Cool, damp air touched her skin and a mustiness tickled her nose. Trekking forward on the now-familiar path to the surface, her senses on high alert, she suddenly paused. Her brother’s voice floated to her. Two voices, actually. Essie had always been curious—okay, nosy—and she tiptoed closer. She could easily justify her eavesdropping by a keen sense of needing to be in the know. José never confided in her. Just ordered her around. And that meant telling her to pack up and move with zero notice because someone either tried to kill him again or decided to blow up their home.
She was tired of it.
This is my life.
She yearned for freedom and safety, wanting more than anything to escape José’s clutches and all the violence he embraced and thrived on creating.
“Can you trust them?” a voice asked.
“It’s the only option,” José stated firmly. “The Cardenas brothers are the only ones powerful enough to help me finally topple the Villarreals. By combining our assets, the Barrera Cartel will be born. We will crush anyone who tries to go up against us.”
“Have you told her yet?”
A prickle of dread raced down Essie’s spine. She had the horrible feeling they were talking about her. No doubt about it—she was the only “her” around.
And that didn’t bode well.
“She won’t be happy, but it’s the only way,” José said, tone dismissive. So cold it left her blood chilled. “Essie should’ve married years ago. I’m gifting her a husband. She should be grateful.”
What?Her nails curled into her palms, cutting into the flesh as her entire world bottomed out beneath her. José was planning to marry her off to a stranger. Without even consulting her. She couldn’t have heard right.
But sadly, she knew she had.Because isn’t this what I’ve always worried about and feared more than anything?In the back of her mind, she’d thought it could be a possibility but then convinced herself that her own flesh and blood would never cast her away with such callous indifference.
Now, the more she thought about it, the more she realized José wasn’t the man he used to be. He’d become so fixated on power and ruling the Mexican cartels, nothing else mattered. Including her consent.
“So which brother are you giving her to?”
“Eh, either. Both? I really don’t care.”
“They do have a reputation for sharing.”
Harsh laughter drifted over to her and her jaw dropped.That rat bastard.Yeah, she might say her daily prayers, but she still cussed when the occasion warranted. And this occasion definitely warranted.
“I’m tired of her nagging,” José continued. “She doesn’t appreciate what I’m doing.”
What’s to appreciate? Forcing us to live underground? Creating powerful enemies who are trying to kill us and destroy everything I love?She’d lost everything when the Sinaloa mansion had burned to the ground. Pictures, mementos, family heirlooms. Things that couldn’t be replaced.
“Essie needs to learn respect, and maybe a husband, or two, can teach her.” They laughed again, moving away, and her flesh crawled. If José thought she’d just bow down and marry one of the brutal Cardenas brothers, he’d lost his mind. Manuel and Joaquín Cardenas had reputations that would give anyone nightmares. Then again, so did her brother. Uniting him and the Cardenas would result in nothing but more bloodshed, death and destruction.
And she refused to be a part of it.
Time to put her escape plan into high gear. But it wasn’t that easy. She could pack some necessities, including the money she’d saved up over the years, and head to the surface. But they were sitting right in the middle of Tierra Caliente—a region known for its punishing heat and brutal cartels. A woman on her own with no protection or weapons was a terrifying thing to consider. She also wasn’t sure which way to go or how she’d traverse the harsh landscape alone. There was also Tomás to consider. If she ran away, would José hurt their little brother?
Tears burned her eyes, but she blinked them away. Now wasn’t the time to cry. Time was too precious to waste on tears. She needed to act. Immediately.Think, Essie.
She needed at least a couple of weapons, money, food and clothing. Most of all, she needed protection. A strong escort, preferably one who inspired fear. But who?
Her heart sped up as an option occurred to her. A very, very dangerous option, but at this point, she didn’t have many choices. Biting her lip, she remembered the big man with the bright blue eyes. It had taken six guards to drag him through the tunnels and toss him into a cell.Six.That’s the kind of ferocious beast she needed on her side.
But would he take the bait? Aid her escape?
Why wouldn’t he?
The not-so-pleasant alternative would be dying down in that hellhole.
If he was even still alive. The last time she saw him, while sneaking through the tunnels, he’d been bruised and bloodied. But he’d been doling out some serious wrath on José’s men, throwing a barrage of well-aimed punches.
She debated in her head for less than a minute, then turned away from the tunnel that would lead her above ground. Instead, she took the one that would lead her deeper into the mine where the cells were located. If he promised to help her, she’d release the prisoner. It would be mutually beneficial. Together, they could travel to the closest city or town and then go their separate ways.
