Chapter 23
POLANCO
The highway ribboned beneath them, mile after mile stretching into what felt like forever. Adria and Seth rode in the back seat as Eric drove.
Seth had his head on a swivel; Eric’s gaze was glued to the side mirror, and even Adria couldn’t let a minute pass without scanning the horizon.
They had come out of the altercation with minor cuts and scrapes, but Adria was acutely aware of how close of a call it was.
Eric had managed to turn off five of them, and Seth had killed one and fought another. The team wore bullet-proof vests, and Seth’s second shot had been at the body, resulting in a scuffle and Seth’s broken lip.
The energy in the car was tense. Seth’s leg bounced nervously, and Eric’s usual banter was rendered mute. Even Adria felt nervous.
It was the separation.
She kept in contact with Bryson’s convoy via text, but not being able to see each other was killing her.
Looking at her phone, rage simmered within her.
She typed out a text.
Adria: I know it was you.
Maxim: Adria? Is that you? I’ve been trying to get a hold of you. Did you make it to Sinaloa?
Adria: Don’t pretend you don’t know.
Maxim: Know what?
Adria: Our names were on the Triune’s list before we even landed. And the trouble last night had to be you.
Adria hadn’t wanted to use them, but Maxim’s fake names were the only alternative identities they had. It was a calculated risk. But now that they had been attacked there was no way around it. Maxim had sold them out.
Maxim: 8 dead in Mexico City, that you?
Adria: Maybe. You know anything about how they found us?
Maxim: No.
Adria stared at the phone. He was really going to keep up this ruse.
Maxim: If you’re going to South America, there is something you should know.
Adria: You better hope I never see you again.
Maxim: Adria, it wasn’t me.
The phone rang. Maxim’s name flashed on the caller ID, and Adria pushed it to voicemail.
Maxim: Just give me 5min.
Adria: You had your chance.
Adria pushed block on Maxim’s number.
“I need your phone,” she said to Eric, just as her phone lit up with another call.
It was an unknown number. No doubt Maxim calling her from another line.
She added some numbers to Eric’s phone and twisted hers until she heard a crack.
Rolling her window down, she flung the ruined burner out onto the road. The little thud was drowned out beneath the engine’s hum. She ignored Eric’s questioning gaze in the rearview mirror.
Seth’s hand weaved into hers, and Adria gave him a reassuring squeeze.
Hours later, Eric turned left onto a nondescript drive, the entrance nearly hidden by the dense foliage surrounding it.
The single-lane road wound through the jungle, flanked by towering trees and thick underbrush that tapped against the vehicle.
They followed the twisting path for several miles until they reached an imposing iron gate, with a small intercom mounted nearby.
Eric pressed the button and a static crackling voice came from the speaker. “Hello, who is calling?”
“Miss Federov. I believe Vega is expecting us,” Eric replied, tone steady.
Silence hung in the air for a heartbeat before the gate creaked open.
They drove past armored guards stationed like sentinels, their watchful eyes following the car as it maneuvered through a series of sharp turns.
Gradually, the jungle thinned, unveiling a sprawling terracotta mansion that rose majestically against the backdrop of the vibrant landscape, its warm hues glowing softly in the dappled sunlight.
Vega’s home had three stories with huge arched windows. Manicured hedges with a bright green hue surrounded the estate.
Elena’s SUV was already parked.
Beyond that, Bryson was leaning against his car, arms crossed. Kaydon started running towards them the instant he spotted their vehicle.
Adria barely had the door open before he scooped her up. Heat flared where his palms cupped her cheeks, fingers brushing the purple mark blooming along her jaw. She tried to pull away. “It’s just a bruise,” she murmured.
Kaydon’s warmth and proximity threatened to pull tears from her. The tension from the day’s events easing away.
“It’s okay, it barely hurts,” she said, trying and failing to turn away.
“Killer,” Kaydon said as Seth got out of the car.
“He’s gonna need some new kill tattoos after today,” Adria said, leaving the two of them and moving to Bryson.
She watched as he uncrossed his arms and then crossed them again. But when she got closer, he pushed off the car and surprised her by wrapping his hand around the back of her neck and pulling her into a painful kiss.
He pressed his face into hers, and Adria felt his body mold against her.
When he finally let go of her and caught her gaze, he said, “I’m not separating anymore, understand?”
She nodded and was surprised at the relief she felt. They were in this together.