Page 145 of When Lies Unfold

Because she should’ve come straight to me and told me.

Lola advances on me and jabs a finger into my chest. “I’m the one who wanted to be left alone, remember? But nooo. You couldn’t deal with that!”

Each of her jabs gets harder, and with angry tears in her eyes, her words explode in a rush. “You made me come here and live with you and Alma and fall in love with you, you bastard!” She balls up a fist and slams it against me. “I didn’t ask for any of this!”

I grab her fist, holdin’ it firm before she can land another hit. My throat feels raw as hell as I force out the words. “You love me and Alma?”

A little sob breaks loose of her, and she tries to stifle it but fails. With a stubborn tilt of her chin, ignorin’ the tears spillin’ down her cheeks, her voice withers. “More Alma now than anything.”

Relief sweeps through me at the truth written all over her face. With my palm at her nape, I haul her closer and stamp a kiss on her lips.

Of-fuckin’-course, Juarez clears his throat and interrupts. “I still have a question. If you didn’t die in that accident, then who did?”

1 Chief/Boss

66

LOLA

“Abso-fuckin’lutely not.” Santy grinds out the words from between clenched teeth.

“It’s the only way.”

Bristling with tension, Santy paces back and forth along the conference room floor. “You’re plannin’ to walk into the fucker’s house who carved your goddamn body! Don’t tell me it’s the only way!”

Juarez grinds his palms against his eyes and mutters, “You two aren’t even married, and you’re fighting like cats and dogs.”

We ignore him, and I expel a loud breath before pressing on. “Look, I know that place like the back of my hand. Plus, by you saying you’ll be returning his book, he won’t expect me to show up. I’ll catch him off guard.

“He assumed I was dead, but me coming back to him will make him look like a fool.” I raise my brows pointedly. “And that’s something he positively hates.”

Santy gives his hair tie a rough tug for the third time since we’ve moved our discussion here. He runs an agitated hand through his hair as he continues pacing. “I don’t see why we can’t just kill this motherfucker the instant he steps out of his compound.”

Juarez scowls at Santy. “I’d advise you not to say shit like that when I’m in the damn room.”

“You can’t do that.” My tone is pleading. “You know as well as I do that would start a free-for-all kind of war.” My voice turns muted. “You can’t put Alma at risk for more retaliation.”

The muscle in his cheek flickers like crazy, but he doesn’t respond. He knows I have a valid point.

Gordo, who’s been unusually quiet, chimes in now. “I’m a little behind on shit here, so I gotta ask.” He leans forward, forearms resting on the conference room table. “How the hell did you pull it all off? ’Cause it sure seems like if you hadn’t been at that house the night Andro shot Rafa, you woulda still been under the radar.”

I ignore Juarez’s probing stare. I have no love for the CIA. Not after the way I was treated. Not after what I had to do to secure my escape.

Steepling my fingers, I peer down at them, avoiding Santy’s gaze. It’s gutless, but after everything I’ve done, I’m certain this will be the dealbreaker for us.

“The agent inside Hidalgo’s home was willing to help me…for a price.”

Silence greets my words before Juarez probes. “I’m going to need you to explain that.”

I wet my suddenly dry lips before continuing. “Agent Molino found a way to get to me without Hidalgo or Adolfo knowing. He let me know who he was, and when I begged him to help me escape, he told me that I’d have to do something for him.”

Flattening my palms against the table, I confess, “He said if I couldn’t get him the book, I’d have to offer something else. Something more…personal.”

I dart a glance at Juarez, who appears on the border of apoplectic. “Don’t tell me he demanded you fuck him.” At my silence, his eyes bulge, and he darts a glance at Santy before refocusing on me. “I’d beat the shit out of that asshole if he were still alive.”

Santy’s voice is deceptively quiet. “You’re tellin’ me that an agent extorted you?! That you had to fuck him to get away from Hidalgo?” When I brave a look his way, his jaw works, that vein in his temple pulsing violently. “To get away from the fuckin’ man who beat you and carved into you?!”

Doing my best to stay on track, I force my words to emerge calmly. “I did what I had to do so Agent Molino would help me. He knew about Hidalgo’s trafficking, so after somehow getting his hands on explosives, he got a woman’s body that was around my age and height. She’d most likely overdosed on the synthetic drug Hidalgo’s so proud of.”

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