Page 104 of Hidden By His Side

“What’d this dickhead even do?” Ash asked.

Ramiro strained to hear the words, but they were too muffled to make out. The bed dipped behind him as Summer sat up, but she remained quiet.

“Well, shit,” Ash said. “Isn’t this fucker a Guzman? Not many of them left. Are you sure we shouldn’t step in?”

“Dammit,” Ramiro muttered, shoving off the bed. The only Guzman Ash would call about was Seb. His newest asset had been checking out the doctors, and now he was being beaten.

That was proof enough that Ovidio Guzman lived.

Seb was a lot of trouble, but he was one of Ramiro’s. Him dying wasn’t in the cards.

“I’m on my way,” Ramiro told Ash, not knowing if he could hear him, but it was Ash. “If his chances don’t look good, don’t wait for me.”

Ovidio being alive meant Ash’s place in the cartel was even more important, but it couldn’t be helped. Ash was going to be pissed if he had to break cover.

Hopefully Seb’s information was worth the hassle.

Ramiro shot off a text to Hayes to locate the call before tossing the phone on the bed and dragging on clothes. He leaned over to kiss Summer briefly. “I’ll be back.”

“It’s fine. Go,” Summer said. “I love you.”

Her words soothed him. He grabbed his phone and headed to his car. The gates closed behind him before he drove off, but he still stared into the rearview mirror, not feeling any better about leaving her.

Once the cartel was no longer an issue, he would finish going legit. He was over being away from Summer, especially when the roiling in his stomach got worse the farther away he drove.

The action was over by the time Ramiro got there. Seb held on to his stomach in a corner of the warehouse, his eyes swollen shut and his body shaking. One of his arms dangled.

“This fucking place. I hate this fucking place,” he muttered, glaring at the chains overhead.

Ash sat separate from him, his arms resting on his knees, his hands bloody.

There were four bodies.

“Any get away?” Ramiro asked.

Ash shook his head. “Won’t make sense for me to have survived, though. I’m burned.” He didn’t look upset or relieved or anything. Ash played at being a person, but that empty stare was his real personality.

Ramiro crouched near Seb. “You gonna live?”

“Hell.” Seb winced.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Ramiro glanced at Ash. “You want cleanup or to take him to the clinic?”

Ash pushed to his feet and grabbed the arms of the nearest body, dragging it toward the door and leaving a trail of blood.

Ramiro focused on Seb again. “I thought you were going to be careful.”

“Fucking Guzmans.” Seb’s body slumped into itself. “Should’ve listened to my momma and stayed the fuck away from them. They’re all crazy. Even the women.”

“Women?” Ramiro glanced at the bodies. They were pretty mangled, but he was fairly certain they were all men.

“Some vet cousin that the Guzmans use for doctoring. She seemed harmless.” He tilted his head, showing the blood in his hair. “Knocked me out, then I ended up here.” He glared blearily at the chains. “Can’t get away from this fucking warehouse.”

“Doctoring?” Ramiro asked, tension tightening the muscles of his neck even though he already knew. “Ovidio?”

“Yeah.” Seb’s words seemed to be leaking out now. “He’s alive.” His hand slid from his stomach, showing that it was slit wide open.

“Fuck!” Ramiro surged forward to catch his slumped form. “Ash! Help me carry him to my car.”

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