Not only to right the wrong of what had happened a few months before, but also to give Camille a feeling that her sister’s and niece’s deaths hadn’t gone unnoticed or unpunished.
Hudson was perhaps the most admirable man I’d ever met.
That didn’t change the strangling terror or the ugly thoughts tickling the back of my mind.
The thought was only growing stronger. That I’d never see him again.
CHAPTER 27
Hudson
“Still thinking about her.” Gabriel’s voice from the passenger seat didn’t startle me. The four of us had been in deep thought since leaving the house in Jupiter. As we neared our destination, I had a feeling my buddies were contemplating the oaths they’d sworn to uphold.
“She’s about all I can think about.” My answer was nothing if not honest. I was furious with Delgado, Jacob Jones, James Worthington, and everyone else who’d dared to be a part of cover-ups and extortion.
However, everything from the sweet smiles she offered to the briefest of touches when she knew I needed comfort even though I’d never admit it had kept me grounded. Enough to know I still had a choice to make in how I handled what we were about to undertake.
“It’s good to see you back among the living.” Kendrick’s voice and his words stated from behind me might ordinarily irritate the hell out of me.
Not this time.
He was right.
I’d finally tasted what it felt like to be in full control of my emotions. And perhaps my heart. “Yeah, it feels good to be alive.”
“What did the cops say about the goons left on the side of the road?” Maverick asked as he popped Gabriel on the shoulder.
Gabriel took a deep breath. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed he was scrubbing his jaw as if preparing to tell a story. At least I could still laugh. “They were curiously surprised and highly impressed that a man like me so impeccably dressed and so debonair could handle four horrific bastards all by myself.”
“What’s the real story, bud?” Kendrick pushed.
“You guys are a pain in my ass,” Gabriel answered. “They were surprised, one of the officers telling me two of the men were wanted for committing the recent assassinations ordered by Delgado.”
“I’m shocked they left any evidence,” Maverick snorted.
I rolled off the interstate, the exit just a couple of miles from where Worthington’s mole lived. I was curious as to whether Worthington had been concerned enough about our interaction that he’d warn all those involved in his alliance with Delgado to lay low or get the hell out of town. “Perhaps Delgado and our buddy, Mr. Jones are concerned that their days are numbered.” It was much easier to feel somewhat jovial with complete trust in Valentina and Bella’s safety.
“They should be nervous.” Maverick was right. They should be.
“I think taunting Jones had an effect on him,” Gabriel added.
It would seem.
We’d established a tight plan for our actions within the timeframe. By the time the sun came up, debris would litter the streets of Miami.
If what little Chase had said about the upcoming shipment was true, it could be as early as tonight when all hell broke loose in the Gulf of Mexico. Although I had to admit, if what Valentina suspected about the men who’d killed the police officers outside my home, they’d wanted her very much alive.
That angered me more than anything. There was an aspect of Delgado’s plan that the members of the DEA had overlooked.
“Did you call Camille?” Gabrielle asked quietly.
“That’s something I need to do in person. Plus, I’d rather ensure Worthington will be held accountable for his corruption before I do.”
“She has a right to know.”
“And she will. Trust me, buddy. She will.” Maybe it would give us both some peace. I pulled down the dark street. It was just after midnight. While Miami was an active city, several after-hours clubs open all night, most residential neighborhoods were quiet with little or no activity.
We rolled up to the curb a little over a block from the house. The other vehicle with the men Chase had already ordained into Raven Intel parked a little further away. Chase had been thorough. I’d need to give the guy credit next time I saw him. He’d even stored four nondescript vehicles in an oversized garage at the Jupiter house. The vehicles were listed in a dummycorporation name that couldn’t be traced. He’d also thought ahead in that the lights over the back license plates could be turned off.
