Page 15 of Echoes and Oaths
“That’s bullshit, and you know it,” Raven snapped, eyes flashing with anger. “You should’ve fought for her. You should’ve stayed. Hell, we’ve all got enough money to walk away and never have to work again. Why didn’t you stay?”
Jinx narrowed his eyes at her, voice dropping low. “That’s none of your business.”
Raven rolled her eyes with a scoff. “‘Right. As if.’” She mimicked his earlier words with biting sarcasm. “‘How could I not?’” She shook her head and jabbeda finger at his chest. “Let me tell you how youcould have not. You could’ve kept your damn cover. You could’ve stayed. If you loved her enough … youcould have stayed.”
Jinx’s eyes blazed. He moved closer, his voice a low, dangerous growl. “Don’t youeverdoubt the love I have for that woman. I don’t care how close of a friend or teammate you are. If youeversay that again, you’ll be in danger.”
Raven raised an unimpressed brow, undeterred. “So, instead of staying and protecting her, you left her in a drug-infested, war-torn country. Alone.”
“She’s not alone,” he bit out. “She has her family. A huge family.”
Raven crossed her arms and gave a sharp laugh. “Yeah? Like that’s going to warm her bed at night?”
The statement hit Jinx like a light-armored anti-aircraft rocket to the gut. He visibly flinched, his body tensing, and Raven saw it.
She followed his gaze, both of them staring through the binoculars at the small, whitewashed clinic where Eira had disappeared earlier. She was sitting on the porch in front of the building.
“Yeah. That one gotcha, didn’t it,” Raven said softly, then looked back toward the hacienda with a quiet exhale. “You know … she’s got a lot here. I mean, compared to everyone else in this region. Every farm we passed and homestead we saw on our way in is smaller. Run-down. But not this one.” She looked over at Jinx and nudged him with her shoulder. “Youcan’tbe mad at me. And if you are, you can’t stay mad at me. So, stop pouting and answer my question. Have you noticed that her farm is … more?”
Jinx gave a tight nod. “That detail hasn’t gone past my observation.”
“That’s because Ortega’s protecting her,” Brando’s voice came over their comms, crisp and certain.
Jinx and Raven exchanged a look.
“What are you basing that on?” Raven asked.
“The parabolic mic,” Brando said. “I played the audio back. One of the enforcers said, and I quote, ‘If it weren’t for Ortega, you wouldn’t be so disrespectful.’”
Raven’s expression sobered as she turned toward Jinx. “He could be right.”
“Iamright,” Brando replied, smug.
Raven groaned. “You’re starting to sound like your cousin.”
“Is that a bad thing?” Brando asked innocently.
“In my opinion? Yes,” she muttered.
Jinx ignored the banter and stared hard through the binoculars. “Why would Ortega protect her?”
Raven snorted. “Look at her. She’s gorgeous.”
Jinx shot her a sidelong glare. “Don’t go there.”
Raven’s eyes widened with mock innocence. “I’mnotgoing there. But Ortega obviouslyisor wants to. Otherwise, she wouldn’t still have all this. An operational farm. Land that hasn’t been razed or stolen. Healthy animals. A working clinic. Why hasn’t her livestock been slaughtered for cartel consumption? Why hasn’t her home been ravaged like so many others in the area?” She turned toward him fully. “You have to ask yourself that, Jinx. Because if you don’t, you’re ignoring the obvious. Ortega, or someone else, istaking careof your woman.”
“I agree with Raven,” Brando chimed in again. “If someone, namely Ortega, is protecting her, there’s a reason.”
“And we don’t know the reason. But I’m sureshedoes.” Raven pointed toward the porch, where Eira was sitting. “Then we can use that. We can useherto get to Ortega. To take down the Ghost.”
Jinx’s head snapped toward Raven. “No.I willnotuse her. I willnotuse her to hunt these people.” His gut clenched at the idea. There was no way he’dallow that to happen. He’d fall on his sword and die on that hill.
Raven sat up, face tightening. “Then how the hell are we supposed to get eyes inside the cartel, figure out where Ortega is, what his weaknesses are, and what the Ghost has planned? Becauseobviouslythe guy Guardian thought was the Ghost isn’t.”
“I know how to do it,” Jinx said, standing suddenly, jaw clenched. “Mateo Rivas.”
Raven blinked and looked up at him. “Well, don’t keep it to yourself.Who the hell is he?”
