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  We’re staring deeply into each other’s eyes, our bodies joined, and the depth of emotion that passes between us is palpable. As his gaze bores into mine, I can tell this isn’t just sex we’re having. We’re not just fucking. Baker is making love to me right now. I can tell he needs this as much as I do – this reassurance that everything we feel for each other is real and are as deep and profound as they seem.

  Our kisses and our movements speed up, the passion between us rising to a glorious crescendo. Baker has taken me to the tipping point, and I can tell by the tightness in his body that he’s there with me. With several more hard thrusts, we both tumble over the edge. Together.

  We cry out in ecstasy, our voices ringing off the tile of the bathroom. I feel Baker’s cock pulsing and throbbing inside of me and knowing that he’s shooting his load of his hot seed into me intensifies the sensations coursing through me. I cry out, my nails digging harder into his back. He calls out my name, and together, we ride the currents of bliss together.

  I cling to him, and he holds me up as if I’m as light as a feather. Together, we remain like that, our bodies intertwined with each other, enveloped in the warm glow of ecstasy and our shared passion.

  Together.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Baker

  After spending some unexpected time with Isla in the shower, my mind and body are buzzing with an electricity that is making my head spin. The more time I spend with her, the deeper I’m getting. It’s both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. I never expected to feel this way about anybody ever again. At the same time, the danger of losing her is all too real, which reignites my memories of the pain I felt when I lost Jenny.

  But, with Hernan still running around out there, so close by, I have no choice but to confront those fears once more.

  Now that she has her memories back though, there’s a certain darkness that settles down over her. I can see it in her eyes now and then. That darkness seems to lift when we’re together and close, but when she thinks I’m not looking, I can see it cross her face like a cloud as it passes in front of the moon.

  I understand the demons she’s battling. Between her brother and blaming herself for Tommy’s death, the sometimes moroseness she’s feeling is understandable.

  At the same time, she’s whole. She knows exactly where she came from and knows all of the things that have happened to lead her to this point. Having her memories back and being whole once more is a good thing, no matter which way you slice it.

  But she’s going to have to come to terms with some of those things from her past on her own. I can be there to help comfort her, to talk to her, and give her my input when she asks. But she’s going to have to learn to reconcile it all and learn to be comfortable with it on her own. I can’t help or force her to do that. The good thing is, she seems willing to put in the work to get there.

  But there is a practical matter to deal with. The reason we found ourselves in each other’s orbits in the first place. And that’s keeping her safe. Keeping her alive and out of the cartel’s hands.

  It’s the consideration that has me concerned. If this were a one-on-one fight, it would worry me less. I can take Hernan out with my bare hands if it came down to it. Unfortunately, it’s not going to come down to it. He’s going to bring an army to my doorstep, and it’s on me to keep her safe.

  I punch in Walt’s number and hold the phone to my ear as I pace around the backyard. The brief glimpse of sunshine we got earlier, is gone, and the dark clouds are rolling in once more. The storm is coming, and it’s going to be bad.

  “Baker, what’s going on?” Walt asks when he answers the phone.

  “We’ve got a problem.”

  “Another one?” he sighs. “Talk to me.”

  I glance around to make sure I’m alone. Stabler is out there bounding around with me, getting his run in before the storm comes crashing down over us, but other than that, I’m alone. I don’t want to tell Isla about my encounter in town just yet. I don’t want to worry her unnecessarily just yet. Things are going to get tense and they’re going to get nasty, but I don’t want to stress her out too much just yet. I don’t want to give her reason to be afraid until absolutely necessary. She has enough on her plate just yet.

  “Well, the good news is that Isla got her memory back,” I start.

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah,” I say. “All of it. She’s whole.”

  “That’s good kid,” he says. “That’s great news.”

  “Yeah, and now for the bad,” I tell him. “I ran into Hernan Zavala in town.”

  “Shit.”

  “That’s an understatement.”

  He lets out a rueful chuckle. “Yeah, I suppose it is.”

  I kick at a rock by my boot and send it skittering across the yard. Stabler sees it and gives chase for a minute, but quickly loses interest and starts sniffing around the edge of the walls, hot on the trail of something – probably a squirrel that passed by earlier in the day or something.

  “How close are you to getting people out here?” I ask.

  “I don’t know, kid,” he tells me. “They’ve put a freeze on a lot of shit right now while we try to get out from under all the garbage that’s raining down on all of us.”

  “What about all of your wits who are already out there?”

  “We’ve got people on those deemed critical,” he says.

  “I’d say Isla is pretty critical.”

  He sighs again and falls silent. It’s then I realize that what he’d started off with good intentions had spiraled into utter shit.

  “They don’t know I’m on her,” I come to realize. “You took her off the books, so she doesn’t officially have protection.”

  “Yeah, something like that,” he admits. “I created a bureaucratic clusterfuck by going off the books like I did. I should have just come out there myself.”

  I run my hand over my face and sigh. “Shit,” I say. “Nobody’s coming.”

  “I’m talking to Henderson,” he says, mentioning the section chief. “I’ve let him know what’s going on, but his hands are tied too. If it gets out that we went off the books, it’s going to look bad for the department. And you know how Henderson is about maintaining the squeaky-clean image of the department. This whole mole business already has him freaking out.”

  “With Zavala’s guy going on trial, is nobody giving her an extra look?”

  “Unfortunately, no,” he tells me. “She’s deemed non-critical simply because she’s not an actual witness. Family of wits don’t get the same consideration actual wits do.”

  “Son of a bitch,” I growl.

  “I’m trying, kid,” he says. “I know I screwed the pooch on this from the start. I screwed up huge. I’m trying to fix it, but I’m not finding a lot of sympathetic ears right now.”

  “And in the meantime, I have a fucking cartel army about to come down on me.”

  “I know, kid. I’m trying to call in markers all over the place to get you some help.”

  “Why don’t you just take some PTO and get your ass out here?”

  “Until we have the mole in custody, PTO has been suspended,” he says. “We barely get to go home at night anymore. Everybody’s working on this around the clock, day in and day out.”

  I pick up a small stone and hurl it over the fence, with all of the angry energy flowing through me. It startles a flock of birds who noisily take wing. The squawking and flapping of the birds catch Stabler’s attention, and he goes crazy, jumping and barking at the high, thick wall.

  “This is great,” I mutter.

  “I’m sorry, kid,” he apologizes, his voice pained. “I am so fucking sorry. I never thought –”

  “I know you didn’t, Walt,” I interject. “I know you were just trying to do right by your witness. By Isla.”

  “Can you get out of there?” he asks. “Can you just hit the road and get the hell out of there?”

  The growl of thunder rumbling in the d
istance seems to answer the question for me. We can hit the road, but with the storm bearing down, I have no idea how far we’d actually get. But hell, be it five or ten miles away, it might still be worth it to try and get away.

  But then, on the open road, we won’t have the same protections we have here. We’ll have no bolt holes; we won’t have the array of weapons I have here. On the open road, we’ll be sitting ducks. At least here, we can hunker down in the bunker and wait them out. Maybe they’ll think we left and leave. Or maybe they’ll find the bunker, and it’ll be a fight.

  “I don’t know what the right move here is, Walt.”

  “That makes two of us,” he tells me. “If anybody can keep her safe, I know you can, kid.”

  “Thanks, but that vote of confidence doesn’t make me feel a whole lot better right now.”

  Walt sighs. “Just hang tight, kid. Hang tight and keep your head down,” he says. “I’m doing my best to get some people out to you.”

  Another peal of thunder sounds in the distance – closer this time. The storm is definitely coming, and it’s going to be here before we know it.

  “Better hurry,” I urge. “We’re about to get kicked in the nuts by a massive winter storm.”

  “I’m working on it,” he repeats. “Just hang in there.”

  I disconnect the call and slip the phone back into my pocket. I let out a long breath and turn around to head back into the house, and see Isla standing behind me. Her eyes are wide, her face filled with absolute terror.

  “They know where we are?” she asks, her voice barely more than a whisper.

  I can either lie to her to try and make her feel better, or I can tell her the truth. I’ve yet to lie to her though, and I have no desire to start now.

  “I ran into Hernan Zavala in town,” I admit. “He remembers me. And given how smart he is, I know he’s going to put it together that you’re with me.”

  Isla shudders and wraps her arms tightly over her chest, but it has nothing to do with the cold. The fear shadowing her face is tangible. It’s thick and it’s heavy.

  “Does he know where we are?” she inquires.

  I shake my head. “Not right now,” I tell her. “But, it’s only a matter of time before he figures it out.”

  She looks down at the ground, her face a mask of fear. I cross over to her and pull her into my arms. I stroke her hair and try to comfort her. Isla’s body is rigid and filled with tension.

  “What are we going to do?” she asks.

  “We have a couple of options,” I say.

  “What are those?”

  “We can run,” I say. “But, with that storm bearing down on us, I don’t know how far we’ll get, to be honest. Plus, if we run, we’re not going to have some of the protections we have here. We won’t be safe.”

  “And what’s our other option?”

  I sigh. “We hunker down and wait for Walt to send the cavalry.”

  “Why haven’t the Marshal’s showed up yet?”

  “The Marshal’s Service is in some shit right now,” I tell her. “They’re not going to be able to help us, Isla. Walt’s working on a few things. He says he’s going to work it out and get some help out to us. It’s just going to take time.”

  “No offense, but both options kind of suck,” she says, a weak, trembling smile on her lips.

  I chuckle softly. “Yeah, both options do suck.”

  “What do you think our best bet is?”

  “Honestly, I feel like our best bet is to hunker down,” I say. “I’ve got loads of weapons, we’ve got the walls, security systems, plus, I have a few surprises. When Hernan and his men show up, it’s not going to be the cakewalk to get into us they think it might be.”

  “Plus, there’s the storm,” she points out. “That might slow them down some.”

  “It will,” I agree. “If the storm hits us as hard as I expect it to, they may not even be able to get out here in the first place. They may have to wait until the storm breaks.”

  “Which gives us more time to prepare,” she says. “And for Parr to get somebody out to us.”

  “Exactly,” I say and nod.

  She’s still trembling, and even though she’s speaking the words, I don’t know if she truly believes them. Part of me wonders if she’s already giving up and accepting our deaths as inevitable. That’s unacceptable to me. I put my fingers beneath her chin and lift her head, so she’s looking me in the eye. I hold her gaze firmly.

  “I need you to listen to me,” I tell her.

  She nods.

  “Are you listening?” I ask.

  She nods again. “I’m listening.”

  “I am going to protect you, Isla. I’m going to keep you and your baby safe,” I reassure her. “I am going to do whatever it takes to make sure we all walk out of here.”

  I see the fear and uncertainty in her face, but I can see she’s also trying to fight it off. She wants to believe me, but she’s afraid to. She probably doesn’t believe somebody can actually protect her from an organization as far-reaching and powerful as the drug cartel. Hell, if they can fuck up an entire department of the Federal government, what chance do we have?

  I know she’s thinking it. Know she’s scared. But I will absolutely stay true to my word. I will give my life to protect her if it comes to it.

  “Do you trust me?” I ask.

  She nods without hesitation. “I trust you.”

  “Good,” I say. “We’re going to get through this.”

  Chapter Thirty

  Hernan

  “Fuck,” I growl.

  The thunder outside is intense and sounds like cannons going off overhead. I’ve never dealt with a storm like this before. I stand at the window of my hotel room, watching the storm lash the world outside. The sky lights up with bolts of lightning and thunder crashes hard and loud. The temperature continues to plummet outside, and I know it won’t be long before the rain turns to ice, then turns to snow.

  Which means it’s going to delay me getting my hands on the woman – and my revenge on Baker Redmond.

  My men got in just ahead of the storm, and now we’re all sitting, cooling our heels. Redmond is an unexpected wrinkle in all of this. One I did not see coming. But it feels like the hand of fate intervening. Two birds, one stone and all that. Not only will I close the books on my father’s biggest problem, but it will also allow me to close the books on my own biggest personal problem – ending the man who took my brother from me.

  I’ve waited four long years for this day. I am ready to be done with all of this. Not only will it move me one step closer to my ultimate goal, it will allow me to let my brother rest in peace once and for all, knowing his killer has been served justice.

  There’s a knock on the door to my room, then the soft beep of the keycard being used. The door opens, and two of my men drag a man in between them. He’s been bound, gagged, and beaten bloody.

  “Seriously?” I ask.

  “We asked nicely first,” Ramon says. “He wouldn’t budge.”

  I sigh. They put the man down on his knees, and I stand over him, glaring down at the man.

  “I need some information I know you have, Ed,” I tell him.

  Ramon yanks the gag down to let him talk. He promptly spits on my shoe. I sigh and shake my head. The man is tough. Has some spirit to him. Ordinarily, I’d enjoy breaking a man like this down, but I don’t really have the time.

  “Ed, I need that information,” I repeat. “And you’re going to give it to me.”

  “I’m not giving you shit,” he protests.

  “Oh, you will,” I insist.

  “What makes you think I know shit in the first place?”

  “Because you own the guns and ammo store,” I reply. “And if there’s one thing I know Baker Redmond needs, it’s guns and ammo.”

  He hesitates, but that slight pause is enough to tell me that I’m right. I lean down, so I’m looking him in the eye. My gaze bores into his, and he can’t hold it, look
ing away quickly.

  “I ain’t giving you shit,” he repeats.

  “Yes, you are. Because if you don’t, I’m going to kill your wife, and your children. Slowly. Painfully,” I promise. “I assure you they will suffer, Ed. They will suffer badly. Is that what you want for them? I know it can’t be what you want for them.”

  At the mention of his wife and children, I see the man’s eyes widen and then watch the fight drain out of them. Breaking somebody down can be as simple as finding their pressure points and applying just enough force to make them cave and give in to your demands.

  Clearly, I’ve guessed Ed’s pressure points correctly – men with families are so easy to predict.

  “Are we understanding each other now?” I press.

  He looks down at the ground, and his face darkens. He refuses to meet my eyes but nods.

  “Terrific,” I say. “Now, where can I find Baker Redmond?”

  He opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. He still refuses to meet my face. Ramon gives him a shake and a smack upside the head.

  “Speak, puto,” Ramon snaps.

  “Baker Redmond,” I say. “Where can I find him?”

  He sighs heavily. “He has some land out off the highway. A few miles past the Last Rock offramp. It’s unmarked,” he says, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

  “Excellent,” I say. “Now, was that so hard?”

  I watch as a tear rolls down his cheek. No doubt the idea that he betrayed his fellow veteran tearing his heart apart. Not that I care. I got what I need.

  “Take him out,” I tell Ramon. “Take care of him.”

  Ramon grins and nods. “You got it, jefe.”

  After they go, I grab a beer from the minibar and take a long swallow. I stare out at the world beyond the window, watching the storm rolling in. This is just the start of it, and it’s only going to get worse.