“I don’t know,” he growled, shooting me an accusing look. “Someone found out. Maybe your husband decided you weren’t worth the trouble.”
I felt like I was going to pass out. “Mateo wouldn’t do this.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Why not?”
“Because Estella is his daughter.”
My revelation didn’t seem to register with him—or if it did, he didn’t care. He was too preoccupied with staring into the rearview mirror.
“Oh, fuck!” Jerking the wheel, he made a sharp right turn down a single road.
“Slow down!” I screamed. His erratic driving threw me around like a rag doll and my head smacked against the window. “You’re driving like a maniac!”
“They’re behind us,” he growled, pointing over his shoulder. “Tahoe.”
Turning around, I saw a tan Tahoe with tinted windows bouncing along the road behind us. Every time we sped up, so did they.
Still, I rationalized his paranoia. “Lots of people drive Tahoes.”
“Yeah, you keep telling yourself that.”
As we drove farther away from civilization, I panicked, slapping his shoulders and screaming at the top of my lungs. “Let me out of this car! I have to find my daughter and my grandparents!”
He offered me a quick glance that almost seemed sympathetic. “You don’t have to look for your grandparents. They’re dead.”
“No!” I shook my head, unable to stop. I shook it until I became dizzy. A strangled cry tore from my throat, and I punched any part of him I could. I wanted him to hurt as much as I did.
“Would you fucking stop? I’m trying to drive!”
“You’re lying! It’s not true! You’re—” As the tears rolled, I glanced out the window, seeing nothing but wilderness. There were no houses. No people. Suspicion, pain, and fear swirled in my head.
Then I recognized it.
Matty took me out here once, only to warn me to never come back. He knew I liked to wander and made me promise to stay away because he’d heard stories that there were cartel safe houses in these woods.
At the time, I hadn’t realized it wasn’t a warning.
It was sound advice from one of their own.
When I got in this car earlier, I hadn’t realized it wasn’t a talk.
It was a trap.
I jerked on the door handle, ready to jump out of a moving car if I had to, but it wouldn’t budge. “Let me out of this car!” I screamed.
Alex shook his head, his expression almost sad. “I can’t. I told you, they have her. It’s either you or her, Leighton. I can’t hurt a kid. May God forgive me.”
I stared at him in horror. I’d counted on everything except Alex’s conscience. He was right when he said he’d protect Stella, but the price he’d pay was my life.
May God forgive me too.
Letting out a bloodcurdling scream, I grabbed the wheel with both hands and jerked it hard to the right. The sudden turn caused the car to spin into a ditch.
“Alex?” I coughed, my voice barely a whisper. He didn’t answer. Glancing to my left, I saw him slumped over the wheel. He was unconscious, his face covered in blood.
I need help.
I tried to get out of my seat belt, but it was jammed. I thought I yelled for help, but my mind was so fuzzy, I couldn’t remember if it was out loud or in my head.
That was when I heard the car door slam.
Then the footsteps.
Metal ground together as my door wrenched open, and I saw something silver and shiny coming toward me. I didn’t have the energy to protest as it dug into my chest and sliced me.
No. That was wrong.
It sliced the seat belt.
I’m free.
Hands reached in and lifted me out of the car, and my head lolled against a strong chest. I was so tired, so I rested my head and closed my eyes. “Thank you.”
I felt myself being jostled again as another car door opened, and I was thrown onto a hard floor.
“You’re welcome, little lamb.”
Chapter Forty
Mateo
Well, that went well.
I rested my head against the back wall of the elevator and closed my eyes. No one could ever call me a pussy, but I stood in front of my friend and jefe and took his wrath like a man. As his second in command, it’d been my responsibility to keep him informed of everything I’d learned—especially since it involved another high-ranking lieutenant. But when it came to Leighton, the lines between my loyalties became shaded with gray areas I couldn’t explain.
Not that it mattered. Val wasn’t interested in hearing my justifications. He wanted action and consequence, all dealt by my hand for allowing the situation to escalate to the point it had. I’d accepted his demands, and if I had any brains left in my head, I’d be carrying them out right now.
Instead, that gray line of loyalty drove my SUV right back to The Houstonian. I owed Leighton an explanation of what had to be done, and I wanted to kiss her one more time. There was a good chance I’d never get the opportunity again, and I needed nothing left unsaid between us.
The elevator dinged, signaling its arrival and as soon as the doors opened, I headed toward our suite, trying to piece together the words in my head to make her understand.
“Leighton, we need to talk.” The suite was silent, and after checking everywhere, I stood in the middle of the living room gazing at the hardwood floor. I hoped to hell she was having lunch downstairs or indulging in the resort spa because ignoring Val’s commands again to go searching all over Houston for her would be suicide.
I dialed the front desk and barked out the question I already knew the answer to. “Did my wife leave the property earlier today?”
“Yes, Mrs. Alvarez left not long after you did,” the attendant confirmed. “I offered to call a car service for her, but she seemed quite impatient.”
Val insisted on checking us in under aliases. I thought the extra precaution had been unnecessary but didn’t question it.
I managed a mumbled, “thank you,” before slamming the receiver down.
“Fuck!” I yelled, grabbing my hair in my hands. This was the last damn thing I needed. What the hell was she thinking?
But her disappearing act wasn’t what pissed me off the most. It was her impressive acting skills. The way she’d acted so tired, resting her head on the couch, all the while waiting for me to leave so she could act on whatever vigilante shit she’d concocted in her head.
I paced the room. She didn’t know what she was doing, and it was going to get her killed. Letting out a roar, I punched the wall. I’d take Val’s bullet, but I couldn’t stand by and let her take one too.
Grabbing my keys and phone, I’d just opened the door when my phone rang. I considered ignoring it, but when I saw the number on the caller ID, I answered.
“You have thirty seconds, Bright.”
“I just wanted to make sure I didn’t mess up,” he said, stuttering over his words.
I stopped. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Your wife.” Bright cleared his throat. “She told me the order came from you, but now I’m not so sure.” As he recounted his conversation with Leighton, the vein in my temple swelled, and I gripped the molding over the door so hard, I almost cracked the wood.