“Against my wishes,” Deke called across the room. “You’re supposed to be in hiding.”

  “Those lowlifes don’t want me,” Kimber called back. “They merely wanted someone to use as leverage.”

  Because Montilla wanted to punish EM Security for rescuing and harboring Valeria. And he wanted Jorge. Always back to that eternal, unavoidable problem that had no solution…unless the drug lord died.

  Kimber hustled across the room, lifted her sleeping daughter and took her son by the hand, then returned to Laila. “I wanted you to see the lives you made better with your heroic gesture. I know you risked yourself, and I wanted to show you all the grateful people. This is Cal.” She urged the boy closer. “Well, Caleb, but that’s my father’s name, so we call him Cal. Less confusing. He’ll be five in June.”

  “Hello.” Cal stuck out his hand politely, eyeing her as a child does a stranger he’s unsure about. “Nice to meet you.”

  The boy had manners, and he was absolutely adorable with his mop of sandy hair. He had incredibly blue eyes, the same shade as his father’s. Someday, he would be a heartbreaker.

  “Hi,” she said as she shook his hand.

  Laila didn’t want to seem rude, and Kimber bringing the children was a lovely gesture, but she was impatient to help Trees—before it was too late. The men were now clustered on the other side of the room, clearly plotting without her.

  She couldn’t let that stand.

  “And this is Sierra.” Kimber handed the baby to her. “She’s almost eight months old.”

  Laila looked down at the precious face with the bowed lips pursing and smacking in her sleep. A bolt of envy pierced her. How she would love to have a son or daughter with Trees, to know the motherly instinct to protect and devote her heart to… Her eyes watered again. She sniffed the tears away.

  “She is lovely. You have been very blessed.” Laila handed the baby back to Kimber.

  “And I have a future, thanks to you.”

  “You are welcome.”

  Kimber looked reluctant to leave. “Can I get you anything? Help you with anything?”

  “My…boyfriend has been taken by our enemies. Just now.”

  The other woman looked stunned. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I overheard that Trees has fallen into enemy hands, but I didn’t know… The two of you?” She smiled. “Good for him.”

  “I need to know what they are plotting.” Laila pointed at the men across the room. “I doubt they will tell me, and I am going insane with worry.”

  “I’ll work on that. Let me give the children back to their father. Wait here.”

  Not as if she had a choice. “Thank you.”

  Kimber took the kids and crossed the room. When she did, Laila longed for the bit of comfort the woman, despite being a stranger, had given her. She mostly wanted Trees, but since she couldn’t have him—was worried to death about him—she intended to reach out to the only other person she could.

  Slipping from the room, Laila headed through the rest of the unfamiliar house, finding a hallway and a bathroom.

  When she turned to shut the door, she found Matt in her face. “You okay?”

  “Fine. I need a few minutes to myself.”

  “Take your time.”

  So they could make a plan without her? Like hell.

  Still, she shut the door and locked it, then pulled out her phone and dialed her sister.

  Despite the late hour, Valeria answered right away. “What is happening?”

  So her sister knew something was up. “Trees was helping to transport me to a new safe location and he was taken by three men in a van. I am scared, Val. Someone took him. I am worried they will kill him. It will be my fault. I should have killed Victor the first time I had the chance. And now—”

  “Slow down. I know you are worried, but take a deep breath. You love him?”

  “Yes. He is…everything to me. EM Security must save him—now.”

  “Do they know who has taken Trees?”

  “Not yet. But are they not supposed to be good at these things? Can they not figure it out?”

  “Laila…” her sister chided gently. “You must believe that if they had the power to save Trees this minute, they would. Your worry and impatience are driving your panic, but they kept you alive for years. Me, too. Kimber Trenton made it out, yes? There is a chance—”

  “We survived because we served a purpose to them. You as a wife, me as a whore, Kimber as a bargaining chip. Trees means nothing to them…” Then Laila realized she might be wrong. “Unless whoever abducted him means to trade him for you.”

  Her sister let loose a long, exhausted sigh. “That may very well be, and I hope that is enough to keep him alive for your sake.”

  “Hope is not enough for me. If EM Security will do nothing, I must.”

  “No.”

  Did Valeria think she would value her safety over the man she loved? That she would not lift a finger to save him? “You cannot stop me.”

  “You are right; I cannot. But I can help you.”

  “Help me?” Laila gaped. “You have Jorge to think about. You have your future.”

  “What future? I have none now. I grow weary of this life. Always in hiding. I cannot walk outside for fear of death. Poor Jorge yearns to play in a park. He wants to run and jump and play with a ball. He wants to be a boy. Yet we are perpetually trapped in eight hundred square feet twenty-four hours a day for fear of being taken and beaten and…whatever else. And now these criminals and thugs are threatening the happiness you have finally found. I cannot do this anymore. I will not.”

  Laila’s heart seized up. She had already lost Trees tonight, maybe for good. She could not lose her sister, too. “Valeria, do not—”

  “Put myself at risk?” She scoffed. “For too long, I let you risk yourself for Jorge’s benefit…and mine. I may be the older sister, but you are so much braver than me. Seemingly so undaunted. You never give up. You never stop fighting for those you love. And I have failed you in every way.”

  How could she say such things? “No.”

  “Yes. The night I escaped with that affluent doctor’s daughter with EM Security’s help? I wanted to come for you so badly and take you with me. But I knew if I was caught wandering the compound, I would be questioned and taken straight to Emilo. If that happened, I worried I would never have another chance to escape. I was pregnant. I worried it would not be long before Emilo knew, too. Then he would kill me.”

  For having his child. That made no sense, but Emilo had been an abusive bastard. Maybe he had never wanted a son or daughter.

  But if that was true, why had he hunted them down in St. Louis? To kill Valeria for the “sin” of leaving him?

  “I do not understand.”

  “I left you behind, and I never should have. I should have risked myself to take you with me that night. I could have spared you a year and a half of utter abuse and misery. But I was too afraid of what would happen to me and my baby…” Valeria started crying, and Laila heard the genuine remorse in her voice. “I am so sorry, hermana.”

  That confession had obviously weighed heavily on her sister, and Laila hated to hear her tear herself apart over making the obvious—and correct—choice. “I understand. I support your choice. Nothing is more important to me than you and Jorge. Do not get involved in this mess, except maybe to demand that EM Security help me find Trees.”

  After all, his point about having no backup, no equipment, and no help was true.

  “No, it is time I do more. The root of all our problems is Geraldo. I will deal with him—once and for all.”

  Laila reeled back in horror. “You cannot.”

  “I must. He will not hurt me. He will never hurt me. I have the one thing he wants most in this world. Jorge.”

  “You cannot sacrifice your son to that monster. He will—”

  “Never,” Valeria said firmly, like a vow. “But perhaps I can negotiate with him since I have leverage, and I refuse to let you risk yourself again. I will call EM Security and work something out.”

  If Montilla would stop hunting them, maybe they could have a life? “But what if Geraldo will not negotiate?”

  “He will.” Her sister sounded smug.

  Laila didn’t understand, but her first priority was Trees. Valeria and Jorge having a cartel-free future was critical. Laila wanted that for them. But if these violent bastards took Trees from this earth, she would have no tomorrows.

  “And what of Victor?”

  Valeria scoffed. “Ramos is nothing but ass-licking pond scum. Emilo was right about very little, but he was right about that. He is more dangerous than smart, and I think I know a way to ensure that he gets exactly what is coming to him.”

  Laila blinked. This was her sister? Valeria almost always allowed her to plan and execute whatever needed to be done. “I do not understand.”

  “I know. And…there are things I should have explained much sooner, but I was embarrassed. If you had known, however, I might have saved you some heartache and trouble. Another grave mistake I will have to live with. I hope you can forgive me someday.”

  “Valeria—”

  “Give me an hour. I will see what I can work out. See if you can locate Victor. And take care of yourself, hermana. I will be in touch.”

  “I cannot wait an hour to start saving Trees.” She had already wasted too much time as it was.

  At least locating Victor would give her something to do. She could find out if he had taken Trees and plead for her beloved’s life. She would offer Victor whatever he wanted for Trees’s safe return.

  “Would he truly want you putting yourself in danger for him? No. The man who confessed to me that he loves you would give his life to spare yours. Please honor him. I will be in touch soon.”

  Then Valeria hung up. Immediately, Laila went to work, trying her best to plot how she could both keep her promise and save the man she loved.

  As Laila left the bathroom, she found Matt in the hall. He’d been assigned to guard her?

  “Did you think someone would take me captive while I was in the bathroom?” She sent him a quelling glance. “There are no windows.”

  “We thought you might be plotting something behind our backs. From what I hear, you’re good at that.”

  She ignored the flush stealing up her cheeks and brazened her way past him. “I was talking to my sister.”

  “That doesn’t mean you’re not plotting something.”

  Laila didn’t dignify that with a reply, mostly because he wasn’t wrong.

  When she made her way back to the breakfast bar, Matt still trailing, she was surprised to see Kimber waiting for her, holding the baby. Her temporary sentry sent her a flinty warning glance, then made his way to the cluster of operatives, now huddled over the dining room table, deep in discussion.

  Kimber smiled and cooed down at her baby. “I have something useful for you. Play along.”

  She didn’t have to act to stare at the baby like she was adorable. “I am listening.”

  “I don’t know how the guys know this—something about online chatter from sources—but Montilla has Trees.”

  Laila’s heart leapt into her throat, clogging it until she couldn’t breathe. It was good to know who had Trees…but bad that the powerful drug lord, not the easily manipulated Victor, had taken him. “They are sure?”

  “They seem to be.” Kimber brushed a thumb along her baby’s cheek, then hazarded a glance up at Laila. “I know you haven’t always had good experiences with EM Security. My brothers told me your story and some of the hardships you’ve endured. But I swear, they’re the best. And if they’re this sure of something, it’s almost one-hundred-percent true.”

  Almost true didn’t make it fact, but Laila had to concede it was possible they had sources she didn’t and knew things she couldn’t. She just had to figure out how best to use the knowledge. “Thank you so much.”

  “I owe you a hundred times more. Tell me if there’s anything else I can do.”

  Laila’s panic urged her to take this woman up on her offer, but Kimber wasn’t the person most qualified to rescue Trees, and she had a bigger responsibility. “Stay with your children and be safe. I will figure this out. I promised Trees that if he ever needed rescuing, I would not act alone and I would not risk myself.”

  The woman’s gaze slid down to her infant daughter, then she nodded. “I think that’s wise. My brothers want Trees back, too. They’re hardheaded, but they will hear logic. I’m sure you can all work together.”

  Laila hoped so. “Thank you.”

  “When this is all over, I would love to do something to truly thank you for helping to facilitate my rescue.”

  “That is not necessary, but I would enjoy more of your company.”

  Kimber smiled and squeezed her hand. “Same. Stay safe. I hope you have Trees back soon.”

  With that, Deke’s wife returned to her husband’s side. They departed together, Deke letting the others know that Jack Cole would be arriving soon to lend a hand—and his tactical smarts.

  Even if he arrived in two minutes, that would be two minutes too late to start plotting a scheme. Somehow, she had to figure out what Montilla wanted—other than Jorge—and give it to him in exchange for Trees.

  Wouldn’t the leader of the cartel want the head of the man who had humiliated him by stealing his car? Serving Victor on a platter to Montilla might not be enough to sway him, but she had to try.

  She opened her phone and pondered the best way to find Victor without giving away her ploy, her location, or her dilemma when an unfamiliar icon labeled Locate Me jumped out at her. Someone had installed it on her device without her knowledge. How? The only person who had had access to her phone was Trees.

  Hope surged.

  Despite her suddenly shaking fingers, Laila couldn’t press the icon fast enough. She held her breath as she waited, eyes glued to the screen. A map appeared, slowly piecing together. Lafayette and surrounding areas filled her screen. In the center was a little blue dot, traveling southeast. A red line showed her every location that device had been since last night—starting with Trees’s place.

  She gasped. That had to be his phone. Had she actually found him? Her gaze bounced up to the men, mouth agape.

  Matt, who was still watching her, was by her side in a handful of steps. “What is it?”

  “I know where Trees is.”

  Surprise crossed his face, but before he could say anything, Hunter swore soundly across the room. Laila looked up to find him with his phone pressed to his ear.

  “Are you fucking serious?” the elder Edgington brother roared.

  “What is happening?” She worried it was bad news about Trees.

  “He’s talking to Kane. Your sister demanded a meeting. Hunter promised her one once this crisis is over, but she insists on seeing him now, and I’m guessing she didn’t wait for anyone to give her permission before she left her safe house. Then again, she’s paying the bills…”

  Valeria was coming here? What the hell was she doing, risking herself and Jorge?

  Logan gestured to Matt with a sharp jerk of his head. The cowboy nodded, then slipped out the back door. Laila’s mind whirled. Amid the mental chaos, she tried to devise a plan, discarding possibilities and nailing down more viable options while following Trees’s still-moving blue dot. A plot began to take shape.

  Minutes later, Matt entered again and stepped aside. Valeria appeared, holding a sleepy Jorge. Kane stood right behind them, on alert, gun in hand.

  “Were you followed?” Hunter barked to Kane.

  The man with the mustache shook his head. “Hardly anyone on the streets at this hour.”

  Hunter and his brothers visibly relaxed as they locked the door.

  Valeria ignored them, searching her surroundings. When Laila met her gaze, her sister gave her an imitation of a smile. To fool everyone else? It wasn’t fooling her.

  They met in the middle of the room, hugging as if they hadn’t seen each other in weeks, rather than yesterday. Still, with everything that had happened, that heart-to-heart in the apartment seemed like a lifetime ago.

  Laila drank in her sister’s familiar comfort, then kissed sleeping Jorge’s head. “What are you doing here?”

  “Making sure you finally get a chance to be happy. What have I missed?”

  In low tones, she filled Valeria in, aware of the men and their perceptive gazes. As she and her sister put their heads together, Laila outlined her working plan. Granted, it had one giant hole. “But if Montilla will not be satisfied with an exchange of Trees for Victor, I have no other leverage…except myself.”

  Without that, the man she loved would die. She couldn’t bring herself to say the words aloud. Terror threatened to shred her composure. She was doing her best to compartmentalize.

  “But you do.” Valeria grabbed her hand and led her toward the cluster of plotting men. “Come with me. Tell them your plan. I will fill in details as needed.”

  The group fell silent as they approached. Hunter turned to them, looking at Valeria as if she’d lost her mind. “You shouldn’t have come.”

  “My sister needs me.”

  “We had you in a secure location. And you risked compromising it because you wanted to give Laila a hug?” He pinned her with a glare. “If you have another problem, we’ll absolutely address it, but—”

  “I do not.”

  “Then with all due respect, you’re making our jobs a lot harder. We need to keep you and your son locked down so we can focus on rescuing our operative.”

  Valeria raised a brow. “Will all due respect, if we all work together, we can accomplish what none of us alone are able to, which is not only Trees’s rescue but to stop Montilla once and for all.”

  That made Hunter pause. Not that anyone here was naive enough to believe that ending the drug lord would stop the cartel. But it would make Valeria safe, enable Jorge to have a real future, and free the man she loved.

  “We’re listening,” Logan said.

  “I know where to find Trees.” Laila showed them the blue dot on her screen, now approaching the airport. That was both good and bad. Good because it seemed they meant to keep Trees alive long enough for a flight, which gave her and EM Security time. Bad because they likely meant to take him someplace where it would be much harder to extract him. “Any chance we could reach him before the plane takes off?”