Page 82 of The Perfect Stranger

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Wearing a mask of indifference was near impossible when it came to Nina Cross.

“What a find. What a find,” Gabriel mused. “Her pictures do not do her justice, brother.”

There were three other men loading their Glocks, faces half-cocked and amused by the banter.

“There is definitely some fun to be had.”

I bit my tongue until it bled.

Gabriel pulled a shirt over his head. “I can understand why it took you so long to get here.”

“I prefer to take precautions, and your foot soldiers were making a mess of things.”

“Like I said…” he slid a gold ring with a massive ruby onto his pinkie finger, “…I needed to ensure my asset actually made it across the border.”

One of the men walked to the window, pulling the curtain back with the barrel of his gun. “They’re out there,” he grunted.

Gabriel and his three men moved into action, but I was already out the door.

“Hunter,” he called and I stopped knowing what was coming next. “Your job is done. Stay here.”

My jaw tightened and he noticed, a smile reaching his eyes. “Don’t worry, brother. She’s safe with me…” he backed toward the door and winked, “… for now.”

Nina was outside on her knees, the sun beating down while she waited. She was shackled, arms tied behind her back. Nina’s beautiful long locks were tangled, legs exposed from her short nightshirt. I couldn’t see her face, and I counted that as a small blessing. I knew she would be scared. I knew she would feel deceived. She had every right to be. Pulling my Beretta free, I watched, ready to kill any fucker that laid a hand on her.

The men appeared, walking in a line until they stood in front of Nina, all leering at her vulnerable state like the pricks they were.

Gabriel addressed her first, eyes alight with self-righteousness and satisfaction. I couldn’t hear what was being said. I didn’t need to hear. This was all for show.

He would be setting the groundwork.

Ensuring she knew her place.

Doing little to quell her fears.

They conversed and she showed no signs of being intimated.

That was until Gabriel upped the ante. Upon instruction, the men left in the line-up, made tracks back to the house. Conversation stalled, the remaining men continuing with their leering. Nina didn’t break. She was strong. She would fight this. She was tougher than I gave her credit for back at the restaurant.

The man reappeared and I froze. He had a bound and still badly injured Jair Ruiz in tow. Thanks to the gunshot wound to the thigh, he was dragged by the Santos man before being dumped next to Nina.

Gabriel smiled, delighted. It was all working in his favor.

I have brought everything to him on a silver platter.

This was all my doing.

My fault.

Nina turned to the strange man, her confused face coming into view.

She never met the real Jair Ruiz.

Ruiz’s mouth was moving at rapid speed, Nina hanging onto every word. He would be revealing everything. Telling her truth and unraveling all my lies.

Gabriel, on the other hand, was losing patience, growing irate when Ruiz refused to shut it.

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