“That doesn’t sound very convincing.”
“I promise.” He made a little cross over his heart.
Her pretty eyes narrowed. “Good.” She nodded, as though trying to convince herself it was perfectly alright that she’d just struck a bargain with the devil.
Xander smirked. That’s exactly what he’d become over the years.El diablo. A man hellbent on revenge, willing to do anything to see Barrera and everyone he loved dead and buried.
Because that was all that mattered. Revenge, he’d discovered, was the most powerful force. And, currently, it was driving every single decision he made.
As she turned to leave, he found himself wondering about his newfound savior. Hoping he could trust her, but knowing he shouldn’t, suspicion flared in his gut. But he tamped it down, knowing he could always ditch her when they reached the surface. She wasn’t a part of his master plan.
Sheer curiosity made him ask, “What’s your name?”
She paused, and his attention dipped to her jeans and the lovely way the denim sculpted her ass. Juicy as a fucking peach. Even in his current hell-hole situation, his dick twitched. It had been far too fucking long since he’d been with a woman. And she was one hell of a nice sight beyond those wretched bars.
She looked over her shoulder. “It doesn’t really matter, does it?”
Hmmm.What secrets was she hiding? “Guess not.”
She shrugged a slim shoulder then walked away, disappearing into the dim tunnel beyond. Her sudden absence made thesilence seem so much louder than it was before. Standing up straighter, he lifted his nose, breathing in the last of the cinnamon-dusted air before it turned musty again.
Who are you?
Guess he’d just call her Peaches.
Around the corner and out of view, Essie leaned a hand against the cool tunnel wall and sucked in a sharp breath. She swelled with pride for putting on such a brave facade, but inside she was still trembling. Whoever he was, the prisoner had taken intimidation to a whole new level. She pressed a fist to her chest, willing her rapid heartbeat to slow down.
Her plan was coming together. That’s all that mattered. In mere hours, she and the big, fierce stranger would escape into the night, and she’d be free of her brother and his brutal empire.
Essie’s mind raced as she hurried back to the door connecting to the bunker. Making sure the coast was clear, she pushed through and returned to her living quarters.Time to pack.
Since they’d be trekking through harsh terrain, she couldn’t bring much. Food and water would be most important. Maybe a few supplies. Her mother’s rosary. She wished she had a weapon, but José made sure she had no access to the guns everyone else carried.
Throwing open her closet, she rummaged around and found her old backpack. She would sneak into the kitchen and fill it with provisions later that evening. No matter what happened,she couldn’t get caught. If José had any inkling of what she planned to do, he’d go ballistic. If he was feeling generous, he’d probably lock her in her room. If not, she’d likely wind up in the cell beside her new friend.
Although he wasn’t exactly a friend, and doubts plagued her. What if he turned on her? Tried to trade her to her brother for his own freedom? She’d be a memory before she even made it out the door into the night.
Or what if he hurt her after they escaped? He could easily overpower her. Leave her stranded in the middle of nowhere, lost and caught between the warring cartels. The Tierra Caliente environment might be bad, but the lawless men who roamed the land were far, far worse. She could be tortured, raped, mutilated, murdered…
A knock sounded at the door, and her head snapped up. Before she could respond, the knob turned and the door swung inward to reveal her brother.
Shit.Essie dropped the backpack and kicked it under the bed with her foot.
“Hello, Estrella.”
He smiled at her, but it had been a very long time since any of his smiles reached his eyes. Over the years, he’d become a stranger. A man more obsessed with power and wealth than the teasing older brother who used to call her “Es-Es.”
“Hello, José.”
“I know it’s been a while since we’ve talked. But I think now is the perfect time to discuss your future and the role you will play going forward.”
Uh-oh.Essie didn’t like one word coming out of his mouth. She knew exactly what he meant when it came to her “future role”—a dark and dismal place she had no intention of going.
“As a cartel princess, there are certain expectations people have. Most importantly, I think it’s past time we found you a proper suitor. A man who is mutually beneficial.”
“You want me to marry someone who will benefit you?”
“Who will benefit our family,” he corrected. “A man who will help increase our status and power.”
