“Oh, hell.” One of the men—Brandon, maybe?—groaned. “Please tell me she’s not coming with us.” Essie figured he must be the leader of the group. He had that air of command about him. And Xander had introduced him first.
“She’s coming with us,” Xander stated in a voice that brooked no argument. “She’s my ace.”
Right. Because he planned on using her to lure out José.
The men all exchanged looks.
“Your ace?” Wes echoed. She remembered him from Xander’s quick introductions because of the way he shifted on his prosthetic leg. Which he was doing again now, seemingly steadying himself for an uncomfortable confrontation with his friend.
“That’s right.” Xander crossed his arms and lifted his chin, as though daring them to challenge him.
Brandon gave his head a shake then nodded toward the plane. “Let’s get the hell outta here. We can discuss this insanity on the flight back.” He pinched the bridge of his nose, not lookingpleased. “For the record, Hawke, I think this is a really bad fucking idea. The worst you’ve ever had.”
“Noted,” Xander said, but he didn’t back down.
Essie didn’t like being called Xander’s ace, but she also didn’t want to question him further until they were alone. Sticking close to him, she followed him onto the plane and looked around. There wasn’t much to it when it came to aesthetics and comfort. It looked like the interior had been gutted at some point, and now a row of seats had been installed on either wall, facing each other.
Sliding down into an end seat, she buckled up. Xander sat beside her and the huge man who’d first greeted Xander—Chaz?— sat beside him. Lex—the obvious flirt of the group—must have been their pilot, because he disappeared into the cockpit as the other men took the seats across the aisle, facing her.
She could feel their curiosity, and not one of them looked overly thrilled about her accompanying them back to the States. They kept exchanging looks and avoided making eye contact with her. Keeping her attention down, she focused on her folded hands in her lap. Doing her best not to fidget, she suddenly felt completely overwhelmed. She was leaving her country, the only home she’d ever known, with a man who wanted to kill her brother. A man who was practically a stranger. A man she’d kissed and tasted and fantasized about.
What waswrongwith her?
Xander started talking to his friends about an op in Sinaloa, and her brow furrowed. He’d been at her family’s mansion? That was news to her. God, there was so much he kept hidden. So many things he didn’t share. It seemed like he didn’t share much with them, either, because Corey—a man easily identified and remembered by his stunning arctic eyes—looked somewhat confused by Xander’s brief explanation of why he left and went off on his own.
“I figured we could cover more ground that way.” Xander shrugged. “Then I got captured by Barrera’s men.”
The air noticeably cooled and she felt the heavy weight of their gazes, now more accusatory than curious. But what was she supposed to say? Yes, her brother was a murdering, power-hungry bastard. She’d already apologized to Xander. Heart heavy, she grabbed the cross on her necklace.
She supposed she should say something about her brother kidnapping Sera, Corey’s wife, which seemed to be why they’d been in Sinaloa.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured, looking up. Her attention shifted to Corey. “I’m so sorry my brother took your wife, and I’m very glad you were able to get her back.”
Corey nodded, his features softening. Out of them all, he seemed the most forgiving. “Thank you.”
“I don’t know who my brother is anymore.” She swallowed hard, the edges of the gold cross digging into her fingers as she faced the hard truth head on. “I don’t recognize or condone the monster he’s become.”
The group grew quiet and settled in for the duration of the flight. Xander didn’t say one word to her. He seemed lost in his thoughts. And whatever those thoughts might be, he wasn’t sharing them with her. But that was hardly surprising. Ever since finding out who she was, he’d practically shut down. Become detached. Distant. So far from the man who’d teased her during their escape trek, called her Peaches and held her close as they slept in a derelict storage shed.
When they finally landed, she was more than ready to get off the bumpy, cold plane. Not sure what lay ahead, she followed Xander, hoping he could see past her name. Praying he didn’t hate her.
Because his current demeanor, even colder than the frigid wind surrounding them, suggested he might very well leave herstranded at the small airport with nothing but the clothes on her back.
And then what would she do?
Xander had been contemplating his next step for most of the journey home. It felt damn good to be back in Montana, on good ol’ U.S. soil, where he didn’t have to worry about traipsing through the jungle and running into rival cartels. But he did have a new problem on his plate he had to deal with. A very infuriating, lovely problem who made his blood run hot.
Estrella Barrera. What was he going to do with her?
He supposed he could lock her up, but he didn’t think she planned on running away. The way she looked up at him and kept so close to his side reminded him she had nowhere to go. No money, either. She certainly didn’t seem too keen on returning to her brother’s care.
With few other options, Xander figured he’d take her home with him and figure it out.
Brand gave them a ride, not so subtly hinting that he wanted to know what Xander planned on doing. He wished he could tell him, but to be honest, he didn’t even know yet. “But when I figure it out,” Xander promised, “you’ll be the first to know. Because I’m probably going to need your help.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.” Brand sighed, pulling his car into Xander’s driveway. His gaze flicked up to the rearview mirror,looking at Essie in the backseat. “This could turn into a really messy situation.”
“I’m aware,” Xander muttered.
