Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 73880 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 369(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73880 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 369(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
Jesus.
“Boss, it’s me.”
Boss…?
I cock my gun.
“Put the gun away, Montavio,” Manuel says. “She has instructions to shoot and kill your woman.”
She?
The door opens.
Fern walks in with Starla, a gun pressed into her side. It takes me seconds to put it together before my vision blurs with sudden rage.
The fucking traitor.
Starla’s eyes are unfocused and her steps wobbly. Is she drunk?
“Fern, what the fuck are you doing?”
But Fern isn’t looking at me. Her eyes gleam when she sees Manuel. “There you are. He did it, didn’t he?”
I promised I would end this man. I promised he would never walk the streets without repercussions. And now… I have to protect Starla.
"Good girl, baby," Manuel says. “He did. Did Montavio deliver what we asked for?”
She rolls her eyes. “In a half-assed way. Didn’t give us anything I couldn’t have found out myself with a little digging.”
“Of course not, the fucking pussy.” He shakes his head at me. “Thought you’d be able to hoodwink us, Montavio?”
“I gave you what they asked for.”
More than I wanted. I told myself it didn’t matter, because I knew Manuel would be dead before he got a chance to deliver any of the intel.
"Let her fucking go," I say to Fern. "She's got nothing to do with you."
But she doesn’t even pay attention to me, her gaze fully fixed on Rodriguez. There are two reasons people betray others: money and love. Now that I see Fern with Rodriguez…I’m wondering in her case if it’s both.
I grit my teeth. “You have an issue with me, not Starla. What does Starla have to do with this?”
She glares. "Everything. You think just because you boys played rescue heroes to Eden and Starla somehow everything would be magically perfect? And you could just go on worshiping her? Fuck that. I know you’re a traitor, Timeo. I have all the evidence. I don’t need to kill you. When your brothers know what you’ve done, they’ll do it for me.”
Starla won't even look at me. She probably thinks I'm a traitor.
“I know who really appreciates me.”
Manuel crosses the distance between them, reaches for Fern, and kisses her.
No.
It all comes to me in a rush.
Fern was working with the cartel right under our noses.
She came to us after we ended them, with an iron-clad resume and references. Sergio vetted her and she’s worked for us tirelessly for years.
And all this time…
“So you’re jealous of Starla.” If I keep them talking, I can make a plan. The door is behind me. If I knock Fern down, I can easily overpower her and get her gun.
I need to shoot Rodriguez.
"Watch him,” Manuel says. "He's a sneaky motherfucker. Our ride is almost here.”
If they get us on their boat, our chances of escape are slim. Starla’s clumsily cuffed, which means if anyone pushes her into the water, she’s dead.
My mind races.
Manuel narrows his eyes at flashing lights outside the window.
“Someone called the harbor patrol,” Fern grumbles. “We have to move.”
The flashing lights grow nearer. I want to distract them, but I'm going to have to let them get the upper hand if Starla’s going to be able to get away.
Fern’s smaller than Manuel. I have seconds before they put us on their boat —
I grit my teeth and hold my breath as they yank us through the exit, the door slamming shut behind us. The wooden pier lays in front of us, mostly darkened, one meager bulb overhead casting dim light onto the planks. Now’s my chance.
“Starla, pay attention.”
Manuel jerks his head toward me. I shake my head with a mirthless laugh. “If I were you, I’d be looking out at the water. You never know what creatures lurk in the deep, do you?”
Manuel narrows his eyes, and within seconds, is dragging me toward the waiting motorboat tied to the dock, barking at Fern to bring Starla along. He doesn’t trust me.
Good.
Strong hands grab me as the boat that came for them prepares to cast off.
“Go, go, go!” Fern shouts.
They make the mistake of putting me on first.
When Manuel moves, I pivot my full bodyweight into Fern and shove Starla up onto the dock.
“Run.”
Fern stumbles forward onto the pier and reaches for Starla, but Starla’s too quick.
“Let her go,” Manuel grates. “We only needed her to get to Montavio. She’ll blab but by then it’ll be too late.” He reaches for me and yanks me toward him, fury in his gaze. “You thought it would be that easy?"
"Go! They don't need you. Go, Starla!” She looks at me, her eyes wide and teary as she stumbles on the pier, watching Fern jump back on the boat as it leaves the dock. I reach up to my throat and squeeze. It’s my last recourse.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Starla
I stumble onto the pier, disoriented. My mouth feels like someone stuffed it with cotton. I grip my throat, half expecting something to be around it after Timeo’s last gesture toward me.