Page 67 of Unleash You

“I’ll sleep when I get Anabelle back home safe.”

“You’re the boss.” He rolled onto his side and reached under a pile of dead leaves. “I figured we’d need a stretcher. I was in and out all night, but I managed to put something together. What do you think?”

I chuckled, frowning at the makeshift stretcher, which consisted of four thick tree limbs tied together in a crisscross pattern with his cameo jacket stretched over them. “That’ll work.”

“You’ll have to drag me.” He lay on top of it on his stomach, hooking his arms over the fabric to show me. “But one thing at a time, hey? What’s the plan, Boss?”

“I go in. Alone.” I tried the radio again and got nothing but static. “I can take down the two guards. If you keep watch, I’ll go in and get her. Then we can get the fuck out of here.”

“All I can do is tell you if you got shit coming your way.” He adjusted his stance against the tree trunk.

“That’ll do. We’ll wait until they fall asleep.” I gripped the strap of my rifle tighter.

Charlie, don’t make me choose.

On Mack’s insistence, I lay down on his stretcher and closed my eyes. I didn’t sleep at all. My mind swam with all the possible outcomes for tonight. If Anabelle weren’t five hundred feet from me right now, I’d be crawling out of my skin.

An hour later, Mack shoved my shoulder. “Last guy just went into his tent. Coast is clear.”

Anger swirled in my stomach as I checked my handgun and attached the silencer. I let the rage seep through me. I needed it to do what I had to do. With a quick nod to Mack, I headed toward the campsite and Charlie’s hut. In the hours after they took Anabelle, I memorized all the different paths to get to her as well as the security Charlie had in place. He had two guys outside his tent and two others guarding the perimeter.

When I reached my targets, I zeroed in on the one closest to me, put him in a chokehold, and shot the other. The guy struggled against my chest as I dragged him away to an area heavily covered in bamboo shoots. I stayed with him until he went limp in my arms, then went and got his friend. The rumble in my chest made my body tremble in disgust, though my hands were steady as I rearranged the two bodies so they wouldn’t be discovered.

One step into Charlie’s tent, a big pan came out of nowhere in my peripheral vision. Instinct took over. I gripped the wrist attached to the weapon and wielded it to the ground. The small whimper brought me out of my survival trance.

“Jesus Christ, Anabelle. I could’ve killed you.” I crushed her to my chest.

“I heard noises just outside. I wasn’t sure what to expect.” She wedged her arms between us, searching my eyes. “Charlie’s here. He had his men bring me to him.”

“I know. Let’s not worry about Charlie. Let’s just go.” I cradled her face as she did an awkward nod. The fear in her eyes broke my heart.

In the next beat, Mack’s signature whistle filled the air for a split second. I took Anabelle’s hand and darted out. Charlie and his men waited for us, armed to the teeth, just on the other side of the rainfly.

“Let her go.” I stepped forward. “She’s innocent. She’s your sister.”

“I don’t know about that.” His cold eyes sent a shiver down my spine.

He pointed his chin at us. “Get her back inside.” To his credit, he swallowed hard before he issued the next command. “And get rid of him.”

“You’re a coward.” I struck one of the guys that came at me, but the others anticipated my moves and were quick to force me to my knees and lock me down.

“What the hell happened to you?” Anabelle rounded on him. “We used to be a family. Why would you throw all that away?”

“They’re dead because of you.”

“No, they’re dead because sometimes bad shit happens to good people. It was an accident, Charlie,” she screamed with trembling hands.

The two men holding her stopped in their tracks, eyeing Charlie expectantly, as if waiting for him to tell them what to do. But he stood there frozen, staring at her.

“You think you were the only one who was hurting after they died. I was thirteen. And you left me all alone. I only had you, and you left me.” Tears streamed down her face. “And now you’re here playing the cartel boss? Have you lost your mind?”

“Yes, that’s exactly it. I lost it all when they died. I didn’t find a purpose until I found this.”

“Commanding a bunch of criminals in the middle of the jungle is hardly a purpose. Let alone a worthy one.” She panted a breath, her cheeks bright red.

“Out here, life is cheap. You lose one, and he can be replaced the next day.” He glanced around at the sea of faces looking at him as if he were some kind of hero or rather the person making them money.

“So Wesley’s right. You’re a coward. You buried me along with our parents because you were afraid you’d lose me some day.”

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