Or if she’s not waiting to fuck you over again. I think the thought before I can stop myself. It’s been happening more lately and after the way the morning went, I won’t lie and say I’m not twitchy about it. Scarlet has more to lose than I imagined. When we make it through this mission, she is looking at prison time. Time that I fought for, made my arrest on and included in the final contract she signed with Jay for her plea deal. Scarlet Reyes is a snitch and taking all her buddies, men like Julio Bandara, down with her. And because I’m so intent on making sure she follows through and atones for all her sins, my child is now going to be motherless.
I zone out as much as I can, pretending to be as uninterested as I can, until Scarlet signals they’re ready to leave the room. Bandara is no longer staying the night at the hotel, since he wants to get to the strait as soon as possible. If you ask me, he’s paranoid, and knowing the hotel is where Scarlet’s dad died, he wants out of here. They pick a time for the drop and she tells him about the driver. They say goodbye with a familiarity that irks me, even when I have no right. Scarlet isn’t mine. She may have given me her body again and shed the rest of her secrets, but there is still so much between us. Too much anger, hurt, and betrayal, and that’s only from me.
I watch Julio’s retreating back until his disappears from sight, before helping Scarlet stand. She eyes me and takes another shot of tequila before rising to her feet. “I can get to my room,” she murmurs, her eyes fixated on the floor. Since our conversation a few hours ago, she’s closed herself off.
“I’m going that way anyways, Scar, just let me take you,” I tell her. Her eyes flash with my use of her nickname. It’s brief and barely there before she glances away and nods her head. I keep up appearances while I escort her back to her room, once her door shuts behind her and I have a text confirming she’s okay, I head back up to the roof to confront the next person on my list.
Jay leans against the edge, smoking a cigar and waiting. “Thought you might come find me,” he says, even though I have yet to speak.
“You knew,” I reply. No point in accusing him. Scarlet already told me what happened.
Jay sighs. “I’m glad you finally talked.”
No apology, no excuse. I scoff. “It would have been nice to know sooner.”
“It wasn’t my place to tell you. She also built it into her protection clause.” He inhales, eyes watching me. “I told you to reach out. Both of you being stubborn and unwilling to trust anybody is what got you here.”
I hate that he’s kind of right. I shake my head, still unable to wrap my mind around the fact that I’m a father. I have a little girl, who has my eyes, apparently, and I’ve never met her. I run a hand through my hair before taking a cigarette from my pack, lighting it up, and taking a deep inhale. This little girl will hate me once she realizes I’m the reason her mom is behind bars.
Jay seems to sense my inner struggle. His hand claps my shoulder. “Let’s just get through tomorrow. After we deal with Bandara and Los Moños, then we can figure out the rest. Nothing is final until the report is finished.”
I keep my eyes on the skyline while he walks away, thinking over his words. I’m hoping things will be clearer after tomorrow when all of this is behind us. The end of this case has been within my grasp for so long. The loss we’ve endured to get here has been far greater. I’m doing this for Blake and now I’m doing it for Selene. I thought I didn’t care if I made it out alive as long as we finally put an end to the monsters. Now I have the biggest reason to stay alive. I understand Scarlet, just a little more, and that is what will keep me up tonight.
Trent
“Are you sure you’re ready?” I ask her again, and I don’t miss the hint of annoyance in her attitude when she narrows her eyes at me.
“You act like I haven’t done this before,” she says.
I shrug. “Just making sure you actually plan to show up, Reyes.”
“I wouldn’t miss it,” she retorts, one hand on her hip, and the other holding her phone. “Dax already confirmed.”
“Let us know when you leave, so we know roughly when to meet you,” Jay instructs from where he’s standing by the door, grabbing our bags and amo. He’s ready to leave and I can’t make myself budge. My mind remembers this same feeling from six years ago. A sense of loss mixed with an anxious need to keep Scarlet in my line of sight fills my chest.
“You ready?” Jay asks, and I nod.
“Be there in a minute.” He leaves without a word and then it’s just Scarlet and me.
Her brow lifts. “If you plan to just lay into me about following orders, I got it. I want this over as much as you do, Trent.”
My lips twitch with amusement. “Don’t go soft tonight, Scar. Bring your A game. Finish up with a bang, so no one ever forgets the queen.”
“Off with their heads, right?” she says, with a forced laugh. Her smile doesn’t meet her eyes and something that feels strangely like guilt burrows into my gut.
I stalk toward her, not stopping until I’m close enough that she has to tilt her head back. I lift a hand and trail my fingers down her cheek, to the point of her chin. Her eyes go soft and her lips part. My hand slides into her hair, the thick, black strands wrap around my fingers, and I tighten my hold. “Be safe,” I tell her, emotion thickening my voice. Her eyes meet mine, a sheen of tears making them glisten. Unable to speak, she nods her head and mouths the word “yes.” I lean and touch my lips to her forehead, inhaling her, savoring the feel of her skin, before I step back. Her eyes follow me as I cross the room to the door. She doesn’t call out or chase after me. With my hand on the door, I look at her one last time. She stands up straighter, the mask I’ve seen dozens of times in the past month slides on and she tilts her chin up. A silent goodbye passes between us before I step out into the hallway and close the door behind me. See you on the other side.
By the time the sun sinks into the horizon, Jay and I have everything set up and ready to go. Our team is on the outskirts. Far enough away to be undetected. That’s what I’m hoping for at least. Julio Bandara has a knack for finding out the impossible and evaded our grasp more than once. This time, we’re hanging onto the hope that he won’t expect to be set up by someone he apparently trusts. The irony of the situation is not lost on me. How many years ago was I in a similar position?
The last we heard from Scarlet, she was getting into Dax’s car. She opted to leave her cell at the hotel and we’re tracking her on the small device attached to one of her hair pins. They’re making good time and should be at the designated place to meet with Bandara as planned. When I talked to Cougar, he assured me Dax was the person for the job, and made sure he would give her the information when she reached out. I feel somewhat better knowing he’s the one driving her. Scarlet isn’t fully aware of how far my reach goes in the underbelly, and I like to keep it that way. Jay and I have spent a lot of time maximizing my alter persona all for the purpose of Scar to exist, so we can get information.
When the moon is high in the sky, Dax’s car rolls to where the Arroz Strait is. After a few minutes, he turns his lights off but keeps the engine running. With his tinted windows, I can’t make them out, but feel relieved they stay in the car. The sand glows from the moonlight and the nearby mountains look like black pillars, creating a wall around where we are. Using a pair of night vision binoculars, I scan the perimeter and the only nearby dirt road from both directions. There is no motion anywhere. Jay uses code to tap into our radios. The team answers back using the same technique. Shivers start to run my spine, and my fingers flex against the bulletproof vest on my chest. The half face mask is starting to feel stifling. Doubt crawls over my skin, and I’m about ready to head in Dax’s direction.