Page 6 of Unleash You

“Okay. But first, tell me what happened. We were kind of neighbors a long time ago, but I don’t really know you. How do I know I can trust you?”

But you do know me.

She knew all my fears. She knew things about me I’d never told anyone else. She just didn’t know that. I met her gaze and held it. A part of me wanted her to know I was the person she’d been writing to for the past three years. “You can trust me.”

In a beat, her cheeks flushed to a deeper shade of red. This was something I didn’t know about her. Was she embarrassed? Or angry, frustrated? I’d gotten so used to knowing exactly what was on her mind. Jesus, I wanted to hold her and tell her everything would be okay. That she didn’t need to feel alone anymore.

“Tell me.” She braced a hand on my desk. Her long index finger sparkled with a silver ring I bought for her in Maracaibo. Though as far as she knew, the gift had come from Charlie.

I’m a fucking coward.

I blew out air. “After our stint in Colombia, we were assigned to another recon mission in Maracaibo, Venezuela.”

“Charlie mentioned it in his letters. He said the conditions there were a tough pill to swallow.”

“Yes. But our mission was to only observe and collect intel on a cartel leader who was quickly controlling all crime circles in the area. His reach extended over to Colombia as well.” I shook my head once because I’d already told Anabelle about all this in my letters. “Anyway, Charlie friended a local, Rebecca. About a year into the mission, she came to us asking for asylum. Her boss turned out to be the same guy we were there to keep an eye on. He had plans to start a human trafficking ring with an associate in New York.”

“Wait, Charlie mentioned that. He said your commanding officer asked you not to get involved. That wasn’t the mission. Are you trying to tell me that he went ahead and got Rebecca out anyway?”

I cleared my throat. We’d already had to explain our actions to our superiors. We’d made a good case on our behalf. Human lives came first, but it didn’t matter. We got honorably discharged anyway. “More than that. We tried to dismantle the operation camp he had out in the jungle. Like I said, innocent lives were lost.”

“What about Charlie?”

“When the cartel leader, Smith, sent reinforcements—an army really—we had to retreat and hide in the jungle. We managed to send a message to Tyler to come get us in his plane.”

Anabelle placed a hand over her mouth. “You got your brother involved? He’s not even a marine. Does your mother know?”

“No, she doesn’t. Please don’t tell her. Can I trust you with that?”

“Yes, of course.” She plopped herself on the chair across from me. She was shocked but not falling apart. “So Tyler came. How did you lose Charlie?”

“He got shot on our way to the rendezvous point. He couldn’t keep up with us. And Tyler only had one chance at touching down.”

“He asked you to leave him there.”

“Yes. After we made contact, I went back for him. But he was gone.”

“They took him?” Tears trickled down her cheeks, and my heart split into two.

I sauntered around the desk and kneeled at her feet. “I looked for him. I swear to you I did. I will find him again.”

“Wait, what do you mean again?”

Lying wasn’t the way to solve this problem. I rubbed my forehead, trying to find the words to explain what Charlie had become since the last time she saw him. He’d become controlling and apathetic. “One of my guys, Mack, found him deep in the jungle. Charlie assaulted him even after Mack identified himself. Afterwards, Charlie sent me a message. He said was never coming back. And to let him be.”

“That makes no sense. Why would he stay? If he got shot, doesn’t he need help?” Her gaze shifted around the room, as if the answer hid in a corner or under my desk.

“I have a plan. When Mack finds him again, he’ll let me know. I’ll bring him home. You have my word.”

“I want to believe you. But if you don’t get him home in two weeks, I’m going there myself.”

“So human trafficking, drug dealing—none of that gave you a clue the place is dangerous?” I furrowed my brows. Anabelle was brave, but right now, she was just being stubborn as all hell.Please tell me what you’re thinking.I hated not knowing. Though it wasn’t hard to guess she was planning something, something that probably involved her risking her life to save her brother. “What makes you think you can do better than Mack?”

“Charlie is my brother. The jungle obviously messed with his head. If I can talk to him in person, appeal to his better judgement, I can get him back. He needs our help, Wesley. He needs it now, not whenever Mack can find him again. I’m only waiting two weeks because this kind of trip will take time to plan.”

How could I help her understand she was in over her head on this one? “This trip isn’t like a trip to Europe. You could die.”

“I’m aware of the danger. I spent last summer helping Zack in Zimbabwe. I’m not gonna lie. Most nights I wasn’t sure I was going to make it. But I did. I can survive this too.”

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