Page 28 of Brutal Monster
"These aren't what they came for," she says finally. "These are decoys."
"We need to move," I tell her, glancing at the street. Too exposed. "Tulum. Now. Your father needs to know Emilio has crossed this line, and your allies should hear it from you, not through cartel whispers."
She studies my face, calculating. "You think Emilio's really showing his hand so soon?"
"I know he is." I open the car door. "My jet is fueled and waiting. We can be in Tulum in two hours."
Her security team watches us, faces impassive but alert. They're loyal to her, not Emilio, but cartel politics shift like sand.
"My father is dying," she says quietly, so only I can hear. "If I move him, he could die."
"The city isn’t safe, and you can’t leave him here. They could torture him in your absence.” I hold her gaze. "Emilio wouldn't have risked this unless he's already secured support. We need to know who's still with you."
A police car cruises slowly past the building. Not a coincidence.
"We have complications," I murmur, nodding slightly toward the patrol car.
Inez notices immediately. "Local police captain is on Emilio's payroll." She slides into the vehicle. "Tulum it is."
I follow her inside, signaling Diego to drive. "We'll need to make a stop first. I have documents at my place that your father should see.
"What documents?" she asks, removing her sunglasses as we move.
"Insurance." I meet her eyes. "Every transaction Emilio's been hiding from the cartel. Every side deal, every skimmed profit. Enough to turn your father's old guard against him."
Her lips curve into a dangerous smile. "You've been busy."
"I protect what's mine." The words slip out before I can stop them.
Her expression shifts, that familiar wall beginning to rise. "The cartel isn't yours, Vanya."
"I wasn't talking about the cartel." I hold her gaze until she looks away.
The Escalade weaves through midday traffic as Diego takes an evasive route to my building. I watch the mirrors for tails, but my mind is already in Tulum, mapping out the coming war.
Because that's what this is now. Emilio has forced our hand.
"Call your father," I tell her. "Tell him we're coming. But don't mention why, not over the phone."
She nods, already dialing. As she speaks rapid Spanish into the phone, I watch her transform—her voice modulating to hide any hint of concern, her words carefully chosen to convey normalcy while alerting her father that something isn't right.
This is the woman I've aligned myself with. Brilliant, dangerous, and now threatened.
Emilio has no idea what he's unleashed.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
INEZ
The private hangar gleams under the afternoon sun, the sleek white Gulfstream waiting on the tarmac like an escape hatch from the chaos Emilio has unleashed. I stand at the foot of the stairs, scanning the perimeter while the medical team secures my father inside the cabin. His oxygen tank hisses softly as they settle him into the customized medical berth.
"We need to move now." I check my watch as the medical team secures my father into the private jet. His color is better today, but the doctors' expressions tell a different story.
Vanya stands at my side, his presence a solid wall between me and the chaos we're leaving behind. "Your father is settled. We can take off as soon as you're ready."
I nod, scanning the airfield one last time. The sun beats down mercilessly, turning the tarmac into a shimmering mirage. Four of Vanya's men form a perimeter around our position, their hands never straying far from their weapons.
"Inez!" A familiar voice cuts through the loud hum of the engines.
