Page 17 of Echoes and Oaths
She arched a brow.
“Shut. Up.”
Then he dropped the binoculars and walked into the darkness toward Eira’s farm. He was being pulled toward her by forces stronger than he could fight. If that were his child … he swallowed hard. He had a child. He knew Eira was true to him. Their love was a once-in-a-lifetime love. He didn’t doubt her love or loyalty to him. Leaving her was his way of showing her how much he loved her. Taking death, blood, war, and all the brutality of an enforcer from her life made sense. Or at least it had then.
Raven let out a long sigh and crossed her arms. “I’ll wait right here.”
Jinx didn’t bother responding.
He didn’t even hear her.
His focus was already locked on the woman he’d never stopped loving … and the child he never knew he had.
Brando’s voicecrackled over the comms. “I have Fury online.”
“Well, that’s awkward,” Raven muttered, settling onto a rock at the edge of the overlook. She watched as Jinx melted into the darkness,disappearing like smoke around the perimeter of the small ranch… no, farm … or whatever the hell you called a place like that. She wasn’t exactly a country girl.
“How is it awkward?” came Fury’s voice, cool and direct over the channel.
“Yeah, well, notawkwardawkward. Just a pain in my ass because now I get to explain shit,” Raven replied with a sigh. “Jinx has personal complications down here in Venezuela.”
“Define complications.”
“If I have my guess right,” Raven said, dragging out the words as she lifted the binoculars again, “I’d say about twenty pounds, a kid, I suck at ages for munchkins… but a total cutie, for sure.”
There was a beat of silence on the line.
“What the fuck?” Fury finally said. “English, Raven.”
“A baby,” she drawled, clearly enjoying herself. “Hiswoman. And hisbaby, to be exact. And we think Ortega is protecting the woman.”
“Jinx wants to bring Mateo Rivas back,” Brando cut in. “Go in as an enforcer.”
“Why?” Fury asked, his tone sharp. “We know who the Ghost is. Why would he want to do that? Ortega is coded. We only act if the opportunity arises.”Fury spoke like the mission was already wrapped up in a nice tactical bow. It wasn’t. Not even close.
Raven exhaled and shook her head. “Yeah, not so much, O fearless leader. Or handler. Or whatever your latest job title is. See, we were on our way back to report when we got sidetracked by Ortega’s men.”
She adjusted the focus on her binoculars. “Anyway, the person Guardian believes is the Ghost? Yeah … no way. Jinx and I both agree. Our instincts say the same thing. It’s not him. We need another way in. We need to get closer to Ortega and to whoever the real Ghost is.”
The night vision flickered to life as she zeroed in on the far side of the little hospital. Jinx was there, half in shadow, standing completely still. Probably listening.
“Stay on the line. I’ll be back,” Fury commanded.
Raven tilted her head and smirked. “Yes,Ahhhhr-nold.”
“I heard that,” Fury growled.
“Whoops,” she said with a laugh that held zero remorse, then lifted the binoculars again.
“He’s muted,” Brando said.
“Copy. Jinx, you’re in the clear. She’s alone,” Raven reported as she tracked the movement in the courtyard.
“His kid?” Brando asked.
“Yep. Think so.”
“Him going back as Mateo will be hard for her,” Brando said, the weight of his voice changing. “Fucking life never gives the breaks we need, does it?”
