Page 24 of Fast Vengeance

A frown creased her forehead. “I’m not sure they’ll allow that.”

“I’ll handle it.” He’d figure out a way to make it happen.

For a moment she looked doubtful, then gave him a little smile that turned his heart inside out. “All right.”

The tension in his muscles eased. He lifted a hand, traced his fingertips over the shadows beneath her eyes. “Text me when you arrive safely.”

“I will.”

“Hope you sleep well tonight, angel.”

Surprise flashed in her eyes at the endearment, then the edges of her mouth curved upward. “I’ll try.”

“When you stay over Saturday night, I’ll make sure you sleep like a baby.” A knock interrupted the rest of what he was going to say. He checked to verify it was one of the marshals, then stole a soft, quick kiss before opening the door.

She searched his eyes. “Bye.”

“Bye.” Closing the door behind her, he expelled a long breath and leaned his forehead against the wood. Maybe now that the monster who had caused her so much pain had gotten what was coming to him, she would finally be at peace enough to get a full night’s sleep.

Unfortunately, where the Veneno cartel was concerned, there were plenty more monsters still out there for him and his team to slay.

Chapter Seven

“I just got word.”

Manny Nieto turned from the small table in the tiny cabin kitchen to face his head of security, the only man he trusted to watch his back now. They’d been waiting for this all day. “And?”

“Ruiz is going to die in jail,” David said, satellite phone in his hand. “Doubt he’ll make it another month, even in max security.”

Well, at least that was something. Though it was a better fate than he deserved. Manny would have preferred to learn his nemesis had been tortured, shot full of holes and left to die an agonizing death over a period of days. “He’ll appeal. But it won’t do him any good.”

“No.”

“And is there any word on whether he’s been in contact with someone in his old network? Or Montoya?”

“Not that we know of.”

“Well, find out for sure.” Unfortunately, Ruiz being locked up for the rest of his life didn’t help Manny much. Even with that headache gone, he had new, equally big ones to deal with. Whatever information his daughter and mistress had given the Americans months back, it had put an unprecedented amount of heat on him and the rest of the cartel. “Anything else?”

“Nothing.”

He’d expected as much. Still, each day that went by without any new information about Oceane aged him beyond his fifty-two years. Exhaling a long breath, he leaned back to survey the Spartan hunting cabin he’d been staying in for the past two nights up in the mountains. “Is the perimeter secure?”

“Of course.”

“We’ll move at first light.” Spending another day here was too risky. He had to keep moving, never let his guard down. There were too many enemies out there hunting him now, some of them former friends. That was cartel life. A constant struggle for survival of the fittest.

Manny waved David off, wanting some time to himself. When the front door shut he sank into a chair at the table and put his head in his hand.

Everything had unraveled so fast, blow after blow raining down on him. He’d left his treacherous wife months ago, along with the luxurious existence he’d made for them. Now his life’s purpose was twofold: evade the authorities and enemies hunting him, and find his daughter.

He had as many feelers out as he dared, searching for Oceane. But even after all this time and the reward he’d offered via his network, he was no closer to finding her. Last he’d heard, she was somewhere in the D.C. area. Now she could be anywhere, perhaps even on the other side of the globe.

It was hard to believe that even he, with all his money and contacts, had been unable to locate her. The Americans must have found Oceane’s tracking device and disposed of it long ago, because he hadn’t received a single hit on the beacon since Anya was killed.

He dragged a hand down his unshaven face, the guilt burning under his sternum like a branding iron. He had loved Anya. Would never have ordered her execution if she hadn’t betrayed him. Oceane didn’t know enough to pose a threat to him or his vast empire.

He’d ordered a clean kill with a bullet Anya would never see coming. Instead the men of his former enforcer, Montoya, had violated her and stabbed her, leaving her to bleed to death in front of Oceane. Manny felt sick every time he thought about it.

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