Chapter One
Catalina
Catalina Mendez strolled down the empty street at 3:00 AM, humming to herself.
It was her favorite time of day— night— well, technically morning, even though it was dark as night. Statistically speaking, a high percentage of bad things happened at 3:00 AM. It was a peak time for vehicle crashes, industrial accidents, medical crises, and violent crimes. For an adrenaline junkie paramedic on the late shift, it was the best and most exciting time to work, when she might actually get to save a life. It didn’t hurt that Catalina was a night owl, working at peak efficiency by night and a little sleepy and slow by day.
But right now, she wasn’t just at peak efficiency. She was wired. She’d just flown back from the small European country of Loredana, where she’d been working with Paramedics Without Borders to help restore emergency services after a catastrophic earthquake.
Her return trip had been a catastrophe all by itself. Her best friend and paramedic partner Ellie McNeil had been supposed to pick her up at the airport, but her flight had been delayed, then canceled, then restored so many times that Catalina had finally texted Ellie to forget about it. Catalina was perfectly capable of taking a taxi whenever the hell her flight got in. Which had been originally scheduled for 6:00 PM on Wednesday, but turned out to be 2:00 AM on Friday.
By the time the plane took off, she’d drunk several gallons of coffee to make sure she didn’t doze off in the airport and miss her flight. Then she figured she might as well drink some more, since she was already wide awake. By the time the plane touched down in Santa Martina, she’d worked up a pretty good caffeine rush. Her nerves tingled with anticipation that something exciting and important might happen at any second.
That was when she discovered that her luggage had been accidentally routed to Singapore. Which was certainly exciting and important, but not in a good way. She picked up her purse, which was all she’d taken on the plane, and made her way to the taxi stand.
As the taxi headed toward her home, she realized how little she wanted to go there. It would be boring. And lonely. She couldn’t even reunite with her cats— Ellie had taken them while Catalina was away. Her bed would be cold and empty without any kitties to cuddle.
Thoughts of Ellie and bed led to thoughts of the man who now shared Ellie’s bed, hot bodyguard Hal Brennan. And the other hot bodyguards at Hal’s private security company, Protection, Inc. Ellie had promised to introduce Catalina to them when she got back from Loredana. She’d even offered to send photos, but though Catalina had been impressed with the pics of Hal, she’d declined to look at the ones of the single guys. She’d meet them in person eventually, and she liked being surprised.
The taxi stopped at a red light. Catalina recognized the silhouette of a towering office building a couple blocks ahead. It had been in one of the photos Ellie had emailed her, of her and Hal standing in front of Protection, Inc.
“Let me off here,” Catalina said impulsively. “It’s walking distance from my home.”
The taxi driver craned his head at her. “Are you sure? It’s a pretty long walk. And it’s the middle of the night.”
“I’m sure,” she said.
Catalina paid him and stepped out on to the empty street. Sure, no one would be at Protection, Inc. But she’d at least get a closer look at the place she’d heard so much about. And she needed to burn off some energy before she went home, or she’d never get to sleep. Besides, night was the best time to walk around the city. The air was cool, the sky was a pretty purple-orange with light spill, and you never knew what might happen.
A vision of her mother popped into her mind as she walked down the street.
Walking alone at night in the city! Mom’s remembered voice was loud in her ears. You could be robbed! You could be murdered! You could witness a murder, like your poor friend Ellie! Why are you always so reckless?
It’s a good neighborhood, mom, Catalina replied to the voice in her head, echoing real conversations they’d had a thousand times over. I’m not reckless. I’m just not afraid.
You should be, Mom scolded. Ever since you were a little girl, you haven’t known the meaning of fear. I pray every night that when you do find out, it won’t be too late.
The street was empty and silent. As Catalina came closer to the towering office building that housed Protection, Inc., she saw that she was approaching a dark alley.
Normally she would have walked right past it. What were the odds that a mugger was lurking at a deserted street on the unlikely chance that someone would walk straight past his lurking area— especially when every woman Catalina had ever met, even her brave friend Ellie, would cross the street to avoid that alley?
But tonight Catalina hesitated. An odd feeling made her stomach clench and her palms tingle.
Oh, no, she thought, dismayed. I spent months living in a tent in a disaster zone, and now I get sick?
Then she recognized the sensation. It wasn’t one she felt often, but she knew what it was. It was fear.
She stopped to take stock, wondering what had made her feel afraid. Some little thing in the environment, too subtle for her register consciously, must have signaled that something was wrong. Something was dangerous.
Catalina took a step to the side, meaning to cross the street. She wasn’t completely reckless. If an action seemed both dangerous and pointless, she wouldn’t take it.
A man staggered out of the alley, fetched up hard against the wall of the nearest building, and slid down to the ground.
Catalina ran to him. On her way, she took a quick peek into the alley to make sure the scene was safe before she entered it. That was the part of the paramedic test she’d almost flunked, but it was second nature now. She couldn’t see all the way into the alley, but what she did see was empty and still, with nothing stirring but a few discarded candy wrappers. There was no obvious danger, no pursuing muggers or smoke or sparking electrical wires, so she was free to tend to her patient.
See? She told the mom-in-her-head. Not reckless!
Catalina knelt by the man’s side, giving his body a quick visual scan before she did a more detailed examination. His eyes were closed. He was tall and muscular, but lean rather than bulky. His short black hair looked soft as a cat’s fur. He wore dark jeans and a white T-shirt s
potted with fresh blood. More blood ran down his handsome face from a cut at his temple. His chest was moving evenly, and when she bent over him, she couldn’t hear any sounds that indicated breathing difficulties. His skin seemed pale, but it was difficult to tell in the hard white glare of the street lights.
Airway: good. Breathing: good. Visible bleeding: not severe. He wasn’t likely to drop dead in the next few seconds, so she’d call 911 to get the ambulance on its way before she resumed her assessment.