Chapter Twenty-Three
C orey glanced down at the large watch on his wrist. They’d made it to Sinaloa in record time, landing on a small grassy strip in the middle of nowhere.
Mitch made sure an SUV with dark-tinted, bulletproof windows was waiting.
They’d settled on a plan which wasn’t a whole lot more sophisticated than “blow shit up,” but time was of the essence.
Better to strike hard and fast than waste another precious second ironing out the details.
As they drove through the hills of Culiacan, past large, gated luxury homes, Corey’s worry increased.
By his calculations, Sera had been down there for at least an hour already, and he hoped to God she was alright.
The idea of her being at Joel and Barrera’s mercy made him queasy. Both men were cold-hearted and cruel.
She’d already been through so much, and every single cell in his body yearned to shelter her from everything bad in the world. He wanted to be her warrior, protect and shield her from any harm that might come her way.
For the last twenty years, Corey’s world had been cold, gloomy and gray.
He thought he’d find some kind of solace, possibly a modicum of peace, in his forced isolation.
But pulling away from the rest of the world—from his friends who cared—and hiding up in his mountain cabin produced the exact opposite effect.
Guilt and PTSD began strangling him, and every day it had become a little harder to breathe.
And then the freshest breath of air filled his lungs when Sera appeared. Despite her tragic past, she was a glorious light, brightening Corey’s world in every possible way. She radiated kindness and a beautiful energy that he wanted to bask in.
Sera Darling had helped vanquish the depressing gray that had dominated his life, replacing it with vibrant color. And, most importantly, with fresh seeds of hope that had taken a fragile root in his battered soul.
He refused to lose her.
If he did, he feared he’d lose himself in the darkness forever.
“Everyone ready?” Brand asked, interrupting Corey’s thoughts.
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Chaz said.
Jayson slowed down as they approached the back of Barrera’s house right at dusk. Corey looked around at his team, his heart swelling. They were the best group of men, and he owed them more than he could ever repay.
The SUV stopped in the shadow of soaring hedges. Beyond the tall greenery, Corey could see peeks of a cement wall topped with barbed wire. José Barrera didn’t want anyone on his property who hadn’t been invited.
Too damn bad, Corey thought, checking the pistol holstered at his side and the flashbangs on his belt.
Because the drug lord was about to get a big fucking surprise.
And although a certain amount of stealth would happen, he didn’t think it would last for long.
José Barrera was a dead man—Corey would make sure of it—but he probably wouldn’t go out quietly.
“Murph?” Brand asked, turning in his seat to look in the back. “What’s the status of the cams?”
Wes typed away on his laptop. He’d stay in the SUV and act as their eyes, keeping them aware of potential threats as they snuck through the house. “Almost in,” he murmured.
Corey’s buddy had some pretty decent hacking skills, but Xander had taught them how to up their game.
And, although Wes could keep up with the rest of the team extremely well for a man wearing a below-the-knee prosthetic, the less stress he put on his old joints, the better.
Corey didn’t want his friend in a wheelchair by the time he turned fifty because he’d pushed himself too hard on an op.
Or, worse, hurt himself in a way that couldn’t be fixed.
“Bingo,” Wes said. “I’m in.”
“What do you see?” Brand asked.
Corey leaned forward so he could see Wes’ screen. He needed to see Sera with his own eyes. To know that she was okay and not hurt.
Wes quickly ran through the exterior and interior camera placements.
There were a lot of them, but he didn’t want to risk looping the footage until they’d made it to the top of the wall.
No doubt Barrera had security guards monitoring everything closely, and if they caught the glitch too early, it wouldn’t be good.
It was now or never. Antsy, on the verge of throwing his door open, Corey reached for the handle when Wes murmured, “Hold up.”
They waited for Wes to tell them why, when his eyes suddenly went wide.
“Oh, fuck,” he said. “We’ve got company.”
“What’re you talking about?” Corey asked.
“I’ve got eyes on a black van that just plowed through the gate at the bottom of the drive. They’re barreling up toward the house at full speed.”
They all exchanged a look. Who the fuck would have the balls to confront José Barrera in such a gutsy maneuver like that?
Unless…
“The Villarreal clan,” Xander said darkly. “They want to take out Barrera before he can reclaim control.”
“This party is about to get lit,” Lex commented.
“Give it a second,” Brand advised. “We don’t know anything for sure. Let’s see what they do.”
“The van stopped in front of the house,” Wes reported, watching closely. “Doors just opened…I count ten masked men, and they’re armed.”
Corey swore under his breath as Xander slid over and peered at the laptop screen.
“It’s the Villarreals,” he confirmed. “Their crew wears skeleton balaclavas.”
“This isn’t fucking good,” Chaz growled.
“No,” Brand agreed. He glanced at Corey. “Hold position.”
“Shit,” Wes said, face grim. “One of them has a fucking RPG.”
Ice cold skeins of terror skewered Corey’s gut. They were in the middle of warring cartels.
Sera was in that house, and evil surrounded her, closing in fast. He had to get to her.
“I have to find Sera!” Corey threw the car door open as an explosion filled the air, rocking the SUV.
Fucking hell.
◆◆◆
The big, scowling bodyguard with the snake tat took Sera up to an enormous bedroom with an attached sitting room located at the back of the house.
Once he left, locking the door behind him, she hurried over to the window and peered down at a pool and then out across the vast lawn. An armed guard patrolled the perimeter.
Escaping would be a challenge, but she refused to end up like Joel. That left her with one choice—lock down her fear and find a way. It’s what Corey would do, and thinking about him gave her strength.
Pulling in a steadying breath, she focused on the problem at hand. Jumping wasn’t the best idea because she was high enough to hurt herself when she landed. Plus, the guard outside would probably see her.
Turning around, she scanned the luxurious suite, taking in the deep red velvet couch, end tables with gold leaf lamps and an expensive-looking Oriental rug.
Beyond the sitting room, she saw a huge four-poster bed, the vertical posts at each corner designed to appear constructed of solid gold. She refused to go anywhere near it.
Maybe she could find something to use as a weapon.
Because she had no illusions about Barrera being a good guy.
He looked like the kind of man who enjoyed inflicting pain.
And the way his black eyes had skated down her body, as though he couldn’t wait to tear her clothes off, left her chilled to the bone.
Just as she debated on grabbing a lamp and maybe using it to knock someone out, the door unlocked and her heart sank as Barrera walked in, swiftly closing and locking the door again.
God, he made her skin crawl. It had nothing to do with his looks, which were fairly attractive, and everything to do with the cold, cruel vibe he emanated.
As if to prove her point, his lip curved up as he said, “Take your clothes off.”
She took a step back, shaking her head. Terror shot through her system, threatening to break her. Keep it together, she told herself. Corey would want you to be strong.
“Is that your real color? Like gold?” he asked, eyeing her hair. His hands twitched at his sides as though he couldn’t wait to touch it.
“No,” she lied.
“That’s a shame. I prefer natural blondes.”
A shiver tore down her spine as she took another step back…and into his bedroom.
Maybe she could try bargaining her way out of this. Looking to the left, she spotted a table with a decorative container full of flowers. Or, better yet, she could bash his head in with that priceless-looking vase.
Flexing her fingers, biding her time, she waited for him to make a move.
“Why are you still dressed?” he demanded. When she didn’t respond, he slipped his hand beneath his silk shirt and removed a knife. The blade gleamed with several gems encrusted in the handle. “I won’t say it again.”
Sera swallowed hard, fighting her fear, and getting ready to dart sideways and swipe up the vase. Although she wasn’t sure how effective it would be to bring a vase to a knife fight.
“Strip, walk over to the bed and get on your hands and knees. Ass in the air.”
You’re not a victim.
Instead of hearing her own voice or her therapist’s voice, she heard Corey say the words.
“You wish,” she said as strength surged through her with the sudden force of a lightning bolt. As his eyes narrowed, she darted sideways, grabbed the vase and dumped the flowers and water. Holy hell, it was heavy.
Barrera rushed forward, black eyes glinting with fury, knife lifting. “You bitch. I’m going to fuck every hole in your body then cut your insides out.”
As she lifted the vase, preparing to smash it against his ugly, hate-filled face, an enormous explosion shook the house and she stumbled sideways, losing her balance. Careening into the table, she dropped the vase, and it smashed into a thousand pieces at her feet.