Page 10 of Ravaged Hearts

“Why do you think so?”

“Because transportation by road is risky, so the cartel would want to minimize the journey between the airport and storage. Everything on board my plane needs to be taken somewhere for safekeeping. The drugs will be tested, cut, and repackaged, and the women will start a monthlong process of health checks and training to ready them for auction. That’ll all happen somewhere with the highest security, and nowhere is more protected than the compound.”

Hope raked her fingers through her hair. “And Miguel told you to stick around after the delivery to meet Carlos.”

“That’s right. And we know Espinoza hasn’t left his compound in years. He’ll be a sitting duck once we get that location.”

She frowned. “Why would Carlos have lied to me about being in Acapulco all those years?”

“Maybe so if you were ever interrogated, you couldn’t rat him out. I mean, it worked. We’ve been focused on Acapulco all week. Brandon and Sage are damn good at what they do, but if the intel’s been wrong this whole time, they never stood a chance of finding your father. We need to redirect our search to Manzanillo.”

I messaged Brandon, telling him what I’d learned. It was late, so he might not see it until morning, but I didn’t want towake him with a phone call if he was already asleep. Both he and Sage had been working long hours to track down Espinoza. Waiting a few more wouldn’t hurt. But this lead was huge. For the first time in days, I had hope we might finally locate the cartel’s compound.

I left my phone on the nightstand and faced Hope. “Come here.”

“You don’t get to order me around anymore,” she replied in a playful tone.

“Outside of the bedroom perhaps, but in here, you bet your ass I’m calling the shots.”

Her eyes narrowed. “So bossy.”

Since she still hadn’t moved and her bratty behavior was getting me all worked up, I strode for her, forced her against the wall, and gently wrapped my hand around her delicate throat. As I crowded her in, Hope’s pulse pounded beneath my fingertips and her eyes shone with anticipation.

“You can pretend you don’t like it, but we both know this”—I tightened my hold a little—“makes you drenched.”

Her mouth parted as if she might disagree, but she didn’t. “And what does it do to you?”

“I think you already know the answer to that.” I rocked the straining bulge in my jeans against her and brushed a kiss just below her ear. Then I buried my nose in her hair and inhaled, craving her familiar scent, but all I could smell was cigar smoke.

Nope. That wouldn’t do.

I pulled away and grunted.

“What’s wrong?” Hope asked.

“You need to wash.”

A look of horror transformed her features. “Excuse me?”

“You reek of Miguel’s cigars.” Both of our clothes probably did, but Hope’s hair had acted like a smoke sponge. I didn’t want her smelling like him. I wanted her to smell like me.

Taking Hope by the hand, I snatched bottles of bodywash, shampoo, and conditioner on our way to the bathroom. It was a small, basic washroom with a pale-blue toilet and ceramic sink on one side and a showerhead sticking out of the white tiled wall on the other. I turned on the tap, and thankfully, it didn’t take long before the cool water ran warm.

“Arms up,” I said, and when Hope obliged, I pulled the tight black dress over her head. “Turn.” She did, and I unclasped her lacy strapless bra. Then I hooked my thumbs into the sides of her thong and slowly dragged it down to her feet, where I remained crouched.

I cast my gaze over her body and adjusted my uncomfortably hard cock. “Goddamn, you’re beautiful.”

“Vaughn?” She sounded needy and impatient.

“Yes, Gatita?” My palms kneaded the generous curves of her ass.

“What are you doing down there?”

“Admiring the view.” I made an appreciative growl and bit into one soft globe. Hope yelped, but it turned into a moan when I soothed the red mark with a pass of my tongue.

On my way to standing, I slapped her ass and gestured to the shower. “You first.” After stripping out of my clothes and leaving my weapons on the sink, I followed her.

I wished I could simply enjoy the way her greedy eyes raked over my body, but we couldn’t be naked in the shower together without taking precautions. It wasn’t safe.

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