Page 40 of Seeds of Sorrow

“So, we get the information and then catch them? Do we question them first?”

“Sometimes, if we don’t have all the details of their dealings.” Hadina made her way to Peyton, reaching out to grip her arms to stop her from pacing. “Are you okay? Are you sure you can handle this?”

That was a question Peyton had been asking herself, but hearing Hadina say it out loud was enough to tamp down her doubts. She was strong and wanted to help save those girls, even if it was the most terrifying thing she’d ever have to do.

“I can do this. I just…” She let out a sigh and leaned forward, pressing her forehead into Hadina’s shoulder. “It’s so much to take in. And my heart is aching in advance, knowing that whoever we save will already have been subjected to so much.”

Hadina ran a hand through Peyton’s hair, her fingertips playing with the ends as she soothed her. “I know. It’s going to be difficult and it will take a very long time for your heart to catch up with your head. But you have to think of it this way: if we didn’t save them, they would face so much worse. We can always strive to do more, but what we do is already life-changing to so many people.”

Peyton nodded, pulling herself together. “If we don’t need to question them, what happens to the targets?”

“We kill them,” Hadina stated bluntly. “We make sure they can never hurt anyone else ever again.”

Steeling herself, Peyton squared her shoulders and locked gazes with the woman in front of her. “Then I think you need to teach me how to shoot.”

Hadina’s answering smile was beautiful and deadly. “It would be my pleasure.”

Chapter27

PEYTON

Sleep cameto Peyton in short bursts, her mind too focused on being trained to allow her to get proper rest. Hadina had demanded that they both go to bed so that they could start fresh the following day, but as the morning light filtered through her windows, Peyton felt anything butfresh.

Perhaps her unrest came from the knowledge that Hadina was still in the house, but not in bed beside her. Peyton had thought they’d go to bedtogetherbut Hadina had kissed her and said she had to make some calls first. When an hour passed, Peyton had given up waiting for the Adis sister to appear.

Dressing in a pair of khaki cargo pants and a black tee, Peyton tucked her feet into her favorite combat boots before clomping down the stairs and heading to the kitchen. She was surprised to see Don and Hadina sitting together, heads bowed in conversation. Peyton could make out the muffled sound of Spanish, but besides one or two familiar words, she didn’t have a clue what they were talking about.

Peyton cleared her throat as she grabbed her mug from the cupboard, earning herself smiles from the duo. Then she poured herself a cup of coffee and returned the gesture, albeit a little nervously. She couldn’t figure out if they had been speaking about her, or something serious—either way, their conversation ceased the moment Peyton entered the room.

“Morning, y’all,” Peyton said, taking a gulp from her mug.

“Good morning,cariño.”

Hadina caught Peyton’s gaze and refused to look away, sending excited little chills down her spine. “I cooked breakfast, if you’d like some.”

“I’m sorry, what?” Peyton asked, choking on her coffee. “You, Hadina Adis, cooked breakfast? I don’t think I’ve seen you cook since I moved here.”

Peyton shrieked when Hadina threw a dishtowel at her with deadly accuracy, a smirk playing on her lips. “She’s just trying to impress you,” Don chuckled, ignoring his daughter’s scowl.

Hadina walked over to Peyton and slid an arm around her waist, pressing a brief kiss to the side of her mouth before creating distance between them. Then she grabbed a plate from the cupboard and handed it to Peyton. “Breakfast.”

“What did you make?” Peyton sniffed the air, her stomach rumbling at the smell of eggs.

“The best eggs you’ll ever taste in your life,” Hadina replied smugly, scooping some onto Peyton’s plate. “And black beans. There are some tortillas on the table too.” She laughed at the puzzled expression on Peyton’s face. “Trust me, just try it. You’ll love it.”

Taking a seat at the table, Peyton pulled a tortilla from the platter in the middle and looked up expectantly.

Hadina tried to hide her smile as she instructed Peyton on what to do. “Layer them up. Put some black beans in the center, place your eggs on top, and then fold the tortilla over so you can take a bite.”

Don and Hadina watched silently, their excitement palpable as Peyton took her first bite before audibly groaning as the flavors exploded on her tongue. Hadina had been right; they were the best eggs she’d ever tasted.

“Holy shit!” she mumbled as she swallowed.

Hadina glanced at her father before they high-fived in victory. “Good job,mija.”

“You need to cook more often!” Peyton took another bite, then another, until she had cleared her entire plate and sat back to place a hand on her full stomach. She hadn’t eaten anything that delicious in a long time, and knowing that Hadina had been the one to cook it made it better.

Don winked, patting Hadina’s shoulder before exiting the room. Hadina watched him leave and then turned back around, grinning mischievously. Peyton raised a questioning brow just before Hadina grabbed the girl by the hips and pulled her into her lap.

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