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“No.” I leaned against the table. “No one knows we’ve made contact with you yet or where we are, and I want to keep it that way. The family that fed us has children, and the farmer who brought us here has land and people depending on him. I’m not rewarding any of them by painting targets on their backs.”
A muffled voice sounded behind Nik, followed by Lucian, much louder.
“Put the fucking phone on speaker.”
A beat later, Nik put us on speaker.
“Lach?”
“Aye, brother.”
For a moment, Lucian didn’t say anything. When he finally spoke, his voice was rough.
“Jesus Christ, Lach. I thought I was going to watch them kill you on that fucking feed.”
My throat tightened. If our positions had been reversed, seeing that proof-of-life feed end in gunfire and chaos would’ve gutted me.
“I know. I’m sorry you had to watch that.”
“Don’t apologize. Just tell me you’re really out—you’re safe.”
“I’m out. I’m standing. I’m safe for the moment.”
Lucian let out a hard breath. “Thank fuck.”
“You sound like hell.”
“You should see me.”
Nik cut back in. “That brings me to a question. You keep saying we. The last time either of us saw you, Isabella Delgado shot Ciro between the eyes, the man beside her killed Ciro’s guard, and half the compound started screaming over the radios before the feed went dark. So who exactly is with you?”
“Isabella.”
Nik spoke first. “The attorney is with you?”
“No. Marcela Reyes is the attorney.”
“What?”
“There are two Isabellas.”
Lucian muttered something that sounded suspiciously like a prayer.
A few feet away, Isabella folded her arms loosely and listened without interrupting.
“The woman from New York is Isabella Marcela Reyes. She stole the identity of the woman here with me. The real Isabella was hidden at Finca La Cruzona her entire life.”
Nik was silent for a moment. “That explains the two women. It doesn’t explain why you’re trusting another Isabella with your life after what the first one did to you.”
Fair question. He still wasn’t going to like the answer.
“Because my Isabella kept me alive when Ciro had me chained in his dungeon.” Mouse’s brows rose at the claim. I smirked and kept going. “She brought me food and water when helping me could’ve gotten her killed. She got the key to my restraints and freed me, knowing damn well I could overpower her the second my hands were loose. When Ciro died, and the whole compound went to hell, she could’ve used the chaos to save herself. Instead, she came back and got me out. I’m standing here because of her.”
“Your Isabella?” Nik huffed.
“Aye. My Isabella. The one who saved my life. Now let me finish.”
I moved on to what happened after the feed went dark.
