With my heart racing, I jerked up, my blood running cold. “Where?” I couldn’t care less what protocol there was or if I wasn’t allowed to speak with Navarro’s men. With my sister’s life involved, I would jump into the middle of the conversation.
Period.
Navarro walked closer, a quizzical look on his face. I noticed his soldier handed him a phone. His deep sigh confirmed what Silvio had told him and he didn’t like what he’d seen.
“Show me,” I demanded.
“No,” Navarro said with a dark look.
“I said yes.” I moved closer, and Silvio immediately retrieved his phone, backing away as if fearing I would knock him on his ass. I would if necessary.
Navarro turned, crowding my space and walking me backwards the moment I reached out to try to snag the iPhone from the soldier’s hand. “You don’t need to see that, Fallon. Not now. Not ever. But at least we know where she is.”
“Is she alive?”
“Yes, from what I can tell, she’s alive,” Navarro told me. When he whistled, my ears perked up. “You’re shitting me.”
“The drone captured real time footage. That was the boar’s food for the night.” Silvio shook his head and I was surprised seeing his expression.
And his pale face.
“Fucking savages,” Navarro hissed. “We leave in ten minutes.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll have the men ready. There won’t be that many of us. I doubt Eduardo’s men will willingly face the Alcarez Cartel.”
“Then make them,” I snarled, fisting my hand and pressing it against Navarro’s chest.
“Don’t worry. We can handle this with the men I have with me and Jago’s men. We’ll be fine.”
“I don’t know about that, boss. There’s something like two hundred men just hanging out at the Alcarez compound. More if you’re talking about the soldiers lining the dirt road leading to the place.”
I could instantly tell Navarro was pissed his soldier had said anything. Suddenly, he didn’t like that I was being allowed to hear the inner workings of his kingdom.
“I’m going,” I said out of the blue, immediately taking a sidestep away from Navarro and heading to the door. I’d tossed on shorts and a tee shirt after my unexpected dip in the pool. Time for a new pair of jeans instead.
“You’re not going anywhere,” Navarro half shouted from behind me.
I had my hand on the door. “Try and stop me. I will find a way to get there.” I’d taken two strides out the door when Navarro was right behind me, jerking me against the wall.
“You can’t seem to understand you have rules to follow.”
“You can’t seem to get it through that thick skull of yours that I’m as qualified if not more than the men you employ. This is my sister we’re talking about. If we get her back, I’m the only one that can help her if she’s in a diabetic coma. I was trained.” I was telling a partial lie, but he didn’t need to know that.
His upper lip curled and he stared off into the distance. “You’re not equipped to deal with these fucks. They have no issue killing women and children if necessary. I won’t risk your life under any circumstances.”
“I’m not suggesting I go with you, Navarro. I’ll telling you. I’ve been dicked around since I was nine years old by a man who lied to me. Who lied to my sister as well. Because of his choices, my sister’s life is at stake. If the girl in the photo is really her, I’m going. I will find a way. So help me fucking God, I will. You know I’ll do everything in my power to get to her one way or another. Including using my feminine wiles.”
At this point, I was so close to finding her that I’d do anything it took to make that happen. I could tell by the way he was gritting his teeth he knew I’d follow through with my promise.
Or was I making a threat?
The horrible story he’d told me weighed heavily on my mind, but the horror and haunted sadness that I’d felt for two weeks couldn’t matter. I’d decide whether to hate him or not after she was safe.
His chest continued to heave out of frustration and anger. He should take a number. I felt the same way. “I can’t allow that to happen. I don’t want you injured or worse.”
“Don’t you think I can take care of myself?”
He lifted his head, his usually dark eyes filled with complete frustration. I had that kind of effect on the man. “Fuck me. I cannot believe I’m considering this.”
