“We think she would be safer with him. And she trusts him. Last I heard, the same couldn’t be said for you.”
“Then you need an update. We’ve made progress. I’ve got her talking. I’m getting valuable information.”
“Walker can get it, too. My mind is made up.”
“Unmake it, goddamn it.” He gripped the phone so tight he risked breaking it—and he didn’t care. “How is Walker going to keep her safe?”
“He’s one of the best fucking snipers in the world. We both know bodyguarding isn’t your strength, and we have other jobs for you.”
“Let’s seriously cut the shit. If I was going to sell out Laila and her sister, I could have done that in Florida. Or anywhere along the road the last couple of days. Hell, I wouldn’t have saved her when she fucking ran off in Orlando and was almost abducted by one of Emilo Montilla’s thugs.”
“What?” Joaquin sounded ready to blow a gasket.
Of course that was news. The bosses had been busy, and he hadn’t broadcast all that shit to them. “Yeah. And if I was the kind of backstabber just here for the cash, I could sell her—and all of you—out right now. But I haven’t. I won’t. She. Is. Safe. Here. I would lay down my life to make sure of that.”
In his ear, Joaquin sighed. “The circumstantial evidence is pretty damning.”
“Ever think someone might be framing me?”
Muñoz didn’t have an answer for that.
Trees barged into his silence. “Getting real? I know you three tasked Zy with proving I’m the mole.”
“He fucking told you that?”
He had, but no way would Trees throw his buddy under the bus. “I could tell by the way he acted. You can’t know someone as well as I know Zy and not realize his behavior was off. And I didn’t have to guess too hard to figure it out. I can’t prove to you that you’re wrong, but you are.”
“Maybe we are. Maybe we’re not digging deep enough. But we can’t unpack that right now. We have our hands full trying to figure out who’s holding Kimber and where, so—”
“Which is another thing,” Trees cut in. “Your little plan to dangle Laila as bait in some staged hostage exchange? No. That’s not happening. You’re going to get her killed—and Kimber, too. From what I’ve managed to coax from Laila, these aren’t people you fuck with.”
“You think we don’t know that? We’ve been in that compound, One-Mile more than once. They left him with a long hospital stay and a broken jaw as souvenirs. You never even made it inside. So don’t lecture us on how ruthless these sons of bitches are.”
“They’ll never fall for that old fucking trick you’re trying to play.”
“They might not. But we don’t know unless we try.” Joaquin sighed. “We’re running out of options. Every hour that ticks down is another hour we wonder if and why Kimber’s abductors would bother to leave her alive.”
“A dead captive does them no good.”
“That’s what we’re banking on, but they’re running out of patience. We all feel it. Instead of playing defense, we need to go on the offensive and put an end to this.”
“By offering up Laila, regardless of the risk to her? No.”
“It’s not your choice. She said yes.”
Fuck, Trees wanted to punch Joaquin, mostly because he was running out of logic to fight back. And he didn’t dare admit to his boss that he was falling for the woman whose body he had done far more to than guard. “Give me twenty-four hours more with her. She’s beginning to trust me. With the information she has, she can likely help you locate Kimber and—”
“No, she can’t.”
“Do you know the players in this cartel drama? Everyone involved? The factions fighting each other and why? Who the power players are and who’s likely to win? She does.”
“Then I’ll come get her and question her—”
“She was systematically and repeatedly raped for six years. Believe me when I tell you that winning her trust took time.”
“You’re telling me you managed to do it in four days?”
“Not one hundred percent, but I’m still four days ahead of you. Want to start the clock over? Will Kimber last that long?”
“That’s where Walker comes in. She trusts him.”
“And we’re back to the fact that there’s no place more secure to keep Laila than here.”
Joaquin didn’t answer right away, and Trees could all but hear him gnashing his teeth on the other end of the line. Finally, his boss cursed. “You have twenty-four hours. If we don’t see some fucking progress by then, you’ll turn her over to Walker, no questions asked. Agreed?”
Trees hesitated, his thoughts churning. He didn’t want to agree to this shit. Who else would understand Laila’s urge to barter for her necessities? Her fear of the dark? Her need for a firm but gentle hand? Not Walker.
But he also didn’t have much choice.
“Fine. I’ll get you usable information by tomorrow evening.”
“If you don’t, we’ll be taking Laila off your hands.”
Trees signed off with a grunt, then stabbed the button on his phone to end Joaquin’s call. Why the fuck couldn’t he convince his bosses that he wasn’t a dirty sellout? Whatever. He didn’t have time to rail about it. He needed to dig through Laila’s thoughts and memories and come up with some theory about who kidnapped Kimber and why. What she’d spilled this morning told Trees a lot more than he’d known before—maybe even more than anyone else at EM knew. Had any of them asked either of the sisters questions?
Maybe they had, and Trees was just in the dark because they thought he was the traitor. But if they hadn’t…Laila and her knowledge might be the key to solving their problems.
Trees put his computer to sleep, then left the office in search of Laila. Dragging in a deep breath, he knocked on her slightly ajar door. It squeaked open. She spun to face him.
Her guarded expression told him instantly that something was wrong.
“Laila?” He entered the room slowly, gaze searching. “Little one?”
“I am fine.” She refused to look at him.
“No, you’re not. What happened?” He reached for her hand.
She recoiled.
Trees cursed. Something he’d done had freaked her out. The only thing that had happened between the last time they had talked and now and been Joaquin’s phone call.
She’d overheard.
He tried to stay calm as he retreated to lean against the frame of her bedroom door. It was the perfect spot for two reasons: one, he had backed off, which hopefully would lower her anxiety. Two, she couldn’t leave the room without going past him.
They were having this out now.
“Nothing.” She didn’t meet his stare. “I am tired.”
He couldn’t call bullshit. She’d been awake half of last night. He’d felt her restless and unsettled beside him. The dark circles bruising her eyes underscored that fact. “Want to nap?”
“Yes.”
“Great. You know the rules. If you want to stay in this room alone, I’ll need to cuff you.”