Chapter 21
Dallas halted the truck inside the parking garage in downtown Ibarra. Getting out of the vehicle, he snagged his backpack from the passenger seat.
Where Gemma should be sitting.
His muscles bunched as he tossed the keys into the driver’s side footwell and slammed the door. Finally, he’d ditched the assassin’s truck. At this point, the body might have been found.
Now he was without a ride. And still no word from fucking Cole. It was almost 12:00p.m., and he was getting more annoyed by the minute. He’d already sent a message to Dare, who’d promised to swing by Cole’s apartment to see what the hell was up.
In the meantime, all he could do was twiddle his thumbs while he waited to hear from Silas—and torment himself over leaving Gemma. After driving off, he’d checked the rearview mirror several times. From what he could see, she hadn’t gotten out of the SUV and boarded the airplane. Part of him wanted to hang close by, watch her take off, as if seeing her in the air would give him some indication as to where she was headed.
Pointless.
Instead, he’d ripped off the bandage and driven back to Ibarra with the radio off and only the chatter of his thoughts running through his mind.
Christ, he needed a drink.
Exiting the parkade, he stopped at a convenience store, grabbed a bottle of tequila and a lime, then crossed the street to the little hotel he’d spotted. Least he could do was find a comfortable place to clean the wound, as he’d promised Gemma he’d do.
Maybe close his eyes.
He checked into the hotel then took the elevator to the tenth floor. Not a single detail of the hotel’s decor registered in his brain on the journey to his room. Flashing the key at the door handle, he shoved open the heavy steel then kicked off his shoes.
Rather than hop in the shower, as his body craved, he cracked open the tequila and poured an ounce or so into a glass he found in the bathroom. He spritzed in some lime and added water from one of the room’s bottles. Tossing back the liquor, he closed his eyes.
He couldn’t relive every fuck up. Doing so would make him crazy. Thinking about Gemma would make him crazier. No. He’d do what he did every time she left: pick his ass up and get to work. The events of the last few days aside, he was a professional.
Hell, each one of his brothers was a professional too. They wouldn’t let separation from a woman throw them off their jobs. He had a task to complete—a task that’d been really fucking important before he’d spotted Gemma in that godforsaken hotel.
And with it came a helluva lot of money he didn’t want to turn down. With his brain focused on that, he sat on the bed. Money. Work. That’s what had always kept him going and that’s what would keep him out of the dumps now.
Gemma might still be in danger, but she wasn’t alone. She had help. At the very least, the US government had to protect its citizens. Especially because she was an informant... right? Made sense.
Ring, ring
Dallas lifted his hip and dug his phone from his pocket. An unknown number scrolled across the screen. After swiping to answer, he pressed the device to his ear. “Hello?”
“Where you at?”
“At a hotel in downtown Ibarra.” He rubbed his fingers together. Hearing Silas’s voice made fresh rage sear his skin.
“Good, good. I’ll be landing in half an hour but have some business to handle first. Can we meet at 9:00p.m.?”
“Sure.” The sooner he could get this deal done the better.
“Good. And the items. How far are they?”
Dallas cringed. “Not with me. As I mentioned, I got called to Ecuador. But I’m sure my partner can bring your shipment in for your inspection by”—he flipped his wrist to look at his watch—“noon tomorrow.”
“No, no. Don’t worry about that. I have an associate in Cali who can meet your partner tonight. We don’t have any more time to waste.”
“Sounds good. I’ll tell him to prepare and wait for my word.” Dallas disconnected and phoned Lorenzo to relay the information.
Dallas’s insides buzzed with satisfaction.
He’d do the deal for Silas. Get paid. Then he’d blow the fucker’s head off.
***
After showering andapplying the ointment that Charlene had given her to the cuts and scrapes, Gemma sat on the edge of the bed. She should be resting. But how the hell could she? Her plan had been upended. More than that. Her life had been turned upside down, and now she was in an even worse position than she’d been before.
Dallas was right.
She needed to call him. She pulled her phone from her backpack pocket, hit his contact icon, and pressed the device to her ear. The phone rang and she swallowed.
She was using the encrypted phone Charlene had given her. It shouldn’t be traceable. Which meant the CIA shouldn’t be listening either. Regardless, she’d take every precaution to disguise their conversation. The phone rang and rang.
Sighing, she disconnected. Of course it wouldn’t be that simple. Surely Dallas wasn’t expecting a call from her so soon. He was probably still driving, or preparing to meet Silas. She stretched out on the bed, keeping her phone close to her head, and let her eyes close.
Soon, this would all be over...
Buzz, buzz, buzz
Gemma shot open her eyes and lunged for the phone. Please be Dallas. A glance at the screen showed Charlene’s number. Scrunching her lips, she answered. “Hello?”
Pushing into a sitting position, she scanned the window through the open curtains. She must have slept for several hours because the sun was now low and dusk was tingeing the sky.
“Hope you got some rest. Sorry things took a lot longer than expected. Just called to give you notice. The driver will pick you up at your door in an hour. Maybe order some room service. I’d do it now.”
Gemma’s stomach revolted at the suggestion. “No. I’m fine.”
“Suit yourself.”
“Wait,” Gemma blurted, before Charlene could hang up. “Where am I going?”
“You know I can’t disclose that over the phone. Even these phones.” A beat passed. “But after all you’ve been through, maybe a thorough rundown will help. I’ll stop by your room in a few minutes.”
“Okay. Thank you.” Gemma lowered the phone from her ear and went through her call log.
Dallas hadn’t returned her call. Worry knotted her belly, but she forced it away. She hadn’t called Dallas from this phone before, so he wouldn’t know the number.
She didn’t return random phone calls, so she couldn’t expect him to.
The urge to call him back almost made her punch redial—but she couldn’t. Not with Charlene on her way to her room. If she had time once Charlene left, she’d try again.
Dammit. Life would be so much easier if she could just say what she needed to in a text without risking the operation or Dallas’s life.
Knock, knock
Gemma bolted from the bed and swung open the door.
Charlene waltzed inside and took a seat in the armchair near the desk. “Sit,” she said to Gemma, gesturing to the bed.
Gemma returned to where she’d sat moments before and folded her legs in, knotting her hands near her ankles. “So, where am I going?”
“I don’t have the exact location yet, but it will be somewhere close. We got word Silas landed in Ecuador a couple of hours ago. We have a drone on him, but we need closer eyes.”
Gemma bit back a snarky comment. Her eyes, of course, needed to be the close ones and were worth the risk, as far as the CIA was concerned.
“Will there be another bomb?”
“No. You have my word.” Charlene held up her hand, a solemn expression on her pinched face.
“Don’t you think I should have known about the last ones? I almost didn’t make it out.” Mostly because she’d taken it from behind in the hotel’s broom closet, but Charlene didn’t need to know about that.
Charlene shifted in the seat, and the leather crinkled. “Had it been my choice, I would have mentioned it. As you know, things move quickly—”
“The bombs would’ve needed to be planted, Charlene.” A hint of disdain clung to her words.
“Yes, well. All I can say is it won’t happen again.”
“Fine.” There wasn’t anything else she could do or say. All that mattered now was getting this whole thing over with.
“Once you have eyes on Silas,” Charlene continued, “we’ll make a move.”
“Aren’t you concerned someone will recognize me? He’s looking for me, you know.”
“He is. So he won’t anticipate you being right under his nose.” She huffed out a breath. “If I could get a field agent here in time to do this job, I would. But all of this happened at lightning speed. We had no idea Silas was coming to Ecuador today. We can’t pass up the chance to nail him now.”
That made sense. Dallas was the one who’d staged the meeting on Ecuadorian soil—her stomach jolted as realization dawned on her.
Oh god. Dallas. He might be there when all this went down. She lifted her fingers to her forehead and the room spun.
“Are you okay?” Charlene’s concerned voice penetrated the wall of fog closing in around her.
Oh no. Oh no.
The odds of Dallas not being with Silas when the attack occurred were slim. She had to warn him. Waving off Charlene’s hands, which were fluttering around her, Gemma shook away the anxiety that wanted to pull her to the mattress.
“I’m fine.” She cleared her throat.
Charlene knelt in front of her, her pale face full of questions.
“I want a gun,” Gemma said, with a note of finality. “Or I’m not doing this.” She folded her arms across her chest.
Charlene stood and returned to her seat. “Fine. I’ll have the driver bring one. Any other demands?”
She drummed her fingers on her elbow. “Yeah. I want my name cleared. I’m sure my family thinks the worst of me right now.”
“Done. And don’t forget, as soon as this is over tonight, you can head back home for a month.” Charlene folded her hands on her lap and smiled as if she’d just offered her a huge bonus.
But Gemma wasn’t coming back after this. She’d already gone back on her word to Dallas once. This was her chance to follow through. Better to tell Charlene later, though.
“There’s one more thing...”
Charlene raised her eyebrows, waiting.
Gemma wet her lips. “A lot of other people were hurt and killed last time.”
Charlene’s gaze softened. “We always try to minimize casualties. But in rare situations—”
Gemma scoffed. The last thing she wanted to hear was more bullshit. “My point is, I want to be assured that Silas is your only target today.”
The air crackled with tension. Charlene’s gaze swept over the carpet between them, and she puckered her lips. “I understand where you’re coming from. You see, until we get the full story on what we’re walking into here, what Silas has planned in Ecuador, we really can’t know for sure. There are many dangerous men in this part of the country. While I don’t foresee any of them walking into our hands, if someone who’s a high-priority threat happens to be in the room...” She lifted her shoulders until they grazed the bottom of her hair. “But that shouldn’t matter to you. Everyone the CIA is after is a target for good reason and a danger to—”
“I get it.” She’d receive no assurance. There was no way to be certain Dallas wouldn’t be targeted, or caught in the line of fire.
All she could do was warn him.
If he’d ever answer the damn phone.
***
Dallas stepped intothe elevator. With a gun in his waistband at his back, another at his ankle, and a knife on his hip, he was about as ready as he’d ever be. Silas had called fifteen minutes ago telling him to wait out front of his hotel.
Which was later than Silas had originally said. It was after 9:30p.m., and exhaustion had set in a long time ago. Now, adrenaline coated the fatigue. The effect was all too familiar. Dallas probably wouldn’t sleep for days.
He pressed the button for the main floor and the doors whooshed shut. His phone buzzed in his pocket. Pulling it out, he read the number. Shit. Whoever this was had called earlier and he’d forgotten to return the call. Might be Cole.
He swiped to answer, but as soon as the line clicked on, it dropped. Damn elevators. If Silas wasn’t out front yet, he’d call the person back.
The elevator dinged, and he stepped out onto the tiled floor. At the same time, a voicemail alert beeped on his device. Curiosity gnawed at him.
He sailed toward the large glass doors and grimaced.
Out front was a large silver SUV. His phone call would have to wait. Dallas stepped through the sliding doors and into the warm night air. A man in dress pants, a short-sleeved white T-shirt, and sunglasses greeted him. “Dallas?”
He gave a brisk nod.
The man held out his hand. “I’m gonna need to hold your gun.”
“Sure.” Dallas reached behind his back and pulled his weapon from the waistband of his pants, but he didn’t bring the guard’s attention to the one at his ankle. He preferred to have some kind of weapon on him.
“Knife.”
Dallas unclipped it and passed it to the waiting guard.
“Please, get in.” He opened the back door, and Dallas climbed inside.
The windows were tinted and the seats were positioned limousine style, with two bench seats facing each other. Dallas slid into the one opposite Silas.
Smoky glass at the man’s back revealed that the SUV was designed for privacy from the drivers.
“Dallas, my boy.” Silas held out his hand and Dallas shook it.
The man’s hand was much smaller than his, but not thinner. Silas wore black dress pants and a navy-blue short-sleeved dress shirt. His sunglasses were tucked into the V of his shirt, and diamond earrings sat snuggly in both his ears. His skin was tanned, his hair dark in contrast to his crisp blue eyes. A large white bandage covered the right side of his face. More than likely from the blast he’d survived.
“Nice to finally meet in person.” Dallas flashed a smile and clasped his own knees.
“Yes. ’Bout time we get this deal complete. I assume your partner is ready to meet my client in Cali?”
“Absolutely. Lorenzo is on standby.”
“Good, good.” Silas nodded. “We’ll head to my office to discuss the financials and close tonight if all goes well.”
“Sounds great to me.”
Silas hit a button on the door. The window behind his head lowered a few inches. “Vamos,” he commanded.
The glass rolled shut and the vehicle pulled away from the curb.
“You hungry?” Silas asked, propping his ankle over his knee.
Dallas shook his head. “Nah, I ate earlier.” That was a lie. Just the thought of food made acid slosh in his stomach. He wouldn’t be able to eat a damn thing until he heard from Gemma. Shit. Maybe the unknown caller had been her.
“Fair enough. We have good food at the club, though.”
Dallas lifted his eyebrows. “Club?”
“Yes. At my nightclub. It’s still early.” He leaned to the side to glance out the window. “The place won’t come alive for another hour or so.”
“I don’t understand.” Annoyance made his neck itch, but he resisted the urge to scratch. Silas could take any action as a sign of nervousness.
Silas held out a hand and smiled. “It’s how we do business. Drinks, food, women, then deals. Got a problem with that?”
He dipped the corner of his mouth and shook his head. “Hell no. Just wasn’t expecting it.”
“Ah, well, we’ll have a good night and get this wrapped up. Do you intend to head back to the US after this?”
“Yeah. I’ve got some loose ends to tie up. Didn’t plan to be here these extra few days, so the sooner I can return the better.”
“Same. I’ve got a lot of work waiting for me in California.” He scratched the side of his head near the bandage. “Fucking thing hurts like a bitch.”
Dallas grimaced. “Sorry to hear that.”
“Second-degree burn on my face.” He brought his hand to his shoulder. “My arm got it too, and my side. Fucking cunt is going to pay.”
Dallas fought the urge to squirm in his seat. “You know who she is? Why she did it?”
Silas lifted a shoulder. “I’ll show you her picture when we get to the club. Maybe you’ve seen her. And no, I don’t know why. I plan to find out. Then the bitch will burn like I did.”
Dallas swung his gaze to the fogged-out window. A war waged inside him. He wouldn’t wait until the deal went through to off Silas.
No. He couldn’t risk the bastard outliving him.
The first second he got, he’d take out Silas and any of his men who were close.