Wicked as Seduction, page 21
Isn’t every man…until money is involved?
Was it possible he had sold out?
Would his own bosses think he was guilty if he hadn’t?
She had to do something to protect herself. To protect Valeria and Jorge.
Thoughts racing, Laila tiptoed away from Trees and rushed to her bedroom, shutting the door with a barely audible click. She didn’t want to believe Trees would betray her and her sister to men determined to kill them, then lie about it…but she hadn’t managed to stay alive in a dangerous criminal underworld without being cautious—and using whatever connections she had.
She plucked up her burner phone and dialed one of the few numbers she knew by heart. On the second ring, she got an answer and exhaled with relief.
“Hello?” The voice was cautious—but thankfully familiar.
“Señor Walker, it is Laila Torres.”
“You okay?”
He wasn’t much for small talk, which suited her. “I need to ask you a question.”
Walker would be bluntly honest. In Emilo’s compound, their mutual desperation to escape had led them to team up. His three weeks in captivity had almost killed him. Her six years there had nearly destroyed her. She had found an outside line of communication to her sister to facilitate EM Security’s arrival. One-Mile had hatched a plan to put them in the right place at the right time for their rescue. Together, they had succeeded. Then, when their first safe house in St. Louis had been breached, Walker had helped her and Valeria flee to Florida with perfect precision. He had never once made her doubt his loyalty or his intentions.
Should you really doubt Trees now?
She didn’t want to. After all, EM Security’s owners might be wrong. Or maybe there was a misunderstanding. It might even be an accident. Of course she wanted to find some way—any way—in which Trees wasn’t guilty. But was that realistic? Was that her foolish heart talking? After all, she had only known the seemingly gentle giant a handful of days…but she had known the nature of men for years. Which should she really trust?
“Shoot. I’ve got a few minutes. I’m just waiting for my fiancée to finish talking to the florist. Our wedding is in two weeks.”
He was getting married? Laila would have sworn the taciturn sniper wasn’t the sort to take a wife, but he sounded downright happy. She was thrilled for him, but she had to get answers while she could. “I am calling about Trees.”
“Talk to me.”
His cautious note set her on edge. “Why do your bosses want you to watch over me instead of him?”
“I’m sure they’ve got their reasons.”
But his growl made her think he didn’t disagree. “Is it because they believe that, in the past, he has leaked our whereabouts to Emilo?”
“Fuck,” he spewed. “Where did you hear that?”
“It does not matter. What I want to know is if you think it is true.”
He sighed. “Look, I don’t want to throw a teammate under the bus. He seems like a good guy and all, but here’s what I know. Last October, when we suddenly moved you to Florida, it was because we spotted Emilo in St. Louis, close to your house. We couldn’t fucking figure out how he knew you and your family were even in the city. I worried we had a mole, and I worried it was Trees because he was with me when I got taken by Emilo’s goons. Somehow, the lucky son of a bitch escaped. When I got free, I tested my theory that it was him by sending the exact address and the schematic of the St. Louis safe house to him via the office secretary. Within twenty-four hours, Emilo broke in through the back door with every intention of killing your sister. I don’t know who else to blame.”
“The secretary, perhaps?” Laila winced. She really wanted Trees to be innocent…and it was breaking her heart that the EM operative she trusted most was putting the nails in that coffin.
“I don’t think Tessa has the know-how or the connections.”
But Trees did. “I see. So he’s guilty of selling you out?”
“I wish I didn’t have to say it, but I’m afraid so.”
“…The only reason you and the Edgington brothers want Walker to come get Laila now is because you think I’m fucking guilty of being your mole,” Trees growled into the phone, wishing he could reach through and tear Muñoz a new asshole. Sure, he was pissed off that his own boss thought he was guilty and wouldn’t man up and admit it. But he was way more hacked that the standoffish fucker had made the unilateral decision to take Laila away from him.
“We think she would be safer with him. And she trusts him. Last I heard, the same couldn’t be said for you.”
“Then you need an update. We’ve made progress. I’ve got her talking. I’m getting valuable information.”
“Walker can get it, too. My mind is made up.”
“Unmake it, goddamn it.” He gripped the phone so tight he risked breaking it—and he didn’t care. “How is Walker going to keep her safe?”
“He’s one of the best fucking snipers in the world. We both know bodyguarding isn’t your strength, and we have other jobs for you.”
“Let’s seriously cut the shit. If I was going to sell out Laila and her sister, I could have done that in Florida. Or anywhere along the road the last couple of days. Hell, I wouldn’t have saved her when she fucking ran off in Orlando and was almost abducted by one of Emilo Montilla’s thugs.”
“What?” Joaquin sounded ready to blow a gasket.
Of course that was news. The bosses had been busy, and he hadn’t broadcast all that shit to them. “Yeah. And if I was the kind of backstabber just here for the cash, I could sell her—and all of you—out right now. But I haven’t. I won’t. She. Is. Safe. Here. I would lay down my life to make sure of that.”
In his ear, Joaquin sighed. “The circumstantial evidence is pretty damning.”
“Ever think someone might be framing me?”
Muñoz didn’t have an answer for that.
Trees barged into his silence. “Getting real? I know you three tasked Zy with proving I’m the mole.”
“He fucking told you that?”
He had, but no way would Trees throw his buddy under the bus. “I could tell by the way he acted. You can’t know someone as well as I know Zy and not realize his behavior was off. And I didn’t have to guess too hard to figure it out. I can’t prove to you that you’re wrong, but you are.”
“Maybe we are. Maybe we’re not digging deep enough. But we can’t unpack that right now. We have our hands full trying to figure out who’s holding Kimber and where, so—”
“Which is another thing,” Trees cut in. “Your little plan to dangle Laila as bait in some staged hostage exchange? No. That’s not happening. You’re going to get her killed—and Kimber, too. From what I’ve managed to coax from Laila, these aren’t people you fuck with.”
“You think we don’t know that? We’ve been in that compound, One-Mile more than once. They left him with a long hospital stay and a broken jaw as souvenirs. You never even made it inside. So don’t lecture us on how ruthless these sons of bitches are.”
“They’ll never fall for that old fucking trick you’re trying to play.”
“They might not. But we don’t know unless we try.” Joaquin sighed. “We’re running out of options. Every hour that ticks down is another hour we wonder if and why Kimber’s abductors would bother to leave her alive.”
“A dead captive does them no good.”
“That’s what we’re banking on, but they’re running out of patience. We all feel it. Instead of playing defense, we need to go on the offensive and put an end to this.”
“By offering up Laila, regardless of the risk to her? No.”
“It’s not your choice. She said yes.”
Fuck, Trees wanted to punch Joaquin, mostly because he was running out of logic to fight back. And he didn’t dare admit to his boss that he was falling for the woman whose body he had done far more to than guard. “Give me twenty-four hours more with her. She’s beginning to trust me. With the information she has, she can likely help you locate Kimber and—”
“No, she can’t.”
“Do you know the players in this cartel drama? Everyone involved? The factions fighting each other and why? Who the power players are and who’s likely to win? She does.”
“Then I’ll come get her and question her—”
“She was systematically and repeatedly raped for six years. Believe me when I tell you that winning her trust took time.”
“You’re telling me you managed to do it in four days?”
“Not one hundred percent, but I’m still four days ahead of you. Want to start the clock over? Will Kimber last that long?”
“That’s where Walker comes in. She trusts him.”
“And we’re back to the fact that there’s no place more secure to keep Laila than here.”
Joaquin didn’t answer right away, and Trees could all but hear him gnashing his teeth on the other end of the line. Finally, his boss cursed. “You have twenty-four hours. If we don’t see some fucking progress by then, you’ll turn her over to Walker, no questions asked. Agreed?”
Trees hesitated, his thoughts churning. He didn’t want to agree to this shit. Who else would understand Laila’s urge to barter for her necessities? Her fear of the dark? Her need for a firm but gentle hand? Not Walker.
But he also didn’t have much choice.
“Fine. I’ll get you usable information by tomorrow evening.”
“If you don’t, we’ll be taking Laila off your hands.”
Trees signed off with a grunt, then stabbed the button on his phone to end Joaquin’s call. Why the fuck couldn’t he convince his bosses that he wasn’t a dirty sellout? Whatever. He didn’t have time to rail about it. He needed to dig through Laila’s thoughts and memories and come up with some theory about who kidnapped Kimber and why. What she’d spilled this morning told Trees a lot more than he’d known before—maybe even more than anyone else at EM knew. Had any of them asked either of the sisters questions?
Maybe they had, and Trees was just in the dark because they thought he was the traitor. But if they hadn’t…Laila and her knowledge might be the key to solving their problems.
Trees put his computer to sleep, then left the office in search of Laila. Dragging in a deep breath, he knocked on her slightly ajar door. It squeaked open. She spun to face him.
Her guarded expression told him instantly that something was wrong.
“Laila?” He entered the room slowly, gaze searching. “Little one?”
“I am fine.” She refused to look at him.
“No, you’re not. What happened?” He reached for her hand.
She recoiled.
Trees cursed. Something he’d done had freaked her out. The only thing that had happened between the last time they had talked and now and been Joaquin’s phone call.
She’d overheard.
He tried to stay calm as he retreated to lean against the frame of her bedroom door. It was the perfect spot for two reasons: one, he had backed off, which hopefully would lower her anxiety. Two, she couldn’t leave the room without going past him.
They were having this out now.
“Nothing.” She didn’t meet his stare. “I am tired.”
He couldn’t call bullshit. She’d been awake half of last night. He’d felt her restless and unsettled beside him. The dark circles bruising her eyes underscored that fact. “Want to nap?”
“Yes.”
“Great. You know the rules. If you want to stay in this room alone, I’ll need to cuff you.”
Her big eyes widened. “I will not run.”
“Yes, you will. You overheard me on the phone with my boss. You think I’m EM Security’s mole.”
“I-I do not know what you mean.”
He eyeballed her. “You’re a horrible liar. And if you’d think about this for more than two minutes, you’d realize I’ve done nothing but try to keep you safe since the moment I met you. But we need your help. We need information to try to rescue Kimber.”
“What makes you think I can help?”
“Their ransom demand is Valeria’s whereabouts.”
Laila paled, then lurched for her phone.
Trees hauled across the room and grabbed her wrist before she could dial. “Your sister is perfectly safe. The Edgington brothers have no intention of trading your sister for theirs.”
“You think I should simply believe you? Risk Valeria because you gave me hollow assurances?”
“I’m giving you logic. If they surrendered their client to get Kimber back, their reputations would be toast and their business would fold. Their livelihoods gone—forever. Besides, they’re too smart to play this game the kidnappers’ way. But they need help, information you have that no one else does. If we can uncover the identity of Kimber’s kidnapper, we can take the fight to them. And we’ll be better equipped to keep you and your family safe.”
He watched Laila consider his words, just like he saw the moment she decided cooperating made sense. “What do you wish to know?”
Where the hell should he start? “Of the two factions fighting for control of Emilo’s territory, you have any thoughts about which side is more likely to have taken Kimber?”
Laila paused, clearly considering. “When and how did the kidnapping occur?”
Trees relayed everything Caleb and Deke had told the office the day Kimber had disappeared, including the forewarning her father had received. “That’s all I know.”
“That tells me nothing. I am sure both sides are well aware of Colonel Edgington. Probably his daughter, too. I do not understand why they would threaten the man after he retired. Why not give the lipstick—and the warning—to one of your bosses? Or to her husband?”
A question Trees had wondered himself. “You can’t think of a reason?”
Slowly, Laila shook her head. “The picture delivered with the lipstick is obviously of consequence. Retribution for stealing Valeria from them most likely. The cartel very much believes in revenge.”
Trees didn’t doubt that. “The men who participated on that mission were targeted. My bosses and the colonel. The other guy in the photo is an operative named Blaze Beckham. I’ve never met him. That name mean anything to you?”
“No.”
Now that Trees thought about it… “The person with the closest connection to nearly everyone involved in Valeria’s rescue is Kimber. She’s the colonel’s daughter, my bosses’ sister…”
“Both Geraldo and Emilo’s underlings are crafty enough to find the loved one important to all. That does not give me enough information to pinpoint who might be behind Kimber’s abduction. It is perhaps more likely to be those loyal to Emilo since Hector is in the United States. Once here, he could move about freely and get close enough to take her. He is the kind of creeper who enjoys stalking a woman and pouncing when she least suspects it.”
Then raping them in the most cruel, humiliating ways. Trees kept that thought to himself. “Do Geraldo and his thugs have trouble getting in and out of the country?”
“I do not know.”
“I doubt it.” The kind of money Geraldo had influenced people and opened doors. “So it’s still possible either faction is responsible.” Since that train of thought seemingly led to a dead end, Trees tried another. “Tell me what happened in the compound after Valeria was gone. You were left behind. Was Emilo upset or furious that she had escaped? Did he want her back? Or did he think it was good riddance?”
“He was furious. I have never seen him so angry. Honestly, that puzzled me because he barely noticed her. She was a possession to him, a thing mostly beneath his notice. He was neither kind nor faithful. He did not care about my sister. I assumed he would be happy to be rid of her. I hoped he would release me, too. After all, I would be one less bother. Instead, he gave Hector and Victor more tools to make certain I did not slip through their fingers. Then he took his anger out on me.”
“He raped you more.”
Laila hesitated, then nodded, her gaze skittering away.
He tipped her chin up until she met his stare again. “Listen to me. That isn’t your fault. And that isn’t your shame.”
“I know you are right, but logic does not stop the feelings.”
Her answer broke his heart, but when Trees made to gather her in his arms, she backed away. Because she was focused on helping Kimber? Or because she still thought he was the mole?
“Later, I realized that Valeria had been pregnant with Jorge when she escaped. Emilo probably realized it, too.”
That made sense. The drug lord might not have wanted his wife, but he would want his son. “Did your sister know she was pregnant when she left?”
“That was the reason she fled. She knew her son would have no future except that of a criminal if she gave birth in that compound. So while EM Security was rescuing another captive, an influential doctor’s daughter who had been abducted while providing medical assistance to poor villages, Valeria begged the team to take her with them.”
“Why didn’t they take you, too?”
“Nothing was planned, and everything happened too fast. That night I was pinned between Hector and Victor…”
When she trailed off, Trees fought down fury. Laila had suffered so much after Valeria’s getaway. How could she have simply left her sister behind?
Isn’t that what you did to your siblings? Didn’t you see the opportunity to escape poverty and grab it with both hands?
Yep. And with a baby on the way, Valeria would have been even more motivated to escape.
Trees sighed. “So we’re back to wondering why grown-ass drug dealers care that there’s a toddler out there with Emilo’s blood.”
“It seems. If Emilo wanted his son back, I can think of no reason Hector and Victor are determined to grab Jorge except to fulfill the man’s last wish.”
“Then what would they do with the boy?” Trees scratched his head. “Jorge only has value for the Ramos brothers if he has value for Geraldo, too. A bargaining chip, if you will. After all, he is Geraldo’s grandson.”
