Page 67 of Brick's Retribution

Every escape route we took, they seemed to know what we were doing.

"I've been wondering the same thing," I say, settling into the chair across from Amara's desk. "We ditched the phones, avoided main roads, and used secure locations. But somehow they always knew where we were."

Brick takes the chair beside me, his presence both comforting and distracting.

Even injured and exhausted, he calls to me.

"You think they had people watching?" he suggests. "Drones, maybe even satellite coverage?"

"It’s possible, but I doubt they had someone in every town from El Paso to Chihuahua watching for you both," Amaraagrees. "Something isn’t adding up for me. You weren’t using your phones, hardly at all, right?"

"Correct, we weren’t," I confirm for her. "It makes me think maybe a government agency was involved, or military contractors, or intelligence services."

If we're up against an organization with official backing, or at least official connections, our situation is even more dangerous than we thought.

"We need to assume the worst-case scenario," Amara says. "Full surveillance capabilities, unlimited resources, professional operators. Now, about the auction, we need to do the same—assume the worst-case situation."

"Which will make everything more risky," Brick adds. "They'll have background checks, verification procedures."

"Then we make sure our cover is bulletproof," I reply. "My father's reputation speaks for itself. The Torres name opens doors that stay closed to everyone else. "

We spend the next hour going over the details of my investigation, sharing what I know with Amara, discussing potential approaches to the trafficking networks.

"I should go check in with Dante, see if he knows anything," Amara says eventually, rising from her chair. "Why don’t you two go get some rest? It's been a long few days."

She pauses at the door, looking back at us with something I can’t name. "There's a guest room upstairs, Imani. Clean sheets, private bathroom. Ruby stocked it with everything you might need. Brick, I take it you’ll go over and show it to her."

After she leaves, Brick and I sit in silence for a moment.

"You sure about this plan?" he asks quietly.

"No," I admit. "But I'm sure about wanting to help you find Lashes. And I'm sure about wanting to stop these people before they hurt more women."

He reaches over and takes my hand, his thumb tracing patterns on my palm.

The simple contact sends electricity up my arm.

"You don't have to do this," he says. "You could disappear, use your family's resources to go somewhere safe. Start over."

"Without you?" I ask, meeting his eyes.

Something possessive flashes in his amber gaze. "I'd find you," he says simply. "Wherever you went, however long it took. I'd find you."

The promise in his voice makes my heart race.

This man, this beautiful, dangerous, impossibly loyal man, is mine.

Or at least… I think he could be. It’s not like we’ve talked about it.

The thought should terrify me—the complications it creates, the impossibility of our situations.

Instead, it sends a shock of heat through my entire body.

"Then I guess it's a good thing I'm not planning to go anywhere," I say, leaning closer to him.

He cups my face in his free hand, his thumb tracing my cheekbone. "You sure about that? Because once this is over, once we find Lashes and deal with the people hunting you, there's no going back to your old life."

"I don't want my old life," I reply honestly. "I want this. You. Us. Whatever that looks like."

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