Tessa shook her head. “I had sort of a plan. There are only a handful of people on the team at the ATF. By now, they all know who I am. Once I went missing, it would’ve been all hands on deck. I’m surprised agents didn’t show up in the bayou looking for me. I guess you guys really are as good as Dane always said.” Her chest hitched as she mentioned her dead brother.
“Anyway, my original plan was to figure out who had access to the intel I had delivered to my boss. The list was limited to only a few people, and I know all of them. I thought I would reach out to each of them with a story about how I can’t reach my boss, so I needed to tell them about the drugs. Then I would give each one a different location. The mole would then tell Rodriguez, and whatever location he showed up at would tell me which individual on my team was the mole.” She sighed. “I know it was stupid, but what choice did I have? If I told my boss and he told the team about the trucks, then I would’ve lost the opportunity to find out who the bent cop is.”
“So, instead, you let everyone think you were the bent cop until you could work something out,” Savvy stated. She let out a long sigh. “Not ideal, to be sure.”
“And now that Drew has been taken, are you gonna try and finish the op?” Stone asked.
“I don’t have a choice,” Tessa said. “But I can’t do it alone. I need help. And we still have a problem—I don’t know who the mole is, and until I do, every movewemake could be fed right back to Rodriguez.”
Cross leaned back against the pillow and stared at the ceiling, his ribs aching from the fight, his arm burning from the bulletgraze. But all he could see was Drew—bound, scared, possibly hurt. And now, caught in the crossfire of all this corruption.
“We need to find Drew,” he said quietly. “She comes first. I don’t give a fuck about the drugs. I care about her. That’s assuming Rodriguez hasn’t killed her already.” Just saying those words made bile climb up and burn his throat. God, his eyes even prickled.
“Drew’s alive. I guarantee it,” Tessa declared. “Rodriguez will use her as a bargaining chip. Her life for the drugs. He’ll know that I won’t let her die if I can help it. My guess is he already knows all about you guys and Dane. Once he got Cross’s name, the rest would have been easy to track down. And we’re talking about the cartel. They have endless money and resources to find out anything they want. He knows you guys will trade the drugs for Drew, no question.”
“That’s a fact,” McGuire said. “But, we can’t go in blind.”
Tessa met his eyes. “Rodriguez is back in Miami. My guess? Drew’s there too. He’ll want the home turf advantage. And he’s got something to prove. The cartel will be majorly pissed by now. If Rodriguez doesn’t solve the issue soon, they’ll take him out, and he knows it. He’ll be desperate.”
Cross winced as he moved his arm. “We need a plan, and we need it fast.”
Savvy nodded. “I agree. I want to get my sister back in one piece so I can throttle her for getting involved in this mess.” She narrowed her eyes at Tessa. “You think your original plan might still work? How many people are on your team?”
“Three who would have the wherewithal to pull off being the mole.” Tessa hesitated. “The thing is… I think I have to tell my boss. He’s going to have to go along with this to make it work. I thought he would be fine with it originally, but since I did a runner, I’m not so sure.”
Cross picked up the sat phone that was on the bed beside him in case Drew or Rodriguez called. He extended it toward Tessa. “Convince him. Drew’s life depends on it.”
CHAPTER 17
The bass thumpedthrough the walls like a second heartbeat—steady, relentless, and loud enough to rattle Drew’s teeth. Neon lights flashed under the crack of the office door, bathing the concrete floor in pink and blue pulses. She sat on a battered metal chair, wrists bound with zip ties, ankles lashed to the legs of the chair, in a room that reeked of spilled tequila and desperation.
Miami.
The heat was oppressive, even in the air-conditioned club, and sweat slicked her spine beneath the thin blouse she’d been stuffed into after the flight. Rodriguez clearly had no interest in her comfort. Just control. She winced as she tried to shift her position. Her back was killing her, and her ass was numb. When she had the chance, she would make Rodriguez pay, and she promised herself she would get that chance no matter what.
The door opened with a sharp squeal of hinges, and two men entered—both broad-shouldered, gold chains visible at the neckline of shirts that were two sizes too tight.
But behind them came someone she hadn’t expected.
Dunlop?What the hell was he doing here? Her mind immediately went to Billy. Did something happen to him, or didDunlop just leave? Was Billy trying to get in touch with her? Shit.
The man paused mid-step, pale blue eyes locking on hers. The color drained from his face like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over him.
“Jesus,” he muttered, and she was pretty sure he was about to talk to her, so she quickly shook her head. It wouldn’t be good for anyone to know that she knew Dunlop.
She straightened as best she could, chest rising. “I need to go to the bathroom.”
The goon nearest her smacked his hand on the back of her chair. “Shut it. You’ll speak when spoken to.”
Drew jerked away and shot him a glare. “Right. Well, if I don’t get to a bathroom in the next five minutes, you’re going to have more than just smartass comments to worry about. You’ll have one hell of a mess to clean up.”
The guy’s expression twisted. “Tough shit.”
Drew arched a brow. “You think Rodriguez wants to walk into a room that smells like piss? His impatience with screw ups is legendary.”
The two men glanced at each other.
“She’s got a point,” Dunlop said, surprisingly casual. “You want to be the one he chews out when he gets here?”
