speak with Julia and her parents. They need to know the truth, if they don’t already.”
“Done,” Jiena declared as her fingers typed a message on her cell phone.
“I’ll do it, I’ll go,” Miguel volunteered in a quiet voice.
“We’ll get you on a plane to Virginia tonight. Jiena?”
She nodded. “Done.”
THE PRESENT
ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA
Officer Miguel Rivera
Miguel disembarkedthe plane with only his carry-on and made his way through the throng of travelers to the terminal’s exit. He’d been told to expect an FBI agent to meet him, but the identity of the woman standing next to a government-issued Suburban startled him.
Julia Washburn.
She waved and smiled at him. He returned the gesture, and to his surprise, his heart did a funny thing, like skip a beat or something. Julia wore navy slacks and a blazer, paired with a white blouse and serviceable shoes. He glimpsed her badge pinned to her waistband and her holstered gun. Her dark brown hair hung in a ponytail down her back.
When Miguel approached her, she held out a slim, well-manicured hand. “Officer Rivera, hi. I can tell by the puzzled expression on your face that you weren’t expecting me.”
Her firm grip sent an unwelcome electric current up his arm. He pulled his hand away first. “No.”
She popped open the back, and he tossed his carry-on inside. Julia slid behind the wheel, and he climbed into the passenger’s seat next to her.
“When my mother learned you were coming, she insisted I pick you up.”
“I appreciate it.”
“She also insisted you’re staying with us and cancelled your hotel reservation.”
Miguel’s jaw tightened a little. “Oh?”
She glanced sideways at him. “Don’t be angry. It makes sense since you’re on her security detail.”
It did, but he preferred his privacy. “We need to speak with Brendan McAdams, your mother’s Chief of Staff. Is he at your home?”
“His, I imagine. Ever since the news broke today about the Anderson siblings, he’s been acting strange, off his game. And bywe, do you really meanyou?”
