The mechanic looked her up and down. “He is fucking you, I presume. You’re a pretty, tasty treat, after all.”

  Everything inside Laila urged her to step back. Hell, to turn and leave. But since she’d been Victor’s possession once, she knew his expectations. So would this man, most likely. Cowering from any of his friends would only earn her ridicule and punishment, even allowing this man access to her body. She would be better off playing along.

  “Naturally. Can you help him?”

  He took a drag of his cigarette and blew out his smoke. “Yeah, tell him to bring it.”

  She nodded, hoping the car would be secure here. “I will let him know.”

  Laila thanked him, then quickly called Victor with the news.

  “Good. I’ll bring the truck,” he told her. “Are Montilla’s thugs looking for me around town?”

  “I have heard nothing yet.” Though she hadn’t exactly asked, and it was entirely likely there were eyes and ears everywhere. “But I am still gathering information.”

  Victor grunted, then hung up.

  Grateful that was over, she wandered down the street, toward what looked like a local hotel. The pastel building was a bright, two-story structure, surrounded by lazily swaying palms. A series of tiki huts outside added to the resort-like feel. The one beside the pool seemed to double as the bar. The other, just beside it, had been set aside for relaxation and games.

  She bypassed them and went in search of the office. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be too expensive to stay here, since it was the closest hotel to town. The others were near the beach.

  As she approached the little office with the loud air conditioner humming from the wall, she passed under an awning. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a pair of men emerge from one of the rooms. One looked well-built and athletic as he settled a hat on his head. But it was the other who caught her attention, broad and startlingly tall and achingly familiar.

  Trees.

  Shock sucked the air from her lungs. He was here? How had he found her? And how would she muster the strength to walk away when all she wanted to do was run into his arms?

  For his sake, she had to.

  As if he was attuned to her, Trees suddenly turned. His stare zeroed in on her, swallowing her whole in a glance.

  Her heart, her breaths, her thoughts all stopped. She felt pinned in place, as if he saw right through her disguise.

  No, that was her paranoia. Trees couldn’t possibly know it was her. She wore different clothes and shoes. She had donned sunglasses and a hat. At most, he would think she was a stranger who looked like her. But the longer she returned his stare, the more suspicious he would be. She needed to act like a local out for an evening walk.

  On shaking legs, she pivoted away and headed back toward Gustavo’s garage. Her heart roared in her ears, threatening to beat out of her chest, as she lifted her sunglasses higher onto her nose, then adjusted her hat in the breeze. She prayed she looked as if she didn’t have a care, because she could hardly breathe past her apprehension.

  Trees couldn’t stay in this village. Ugly things would happen. The consequences would be too terrible.

  Then she remembered that Victor was heading this way. And if he saw Trees… Well, there was no way Victor had forgotten the man who had blown his brother’s head off mere days ago.

  Dios mío.

  Trembling, Laila glanced over her shoulder, hoping Trees had looked past her. But he was charging straight for her on those ridiculously long legs.

  Panic hit her. If she turned back to him, he would know it was her. If she continued forward, she would lead him into danger. On either side of the street, she saw nothing but houses closed up for afternoon siestas.

  She had nowhere to go—and she had to act fast.

  But was there really a choice? Trees had to come first.

  She turned around, determined to prevent Victor from spotting him during his drive into town and deciding it was a fabulous time for revenge. Trees was already on her. She ran into his chest with a gasp.

  “Laila.” He plucked the sunglasses from her face as the wind blew her hat away.

  She was too ensnared by his nearness to protest.

  He looked more intense and even more manly than she remembered. And more beloved. He cupped her shoulders, fastening his stare on her, his green eyes so sharp and full of concern. Laila froze. Every nerve stood on end. Heat sizzled everywhere he touched her. She’d missed him far more than she wanted to admit and ached to press herself against him, to throw herself into his arms and give herself completely to him.

  But that was her emotion talking. She couldn’t let her feelings rule her. They weren’t real. The coming danger was. “You shouldn’t be here. Go. Please. Return to Louisiana. Do not look for me again.”

  “I’m not leaving without you. Tell me what happened. Why did you take off? You could have stayed in the panic room and been safe.”

  She couldn’t waste time explaining that Victor had threatened to burn his house down. It was more important to persuade him to leave this town and this country—and her—behind.

  “I did not want to be safe. I wanted to be free. Let me go.”

  “Whatever you’re doing here, whatever reason you had for walking out, I know it had something to do with keeping your family safe. Ensuring that isn’t your job; it’s mine. I’m going to make sure you, your sister, and your nephew are protected. All you have to do is tell me what’s going on.”

  No wonder she’d been falling for this man. He was noble and watchful. Kind and heroic. And she hadn’t believed in him until it was too late.

  You never know what you’ve got until it’s gone…

  And like a fool, she’d spent so much of her time with him scheming to escape. She had only ever let herself believe in him for a few moments in the dark, in secret, when he’d made love to her after killing Hector. For that one night, she had closed her eyes, pretended to be a woman without a violent past, and given herself to Trees completely.

  Laila shook her head. “There is nothing to tell. I do not want you here. Go and leave me be.”

  “Trees?” the other man in the cowboy hat called with a bob of his head up the street.

  On the corner, Gustavo stood, watching their every move.

  Laila tried not to panic, but the mechanic would call Victor, who was likely already on his way. There would be violence, and since not many men were as tall as Trees, Victor would know immediately who had come to town and why.

  Before she could wriggle away, Trees plucked her off the ground. As if she weighed nothing, he carried her between the nearest two houses, ignoring her struggles, until they were out of Gustavo’s sight.

  He pushed her against the wall, palms beside her head, caging her in. “I will never leave you. I will never stop coming for you. So tell me why you went with Victor, let me fix it, then I’ll take you home, Laila. And I’ll love you for the rest of my life.”

  His words wrenched her heart. There was nothing she wanted more than to throw herself against him, arms and legs clinging, as she lost herself in him and pretended danger didn’t exist.

  Impossible.

  Tears welled in her eyes. She tried to blink them away, but she wasn’t quick enough. As one rolled down her cheek, she bit her lip to hold in a sob and tried to wrench away before he saw her weakness.

  Too late.

  “Laila.” His rough voice caressed her. He cradled her head in his massive hands, fingers thrusting into her hair. “Little one…”

  She was powerless to stop him when he surged forward and covered her with his big body, plastering her against the wall. He captured her lips with his and swallowed her whimper as she opened helplessly to him, welcoming the press of his mouth and the drive of his tongue. She clung to him. As she drowned in his kiss, she dug her nails into his shoulders, silently begging for more, as she writhed to get even closer. For one selfish moment, she ignored everything, fearing that now would have to last her for the rest of her life.

  Trees groaned as he plunged deeper. The sound reverberated through her body. Time stood still. Everywhere he touched her, he seared her. And she welcomed it. Even if the sun was hotter in Mexico, this was the first time she’d felt warm since Trees had left for his mission two and a half endless days ago. Laila basked in him, breathed with him, welcomed the blistering heat of him.

  If she hadn’t been sure how she felt about Trees before, now it was clear. She loved him. Granted, she had nothing to compare these feelings to. She’d always loved crisp morning breezes in spring, vanilla in fresh-baked cookies, and sea foam on the sand. But this was so much stronger. She loved him as completely as she loved Valeria or Jorge, but this love came with a passion that was unlike anything she knew. She didn’t have words to describe it, but having felt it, having acknowledged it, she knew she would never be the same.

  Together, they panted and clung. Trees dragged his hands down her back until he cupped her backside and lifted her. She couldn’t stop herself from spreading her legs and welcoming him in between, wrapping her arms around him tighter, and, since she could never speak the words aloud, telling Trees she loved him with her kiss.

  He yanked away and stared into her eyes, breaths rough. “Come back with me.”

  Laila was so tempted. Some part of her wanted to rail that stopping the cartels wasn’t her responsibility, that she had already suffered at the hands of Tierra Caliente. Why should she now have to rip out her heart and play the hero? It wasn’t fair. Unfortunately, life wasn’t. If she wanted safety and justice for her family, there was a price. To protect Valeria and Jorge, the cost would be her heart.

  “I cannot.” She pushed him away. “You have to go.”

  “Goddamn it, Laila. Tell me what the fuck is going on. I’ll—”

  “Buddy, there’s a truck coming. It looks like the one Trevor and Ghost said they spotted before it disappeared across the border,” the cowboy said, standing less than a dozen feet from them, blocking the view of anyone on the street.

  Terror chilled Laila’s veins. Victor was here. Gustavo would fill him in. Then all hell would break loose. “Go. Please. Now. Don’t let Victor see you.”

  “Where is that son of a bitch?” Trees craned his head around to scan the street, all while covering her with his body.

  If they had more time and if she wasn’t convinced that Trees would put himself in danger to save her, she would have spilled everything to him—why she’d left, what her plans were, how she saw this nightmare ending. She might also make promises to return to his life, his arms, and his bed. But if she said any of those things, he would not only risk himself, he would do it full-throttle, holding nothing back, until the cartel put him in the ground. If Victor couldn’t find the smarts or the guts to kill Trees, Montilla would. Emilo’s ruthless father definitely had the resources and the cojones to get it done.

  “Do not do this. Please. Leave it alone.”

  Trees turned back to her with a scowl. He wasn’t going to let her go, despite her pleading, despite the cowboy telling him danger was approaching. “Like hell. Why did you help Ramos steal Montilla’s Ferrari?”

  She would have to make him want to leave.

  Laila took a deep breath and forced herself to look him in the eye. “Because he wanted it, and I thought he would look sexy driving it.”

  “Sexy?”

  Something inside her died as she forced herself to lie to him. “Do you always believe every sad story a woman tells you? I have been with Victor for a long time. I am attached to him. When he came for me, I saw the chance to return home and resume my life. Of course I took it.”

  Trees looked at her, dumbfounded. “You want to be with him?”

  “Of course. I always have.”

  He scowled. “Bullshit. You can’t fake the terror you felt for him the night he cornered you in the women’s room of that hotel. You were desperate to escape. You screamed for help—until he tried to strangle you. You kicked and scratched and tried to get away.”

  “It is a game we enjoy. It is our foreplay. I like sex rough.” That lie turned her stomach, but to save Trees’s life, she told it without flinching.

  “I don’t believe you.”

  “You should. If you came here to find me, you have wasted your time.” She jerked from his grasp. “Leave. Go back where you belong.”

  “No.” He grabbed her arm again. “If you like the way he fucks you so much, why did you just kiss me with your whole heart?”

  “I did not say you lacked skills. Your abilities between the sheets are quite good and kept you happily believing everything I told you.” She shrugged. “But Victor does me better.”

  “That’s a lie.”

  “If that is what you need to tell yourself…” She yanked free again. “But the truth would be better for you. I am leaving. You should do the same. Do not follow me.”

  Then Laila darted down the narrow path between the houses, skirting the cowboy, before she dashed down the street in time to see Victor barreling toward her, gun in hand. A wave of trepidation threatened to pull her under, but she had to stay strong.

  She headed Victor off, hands up to stop him, doing her best to keep him far from Trees. “Victor—”

  “Where is that bastard? I’m going to fucking kill him.”

  “I sent him away. Do not be distracted. We have bigger things to do. The car, did you settle it?”

  “Gustavo is handling that now, so I have time to put a bullet between that son of a bitch’s eyes for killing Hector.” He shoved her out of the way. “Where the fuck are you, Scott?”

  God help Trees if he was foolish enough to seek a fight now. It would be his demise. He didn’t know how dirty Victor fought. He might not understand no one in this town would help him.

  She grabbed Victor by the elbow. “You must stay focused.”

  With a growl, he shrugged her off. “I am—on revenge. He will pay for all he’s done.”

  “Hector was reckless. He and his wife kidnapped a baby with plans to end her little life.”

  Victor turned to glare at her as if she was half-witted. “I know. I helped them. Who gives a shit about a baby? Oh, you think Scott is noble for saving the poor, innocent child, don’t you? That makes him heroic in your eyes. But he still forced you to his bed, didn’t he?”

  Laila let the lie stand. If she told Victor the truth, he would only come after Trees harder.

  “Your fight now is with Montilla so you can take over the cartel. Ignore your petty tiff with that nobody of a paid mercenary. He can do nothing to stop you once you become the leader of Tierra Caliente. You will be untouchable. But you will fail if you let yourself be distracted.”

  Victor stopped and looked around the street as if he saw nothing and no one. “I don’t see Montilla anywhere. I have plenty of time to end the asshole who killed my brother.” He gripped her arm. “Who dared to touch what is mine.”

  Laila blanched. Normally, she wouldn’t risk inciting Victor, but she must keep his attention on her, not Trees, whom she prayed had taken her advice and fled. It was a good sign that he and the cowboy hadn’t come out to confront Victor.

  She jerked her elbow from his grip. “I have fresh gossip. Montilla’s men are in town, watching for you. If you do anything to draw their attention…”

  “You are sure?” His eyes narrowed.

  “Yes.”

  His curse told her that if he didn’t exactly believe the lie, he at least believed it was possible. Hopefully, that would be enough for now. “Walk back to my villa. I will collect the car and meet you there. We will take it and find someplace more secure, somewhere Montilla and that freakishly tall bastard will never find us.”

  That would never work. If Trees was anywhere close, he would find her trekking the road alone. He would follow her. And he would take her. “Let me stay with you.” She forced herself to hold his hand and squeeze it. “Be your eyes and ears. Who else can you trust?”

  Victor glared her way, then glanced down at their joined hands. “I’m not convinced I can trust you, chiquita.”

  “If I wanted you dead, I would not have told you that Montilla’s men are coming, and the longer we argue, the closer they get.” She tugged him toward the garage. “Let us reclaim the truck before Gustavo locks it away and get on the road. Or instead of hiding, maybe we simply move forward with our plan and exchange the car for Montilla’s bargaining chip.”

  He scowled. “What do you mean?”

  “Once we are out of town, I will explain. All of it.” She swallowed nervously, looking for Trees.

  What was he doing? Thinking? Or had he gone?

  Suddenly, she felt his eyes on her. He was still near. Terror gripped her.

  “Always promising me later,” he snarled. “I’m done waiting. Tell me now or I will find your tall hero and shoot him.”

  He would. Laila had no doubt. Her heart stuttered. Once she revealed her plan, she would have little leverage left over Victor. He would no longer see her as a partner, just an expendable nuisance. But his mistreatment or his bullet was better than watching Trees die.

  “Montilla is holding a prisoner. The Edgingtons, who own EM Security? Geraldo abducted their sister, Kimber, and is keeping her captive. We can use that against him.”

  “That’s it?” he thundered. “That’s your bargaining chip? I already know he has her. That’s not useful.”

  Laila blinked. She hadn’t considered the possibility that he knew of Kimber’s abduction. But it made sense. If he had a spy on the inside, it was possible he’d already been tipped off. Carajo! She had to think fast. The tactic that always worked best was to stroke Victor’s ego.

  “Of course you are aware of the captive. I merely suggest you use her as leverage, so she goes from being a bargaining chip Montilla would use to force EM Security to give up my sister’s location to a liability that could weaken them, perhaps even prove their downfall—all orchestrated by you. If you succeed, there are few who would challenge your right to run the cartel.”

  Victor stared at her as if he could see through her. Abruptly, he snaked one hand around her nape. The other clamped down on her jaw. He jerked her closer, against his body, until his angry face hovered a mere inch above hers. His threat was clear, but still he spoke it aloud. “If you’re full of shit, if you’re playing me… I will kill you, Laila. And I won’t give you a polite double-tap to the head. I’ll rape you. I’ll starve you. I’ll torture you. I will make you beg for the end, and I will not give it to you. I will let you wonder how long I intend to keep you alive to use for my perverse amusement. The answer will be until I get bored with your suffering. And that may be never.”