Page 37 of Fighting for Ella

“But Miguel is in trouble,” she insisted. If they wanted to put her in handcuffs, then so be it. She had no idea what intel Miguel had been able to share with his team, so she didn't know if they knew the drug was safe, or if they had it if she was still considered a traitor. Right now, she didn't care either. Miguel was what was important.

“And we’ll go for him as soon as we get you safe,” Decker “Gumby” Kincade assured her, not unkindly, but also in a voice that told her their minds were made up.

Well, she was going to change their minds.

Nothing was making her leave behind a man who had saved her over and over again.

“No. Miguel needs us. We were coming to meet you, but Miguel saw or heard someone, or however you guys do that superpower sensing someone’s presence thing. He went to take care of it, but he should have been back already. Something’s wrong. I know it is, and I won't leave him behind. He saved me, he believed in me, I won't go without him.”

Before anyone could say anything else, a gunshot sounded, and without thinking about what she was doing, Ella was running toward the sound, positive that Miguel had just been shot.

February 8th

12:58 A.M.

The bullet struckthe ground millimeters from where he was down on his knees, surrounded by a dozen of Raul’s men.

Even though dirt kicked up as the bullet flew off close enough to hit him that he could have sworn he felt the heat of it, Miguel didn't flinch.

Wouldn't flinch.

So long as the men had their attention focused on him, they couldn’t be searching for Ella.

The exfil time was zero thirty, and they’d been less than a mile from the prearranged meeting point. The team coming in for them would wait a short time before moving in to follow the tracker’s location. By now Ella should be safe with them. That’s all he cared about.

They’d come back for him, Miguel had no doubt about that, and he also rated his chances of being alive when they did as fairly high. Sure, he’d likely be sporting a few new bruises,and maybe even a bullet hole or two, but Raul’s men would want to torture him for Ella’s location so they couldn’t kill him right away. And he could withstand hours and hours of torture without cracking.

Especially if he knew that his little brave lioness was safe.

“You killed the missing guards, the ones we found in the jungle,” the man who seemed to be the leader said, still keeping the weapon he’d just fired trained on Miguel.

“Hey, not my fault they were thinking with the wrong head,” he shrugged. In addition to being on his knees surrounded by a dozen armed men, his arms were tied behind his back and he’d been stripped of his weapons. These men thought it gave them the upper hand, but so long as Ella was nowhere near there, Miguel firmly believed the ball was actually in his court.

“You are American,” the leader spat at him.

“I am. I'm here to capture Ella Whitlock.” Even though he doubted it was going to do any good he would stick with his plan to pretend he’d taken her against her will. While he was sure she was safe now, he’d rather add a second layer of protection just in case it was needed.

“The boss is not happy that you took her,” the other man informed him. “He has taken a liking to her.”

“Raul has to know it’s not reciprocated. Ella said she came because her family was threatened. She fought hard when I told her I was taking her with me. Said she couldn’t leave because your boss was threatening to blow up her family if she didn't give him what he wanted. What he’d been trying to get for over a month now,” he added with a mocking smirk.

The fist that came flying toward him, connecting with his jaw, was not unexpected. He took the blow, the jolt of pain, and relished the fact that he was the one being hit and not Ella. The thought of anyone putting their hands on her, causing her pain, made him want to burn the entire world to the ground.

“She will tell the boss what he wants to know,” the leader sneered. “And then, if he wants to keep her as his pet, she will learn to obey and follow his commands. She is nothing. You are nothing. Your country is nothing. You are not in control here. You do not have the power.”

“I do,” Raul Castillo said as he strode out of the trees. “Now I believe you stole something from me and I want it back. Now.”

Miguel merely met and held the weapons dealer’s gaze.

Just because Raul was accustomed to throwing around his money and power and getting what he wanted didn't mean he was going to get it this time.

In fact, what the trafficker wanted the most was already out of his reach.

Ella was safe and protected, away from a man who wanted to treat her like a possession instead of a human being.

“I have ways of making people talk,” Raul threatened like Miguel cared.

“So I've heard. Only I don’t think it’s yielded any results,” he taunted.

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