“We won’t, but if I’m hostage first, you get Soledad, and then all I have to do is ask Joshua to let me meet Carmelita. You don’t realize how happy I am to find out she’s alive. Go ahead, make me your hostage.”
“It’s too dangerous,” Axe said. “What if Joshua doesn’t bring Soledad out? I hate to be an ass, but Joshua might not care about you. Carmelita is the higher value target.”
Hot rage singed the roots of Leanna’s hair. How dare he scoff at her offer? She had been too stupid to live.
She slapped his shoulder. “You are an ass. Don’t you get it? I don’t want Carmelita endangered.”
“And I don’t want you endangered.” He rubbed his shoulder. “By the way, that was hot. You can do it again next time we’re in bed.”
Leanna rolled her eyes. “I’ll spank your ass until you’re good and hot.”
“Is that a promise?” He picked up the notepad and wrote something. “I’ll hold you to it.”
“Ugh, I don’t think I want to touch your hairy butt.” She jutted out her lower lip and sneered. “So, what’s our plan, since you think mine is dumb?”
“Yours is brilliant, but I don’t want you to risk it,” Axe said. “I’m still getting the creeps over Ana and Eduardo’s killing. We’re dealing with someone dangerous here.”
“You sure it wasn’t El Bardo?” Leanna asked.
“I don’t know, but if El Bardo killed them, he had to have a reason. That weasel never does anything without something in it for him.”
“Maybe your father ordered it.”
Axe rubbed his chin. “What for? He wants El Bardo to nab Carmelita. Why would he need to execute Ana and Eduardo? How do we know Juan and Ivan didn’t kill Ana and Eduardo?”
Leanna felt pins and needles dance over her scalp. “Juan seemed scared after he found out Ana and Eduardo died. He claims he’s protecting Carmelita. From who? Your father?”
“My father’s a loose cannon.” Axe sighed deeply. “Is your father more reasonable? Can you ask your father to ask Joshua to give Soledad back in exchange for peace?”
“You’re so naïve.” Leanna couldn’t help snickering. “My father might make the deal. After all, he’s glad to gain a grandchild he thinks is dead. But Joshua doesn’t do anything unless he profits. If he already has the Tres Amigos protecting Carmelita, then why should he hand Soledad over to you? She’s his leverage.”
“Then I surrender to him in exchange for Soledad,” Axe said.
“That’s even more stupid than my plan.” Leanna gave Axe a love-kick in the calf. “The only way is to figure out how to get Joshua to play. That was why El Bardo wanted to nab Carmelita. Once you told me Joshua got shot in the balls and can’t have any more kids, I now see why he protected her when he wanted me to abort her before.”
“Then we’re back to finding Carmelita,” Axe said. “What if we got our fathers together and they agreed to help us?”
“Why would they do that?” Leanna asked. “My father killed your father’s twin brother.”
“We tell them we’re getting married.” Axe lifted an eyebrow. “Will you?”
“Will I what?” Leanna’s head felt hot and cold at the same time. “Marry you?”
“It might work, and I’m sure we’ll both enjoy it—a lot.” He got on his knees and took her hands in his.
“You’re not serious. This is just to get our fathers to cooperate.” Leanna’s heart fluttered on overdrive, bouncing between doubt and flights of fancy hope.
“I’m dead serious.” He kissed both of her hands. “If I want to have bareback sex with you, I have to offer marriage. I’m old-fashioned in that way.”
“You don’t have to joke about it.” She swallowed to keep her feelings from gushing like a fountain. “Let’s say we tell our fathers we want to get married. Then what?”
“Your father must have dirt on Cano. Maybe he can make a deal.”
“It won’t work. Cano will kill him,” Leanna said. “Face it. Carmelita is the only leverage that’ll work. Not me. Not you. Not even our fathers. You might as well get off your knees, and we might as well go home.”
“No, we can’t give up. We came this far; we’re going to find her,” Axe said, getting up from the floor. “That old lady who feeds the cat knows something.”
“She’ll only lie,” Leanna said. “She tried to tell me Carmelita didn’t exist.”
