Page 35 of Breached

“So you can’t see if I’m looking at you or the dumbass behind you.” Hinge smirked, and I tried not to react at the disrespect. I smiled instead and nodded. I did respect his cojones. Balls, I mentally corrected myself in English.

“What can you tell me about what happened?”

Viper spoke quietly. “Looks like one of the Cartel trucks got a flat, and when the Americans came up on them, words were exchanged, and all hell broke loose. All the Cruz men were killed, but the American soldiers got away.” His jaw tensed as he chewed his gum.

I nodded as I thought. “Were they heading in our direction?”

“Opposite,” Hinge answered. “We believe they were heading toward Colorado.”

“Good.” I felt like time wasn’t on my side. If the Cruz soldiers were close by, then chances were the Ruiz weren’t far behind. I wondered what tipped them off to cross over the border and head north. I knew the manhunt for the Canos’ grandson was still on, but what was I missing? I walked outside and looked around. I didn’t trust a lot of these people; they had worked for my mother, and I had caught the odd look from more than one of them.

I spotted FBI agent Cooper Colin coming out of where my tunnel was being built. He had his phone to his ear, and I wondered what he might know. Colin had been around for years, working both sides of the fence. No one knew what side he was really on. There were rumors he was associated with an old American mafia family, but even Grim Gates could never confirm his ties—or at least never shared that he did.

Before Rio was killed by Eric, he once told me my mother had brought Colin in on the project, needing someone inside the FBI to keep the feds from looking too closely into things. In return, she told him he could use the tunnel to come and go across the border unseen and undocumented. I knew he had his own interests, but I didn’t care, just as long he didn’t get in my way.

“Now isn’t a good time, Calix,” I heard him say, to his fourteen-year-old son. “Just do it, and then he’ll owe you a favor.” He paused when he spotted me, then turned his back and walked away.

I waited for Colin to put some distance between us, then pulled out my phone and pressed J. I decided to put some pressure on my contact.

“Hello?” Her voice was soft and trembly, and I pictured the color draining from her face when she looked at the screen and saw it was me.

“I’m trying to understand how one of my men was able to locate the American safehouse, and you couldn’t, J,” I purred in an eerie voice just to inspire a little fear.

“I’m sorry. I’m trying, I really am, but I’m⁠—”

“Failing miserably? Yes, I know,” I interrupted her, as the quiver in her voice was annoying. “I guess your father doesn’t want to live to see his next birthday.”

“Please,” she begged, “I just need more time.”

“Enough.” I looked around me again as I wondered how close the Cruz, Canos, and Ruiz cartels were to discovering where the child was. “I want you to confirm a location for me. See what you can discover.” I quickly sent her the address where Eric said the house was. “You should have a tracker left. I suggest you use it wisely. You have four days to get me something, or it’s lights out for dear old dad.” I hung up quickly.

I breathed deeply and stared at the full moon. I enjoyed having power over people. I thought of Nicole and how I wished I could hear a quiver in her voice. Fear sounded so delicious. I wondered if, at this very moment, she could feel me hunting her like a wolf in the woods, inhaling her scent. I tipped my head back and let out a howl.

NINE

PAUL

Thump. Thump. Thump. The heel of my boot as it bounced up and down wore a spot into the tile floor. My elbows were jammed into my thighs, as my hands covered the back of my head. I fought to process how my world had just been flipped upside down once again.

The look on her face when she burst through the door held such disbelief and betrayal it ripped my heart out. I knew this day was coming, but what an awful way for her to find out—while I was disguised as him.

I’d felt Talya’s heartbreak when I had to leave her, and the pain all over again when I heard she died. I’d been shot, stabbed, and blown up on occasion, but the look Nicole wore when she realized I was Eric was a pain worse than death. It was as if someone reached inside my chest and ripped out everything that ever mattered to me.

The wooden chair I was in was small and uncomfortable, and the hallway to the dorms seemed to close in tighter with every inhale. My vision was spotty. My heart pounded like it wanted to escape from my body. I didn’t blame it; I’d run from me too.

“You okay?” His voice found its way to me.

I blinked, and everything went silent.

“Yeah.” I cleared my throat and reached up to take the coffee John offered me. He studied my face before lowering into the seat beside me.

“Her wound opened at the top. She only needed a stitch, and they gave her some meds. She’s knocked out for a bit.”

I sipped the awful brew and welcomed the nasty taste. “Good.”

We were supposed to ship out this morning, but Cole decided, given what happened, to leave this afternoon.

Frank turned the corner and started toward us, and my free hand curled into a fist. I’d looked up to that man for almost my whole career. I had trusted him, worked hard for him, even was proud when I earned his respect. Well, anything I’d ever felt for this man had been replaced by anger.