Page 59 of Hostile King

“Souza?”

“Yeah.”

“Christ...” His savage growl blasts through the airwaves and pelts my ear with shocked disbelief. “You’re involved with the biggest drug lord in Colombia? Please tell me it's not the same guy.” Sal half-shrieks, half-freaks the fuck out.

I lift Tomás’s hand and stroke the inside of his wrist. “It’s the same guy.”

Sal makes a pained sound from the back of his throat, his exhale of dismay swirling between us. “Of all the guys in the fucking world, Carina.” The sharp bite of my full name shows his utmost anger. “All these years of thinking the countless sessions with shrinks had helped, and yet you’re still caught up in destructive behavior. Was this your plan all along—to hunt out the worst possible danger and grant your death wish that way?”

“Sal…that's not what this is.” I swallow the lump forming in my throat. It pains me to think he’s disappointed in me. “I don’t want to die anymore. I haven't been that girl in a very long time. I’ve no desire to die. This is something deeper.”

“So what, you're an adrenaline junky now—” His voice splits in two. “Oh fuck, please tell me you’re not snorting shit or shooting up—”

“No!” I rush to defend myself, my body violently crashing into the interior when the truck rounds a tight bend. “Look—he saved me, Sal. When I was kidnapped by the pirates at the oasis, that bitch of a woman sent me to his father. Tomás let me go even when Elias Souza ordered him to kill me. Don't you see, I’d be dead if it weren’t for him.”

“Guys like him don’t let anyone go.” Sal snarls with so much venom that I feel the sting of every word. “He’s played you like a cheap ukulele. The fucker knew you’d be indebted to him. And now look. You’re inMexico, in the middle of a feud. Drug deals and street gangs aren't you, Cari.”

I finally snap, sick and tired of this merry-go-round of guilt and justification. “How would you know who the realmeis? Jeez, Sal, I’ve been disgusted by my shadow for too long, a pitiful recluse for nineteen godforsaken years. I may as well have been dead. The smiles were all for show. I quickly learned how they lit up your world and eased mom and dad's worry. So, I forced them out and slipped into the role of a happy sister even though I was numb inside.”

A raw confession pours from my heart without a buffer.

“From the second I met Tomás, it felt like he plugged my soul into an electrical current and switched me on. I can’t explain it, but these days, I’malive.My heart beats, its arteries pulsate for adventure. My cells are on fire and my thirst to witness every sunrise is a mission I’ll never stop fighting for.

“The only chemical I'm hooked on is dopamine. I’m learning how to follow my instincts every day. You can say what you want about us, about him…but right now, he’s all I care about. I’ll save his life with or without your help, but I'm begging you…please, do this for me.”

Sal grunts. “You’renothinglike them and don't be fooled into thinking he won’t cut your throat when he’s done with you. Those guys don’t give a fuck about innocents. They’re predators who flash dollar bills like winning lotto tickets. They play with your mind and pretend you’re valuable, until you’re not.” The line muffles and I hear him mutter as if he’s talking to someone else. “Stay on the line; we’re close to tracking your coordinates.”

“Sal…” I take a deep breath. “He’s in a bad way. We need somewhere close by before he loses too much blood. I’ve patched it up as best as I can, but time is one thing we don’t have a lot of. If you love me, you’ll help him. You both will. I know what el Fantasmacan do. So please, let me repay Tomás a debt for saving my life. Let me save his.”

Shane glances over his shoulder. “Tell me who the fuck you’re talking to, kid before I follow the signs for the hospital.”

My wide eyes hunt out his. “Look, Shane…I need you to concentrate on driving. I told you I had a plan, so let me figure it out. If we take him to the hospital, we’ll expose him to whoever was shooting at us. You’re not in Colombia now. They’ll search the closest medical facilities first. We have to think outside of the box.”

“Cari…” Sal’s voice comes back strong as he speaks again. “I’m sending you an address. The Vet knows you're coming.”

“A veterinarian?” I slide sideways as the truck swerves. “Are you kidding me? He’s not an animal, Sal.”

“Really? You have no idea what Tomás is capable of,” he practically laughs with disdain. “Clearly he’s blinded you with money and sex.”

“Don’t—,” I hiss. “Now isn’t the time to argue. I love you, but you have to understand, this is important to me.”

“Fine. We’ll talk later. And believe me, we’ll fucking talk.”

My spine tingles with unease. I’ve never heard my brother so angry before.

“Enrique, as he's called now, is a local veterinarian. He lives in an eco-lodge by the national park outside of the city. He’s like a hybrid park ranger who fixes creatures and arranges tours of the forest.”

He continues. “The guy has crazy surgical skills. He used to remove organs after death for donation. That was before the cartel picked him up as a viable asset. They made him pack out the empty cavities with bags of cocaine for storage, as well as hiding it in the refrigerated organ transportation compartments. In basic terms, they paid the guy stupid money to become a drug trafficker and then he got busted. Those fuckers didn’t give a shit about him, Cari. Then they sent asicarioto take him out after the DEA swung by with a search warrant.”

My belly flips with the risk of trusting a butcher to save Tomás. “Are you sure he’ll help him? What if he decides this is the perfect time for revenge?”

“He knows better than to get involved in the Colombian underworld. This is a massive favor between allies. Even though Enrique doesn’t want trouble, he’s indebted to el Fantasma, so he’s on our side. Don’t expect a warm welcome though. He detests the cartel and everything they stand for.”

At that second, the phone in my hand beeps. I pull it away from my ear and check the message with a link to Google maps.

“Got it…thanks Sal. I love you.”

He blows out a long sigh. “Keep your eyes open. I don’t trust any of them, especially the bastard you're trying to save. He doesn’t deserve you. Take his gun while he’s out cold and don’t let go of it. If someone comes at you, pull the trigger, Carina, because they sure as fuck won’t think twice about shooting you. And do not tell anyone where you’re going or who gave you his details. Promise me?”

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