Page 30 of Hunted By the Cartel

As the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the stream, Diego's eyes drifted closed again. I was worried. Did something happen? Was he losing too much blood? No, it couldn't be that.

I watched him, my heart overflowing with love. He had fought off our pursuers, despite his injury, and now he was exhausted. Yeah, that was what was happening. It couldn't be that his life was at risk. It wasn't anymore.

"Diego?" I whispered, my voice full of concern. "Are you okay? Please tell me you are. I don't want to worry so much about you. It's not good for both of us."

He didn't respond, and I placed a hand on his cheek, my thumb brushing his stubbled jaw. His skin was warm, and I bit my lip, hoping he wasn't running a fever. He was strong, so I knew he was going to pull through. A few minutes from now, he should open his eyes again.

His eyes fluttered open, as if reading my thoughts, and he offered me a tired smile. "I'm fine, love. Just a little tired. We can rest here for now."

I nodded, not entirely convinced, but knowing there was little I could do. Not to mention, I was tired as well. My body didn't want to go anywhere. It just wanted to be sitting right where I was.

"Get some rest, then. I'll keep watch. I'm not good enough in a fight, but I can scream when I need to."

He didn't argue, and within moments, his breathing evened out, and I knew he was asleep. He could fall asleep so quickly. I wasn't like that. It always took me a while before I could relax and fall asleep.

I sat vigil by his side, my eyes scanning the surrounding forest for any signs of danger. The peaceful setting belied the danger we were in, and I knew we couldn't let our guard down, not even for a moment.

The place looked peaceful, but its peace could be shattered at any moment by the cartel. They were probably out there hunting us, trying to sniff our scent.

As the moon rose, bathing the forest in soft silver light, I found myself dozing off, my head resting on Diego's uninjured shoulder. I started at a noise, my eyes flying open to find Diego stirring.

Relief washed over me. He was finally waking up again. I knew that it meant we were going to be leaving this place soon.

"Diego?" I whispered, my hand tightening on his arm. "Are you okay? Please tell me you are feeling better."

He stretched, a groan escaping his lips. "I'm better, actually. Feeling much more like myself. With your help, of course I was going to feel much better. It couldn't be any different."

I exhaled loudly and sagged against him. It was one of the few moments I felt at peace. It was going to be short-lived, but for now, I could relish it.

"Thank goodness. I was so worried."

He pulled me closer, his arm tightening around my shoulders. His muscles made me feel even safer, not to mention, also slightly aroused. But I ignored that. It wasn't time to be feeling horny.

"I know, love. But I'm fine now. Let's get some rest and continue our journey in the morning."

I nodded, my eyes already drifting closed again. It was difficult for me to think about standing up and moving again, but we didn't have many other options. It was either that or risking the cartel finding us again.

"Okay," I murmured, snuggling closer to his side. His warmth enveloped me even more than before. "I love you."

"I love you too," he whispered, his voice warm and sleepy.

Chapter 14

Diego

The city lights blurred into a soft, comforting haze as we finally made our way back, our hearts still pounding from the dangers we'd escaped. We both didn't think we were going to make it, but we were thankful we did. So much passed. We barely made it out alive.

I had my arm around Rowan, his body warm against mine, and I couldn’t help but feel a strange combination of relief and trepidation.

Was it really so easy? It still felt like the cartel would eventually show up out of nowhere and kill us. But, so far, nothing of the sort seemed as though it was going to happen.

We had made it. For now, at least, the cartel wasn't looking for us anymore. That was what it seemed like, anyway. We couldn't know for sure. To be honest, I didn't think that the boss would ever give up. Deep down, I knew he was still looking for us.

We changed our identities, melted into the city's anonymity, and settled into a life that felt almost normal. I didn't think I could ever feel that way about my life, but I couldn't deny that was exactly what I was feeling.

Then, weeks turned into months, and in that time, Rowan’s belly had grown with our baby girl. Aurora. It took us so long to find a good name for her, but we were glad we took our time. The name was perfect.

Every time I thought of her, a smile tugged at my lips. She was our light, our hope, our reason to keep pushing forward.

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