Page 46 of Savage Hearts

BECKETT

LeavingCelestina was more difficult than I thought, but it was a necessary evil. We were flying over the Gulf of Mexico in Matias Silva’s personal plane, heading to Bogotá, Columbia. On board with me was Carmela’s boyfriend, Alex, Cristian, Matias, and Katya Silva. Besides the five of us, Sofia and Lorenzo Bianchi, Miguel Angel, and his second-in-command, Gael Alcaraz, were along for the ride. It had been decided that Gael and Sofia, acting as his slave, would attend the event. Lorenzo and Alex would also be joining them as a newly interested party. It was my job to position myself outside the warehouse where the sale was being staged with my rifle ready to eliminate any threats. I couldn’t risk going in and being recognized, especially if Manuel was there. He still wanted my head.

While we had an idea what to expect, we were still ironing out the details. As soon as the plane landed, we gathered our supplies and headed to the hotel Matias Silva booked for our stay. He’d had some of his men drive up from Chile with a large van and weapons. Having his help was proving to be a gift.

Cristian and Katya passed out the dossier on each woman. There were fifteen up for auction, Carmela one of them. She’d been gone for nearly three months, and no one knew what to expect when we got her back. With her not being a virgin, chances were she’d been raped and beaten, possibly drugged to keep her compliant. Those thoughts made my blood boil with rage. I wanted to shoulder the blame, but even I knew this started when Jose Costa kidnapped and raped Catarina Anastasi. Massimo was right to end his life—I would have done the same. When Manuel nabbed Carmela, thinking it was Celestina, I’m sure his anger only increased.

There was no telling what she’d been subjected to.

“Alright, you four need to get ready for the event. It’s set to begin at ten tonight.” Cristian set an intricate-looking invitation down on the bed. “This is your ticket inside.”

“Great. They act like this is some sort of ball.” Miguel grumbled, glancing over the items. “Are your men in position?”

“Yes. According to Marco, my second-in-command, they arrived last night. They’ve set up a perimeter around the warehouse. Beckett, Marco is going to meet with us when we arrive to show the best place to set up.”

“Fine.”

I couldn’t take my mind off the end goal. Eliminating Manuel was definitely near the top of my list, but going home to Celestina and Emilia would always be first. As I slid the bullet-proof vest over my black shirt, the sound of the bathroom door opening, and Miguel’s growl, made me pause.

Sofia stepped out wearing—well, more like wrapped in—a black one-piece outfit. Strips of leather crisscrossed her body, barely covering her breast and pussy. Even though I was completely in love with Celestina, I couldn’t deny how hot she was.

“No,” Miguel growled. “You are not going like that, Princesa.”

Sofia strutted across the room in her six-inch stiletto boots and paused before him.

“You do not get a say.”

Miguel grabbed her wrist and dragged her into the bathroom, slamming the door behind them. Lorenzo made a move toward the door, but Gael held his hand up.

“Don’t. He will not hurt your sister, but they need a moment to work out their issues.”

“Issues?”

Gael cocked an eyebrow. “You can’t be that daft.”

Lorenzo glanced between us and shrugged. “What?”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, gringo. Maybe you’re ignoring it, but the sexual frustration between those two is suffocating. He isn’t dealing well with her putting herself in the line of fire, and I imagine walking out here dressed like that has pushed him over the edge.”

The bathroom door slammed opened, and a very pissed-off, disheveled Sofia stepped out. Her hair was mussed, and her lips were swollen. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what happened, but we didn’t have time for the drama.

“We good?” I gave Sofia a knowing look.

“Yes. Let’s get this over with.” She started toward the door and pulled it open as Miguel finally emerged from the bathroom. “And if you ever do that again, I’ll bite off your tongue.”

Miguel shrugged. “Sounds kinky. Gael.” He turned to his second. “Keep her safe. We have unfinished business.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Lorenzo threw his hands up and muttered something in Italian under his breath. Katya just grinned. “I forgot how much fun this shit was.”

Chuckling, I followed Alex out of the room.

“You sure you’re going to be ok doing this?”

“I have to be. I didn’t even get the chance to tell her I loved her, Beckett. You know how that feels—to love someone and them not know.”

“You need to prepare yourself, Alex. She’s not going to be the same woman. This changes people.”

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