AB’s brow furrowed. “The Michael one… that has to be Maikel Castillo. Castillo Cartel. Skin trade. That’s one branch of their operations. Nothing good there.” He paused, fingershovering over the keyboard. “We’ll need to cross-match with existing intelligence and see who’s clean—or not.”
I chewed on my lip. The names, the accents, the half-remembered details… it was like piecing together a map of snakes that coiled and wound in and around each other. Every thread pulled revealed another lurking danger.
“Legend,” I said, trying to lighten the moment, “when are you going to let me sneak a piece of that garlic bread before it disappears?”
He glanced up, mock indignation in his eyes. “The salad is your warm-up. You get the real prize when it comes out of the oven. But I’ll save you a slice… if you promise not to collapse over it.”
Voodoo snorted, leaning back in his chair. “Our girl hasn’t collapsed yet. Not emotionally, physically… and morally. A slice of lasagna won’t tip her over the edge.”
“I’m holding out for a second slice,” I said. Goblin brushed against my leg as if he agreed, tail wagging.
The room was alive with small domestic battles and the murmur of serious work. Somehow, in the middle of scheming, research, and lasagna, it felt… like home. Safe.
The safe house felt safe. I shook my head. That was what it was supposed to feel like and yet, I almost wished we were back at Base. That all of this was solved and Am was home and…
Some of my good mood ebbed.
I didn’t realize Bones had been watching me until he pushed back from the table. “Don’t do that,” he said quietly.
“Do what?” I tried for light, but my voice didn’t quite make it.
AB didn’t even look up from his computer. “She’s spiraling. She’s thinking about her sister.”
Voodoo slid his phone into his back pocket. “And—Base,” he added, head canted as he studied me. “Probably imagining everyworst-case scenario all in a row. Firecracker, don’t make us pry you out of your own head.”
Legend’s spoon froze mid-toss in the salad bowl. “We’re okay,” he said softly. “You’re okay. We’re going to get her back.” His tone was light, but the promise underneath was steel.
I swallowed, staring into my tea like the lemon slice could give me the answers. “I know. I just… I want her safe. I want all of this over. I want to stop finding new snakes under every rock.”
Bones crossed the room in three deliberate steps. His fingers brushed under my chin, tilting my face up until my eyes met his. “We’ll handle the snakes,” he said. “You just keep breathing.”
My throat tightened. Not painfully. Just… truthfully. “And looking pretty?” I went for light, but the words still came out a little thick.
“You don’t have to try to do that,” Bones told me. “You justare. But if you need to scream, to cry, to throw things—aim at Voodoo, I’m still healing.”
Laughter broke through me and I cracked up. I wasn’t alone as chuckles erupted from the guys. Voodoo even winked at me when I glanced at him.
Legend clapped the salad bowl down with theatrical flourish. “Speaking of snakes, one of these names Sinclair gave us? The Eastern European one? Alphabet thinks that one might connect to the Kirov arm of Castillo.”
AB nodded, finally looking up. “Kirov Syndicate does a lot of business with the Castillos—more than I expected based on what I’m seeing here. Logistics, transport, weapons, laundering. If they’ve got a representative in La Madrina’s upper echelon, that’s… concerning.”
“Understatement,” Voodoo muttered.
“How?” I set my glass down. “I don’t know all of these guys, does that mean La Madrina isn’t just a cartel or a trafficking outfit.?”
AB turned the laptop toward me. Several profiles, photos, and redacted reports filled the screen. “They’re a consortium,” he said. “A network. Not one family, not one nationality. They operate like a private equity firm that happens to specialize in every awful thing imaginable.”
“A fucking hydra.” Bones’ jaw flexed. “We cut off one head, others spring up.”
Voodoo waved a hand. “Sure, but we’re not aiming to take down the whole organism.” He paused a beat then shot me a look. “We’re not going for the whole thingyet.” That amendment was definitely for me and each time I didn’t think I could love them more, they did things like this. “For themoment, we’re targeting the nodes most likely connected to Am’s disappearance. La Madrina is a threat, yeah, but we can’t discount the Castillo Cartel.”
“Maikel Castillo,” Bones repeated, settling a hand on my lower back and beginning to rub a slow massage to ease the tension making it taut. “I agree with Alphabet’s assessment there. Do we have a full profile on him?”
“We will by the time we finish dinner,” AB said, glancing at me with raised eyebrows as if verifying I was okay with this. I knew, without a doubt, that he would work right through food if I needed it.
“After dinner is fine,” I murmured, leaning into Bones’ caress as he shifted to work both of his thumbs into the knot between my shoulder blades. I wanted to melt.
Legend opened the oven to check the lasagna, and a wave of molten, savory aroma washed over us. Cheese bubbling, sauce simmering, garlic perfuming the whole house. It almost felt indecent compared to what we were discussing.
