“Why don’t you take her from the front,” Joaquín suggested. “And I’ll take her from behind.”
“No… please…”
“Beg all you want,” Manuel taunted, lifting her chin. He snapped it to the side and dragged his hand downward, sliding his fingers between her breasts and pausing on her stomach. Her breath hitched when he yanked the button on her jeans open. Joaquín’s hand covered her breast, squeezing hard and holding her in place while his brother sneered at her. “It won’t change what’s about to happen.”
Squeezing her eyes shut, Essie told herself not to cry. No matter what happened, she refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing her tears. But she would scream. She’d scream her bloody head off.
Opening her mouth, she let out an ear-piercing shriek and bucked hard.
Chapter twenty-one
Crouched in the shadows aboard the superyacht, Xander crept forward. He moved fast and low, ready to take out anyone who crossed his path. Passing a large swimming pool illuminated by underwater lights, he skirted around a covered bar and lounge area.
It was far too quiet. Eerily silent. He expected to run into guards, but maybe the Cardenas brothers were so cocky, they believed they were untouchable. If he couldn’t grab someone to find out Essie’s location, he’d have to rely on luck and start searching room to room.
Moving swiftly down a hallway, he began checking rooms. He’d just moved away from a rec room with a pool table when a scream pierced the air.
Essie!
Heart in his throat, Xander took off in the direction of her cry. If they hurt her, it would be the last thing they ever did.
Hurrying down to the end of the hallway, he stopped at the last door and heard a deep voice say something he couldn’t make out followed by his Estrella shouting, “No! Don’t!”
Fear and fury propelled Xander straight to a door. Locked. With zero hesitation, he kicked to the right of the doorknob and moved into the room as the door flew inward, slamming into the opposite wall. Lifting his gun, Xander aimed it at Manuel Cardenas who was in the middle of tugging Essie’s jeans down.
“Back. The. Fuck. Up.” Xander clipped out each word. Unflinching, he zeroed in on the two men who were seconds away from death.
But both brothers stayed close to Essie, far too close for Xander to safely pull the trigger. They kept her between them, using her as a shield.Goddammit.
Breathing out slowly, Xander locked eyes with Essie. She gave him an imperceptible nod before stomping down on Joaquín’s foot and elbowing him hard in the chest.
His good girl, his bright star, just saved the day. And he was so damn proud of her.
Joaquín swore and stepped back, inadvertently giving Xander exactly what he wanted—a clear fucking shot. Without missing a beat, Xander pulled the trigger, firing off one perfectly-aimed shot. The bullet hit Joaquín in the head, and he dropped with a somewhat stunned look on his face.
Manuel dove behind the nearest piece of furniture, while Essie ran straight for Xander. He caught her in his arms, then moved his body in front of her. Keeping her shielded. Protected. But his plan to take out Manuel was momentarily abandoned when the last-standing Cardenas brother began shooting.
Shit.Xander wouldn’t risk Essie getting caught in the crossfire. Amidst the pop of gunfire, he fired twice, grabbed her hand, and they ran out of the room. The bedroom suite wasn’ttoo far from the lower deck where the motorboat waited. If they could just make it to the boat—
Two guards careened around the corner, armed with machine guns. Before they could even react, Xander shot them both. “C’mon!” He tugged Essie forward and, as they jumped over the downed narcos, he grabbed one of the machine guns and slung it over his shoulder. He had no idea how many guards were on board, but all the gunfire would have them closing in fast.
Turning another corner, they raced past the bar and pool. The pounding of boots warned Xander more tangos were coming, but his only goal was getting Essie to safety. Getting her far away from Manuel Cardenas.Sick fuck.He wanted to put a bullet in his head to match his dead brother’s.
Several guards appeared on the opposite side of the yacht. “Get down!” Xander shoved Essie behind a sofa and began firing. Bullets whizzed through the night air, and he dropped beside her, handing her his pistol and lifting the machine gun. “There’s a motorboat tied to the back of the yacht. Don’t let anyone stop you from getting on it.”
The gun trembled in her hands. “You’re coming with me,” she stated.
“That’s the plan.” He pressed a quick kiss to her lips. “Be ready to move.”
Straightening up, Xander sprayed a sheet of bullets across the deck. The men he didn’t hit dove for cover, but he had no doubt they’d regroup and send their own volley over the minute he moved.
“Xander!” Essie grabbed his arm, and he looked over his shoulder to see a very furious-looking Manuel pointing a gun straight at him.
“Drop it!” Manuel ordered. “Or I’ll sh—”
Xander didn’t wait for him to finish the threat. He opened fire on Manuel, who yelled a curse and dropped behind the bar.Bottles of liquor on shelves shattered, sending a shower of glass and alcohol everywhere.
Popping up, Xander kept his finger on the trigger as he stalked forward, peppering the bar with ammunition. Chunks of wood tore off, flying through the air. Manuel didn’t dare show his face or Xander would’ve pulverized it with bullets.
