Page 132 of Creed

“Tag,” Creed growls.

He holds up a hand. “With every piece of information, there’s risk associated with it. Sharing this now will increase the risk to an innocent.”

I can’t have someone else hurt because of me. I stare up at Creed, the unspoken plea on my face. Understanding softens his hard features, and his arms tighten around me again before he turns back to Tag.

“The hacker is being coerced,” Creed deduces. “Your tech guy has a connection established with them.”

“Yes,” Tag admits.

“Who’s doing the coercing?” Andro wonders. “Ortez and Salome? Morales? Or the mystery third party?”

“You still feel there’s one?” Severyn asks.

“There has to be,” Creed insists. “None of the men who we know are involved in this have the deep resources required.”

“This isn’t Cartel sanctioned,” Andro reminds Creed. “They aren’t the third party involved in this.”

“How do you know?” Severyn presses.

“Paco Garcia wouldn’t stand for getting mixed up in human trafficking,” Creed shares. “He actually independently hunts them down and deals with them.”

“And?” Tag pushes.

Creed runs his tongue over his teeth, considering what to share with them because it could make Antonio think worse of their family, which would cause me angst. I squeeze his waist, telling him to proceed.

“Vito has a contact within the Garcia Cartel,” he admits. “They confirmed that Geraldo Ortez, Pastor Salome, and Frederico Perez are acting independently. They’re marked for death by Garcia because of it.”

Tag rocks back on heels. “That means, whatever this is, the risk of their own criminal organization turning on them is less than the reward of what they’re trying to achieve here.”

This is all too much.

My knees almost buckle as I’m suddenly lightheaded. Creed sits me on the sofa but stays close at my side, perched on the armrest.

“If my father did plan to give me to Pastor Salome, who is involved in human trafficking…” I swallow hard. “Would that be enough payout for them to take the risk?”

Tag crouches in front of me. I expect to see pity, but I only see a determination to help me. “Unfortunately, there’s a lot of money to be made off one person who is forced into sex slavery.” Bile rises at his words, but I force it back as he continues softly, “But the payout for selling one person into the ring, between at least four people… More if there’s actually another party involved in this…” He shakes his head. “That would be nothing factored against running for the rest of your life from a cartel hunting you down. The risk doesn’t match the reward; there’s more to this than what we’re seeing.”

Would giving me to a death ring give them that exorbitant payout, though? My death and the payout would be ‘one and done.’

My mind vehemently rejects the death ring possibility.

I feel worse than when we arrived. “What’s our next step?”

Antonio looks as pale and ill as I feel. “We get you someplace safe, firefly.”

“On that, I agree.” Creed’s fingers tightened on my shoulder, and I nearly weep, knowing he’s here to protect me.

If fate hadn’t brought us together, what would’ve become of me?

“I don’t like being out in the open like this,” Creed grits.

“You picked the location,” Antonio reminds him.

“But it’s still public,” he rumbles. “My family’s estate—”

“An estate?” Antonio arches a brow, and Severyn leans in to whisper something to him.

“Yes, an estate; one that’s a fucking fortress. No one would be able to get to Sophie in there.”

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