I yawned again. It was still pretty early, and I didn’t have anything to do until later, so I decided to go back to sleep. When I woke up a few hours later, I went to update my dad about Lucia.
I knocked on his open office door at the compound. “Hey, I have an update for you.”
He glanced up as I was speaking. “Good because we’ve got word of some more cartel in Bullhead City.”
I furrowed my brows, wondering if they were trying to find Lucia. “Do you think they’re already looking for the girl or just normal fucking with us bullshit?”
“Not sure. If they are looking for her, we need to make sure to grab her before they do.”
I nodded. “Well, Nodin found a map of their route, and it looks like they’re coming this way. They should be here in two to three days.”
I showed him the image on my phone. “You might have to grab her before she gets here since the cartel is poking around. Maybe take her from the Grand Canyon or Vegas.”
When I initially saw her route, I thought it would be best if I grabbed her from the desert on her way from Vegas to Cali. Butnow that the cartel were in the area and possibly looking for her, I had to reconsider. “I think you’re right.”
I started rethinking my plan, running different scenarios through my head. After a few seconds, I spoke my thoughts aloud. “If they camp overnight at the Grand Canyon, I could grab her in the middle of the night with less chance of witnesses.”
“And if they don’t?” my father countered.
I blew out a breath. “Well, I can take her from her hotel in Vegas, I guess.”
He chortled. “With the possibility of hundreds of witnesses?”
Irritation buzzed through me. “Well, what do you suggest, then?” I bit out through clenched teeth.
He shrugged. “This is your deal. You’re the mastermind of this operation.”
Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath. After a few seconds, I blew it out and said, “Maybe I can pick her up.”
The plan started forming in my brain as my dad replied, “Yeah. That’s the whole point of this.”
I shook my head. “No, I mean pick her up, as in, act like I’m interested in her and try to take her home.”
My father rubbed his beard. “You know, that’s not such a bad idea.”
“If she willingly leaves with me, I don’t have to worry about witnesses or an exit plan. I just have to get her to come home with me, or invite me back to her hotel. Either way, once she’s on my bike, I can get her out to the safe house and restrain her there with no witnesses for miles.”
He nodded. “What about the friend?”
Damn, I forgot about that. I rubbed the back of my neck as I tried to think of a solution. “Well, I could have Raleigh come with me and play wingman. If he can keep her friend busy all night, then it will be too late when she realizes what’s happened.”
He arched a brow. “What if she goes to the cops?”
“I don’t think she will. They are on the run from a cartel drug lord, so I’m sure they’re trying to stay off grid.”
“I hope you’re right.” He blew out a breath. “Maybe you should grab her, too, just to be safe.”
I sighed. I really didn’t want to have to worry about two women. “That might be more trouble than it’s worth.”
“If it gets the cartel off our backs, it’s worth it,” he countered. “We don’t need the cops and cartel looking for this girl.”
He had a point. “We’ll have to separate them so they don’t work against us. Maybe one in the safe house, another here or at the warehouse.”
“Your brother needs to help with this. We can’t afford for shit to go south with so much on the line.” He took out his phone and tapped it a few times before it started ringing. My brother answered after a couple of rings. “Hello?” He sounded like he was half-asleep, his voice gruff and raspy.
“Hey, I need you to come to my office. Now.”
Raleigh sighed. “What’d I do this time?”