Page 103 of Dust and Ashes

“Politics.” She pulled up in front of Navarro’s house.

The wind was barely moving the trees here. Had the hurricane turned again, or lost strength when it came this far inland? She could see the weather system in the distance, in the sky to the east.

She put the truck in park, and the phone in the cupholder illuminated. A call in progress. She touched Jax’s arm and pointed to it, motioning for him to keep quiet.

He barely whispered, “Who?”

The front door to the ranch opened, and Navarro stepped onto the front step, a phone to his ear. Listening to their conversation through an open phone line? If that was true…

We just told him everything.

She hung up the call because there was no point in pretending she didn’t know he’d just overheard everything. Including what happened to Camila and his baby. “I guess he knows it all now.”

She and Jax both climbed out. No matter what, she wasn’t going to back down.

“We brought your money.” Kenna lifted her chin. “So it’s time to let my friends and I go.”

“When you bring my enemies on your heels?” He tucked the phone into his pocket.

She turned and looked at the gate. “I don’t see anyone.”

“Ramon filled me in. Says he’s working with the feds to take down Kart. They got his men captured. The mercenaries Kart is friends with are all secured or dead. But Kart escaped.”

Kenna stiffened. “Our deal was that I bring your money, and you let my friends go. Or are you going to go back on our agreement?”

He almost looked amused before he turned to Jax. “My name is Héctor Álvarez Navarro. They call me El Falcón.”

“FBI Special Agent Oliver Jaxton.”

“I know. I did attempt at one point to ah…purchase you as it were. From Ian Kartom and his band of disgusting hooligans.”

Kenna frowned.

“Sorry that didn’t work out,” Jax said, his face deadpan. “You might have been more hospitable than they were.”

“Unlikely.” Navarro motioned to the door. “Let’s go inside.”

“I’ll just grab my friends and get out of your hair.” She stepped into the foyer behind him, the whole place running like usual and not like a major disruption was underway. “If you’ve got a car we can borrow. Or I’ll need a ride from someone.”

Navarro chuckled. Outside, the driver of the truck revved the engine and pulled away. “You did make good on our agreement. I suppose it’s on me to hold up my end.”

“So why are you stalling?” she asked.

Jax touched her hip.

Kenna wasn’t going to back down. “I want to know they’re unharmed. That was also part of the bargain.”

“It certainly was.”

She heard abutin there and didn’t like it at all. “There’s been enough bloodshed since I arrived here, don’t you think?”

Navarro chuckled again.

“How is Javier since he was kidnapped? Is he doing all right?”

Navarro’s brows rose. “I sent the child to live with my aunt. He is safe and will be cared for.”

But not here. Either he had no interest in family ties unless it was Camila’s child, or he had simply had the boy killed. Was this man vicious enough he’d murdered his own nephew for the sake of eliminating the vulnerability?

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