Page 45 of Gray

A frown creased her brow. “What’s the other reason?”

“I used to be obsessed with the Dodge Demon and talked non-stop about it. It was my dream car.” He let out a little sigh, realizing he’d had no clue what was important back then and how things were going to change.

Aubrey lifted her hand from his chest and cupped his stubbled jaw. “Your eyes are hypnotizing. Like warm, golden-brown honey that’s all sticky and gooey and delicious. Definitely not the color a demon would ever have.”

Gray’s feet stopped moving and he suddenly knew what it meant to be lost in someone’s eyes. “I’m full of demons, Aubrey,” he warned her in a low voice. Then he pulled her close and captured her mouth in a hot kiss right there in the middle of the dance floor. And he didn’t care who saw.

After what felt like forever, they broke apart and Gray noticed the food arriving at their table. “Our brunch just arrived,” he murmured.

“Oh.” She seemed a little shell-shocked and he couldn’t help but grin. God, it felt good to smile again.

“C’mon.” He grabbed her hand and led her back to their seats. They sat down as a second server brought out the rest of their order. Gray’s lips twitched as Aubrey watched them unload plate after plate of food. Pancakes, waffles, omelets, sausage, bacon, toast, hashbrowns and a plate of pastries.

“Do you think you maybe went a little overboard?” Aubrey asked.

“Nope.” Gray spread his napkin on his lap. “Dive in. You’re going to need your strength later tonight.”

Her cheeks turned an adorable shade of pink. “Noted.”

“Besides, whatever we don’t eat, my team will.”

The food was delicious and they ate until they couldn’t swallow another bite. While the server boxed up the uneaten portions, Gray studied Aubrey who was smiling from ear to ear. Her happiness, her light, was rubbing off on him, and it felt so damn good.

He didn’t want to let her go, but was he capable of giving her what she needed? What she deserved?

No!His demons shouted the answer loud and clear.

Chapter Sixteen

“An island?” Saint echoed.

Aubrey sat beside Gray, listening closely.

Zane paused typing, adjusted his dark-rimmed glasses, and nodded excitedly. “That’s right. The intel I intercepted between the CDE and one of their traffickers mentions specific coordinates which led me to a small island near The Bahamas. I checked out sat imagery and worked backwards.”

“Meaning?” Braxton prompted.

“Meaning you’re lucky your boy Banshee has more than good looks going on.” Zane tapped a finger against his head and Inda rolled her eyes.

“So cocky,” she said.

“That’s right.” Zane spun his laptop around and pointed to a map of Colombia. “Here’s how it works. Once the coca is processed into cocaine, local drug traffickers and guerrillas transport it to either one of the country’s two coastlines or one of the country’s borders. Then it’s hidden in trucks or moved in small boats through dense jungle areas where rivers provide the perfect corridors for almost unhindered illicit trafficking.”

“What if they get caught?” Ryland asked.

“They don’t. They choose routes where they can intimidate locals and bribe officials.When the drugs arrive at Colombia’s Caribbean and Pacific coastlines, they’re loaded onto small ships or submarines and then sailed to a transit hub in the Caribbean. That hub is El Escorpión’s private island where he ships his supply before sending it off to the rest of the world.”

“How much supply is stashed there at any one time?” Saint asked, arms crossed.

“That’s the trick question. But, if I had to guess? A shitload.” Zane zoomed in on a large building. “This warehouse can hold a couple hundred pallets easily, right?” Everyone nodded. “Okay, so let’s break it down. Each brick is a kilo worth about twenty-five grand. That means a pack of ten is two hundred fifty K, and an entire pallet is about twelve mil.”

“Two hundred pallets? That’s two point four billion dollars,” Inda nearly choked.

“Holy shit.” Ryland whistled under his breath.

“That’s quite a profit,” Gray commented dryly.

“Yeah, especially when one kilo of coke can be produced for two grand in Colombia and that same kilo sells in the US for twenty-five K.”

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