“Exactly,” my best friend said, crossing her arms over her chest, her brows pulled together and her mouth turned down. “Were you… eavesdropping on our guards?”
“Yes. Be quiet,” I hissed. “Wait here.” I crept back out into the hall, ignoring Cat’s silent, frantic hand-waving that let me know she was far from happy with my actions.
Padding on bare feet, I stopped at the corner where the hall opened into the large living area and listened to the men’s voices.
“He said there’s no sign of anyone so far.” That was Drake, or Man in Black number one, as I dubbed him before I knew his name.
“It’ll be soon,” George’s commanding voice said with confidence. “Feyo heard from one of his contacts that there’s been a lot of chatter about El Cuchillo and where he might be hiding.”
“Hiding doesn’t mean he’s headed toward the house in Laredo,” said the other Man in Black, a guy with the ridiculous name of Scratch.
My heart leapt at the new information. Laredo. I recognized the name of the town, but wasn’t exactly sure where it was. Somewhere south, I knew that much.
“He’s digging for more,” George said calmly. “I have no doubt El Cuchillo will go for Boss. He would never allow this kind of humiliation to go unpunished.”
A chill made me shudder and I instinctively covered my belly. Unpunished. I knew that sick bastard’s idea of punishment. Just the thought made bile rise up my throat.
“Laredo’s a pretty big town, George,” Scratch said.
Someone pushed back from the table and I froze. When I heard the clink of a glass in the kitchen and the pouring of liquid, I relaxed. No one was coming in my direction.
“They’re outside La
redo, not in Laredo, dumbass,” George snapped. “In a rundown piece of shit just east of some branch of Texas A&M.”
Jackpot!
I waited to see if I could get any more information. When the conversation quickly devolved into women and the guys’ latest conquests, I crept back to the bedroom.
“Jesus, Miri! What were you thinking?” Cat asked, obviously worried if the redness around her eyes was any indication.
“Calm down,” I said, scowling. “Those guys are here to protect us. What’s the worst that would happen if they caught me? Huh? Jag would kill them if they touched me.”
Cat huffed and flopped on her bed. “You’re right. I just don’t know what you’re trying to do. It’s making me nervous.”
I bit my lip. Cat had good instincts. She knew I was up to something. For obvious reasons, I couldn’t tell her. She’d try to stop me, and she couldn’t come with me. I hated lying to my friend, but it was for her own good.
“I was just hoping to hear an update about Jag, you know? I figured if he’s hurt they might not tell me.”
Cat sighed. “You’re probably right.” She pulled the covers over herself and huddled down. “I’m going to sleep.”
“I’ll be a few more minutes.” I turned off the light and went into the bathroom to figure out how I was going to get out of here without getting caught. It took me a few minutes to flick through the pictures on the phone Jag got for me a while back, but I finally found the perfect one. I had snapped a casual shot of Jag in a T-shirt and jeans, looking sexy as hell right after we got back from a ride. His dark hair was mussed and his cheeks flushed pink beneath his tan skin. He was stunning.
Once I sorted everything out, I relaxed enough to fall asleep. Content in the knowledge that by tomorrow night, Jag and I would be together, my dreams were filled with fantasies of the man I loved holding our baby, a big smile on his handsome face.
Jag
I pushed away from the table and stretched my back. Every muscle down my spine was in knots after spending most of the day hunched over my—thanks to Sammy—encrypted laptop. It took forever to move the money in all my various accounts to overseas banks, each one opened using my new pseudonym.
Without the mindless task to keep my mind busy, anxiety lingered in the periphery of my consciousness, a constant nagging presence I couldn’t seem to shake. If I could just hear my doll’s voice I was sure I could contain the ominous foreboding, but talking to Miri was something I couldn’t risk. I was afraid that hearing her voice would have me to abandoning my mission and returning to her side, leaving El Cuchillo alive and us looking over our shoulders for the rest of our lives.
Miri’s safety was the one thing I wasn’t willing to risk. Not for anything.
“George said there’s been more gossip on the streets about your whereabouts,” Frank said, sliding his phone into his pocket as he came in the back door of the tiny house.
“Good,” I replied. “I can’t stand it here. It feels like the walls are closing in.”
A hint of a smile curled the corner of Frank’s mouth. “Not used to having your freedom restricted, Boss?”