Page 30 of The Perfect Stranger

Chapter Ten

“I’m moving to Ecuador.” Jase grinned. He smiled lopsided while on his stomach. “Senorita, tell me your name,” he asked for the third time. The nurse was playing coy, but he was persistent. “Antonio…” he turned to face me that little bit more, “…ask for her na— Ahh! Shit! Damn girl, give a man some warning,” he whined, seething with pain. The nurse winked at me moments before pulling the second sticky plaster from his left ass cheek.

“Lo siento,” she apologized with a smile.

“You can hurt me as much as you like if you tell me your name.”

The nurse giggled, and I shook my head. With his ass on display, his leg bandaged in two places, Jase was still operating in fine form.

“All done, señor,” she said pulling the sheet over Jase’s nudity.

“The touch of an angel,” he murmured, watching his ‘angel’ toss the bloodied padding into the disposal before exiting.

She winked before closing the door. They were as bad as each other.

“I’m on my way out.”

Jase propped himself up on one elbow, brows raised in question. “What, now?”

“My window of opportunity to track Gabriel Santos is closing.”

“Do you know where he is?”

“Gregorio is taking me to him.”

“What makes you think you can trust that piece of shit? He could be leading you straight into an ambush.”

“The man is a coward. Self-preservation is his objective no matter who he betrays. He’ll take me to where I wanna go.”

Jase flipped the sheets off him. “Wait. I’m coming too.”

“Get back into bed. You’re going nowhere, except back to the States.”

“Fuck off. I’m not letting you do this death mission alone.”

“You’ve been shot in your leg, twice. And in your ass. You’re in no condition.”

Jase wasn’t convinced. A rare seriousness creased his face. “You knew it wouldn’t end in La Balsa didn’t you?”

“I knew there was a possibility it would go further. The plan was to always send you home after it got to this stage.”

He saw the flicker of emotion. It was brief. Unexpected.

“Your dad?”

“Dead.”

Jase’s nostrils flared in anger. “I’m sorry to hear. I know you want to kill that fucker, but you don’t know what you’re up against.”

I stood, knowing it was time to go. Jase had been an awesome mate and a brilliant work partner. I trusted him with my life. And even though I’d probably never see him again, I couldn’t tell him the truth about how this was going to turn out for me.

“You need to get back home before they notice you’re gone,” I urged.

“And how are you going to explain your absence?”

Instead of answering I held out my hand, and he shook it, albeit slightly confused.

“Take care, buddy. Look after that wife of yours, and don’t always believe what you hear.”

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