Page 59 of Hearts Of Darkness

A professional job.

“Who else in New York knows about the deal?”

“No one, unless the Italians have been shooting their mouths off about it. What about the Garcias? Any surviving relatives I should know about? I know howselectiveyou are about your targets these days.”

“Grayson and I dealt with every single one of those motherfuckers. Tell me about Sanders.”Eve’s father was a one off, Emilio. Don’t push me. My bite is far worse than my bark.

“Left to meet a contact in Port Miami at nine p.m. Never returned home. No body. Nothing… I’ve just spoken with Nicolas. He’s on the case, stateside.” There’s a long pause. “I want your ass back here, Dante. We need to figure this out together.”

I resist the eye-roll that normally accompanies Emilio’s attempts to yank me into line. My attention is being drawn to the balcony of Eve’s room. She’s standing there, watching me, looking like the total fucking angel that she is. She’s wearing another white dress, her long, dark hair framing her pale face, the curtain billowing out behind her like a pair of goddamn wings.

“My flight leaves in an hour,” I tell him sharply, moving toward the house. “Fifty men are on their way to New York. Fifty to Florida.”

“Let’s hope they’re as good as you say they are, and not justidiotaswith machine guns.”

“Are you questioning my training methods or my authority?” I kick open the front door with unnecessary force.

“Maybe both. Time will tell. You took your eye off theball, baby brother. You should have seen this coming.”

I pause, lamenting my inability to reach inside this fucking cell and rip out his throat. I’m no fool. I know that Eve and my business are a match made in hell.

What I don’t need is for my junkie dickhead of a brother to spell it out for me.

I leaveher exhausted and naked, sprawled out across the bed. She fell into a deep sleep after I took her hard, spiraling us both up to paradise for a few short, breath-taking moments. Her long legs are lying tantalizingly apart. I can see my cum pooling at the top of her thighs.Mine,I think fiercely. I’ve marked her in the most intimate of ways.

Without thinking, I step back into the room. I’m so close to removing my clothes and fucking her again, but duty and obligation are tugging on my leash.

Joseph is standing in my hallway waiting for me. He’s dressed in black fatigues with a loaded holster strapped to his chest. He hands me my gun as I reach the bottom stair. I cock the muzzle and check the magazine.

“First team departed ten minutes ago,” he informs me. “Second team leaves in five. The boats are transporting them thirty miles east to Rodera. There’s a jet fueled and waiting for them there.”

“And yet you’re still here?” I raise a questioning eyebrow at him. It’s not like him to disobey a direct order.

“I’m going with you to Colombia.” The stubborn jut of his jaw tells me I don’t have a choice in the matter. “Somethingdoesn’t feel right. I can’t put my finger on it.”

“You think too much,” I say, waving away his concerns. “Who’s staying here?”

“Ramirez. He’s the commanding officer.” I nod my approval. “I’m leaving a solid team here with him: Santo, Sebastian, Mateo and a couple of promising younger guys…and Manuel.”

Not that fucker.

“How’s his face?” I say grimly, picking up my laptop and checking the charge on the satellite phone.

“Healing.”

“Well, he knows what to do if he wants it to stay that way.”

“I think he got the message, loud and clear.”

Joseph needed to pull me off him yesterday. My fists were playing judge and jury again. As far as I’m concerned, he got off easy. A shattered cheekbone is a small price to pay for talking to Eve without my permission.

We travel to the landing strip together. My aircraft is ready and waiting, and my men are busy loading up weapons and gear. My pilot, Tomas, raises a hand in greeting as we approach the steps. He’s an integral part of my team—a tough talking, no-shit-taking South African who scalped the last guy who looked at him funny. I’m an experienced pilot, but I prefer to leave the flying to Tomas on these occasions. Besides, I need to talk tactics with Joseph for the next fifteen hours straight.

“Flight path is all set,” Tomas announces, striding up to us.

“Let’s get the last of the equipment onboard and go. I left a beautiful woman in my bed, and I’d like to return to her, sooner rather than later.”

Tomas grins at me. “As you wish, Mr. Santiago. If only every man could be as lucky.”

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