Just as he said the words, another ding sounded. Trees flipped to that window, read a few lines of some long string of code, and the smile that stretched across his face was terrifying. “Gotcha, too. Should have known you assholes would stick together.”

  “What do you mean?” Tessa demanded.

  “Hector and your ex? They’re at the same address.”

  “Fuck,” Zy cursed. “They’re in this together.”

  To Laila, that made terrible sense.

  “Cash helped take his own daughter from me?” Tessa sounded stunned to the core, and why wouldn’t she?

  “Let’s go save Hallie and get the bastard,” Zy suggested.

  “Both of them,” Trees growled. “I’m coming with you.”

  Zy scowled and sent a head bob her way. “You’re supposed to stay here.”

  “One-Mile can come protect Laila for a few hours.”

  “You’d leave her with that crazy SOB?” Zy sounded horrified.

  Which made no sense to Laila. Walker wasn’t crazy at all.

  “He didn’t hurt her in Mexico when he had the chance,” Trees pointed out.

  Zy just shook his head. “Then I’ll call him and tell him to get his ass out here.”

  “Tell him to hurry. We need him,” Tessa implored.

  But Walker wasn’t available.

  Trees cursed a blue streak. “I can’t leave her here alone.”

  “I will not run,” Laila promised. As much as she wanted to see her sister, knowing that Hector was nearby terrified her.

  “I can’t leave you unprotected,” Trees corrected. “I’m not taking any chances.”

  Zy nodded grimly, and poor Tessa looked impatient. Of course she was; the terrified woman wanted her daughter back.

  Suddenly, Trees took her hand. “Come with me.”

  Laila didn’t have time to reply before he led her to his bedroom again, this time shutting the door.

  “What are you doing?”

  Trees’s face tightened. “Promise me you won’t freak out.”

  That set her on edge. “Those words scare me.”

  “You’ll be fine, I promise. I’m not shutting you in the dark.”

  But he was shutting her up somewhere?

  “I’m a man of my word, Laila. You should know that by now.”

  She did. It was her fears that made her belly flip and her breath feel short. But out there was a baby in Hector’s brutal hands. She needed to get a hold of herself. “All right.”

  Laila watched, heart racing, as he opened his closet, shoved clothes aside, and punched in a four-digit code. She heard a click, then saw a rectangular section of the wall in the shadowy space separate, forming a door. Her eyes widened as Trees pushed it open.

  “I built this as a panic room, a place to hole up if my place was ever invaded or there was large-scale civil disturbance. There’s about a year’s worth of preserved food and water here, along with meds, weapons and ammo, and some other necessities. Everything is packaged and stored along one wall.”

  Being prepared didn’t sound wrong, so why did he look nervous? “Okay.”

  He reached in to flip on a light, illuminating a set of stairs. “The rest of the space… I fucking didn’t want to have this conversation in a rush. I’m a Dominant. Do you know what that means?”

  She’d heard of such things, but… “I do not understand.”

  “I was afraid of that. Look, this space doubles as a playroom. I’m in the process of moving equipment in here for… That’s not important right now. It might look intimidating. It might scare or worry you. Just ignore it. We’ll talk about it later.” He nudged her toward the stairs.

  Then she realized what he intended. “Are you leaving me here alone?”

  He nodded. “I have to help Zy and Tessa. The clock is ticking for Hallie.”

  Of course it was. And it seemed the underground space had more than adequate lighting. That didn’t alleviate her worry. “How will I get out if you are hurt or…”

  Laila couldn’t bring herself to finish that question. The only way Trees wouldn’t come back for her was if he couldn’t.

  “I’ll give you a way to communicate. Hang on.” He rushed into his bedroom, then returned with a sleek silver tablet. As he handed it to her, he told her the passcode. “There are games, movies, TV shows, puzzles… The whole internet. If you get panicked or need help, you can call the police or Walker. Or me.”

  He was trying too hard to make sure she was okay when he had a bigger responsibility. She needed to swallow back her own fear. “Thank you. I will be fine.”

  But the thought of never seeing him again distressed her far more than she would have fathomed even days ago. More than she could process.

  “So you’re okay?”

  “Yes. I am strong and resourceful. Rescue the baby, but be careful. Hector, like his brother, Victor, is more dangerous than you know.”

  “Yeah? So am I.” Trees searched her face, then pulled her against him. He took her mouth in a rushed, passionate press of lips. It felt like a promise. Then he was gone, shutting the door behind him and leaving her alone in his most private space.

  Chapter Twelve

  Trees cursed as he locked the house behind him and headed for his Hummer. Zy was right behind him, Tessa gripping his hand, as they headed for her nondescript sedan.

  Once he helped her into the car, Trees grabbed Zy’s arm. “Have you thought about the implications of Cash and Hector being together?”

  “Yeah. I didn’t want to say anything in front of Tessa.”

  “Same. But if the intel from Laila is as solid as I think it is, then we’ve just narrowed some shit down.”

  “Exactly. If Hector and Cash have Hallie, it means they don’t have Kimber.”

  “Right. Geraldo probably does.” And he hated to say she likely wasn’t even in the country, but that was reality.

  “If that’s true…the bosses are going to lose their shit.”

  Trees nodded. “If that was someone you loved, wouldn’t you?”

  “One hundred percent. But we shouldn’t tell the bosses anything until we know we’re right about Hector having Hallie.”

  “Agreed.”

  Zy looked reluctant to say what was on his mind. “Look, if Geraldo Montilla is holding Kimber hostage, the Edgingtons will be even more insistent about using Laila as bait.”

  Trees had already thought about that—and was also considering murdering the first one of them who suggested it again. “We’ll deal with that later. Right now, Tessa looks ready to come out of her skin.”

  Zy glanced back at the receptionist. She was his woman, whether he still wanted to admit that or not. He was in deep. He was risking his life and his livelihood for her.

  “Yeah. Let’s go.”

  They pulled out, and Trees focused on the morning ahead. Rescuing Hallie had to come first, and if he had to leave Hector alive long enough to get the baby’s whereabouts from the asshole, he would. After that… Game on. If he could do anything to help end Laila’s suffering, damn straight he would do it.

  Mental violence filled the thirty minutes into town. Closer to the target, Trees dialed Zy’s digits so they could solidify their plan.

  Trees hated doing an op so blindly. Normally, he and Zy would case the place, get schematics, do hours of legwork, and plan for every possibility. Then they would go in, using whatever tactic made the most sense. This fly-by-the-seat-of-the-pants shit felt reckless, and he hated that the urgency of the situation didn’t allow for strategy. Rushing was often a recipe for disaster.

  Zy answered his call. “Talk to me, buddy.”

  “Why don’t you cruise past the entrance? This is a mobile home park. A small one apparently. I’ll call you as soon as I’ve gone in and scoped around. Hang tight.”

  “You got it.” Zy overshot the entrance, pulling under a big tree to wait.

  Trees turned into the neighborhood full of newish mobile homes and modest cars, searching for Hector’s place. He found it—one of the twenty-something unremarkable residences in the community. It was still early, barely past eight. With any luck, he could catch Hector half-awake and unaware.

  He cruised to the far side of the neighborhood, parked, then started trekking back to the target’s location, dialing Zy again along the way.

  “Whatcha got?” his buddy answered.

  “Nothing visible from the street. House looks closed up, like maybe they’re still asleep.” He no sooner got the words out than he saw movement in the kitchen. “Wait. I spoke too soon. The front blinds just opened. I see someone in there. There’s too much glare to a make out a face or an outline, but the place isn’t empty. And there’s a truck in the carport. I’m running the plate now.”

  “I don’t want to know how you’re doing that, buddy.”

  “You don’t; it’s illegal as fuck. Gimme a second. And what do you know? The truck is registered to Hector Johnson.”

  “So he’s probably there.”

  Oh, yeah. And the son of a bitch probably wasn’t braced for the fact vengeance was coming to his door. Anticipation zipped through Trees’s veins.

  “How do you want to play this?” Zy went on.

  Normally, Zy would go in one side, Trees from the other. Together, they would flank the target so there was no escape. But they didn’t know this place, and Zy had Tessa tagging along because she’d refused to stay home.

  “I cased the perimeter of the mobile home park. It’s enclosed inside a brick wall. The only way in or out is the entrance you’re parked next to.” Meaning Johnson couldn’t sneak out the back.

  “Excellent. That simplifies the situation.”

  “Yep. I should approach from the front. Neither Cash nor Hector knows me. I’ll draw their attention while you slip around back.”

  “With Tessa.”

  Trees didn’t like that at all. “I don’t suppose she’d wait in the car.”

  Zy snorted. “Negative.”

  “Fuck.”

  “Yep.” Zy’s tone sounded almost apologetic. No doubt, he’d tried—and failed—to reason with her.

  “Then put her behind you. Sneak in the back. See if you can find the baby while I keep whoever’s inside occupied.”

  “You going to read their meter? Or sell them insurance?”

  “I’ll wing it. Something will come to me.” It always did.

  “You got everything you need?”

  “Yep.”

  “Where should I roll in?”

  Good question. They had to make sure Hector couldn’t spot them. “The mobile home park is shaped like an O, so it’s a curved street on each side, bisected by a long, straight drag of homes in the middle.” Trees told Zy where to leave the sedan to best remain hidden. “From there, walk toward the left side of the park. Johnson is along that wall, in the middle. You should be able to pass yourselves off as a couple taking a morning walk.”

  “Roger that.”

  Once they hung up, Trees found himself approaching Hector’s place. His blood pressure surged. His lust for revenge roared as he knocked.

  Open the door, motherfucker, so I can rip off your head and shit down your throat.

  While he waited for someone to answer, he caught sight of Zy and Tessa turning into the development. They rolled to the far side of the community, then disappeared behind the row of mobile homes across the street.

  He was getting fucking impatient before a short man with dark hair, a stained wifebeater, and a glower finally answered. “Yeah?”

  Hector fucking Ramos. He looked enough like Victor that there couldn’t be any mistake.

  Trees gave him a shark’s smile and forced himself to dial back his fury. “Hi there. I’m Scott from Pest-Away extermination services. I’ve been servicing some of your neighbors and they’re really pleased with the results. So I came to talk to you about an amazing opportunity.”

  As Hector scowled at him, Zy and Tessa strolled by, hand in hand, heads bowed. Once out of Hector’s view, the pair veered around the side of the house to wait for his signal.

  Trees scanned the empty room over Hector’s wide shoulder. The place was messy, but they didn’t look braced for battle. Perfect.

  “I’m not interested,” Laila’s tormenter groused.

  “Your neighbors, Jessica and Bill, across the way”—he gestured vaguely as he gave Zy a barely perceptible nod to indicate this op was a go—“you know them, right?”

  “No,” Ramos grumbled.

  “Oh, you should meet them. Nice folks. They started our service last month. Jessica swears nothing else worked before, but their roach problem is practically nil now, and she’s seeing far fewer spiders.”

  “We don’t have an insect problem.”

  “You do. You haven’t been here long, right?”

  “A couple weeks.”

  “Then trust me, you do.”

  Zy and Tessa appeared at the back of the mobile home, through the glass slider. He managed to work the lock free, then motioned Tessa inside, nudging her behind a big leather sofa on the left, where she shouldn’t be visible if Johnson turned.

  Trees rushed into a sales spiel to keep Hector distracted. “Did you know roaches will consume anything? Sweets, meat, and beer—for starters. They’ll also eat book bindings, wallpaper glue, pet fur, dead skin, and soap. If that’s not enough to unsettle you, they’ll actually gnaw on your toenails and eyelashes in your sleep. They’re tenacious little pests. Hey, they’re over 350 million years old, so they even predate dinosaurs. But the worst thing about them is that they carry thirty-three kinds of bacteria, six different types of parasitic worms, and seven pathogens—that we know of. Having roaches in your house isn’t simply a disgusting inconvenience. They can be dangerous, especially if you have asthma or allergies.”

  As he droned on, Zy eased the sliding door shut. It squeaked, forcing him to dive behind the sofa.

  “What the hell was that?” Hector tried to turn around.

  Trees grabbed the man’s arm, as if this part of the pitch was urgent. “See? Insects. We’re half swamp out here, so they’re big. If you weren’t used to that where you came from… Um, where was that?”

  “I didn’t say, and I’m not interested.”

  “I don’t want you to regret passing up this deal. Have you asked the missus if she’s seen any insects? I’ll bet she has.”

  “No.”

  His short answer indicated that, just like Laila had heard, some woman had actually married this asshole. Was she around? She might be a kink in his plan, but so far he hadn’t seen or heard anyone else…

  Over Hector’s shoulder, Zy leaned back and slid the door down the rest of the track without incident before settling behind the sofa with Tessa.

  They were in now. Hopefully, they could find Cash and Hallie. They had to pray Tessa’s baby was alive.

  Trees tried to help them by focusing on Hector. “You know how women are these days. Trying to be all independent. My momma would shriek to high heavens every time she came across a spider in her kitchen, but my sisters—I’ve got three of them—they just whip off one of their ridiculous high heels and whap the spider out of existence. Your wife like that?”

  “No. I said I’m not interested.”

  Over the sofa, he saw Zy mouth something to Tessa, who pointed to her ear, then to the right, toward the kitchen. Trees couldn’t see much because a wall divided the two rooms, cutting off his sight lines, but he heard dishes clank.

  A radio came on, which pumped out deejay chatter. Clearly someone was in there. The wife? Cash?

  Since Zy and Tess were aware of the presence in the other room, Trees kept distracting Hector. “Listen, Mister… What did you say your name was?”

  “I didn’t.”

  As Zy crept across the open space so he could glimpse into the kitchen, Hector whipped his head around as if he’d caught movement in his peripheral vision. Zy quickly tucked himself behind a black recliner.

  Trees grabbed the asshole’s attention again. “Anyway, I’m up for a promotion. If I can sign up three people this morning, that would look real good to my boss. He knows I’m a go-getter, but he wants to see more hustle, so if you could help a guy out…”

  The wail of a baby suddenly filled the air, seeming to come from the kitchen. Tessa’s head snapped toward it, her profile telling him her heart was in her throat.

  “Shut that damn baby up,” Hector yelled. “Look, I said I’m not interested. I don’t care about your promotion, your sisters, your knowledge of roaches, or your bullshit. Go the fuck away.”

  When he tried to slam the door, Trees flattened his palm against the sturdy fiberglass and shoved, wedging a foot onto the threshold so Hector couldn’t shut him out. “C’mon, you don’t mean that. We’re getting to be friends here, I think. We’re having a moment.”

  Zy better move this along. Trees doubted his cover would last another two minutes. If the baby in the kitchen was Hallie, Zy and Tessa needed to move now. Trees was more than happy to deal with Hector the Molester on his own terms.

  “What the hell? The noise level around here…” A man emerged from the right side of the trailer in a pair of boxer shorts, pulling a T-shirt over his head.

  Cash. He presented a problem. Once the little weasel yanked the dirty tee down and finished rubbing his bleary eyes, he would be looking right at Tessa.

  Damn it.

  Zy poked his head above the chair, signaling to Trees with a finger across his neck.

  Abort? Like hell.

  Instead, he sent his widest smile to Cash. “You a friend of the family, sir? You’ve got to tell your pal here that he’s missing an opportunity if he doesn’t sign up for Pest-Away’s platinum-level service.”

  “I don’t fucking want it,” Hector exploded. “Get your foot out of my house.”

  Trees just went on. “Here. Let me get you my card and…”

  As he pretended to dig in his pocket, Cash lost interest in the sales pitch. Before he could stop the little douchebag, Tessa’s ex turned toward the kitchen and spotted her.

  Shit.

  “Tessa, what the hell are you doing here? Get the fuck out.” Cash dashed straight for her and grabbed her arm, tugging her toward the back door.