“Is there a problem?” Manuel asked, eyeing her struggle to break free.
“My sister can be a bit strong-willed,” José ground out, squeezing her wrist so hard, she let out a pained yelp.
“We will teach her submission,” Joaquín promised.
No, no, no.Essie swallowed hard, wishing she could unsee the way the brothers exchanged wolfish looks. Like they couldn’t wait to tear her apart and eat her up.
She had to get her necklace. It was her only way back to Xander. The only way she could escape her hellish fate. And maybe find one she never knew she wanted but now couldn’t imagine living without.
Chapter twenty
The guards led Xander down the hall, every step pulling him farther and farther from Essie. And he couldn’t let that happen. He refused to leave her at the mercy of the Cardenas brothers. They’d been salivating over her like a pack of feral dogs, and he had to get to her fast.
The moment they stepped into the room where they planned on locking Xander up, he whirled and attacked without warning. Driving his fist into one guard’s face, he ripped his gun away. A perfectly timed back kick connected with the other guard’s wrist, sending his weapon flying. Xander fought like a demon trying to escape hell. And maybe that’s exactly what he was doing. Trying to free himself from a perdition of his own making.
The guards grunted and fought back, but they were no match for Xander’s skill. The CIA had taught him well, and his opponents were too reliant on weapons, barely capable of basic hand-to-hand techniques. He easily avoided their hits, ducking and punching with power and precision. Hell, he was used to dealing with at least six guards at once.This should be cake.
On the plus side, he was glad he’d kept up with his joint supplements. Being in his forties was no joke. When those first creaks and cracks had hit, he wasn’t too proud to admit it was time to load up on the glucosamine and chondroitin, fish oil and turmeric. And as he landed another solid roundhouse kick, his hip reminded him it was worth all the ribbing in the world.
He also wasn’t too proud to fight dirty. When one of the narcos ran at him, Xander let him get close enough to poke him in both eyes. As the man doubled over, pawing at his face, Xander grabbed a heavy marble statue off a table and swung it against his head. The thug dropped with a heavy thud, out cold. Probably dead.
Reaching into his boot, he slid his switchblade out and it opened with asnick. The other guard panicked, spinning around and searching for his gun, but Xander didn’t give him time to find it. With a quick slice, he slashed the man’s throat, and he fell to the floor in a heap.
Xander wiped the blood off the blade then shoved it back into his boot and scooped up the nearest gun. In two long strides, he returned to the door, closed it and hit his comms.
“Get to the mansion,” he hissed, stalking over to the nearest window and looking out. Darkness was already settling and he could feel time slipping away. “Tomás needs an extraction.”
“Where’s Essie?” Brand asked.
“With the Cardenas brothers. They’re taking her to their boat. I’m going after her.”
“Roger that,” Brand replied. “And José?”
Xander opened the window and threw his leg over the edge. “Here at the house, but I don’t have time for José fucking Barrera right now. Essie needs me.”
There was a brief pause over the comms. And Xander was quite aware his friends heard exactly what he was saying.
Essie trumped all. Even his desire for revenge.
“Go get her, Hawke.” Xander swore he heard a smile in Brand’s voice.
His boots hit the ground, and he took off toward the dock. They’d all memorized the island’s layout, and he knew the dock wasn’t far away, just a quick jog down to the southern beach. He had no idea what kind of boat they had, so his eyes widened when he saw the superyacht anchored out in the distance.
Fuck.It was a little more than a mere boat, and he had to get out there fast or risk losing them. Worst case scenario, he knew he could locate Essie using the GPS in her tracker. But he wanted her in his arms, safe and sound.Now.
Staying low and sprinting out of the jungle’s undergrowth, he raced across the moonlit sands, gun clenched in his hand. He was hoping no one would see him and he wouldn’t have to use it. The quieter he could do this, the better.
Luck must’ve been on his side because the dock was deserted. A few small motorboats were tied up, and he jumped into the closest one. Since this was a private island—and who in their right mind would steal from the biggest cartel kingpin in the country?—the key was in the ignition.
Xander quickly untied the ropes, powered up the engine and drove the boat forward at top speed. Sea mist sprayed his face as he headed straight for the superyacht. He didn’t have much of a plan other than jumping onto the low back deck and finding Essie before either of those fuckers could touch her.
Because if either of them laid a hand on her, he’d chop their bodies into chum and feed them to the sharks.
Locked up in a luxurious suite, Essie tried every door and window twice, but nothing would open. Looking around, seeing zero options to escape, it felt like she’d been sealed up in a tomb. Manuel and Joaquín had tossed her in the room and promised to return soon. She sincerely hoped not.
When the sound of the yacht’s motors turning on filled the air, she automatically reached for her necklace, belatedly remembering it was gone—taken by José, the man she would no longer call her brother. He’d become more than a stranger to her; he’d become her enemy.
Heaving out a breath, she knew she needed to escape. And fast. Xander wouldn’t be able to track her, and Manuel and Joaquín were vicious assholes who wanted to use her and break her.Just like José had done to Alyssa,she thought.
