They drove down a scanty street and turned on a narrow road that was surrounded by lush greenery. The air carried the scent of flowers and salt, giving Everly hope they were still close to Chile. As they rounded the corner, she spotted an intimidating gate that seemed to disappear into the trees. When the vehicles neared the gates, they opened on their own accord and the driver pulled through, sealing them inside behind the massive bars. This building resembled the Silva mansion, but a dark vibe surrounded it like a cloak.
“Welcome to your new home.” Darby threw his hand out, waving toward the immaculate building in front of them.
Luis stepped out of the van and made his way to Darby’s side. They still didn’t realize Everly could understand them as they spoke in Spanish, and she planned to keep it that way.
She was able to hear parts of their conversation. It was apparent that they had brought some of the women from the warehouse to the mansion. Darby had requested this to protect himself in case Cristian went on a suicide mission. He wasn’t going to risk his livelihood. Everly covered her mouth to stifle a gasp when she heard the last part of the conversation. Dmitri had personally requested that he let Cristian live until he recovered his daughter, Katya.
“Move.” Darby shoved her forward.
She glanced back at the open doors of the van and searched the women’s faces. Everly thought it was weird that the driver, whose eyes were shielded by dark shades, was focused on her. “Another fucking creep,” she swore under her breath. She watched as the women were unloaded and dragged toward the backside of the property. The entire time, the driver of the van never took his eyes off of her. When she couldn’t stand it anymore, Everly confronted him. “Can I help you with something, sir?”
The corners of his mouth twitched into a knowing smile. Apart from the ugly moustache that hung above his upper lip, and the wildness of his beard, she couldn’t push past the sensation she had seen him before. For a brief moment, she thought it was Cristian, but she knew it couldn’t be. Was she going crazy? Was she hallucinating Cristian now?
The man stilled when Luis stepped beside him. “What’s taking you so long? Get them off the van!” he yelled, making the driver stiffen.
Everly watched as each woman trudged past them. Her eyes sought out her friend, praying she was among them. She was about to give up when she noticed the last woman step out of the back. Her walk was all too familiar, and the butterfly tattoo on her back was clear.
“Carla!” Everly’s heart raced wildly. She yearned to rush towards her friend, to hug her. But she knew they were being watched.
“Do you know her?” The driver asked curtly. He’d been watching her from his mirror.
“Why don’t you mind your own business?” Everly tried to shut him up.
“Answer the question, Everly.” His accented English annoyed her. And how the hell did he know her name?
“How do you know my name? And what do you want from me?”
“To work with me.”
“Really?” Everly scoffed.
“Yes. We both want the same thing.”
“And why do you think I’d be stupid enough to help you? It could get me killed. I’ve lost enough.”
“Because I know you sacrificed yourself.”
“What do you know?” Everly snapped, her eyes darting back toward Darby, who had walked off to inspect the women.
“I know you love my brother.”
Everly froze. It couldn’t be, could it? “Bastian?”
"Areyougoingtoanswer it?” Katya stared at Cristian and Matias. A full day had passed and there still had been no word from Darby.
“I’ll take it.” Matias eased himself forward and pressed the button to answer.
“No. He thinks you’re dead. Let’s keep it that way.” Cristian’s tone was forceful and angry as he swiped the phone away. He was hoping it would be Darby with some sort of deal.
“What?” he barked into the phone.
“Sir,” Marco called from the other end.
“Marco?” He was surprised to hear the familiar voice of one of the men he thought he lost.
“I wanted to let you know that Bastian is safe. He sent word that he was able to sneak into Darby’s camp.”
Cristian realized that he hadn’t seen Marco during the raid on their men and that he must have helped Bastian with his plan. Now that his brother was in Darby’s inner circle, he was more worried. What if Darby killed him and Everly just to get back at him?
