Page 102 of Everything We Found

Thomas rapidly calculated. The Ruiz brothers were meeting their father to fly him back to Mexico. Claire was bait to ensure his safe departure.

Question was, where did that leave him and James? Dead or alive?

“They cut off her finger, Tom.”

Thomas swung his head to look at his brother in pure shock.

“They cut off her finger and sent it to my house.” James roughly cleared his throat, his face tight with emotion.

Thomas went stiff and turned his gaze back to the Ruiz brothers, struggling to contain the rage threatening to consume him. His mother—the woman who had shaped him, who despite her flaws was still the only mother he had—mutilated as a message. “You’re just telling me this now?”

“I’m sorry. I should have returned your calls.” He spoke low, the apology tumbling out of him as he stared straight ahead. Neither of them were taking their eyes off the brothers.

“I should kick you in the ass for not picking up the phone.”

“For once, I wish you would.”

Because this banter was normal, stupid brother stuff compared to the life-or-death situation they now faced. They had to hold themselves together for a short time more and maybe Thomas could broker a deal that guaranteed Natalya, Julian, and Marcus would see him again.

“The guy on the left is Cesar, the older one. They call him The Harvester,” Thomas murmured, his mouth bone dry.

“Lovely.”

“The other is Salvador, The Eliminator. He’s the most violent.”

“This just gets better and better.”

“Do not take your eyes off him.” Thomas emphasized each word. “Don’t show fear. That’s what he thrives on.” A thousand other instructions jammed in his throat, all the things he should have told James about the Hidalgos years ago instead of sending him blindly into their path.

The Ruiz brothers stopped and stared at them. Nobody said anything.

A gust of wind kicked up dust, tousled their hair. A bird called. Then…

Salvador studied James as if something about Thomas’s brother nagged him. Then his eyes widened like whatever that was had clicked into place. He swore and spat on the ground. “Te conozco. Te supone que estás muerto.”I know you. You’re supposed to be dead.James’s eyes flared wide. “Yo te maté.”

I killed you.

An electric jolt of adrenaline shot through Thomas, bringing cruel clarity along with it. They were staring down the man who’d tortured James and dumped him in the ocean. The abuse his brother had suffered at the hands of The Eliminator had been extreme enough to erase James’s memory from existence for a good six years.

Memories bombarded Thomas—the sour odors of the hospital in Puerto Escondido. James’s battered face unrecognizable even to him. Doctors warning he might never recover his identity. The horror of knowing what the Hidalgos had done to his little brother tormented him even as he faced his own imminent demise.

Salvador brandished a gun and aimed at James’s chest.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Thomas lunged to stand between them as James shuffled backward.

Cesar pushed his brother’s arm down. “Espera.”Wait.

“He won’t care.” Salvador switched to English, eyes flashing with manic energy.

“He’ll care.” Cesar peered at Thomas. “We wait for The Butcher.” He pointed behind James.

Ice crystallized in Thomas’s veins. Another vehicle approached at high speed. He turned back to Cesar. “Fernando?”

“Sí. He has yourmadre.”

“She better be alive,” Thomas ground out.

Cesar reached behind his back and aimed his own gun at him. “Shut up.”