Rafael (The Santiago Brothers Book One) Read online

  Rafael

  by

  K. Victoria Chase

  Published by K. Victoria Chase

  www.kvictoriachase.com

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and events are fictitious. Any similarities to actual events and persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental. Trademarks, service marks, product names, or named features are assumed to be the property of their respective owners, and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement if any of these terms are used. The reproduction of this book in whole or part, electronically or mechanically, without the express written consent of the author constitutes a copyright violation.

  RAFAEL

  2nd Edition

  Smashwords Edition

  Copyright © 2013 K. VICTORIA CHASE

  ISBN 978-0-9890651-2-2

  Cover Art Designed by For the Muse Designs

  Edited by Faith Williams

  To all the aspiring authors who’ve been rejected. You can be published. To my critique group, The Northern Virginia Christian Writer’s Fellowship, for providing fresh ideas — I used them!

  And to my family, who keep encouraging me to continue with my passion.

  In this second edition, I would like to thank the readers who read the first release.

  I appreciate your support.

  Additional Titles by the Author

  The Santiago Brothers

  Rafael

  Alejandro

  Ricardo (Coming Soon!)

  Virginia Justice

  Serial Games

  Marked by the Mob

  Untitled Series

  From Across the Divide (Coming July 2013)

  Chapter One

  “DON’T go, man.”

  Rafael Santiago frowned at the impassioned plea from his cousin, a man he’d barely had contact with over the years. How did Enrique know of his plans to return to Virginia?

  “Enrique, what do you know?”

  “You know I can’t say, bro. Just… just take my advice. Stay in California.”

  The line went dead.

  No use trying to dial the number. His cousin was too careful; he'd have ditched the burner phone by now. To return the call would place his cousin in mortal danger.

  Rafa’s chest constricted. Enrique wouldn’t call unless someone was about to die. Problem was, someone had already died. Three had suffered a brutal death. Stopping whoever was committing these murders was Rafa's top priority. No, he had to leave. This was his responsibility. It was time to return to Virginia.

  At the sound of his boarding call, Rafa stood, slung his duffel bag over his shoulder, and waited in line behind other passengers boarding the plane to Virginia. He glanced out the airport windows at the plane, his mood souring. Someone else awaited him in Virginia. How would she react to his return?

  ****

  “Four in two weeks.”

  Detective Eugenia Green stooped beside the body of a young female who lay sprawled on the cold concrete steps of a dated apartment building. Genie squinted as a flash from a camera momentarily blinded her.

  “Sorry, Green.” The crime-scene photographer shrugged his apology and repositioned his camera for another shot.

  Genie stood to full height, her eyes taking in the contorted face of a woman who died in pain, the crimson stain of blood against the bleach-white fabric of a once stylish couture blouse. “Make sure you get a close shot of the chest,” she directed the photographer. “I can make out a couple of puncture wounds.” Genie stepped back so her orders could be followed.

  She walked down a short flight of steps to the ground level and waved two unoccupied uniforms over. “I want this whole building canvassed. Someone heard something.” They acknowledged her with a nod and fanned out.

  Genie surveyed the growing crowd of onlookers, who stood obediently behind the crime-scene tape. No one struck her as suspicious. Their faces crinkled with concern over the news of a fatal stabbing in a relatively quiet community. A couple of local news crews had gathered in time to shoot live for the eleven o’clock news.

  One more victim and Springfield, VA would be looking at a serial killer.

  “Green!”

  Genie swallowed thickly. Turning on her heels, the muscles in her back tensed as she watched Lieutenant Larry Winters march toward her followed by none other than that idiot Franco. She read determination — no , anger — in her boss' tight face and slit eyes and she steeled herself for any accusations. She hadn’t done anything wrong. In fact, if Winters wanted someone to yell at, Franco was the obvious choice. Her gaze followed Franco and he veered off course to the steps and the body. Someone else shadowed him. The man kept pace with Franco. Genie’s eyes narrowed on the stranger’s back, but she could only make out a strong build and dark, wavy locks. A detective from another unit, perhaps?

  Winters halted a few feet in front of her, hands on wide hips. “I need you to get back to the station, now.”

  Her lieutenant’s gruff command confused her. She was the on-call detective for the week. She needed to be at the crime scene. “Sir, I’m working a murder investigation here. Looks like the same MO as before.”

  “Yeah, Franco’s here to cover you.”

  Not a chance. Being one of only a handful of female detectives in the county, and African-American, meant she had to work twice as hard as her male colleagues to earn their respect. Whatever she was assigned, no matter how trivial, she’d see it through… to the end. Her career hung on every case, every interrogation, and every piece of evidence. This was her investigation.

  “No offense, boss, but Franco will mess this up. I have to—”

  “You’ll do what I say or I’ll hand this investigation off to someone more qualified.”

  That stunned her into silence. Someone more qualified? Her record spoke for itself: fastest promotion to detective in her district’s history, zero unsolved cases, and top three percent conviction rate among her competition. No one had more time on this case than her, and no one could manage it as well. She ran down every dead-end lead herself. Her palms sweated, comprehending the threat.

  “Genie?”

  “May I ask what this is all about,” she asked through thick teeth.

  “A break in the case.” Her boss grinned like he had a secret.

  Genie blinked. What had she overlooked? She had double-checked all evidence, confirmed statements from witnesses, and the forensic lab regularly updated her on the status of her requests. She had a hand in every element of the case. Perhaps her source had new information. Then why hadn’t he called?

  Genie’s gaze shifted to Franco and the mystery man who was pointing at the wall adjacent to the staircase. Genie’s anxiety morphed into annoyance at the sight of her colleague. Franco was a decent detective, but he tended to skirt corners to close cases. He had past reprimands in his personnel file, spanning from unsigned evidence logs all the way to intimidating suspects. If he missed identifying even one piece of evidence tonight, it could sink her case.

  “Lieutenant Winters… Lieutenant Winters. Can we get a statement?” Her boss moved to address a local news reporter.

  Franco casually strolled to where Genie stood. He smiled broadly. “I hear you’ve been summoned.” Genie bristled at his smug look of satisfaction. “You really work too hard, Genie. You’ll most likely miss something key. I suggest you—”

  “When I want your suggestion, I’ll ask for it,” she gritted. She bumped him with a shoulder and stomped toward her vehicle. Then she heard laughter. She stopped before whirling to face a snickering Franco. She marched back to him, coming within inches of his face, her eyes narrowing on him. The air between them c
hilled. The surrounding sounds faded as she focused all her energy on intimidating Franco.

  The laughter died.

  “And I didn’t miss anything.” He didn’t challenge her, the lump in his throat bobbing, beads of perspiration gleaming on his forehead in the night light. Satisfied he feared, if not respected her, she turned on a heel.

  Wait a minute. She spun back toward the direction of the staircase and the unidentified man who had accompanied Franco to the scene. She sucked in a breath, her heart pounding in her ears.

  Those dimples.

  The man with the wavy, dark hair approached, a grin on his handsome face. Genie licked her dry lips. He looked even better than he did in—

  “Genie, this is Rafael Santiago,” she heard her boss say. “He’s here to consult on the case.”

  ****

  Eugenia Green. Where had he heard her name before? School? No one in California for sure. Rafa Santiago ran a hand through his hair, racking his brain as the name gnawed at him. Whoever she was, she was supposed to have followed him and Winters back to the station, and he’d been sitting here in Winters’ office for a good ten minutes. Where was she?

  Rafa blew out a breath and concentrated on Lieutenant Larry Winters, the man responsible for dragging him back into a world he fought every day to forget. When Rafa’s boss called him in to the office and told him Winters had phoned from Virginia, in less than two hours he was on a flight back to the East Coast. He landed at Reagan Washington National and within the hour he was in Springfield. His body ached to rest, and he was glad his deodorant was extra strength. But the trouble of coming all this way would be worth it… hopefully. His boss had given him the option of allowing someone else to help consult on Springfield’s case, but Rafa knew no one had his connections or experience.

  Plus, this case was personal.

  Winters pointed the remote at the television in one corner of his office. The screen went dark. The man grunted and tossed the remote onto his desk. He gave Rafa a hard stare, determination set in his jaw. “Genie’s my best detective. I want the two of you together on this.”

  Genie. Now the name rang a bell. Long plaid skirts, high-buttoned blouses, and a single cornrow down the middle of her head. Rafa’s lips twitched as he fought a grin. The picture forming in his mind threatened to derail his resolution.

  He hardly recognized her at the scene. Sure, it was dark, but the woman in form-fitting jeans and a snug blazer didn’t remind him at all of the innocent girl he knew in high school. No, this woman was different. Hardened.

  Rafa crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes meeting Winters’ gaze. “Not a chance.”

  Winters’ brows rose in surprise, but Rafa’s gaze didn’t relent. This was one condition he would not yield. He’d spent too much time already, too many years wasting his life on the other side of the fence. As a detective, he had an opportunity to set it all right. He wasn’t going to allow anyone else to get hurt. His mind drifted back to the girl he remembered from high school. He didn’t know who she was now but he needed to persuade her to drop the case — or at least try to get her to convince Winters to let him work it alone.

  “Now, I appreciate you flying all the way out here from California and all but this is Virginia.”

  He knew. He’d grown up not far from this precinct.

  “Our jurisdiction, our rules.”

  Rafa’s jaw flexed. How could he explain the gravity of the situation? Four people were dead by the hands of assassins, and if Rafa had to take a guess, more would lose their lives. “With all due respect, sir, we aren’t dealing with your typical gang, or some sort of turf war. These people are highly motivated and belong to an organization skilled at protecting its people.”

  Winters nodded. “Yes, I understand. That’s why my best is going to stay a part of this investigation.” Winters narrowed his eyes on his watch. “If my best would hurry up and get here.”

  “Sir—”

  “If we don’t and something happens, I’ll have Internal Affairs breathing down my neck and that’s the last thing I need.”

  Rafa clamped his mouth shut. Winters had no intention of being convinced. Coaxing Genie to give up the case was his only option.

  “Plus, you’ll have no authority to act as an officer of the law in my town unless I agree.”

  No matter. He would act as a private citizen. But he’d keep that fact to himself. He had no wish to alienate local law enforcement, especially when he may need future assistance. The only leverage he had was his knowledge… and Springfield PD needed that knowledge.

  Rafa shifted in his seat. “Sir, I’d appreciate it if you’d reconsider.”

  Winters sat back in his chair, his brows coming together. Rafa held his breath and waited. He knew the wheels in Winters’ brain were turning, and Rafa hoped the lieutenant would agree to kick Genie off the case.

  Winters let out a breath, his lips fluttering. “I don’t know what to tell you, Santiago. This is her case, and I really don’t see how I can convince her to let you go it alone.”

  “Then I’ll have to persuade her. I need to be the only one on this investigation.”

  Rafa turned at the sound of the door slamming against the wall. Genie stood in the doorway, fixing him with a hard stare. “Not happening.”

  Chapter Two

  “GREEN. Nice of you to finally join us,” Winters grunted, his eyes on the glass panes of his office door. They were still intact. “Take a seat.”

  Take a seat? So Winters wanted her to sit down so he could hand her case over to someone else? Was he kidding? Genie’s hands found her hips. She tried to count to ten but only made it to three. “You called me in so you could reassign my case?” Just hearing the words out loud sent an angry fire whipping through her veins. “You could have done that at the scene, or better yet, picked up the phone and called. Would’ve saved yourself a trip.”

  Winters held up a hand for her to stop. “Green—”

  “Sir, this is my case.”

  “Green, we have a visitor.” He gestured across his desk, indicating someone else was in the room with them.

  Her eyes focused on the man who sat opposite her boss. Reclining in a chair, he sat legs spread wide, hands locked behind his head. He looked as if he were enjoying the view.

  He had ten seconds to wipe that smirk off his face… and get rid of the dimples, too.

  Her anger, boiling over from what she had just overheard, quickly ebbed away, replaced by something foreign. The man who sat just two feet away from where she stood, the man threatening to take away her investigation, was none other than…

  “Rafael Santiago,” she breathed.

  This was an impossibility. An incredibly tantalizing and inconvenient impossibility. She knew only one Rafael Santiago. He was a well-known delinquent in high school and on a first-name basis with the truant officer. A third of the infamous Santiago brothers, Rafa was the lothario of the trio. Although his older and younger brothers were equally good-looking, most of the girls flocked to Rafa… even Genie — in her dreams.

  He reminded her too much of Jeff Butler. Her almost-fiancé from college. The man who broke her heart more than five years ago. Genie blinked back a surprising rush of hot tears. She hadn’t thought of Jeff in years. Her heart was healed. Wasn’t it? The thought of being matched up with another philandering Casanova — even if it was only business — was nothing, right?

  Rafa stood, his grin broadening, his dimples deepening. “Ms. Green—”

  “Detective Green.” She crossed her arms over her chest.

  She refused to notice how well he filled out his dark blazer. And had he always been this tall? It must be the hair. It hadn’t changed in more than ten years. Still thick, dark, and full of stretched ringlets. Genie faced the supervisory officer for her precinct.

  Winters flashed her a sheepish grin. “Santiago, could you excuse us for a minute? I’m afraid my detective feels I owe her an explanation.”

  “That would be nice,
” Genie muttered under her breath. She caught the disapproving eye of her boss. “Sorry, sir.”

  “Not a problem,” Rafa said. “I’ll be waiting in the hall.”

  Genie didn’t watch him walk out. She waited until the door clicked before launching into her offense. “Sir, I’ve already done all the legwork for this case. After Franco finishes up at the crime scene, I’m certain new leads will develop.”

  “Green—”

  “From those leads I’m expecting to identify a suspect.”

  “Green, enough.” Winters held up both palms.

  He eyed her suspiciously. Heat burned the back of her neck. Genie palmed her forehead, moisture wetting her hand. Why did his appraisal make her feel guilty?

  “I know how big this case is… how big it could be. This is the kind of case that could make or break someone’s career.”

  Genie couldn’t deny the thought had crossed her mind. She felt for the families of the victims. She would never wish someone to die so her career could thrive, but she was a cop and people died all the time. Sometimes under suspicious circumstances. The victims needed an advocate and Genie enjoyed filling that role. A by-product of her hard work was a promotion. A natural progression.

  “You’re gunnin’ for my job with this case, aren’t you?”

  Genie flushed. “Sir… I, ah—”

  Winters waved a hand to excuse her shock and sat back in his chair, an amused smile on his face. Genie swallowed her embarrassment. She didn’t necessarily want his job, but she did desire an accommodation that could one day lead to her running her own shop. This was just the case to make it happen.