Page 41 of Playboy

Carlos, ever stoic, nodded once. “I can. Get me inside, and I’ll take it down.”

Lorenzo’s mind raced, calculating the possibilities. They had weapons on board—enough to provide cover fire while they got close. The rest of the shipment was still there. And if they pulled this off, it would be a victory unlike any other.

A wry grin tugged his lips. “Alright then. Victor and I will keep those bastards busy, and you get on that sub. We’re taking back what’s ours.”

Carlos looked at him, his confidence solid. “We’ll have to be fast, boss.”

Lorenzo smirked. “Fast is all I know. Let’s move.”

As he turned back to the scene, adrenaline surged through him. His brother Ramon had always called him reckless and a risk-taker, but he had also taught him one undeniable truth—risks were what made men succeed.

And Lorenzo wasn’t about to let a few Coast Guard officers stand between him and his empire.

He looked back at his loyal men, determination blazing in his eyes. “Let’s show these people they messed with the wrong family.”

???

Gabby sat on the edge of her seat, the low hum of the engine and the soft lapping of the waves doing little to soothe the simmering frustration she felt inside. Her eyes scanned the perimeter, watching over the scene where the SEALs and Coast Guard were offloading the cocaine from the narco-sub, but her mind couldn’t help but wander back to her disappointment. She’d wanted that aerial support position more than anything. It was a critical role, one that she deserved and had earned. She knew Alley had blocked her—again.

If Graham hadn’t been in that meeting with him, she would’ve been up there,she thought, gripping the wheel tighter. She had proven herself time and time again, and yet, every time an opportunity arose, Alley found a way to keep her grounded. It was maddening.

Gabby had to wonder—would Alley always be a roadblock for her? She loved her job. She loved her team. But Alley’s blatant sexism and his determination to keep her in what he considered her “place” gnawed at her every day. Even now, while she was patrolling on the water, she could feel that frustration bubbling beneath the surface. Now that she had her intelligence certifications, maybe it was time to consider using them to open doors and new opportunities where she wouldn’t be constantly undermined.

Maybe it’s time to sit down with Graham,she mused.He’d steer me in the right direction. I know he would.

But before she could follow that train of thought, something in her periphery caught her attention. There was a boat moving fast—too fast and it was heading straight toward the narco-sub’s location. Her instincts kicked in, and she quickly pulled out her binoculars. Squinting, she focused in on the vessel, and immediately her stomach dropped. From what she could see, there were four men, and they looked determined, with their sights locked on Playboy, his team, and the other Coasties near the sub.

“Shit,” Gabby muttered, her heart racing as she slammed the throttle forward, her boat surging to life. Grabbing the radio, she barked into the mic. “This is Petty Officer Allen. Be advised there is a hostile vessel moving in your direction. I think that sub is theirs. Moving to intercept.”

Her fingers worked quickly as she flipped on the lights and sirens. She then toggled with the intercom system. “This isthe U.S. Coast Guard! Stop the boat and turn off your engine immediately!”

No response.

Gabby’s boat sped forward. As she closed the distance, she could see more clearly now—four men, weapons drawn, intent on crashing through any defense to get to their target. They weren’t slowing down.

Holy fuck!

Her mind raced, and her heart pounded in her chest, knowing the men at the sub’s location were sitting ducks. There wasn’t enough time for them to get everyone back onto the boats and untie from the sub. Not to mention the aerial support they had earlier left the scene because they were called to another incident.

There was only one option.

Gabby clenched her jaw, adrenaline surging through her veins as she gunned the throttle, pushing her boat to max speed. Her heart hammered in her chest as the two boats barreled toward each other. She flicked her gaze toward the other vessel—it was slowing down slightly, perhaps trying to evade her, but not enough. Not enough to stop the imminent threat.

“This is it,” she whispered to herself, making peace with the split-second decision. Gabby pressed the throttle as far as it would go, her boat surging ahead. She angled her vessel directly into the path of the oncoming boat.

She braced herself for impact.

CRASH!

The collision hit like a freight train. Metal screamed against metal as Gabby’s boat slammed into the other vessel. The force of the crash sent her flying backward, her body catapulting into the air. She felt all the air leave her lungs from the brutal force of her body slamming into a hard surface. The last thingshe remembered before the darkness engulfed her was the cold ocean swallowing her whole.

???

Playboy wiped the sweat from his brow as he helped toss another bale of cocaine onto the deck. They were making steady progress, though they had only offloaded about a quarter of the product.

There was still some tension in the air from the operation. They had won a significant battle in preventing a shit ton of cocaine from making it onto the streets. But in their line of work, it never felt like enough—enough would be eliminating the distributors and the cartels.

He cast a glance toward his team. They were all working alongside the Coast Guard, loading the confiscated product onto the two boats.

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