Page 96 of Torched

Gen nods.

“I told these bastards that they would be exonerated from everything the U.S. government has got on them if they would hand me Cristina Reyes. Dead or alive. Considering their track record, I was expecting her to arrive in three boxes by airmail. You can imagine the surprise I felt when they told me to come to South Reef Bay and pick up a package, but I never dreamed of getting her alive.”

“Neither did I,” Kane sputters, clearly not fully on board with the outcome of this situation, though he can’t hide the smile that wants to creep through.

“You’re clearly more forgiving, Miss…?” Howard offers his hand and Gen takes it.

“Imogen, sir. Imogen P–”

“Carrillo,” I cut him off. “Imogen Carrillo.”

I see her look up at me from the corner of my eye and when I dip my chin, her wide smile has my stomach fluttering with the relief fully settling in my bones.

She’s here.

She’s safe.

She’s whole.

And she’s fucking mine.

“Carrillo,” Gen repeats with a clear pride in her tone that I feel as I broaden my shoulders. She takes his hand while Howard gives me a side glance and then looks over his shoulder at Kane, who just shrugs.

“Nice to meet you, Imogen Carrillo. So it’s you I have to thank for bringing in the most wanted criminal in human trafficking?”

“I guess so,” she says.

“Do you have a record, Mrs. Carrillo?”

Damn, I love how that sounds.

She shakes her head.

“I already thought so. So, you don’t need any exonerating to be done?”

Her palm flattens over my stomach as she volleys a look between Kane and I. “They are assholes, but as long as they are free to go from now on, I’m happy.”

“I understand.” He then puts his attention from me to Kane. “It was a pleasure doing business with you. Considering you both have a different future ahead of you, I hope to never see you again, boys.”

I chuckle. “Can’t promise you that, Howard. But we’ll try.”

He wags his head with a laugh, then turns around to walk out, but not before he slams Kane on the shoulder. “Congratulations.”

The blood drains a little from his face, and he gives me an incredulous look.

“Mrs. Carrillo, if there is anything I can do for you, you’ll let me know, okay?” Howard fixes his gaze on Imogen.

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. Have a good day.” With big steps, she strides back to the entrance.

“How the fuck does he know that?” Kane hisses.

I pull up my shoulders. “He’s FBI, Kane. He probably already knows if it’s a boy or a girl.”

Kane’s face drops. “That’s not even fucking funny.”

“It’s a little funny.”

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