Not my usual kind of outburst in front of a Don, but I need to get the bloodhounds off her trail.
“A passer-by?” Hernando chews on the end of his cigar, eyebrows waggling curiously.
“Yes. Not a threat.” Of this, there’s no concern. By looks alone, she couldn’t hurt a fly.
“We can’t risk any loose ends, Ghost. You know that.” Hernando’s jolly tone makes me want to launch over the table and tear his chubby cheeks off. “But don’t worry, we’ll handle this in-house. Your work is done.”
Fuck. It’s bad enough I’m the one who sent her off, but I can’t let Hernando send his dogs after her.
“You paid me to clean up, so I’ll clean up,” I say calmly. Too calm. Battling against every instinct to snap.
“Are you sure?” Hernando looks puzzled.
“Yeah,” I growl. “She’s min—” I stop. Too close to overplaying my hand. “My responsibility.”
He doesn’t ask what I mean, and it’s for the best.
I don’t want to become the cartel’s number one target.
Twenty-four hours.
I’m slipping.
I should’ve had her in my arms last night, but with the shitty resolution on Eduardo’s security cameras, it’s a miracle my tech guy found her at all. But times like these remind me why I work with him. He’s the best tracker in the business, and I only work with the best.
But now that I’m pulling up to the dilapidated house, more akin to a shack than a castle for a princess, I feel … odd. Almost uncomfortable. As if this isn’t a measure to protect her, but to take her on a damned date.
Keep it together, man.
First things first, get her out of here. Don Bernal might be satisfied with me handling this, but Rico? He’d shoot his own mother if it meant getting one over on the Ghost.
I stop my car on the gravel driveway and watch for a moment. Shadows dance behind the drawn curtains, but I’m not surprised to see another inside. From the intel we gathered, the house belongs to her mother. Suppose I should’ve put more thought into what I was going to say before I got here. How I was going to whisk her away without raising suspicion.
I’ll just have to come up with something on the spot because this can’t wait.
Christ, what the fuck’s wrong with me?
I’m not here to talk.
I’m here to take.
And nothing’s going to stop me.
3
GEMMA
“We can’t go over this again, Mom. We need to go.” I’ve spent the last twenty hours preparing to leave, but Mom hasn’t been too keen on the idea.
I’m sure that Ghost letting me run is a sign of our safety. That if he wanted me dead, I wouldn’t be here checking and double-checking my luggage for the essentials. But putting distance between us and Hamlet is the best way to know we’re safe.
“I don’t understand. What’s the rush?” Mom’s brow furrows.
Even though I’m not face down in some ditch, I can’t be certain I’m in the clear. Trying to explain that to her without exposing the gory details has been challenging.
“If we don’t go soon, we’re going to?—”
“It’s the middle of the night.” Mom scoffs. “Don’t worry, little Gem. I’ll get you to school on time.”
