Chapter 27
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
“Mason’s at Martín’s home.” Mya tossed her phone onto the bottom bunk, walked to the small window, and peeked through the dusty blinds. “He didn’t waste time . . . must’ve flown overnight.” Mya stepped back and faced Sydney, wiping the dust on her hot-pink yoga pants. “Martín knows Miguel’s cousin is poking around Tulum, right?”
“Yeah, Martín will be on the lookout.” Sydney released her knee and went for the other one, stretching out her muscles. “But we just ran five miles to de-stress, and one text from Mason has your face looking all contorted.” Contorted? Is that a thing?
“He’s just frustrating me. Pissed about what happened.” Mya leaned her back against the window in their bedroom and crossed her arms. “I know, I know. He kind of has a right to be.” She shrugged. “Buuuut, he wouldn’t be in Mexico now with the assistance of Martín’s team to dismantle those human trafficking networks had I not been . . .” She freed her locked arms and used air quotes when finishing her sentence, “‘Reckless.’”
Sydney let go of her other knee only to bend her leg backward, holding the side of the bunk bed so she didn’t wobble and fall. Her balance was off today. “Everything happens for a reason, remember? You’ve been saying as much since we were sipping mimosas on the beach on Sunday.”
“True. But if I respond to his texts, I won’t be so ladylike right now. So, I need to let him cool down. And well, I should too before I talk to him again.”
“He just cares about you,” Sydney reminded her.
“Martín’s going to wait to make any moves against the cartel until we’ve completed our op here. Unless Hector causes problems before then,” Sydney said, sharing what Carter had told her in private last night before she’d called her son.
“Which is why I don’t get Mason’s need to be in Mexico right now. He’s not needed yet.” Mya exaggerated her frown this time. “He just wants to be closer to me since he has orders not to come to Chile, I’m sure of it.”
Sydney smiled at Mya’s dramatics, then let go of her leg when the door behind her opened. Camila had slept in their room last night for a handful of hours, and she was gone before Sydney and Mya had risen for a run. She’d already showered and changed in that time too.
“You were up earlier than us,” Mya commented as Camila shut the door behind her and went to her luggage alongside the bunk beds across from Sydney.
Camila grabbed what looked like a journal from her bag before facing them. “ Deus ajuda a quem cedo madruga. ”
Sydney could only translate the first word, so she waited for her to share what she’d said.
“God helps those who wake up early.” Camila clutched the black leather-bound book to her chest and tipped her lips into a friendly smile.
“Then I’m getting up even earlier from now on.” Mya sat on one of the beds, careful not to hit her head in the process. “I need all the help I can get.”
“Don’t we all.” Camila turned her attention to Sydney. “Does running help clear your head? I’m one of those women that if you see me running, that means someone is chasing me,” she added with a light laugh.
Did it help me? Not today. No, her cyclone of thoughts whirled around uncontrollably on her run.
“Girl, you and me both,” Mya responded before Sydney had a chance. “This one dragged me along to de-stress.”
“I don’t think it worked for you,” Camila commented, her tone level. Her dark eyes were ringed with brown eyeliner and dark mascara, making them stand out even more. God, the woman was stunning. How did she and Carter never . . .
Carter was once married , Sydney remembered. So, there was that. But still.
“So, Carter’s really like a brother to you?” Mya asked, sharing Sydney’s brain.
“Is Carter attractive? Yes, I do have eyes.” Camila angled her head, her gaze lifting to the ceiling as if in thought. “But we are too much alike.” She balled one hand in front of her, focusing back on the room again. “Not the fiery, passionate kind of arguing that results in hot sex. No, no. We fight like siblings. Especially when he tries to boss me around. Warns me not to do anything dangerous.” She freed her fist into an open palm. “Men.” She shrugged. “You know how they can be.”
“Oh, that I do.” Mya playfully scowled. “I’d love to hear more about Carter though. He’s such a wild card. A mystery. And if he’s like you . . .?”
“Carter is . . . well, Carter.” And that was all they were going to get, huh? Yeah, she really was like Carter, then. Camila went for a quick subject change and said, “I’m surprised he didn’t bring Dallas with him here. Doesn’t he always travel with his dog?”
“Lately, he has someone back in Pennsylvania watching Dallas on ops, so he doesn’t have to worry about something happening to him,” Sydney explained.
“Ah, that makes sense. He loves that animal more than he likes most people.” Camila grinned. “Can’t say I blame him.” She turned to leave, but then went still and released a deep breath. “How well do you know Elaina?”
Ohhh. Hmm. Now she was the one with questions. “Not well,” Sydney shared. “Why?” Was she remembering Elaina’s words to her last night? Did they spook her?
Camila’s profile was to Sydney, so she couldn’t get a great read on her as she said, “It’s just interesting how we all managed to be here. How everything is connected. And she seemed to know it would work out this way.”
“But she couldn’t intervene. Not yet, at least,” Mya said. “But I’m guessing Elaina felt the need to come to Chile now because she has to step in and help us at some point?”
Sydney peered at Mya as she waved a hand in the air as if still processing the last two days. Meeee too.
“And Elaina’s visions, they’re always accurate?” Camila slowly faced them, lowering the leather notebook to her side, eyes moving to Sydney this time.
“From what I know, but . . .” Sydney’s eyes thinned as she studied her. “Was she wrong about you? Are you not like her?”
Sydney was pretty sure Camila’s smile was the first fake one she’d seen. Her eyes didn’t crinkle around the edges like all the other times. “No visions like hers, no.”
Why does that feel like a loophole answer? But Sydney wouldn’t prod. It wasn’t her business.
“It just amazes me everything that has transpired because one eccentric billionaire is obsessed with Capone and the twenties. And had he never visited that club, your friend Beckett would never have come to Mexico . . .” Camila’s words faded a bit into the air.
“A crazy string of events and all that jazz that brought us together,” Mya added on while snapping her fingers.
“Yes.” Camila nodded. “ Destino. ”
Fate.
“Wait . . . jazz.” Mya nearly bumped her head on the bed above her as she jumped to her feet. “Sydney, remember your grandfather’s eightieth birthday party? Your dad’s dad.”
“How could I forget? It was a month before he died. Why?”
Mya set a hand on the top bunk, her eyes going to the floor as if working through her thoughts. “Your grandfather asked you to sing at the party. None of us even knew you could sing. And you didn’t want to, but you’d do anything for him, so you sang his favorites.”
Sydney smiled at the memories. Her dad’s parents were so different from her own, and she was grateful they’d had a hand in raising her while her father had been busy building his empire.
“The songs you sang that night,” Mya said while circling her hand in the air as if Sydney was supposed to understand her point but was still not on the same page. “The ones you said your grandmother taught you were?—”
“From the twenties,” Sydney finished for her, starting to understand where she was going with this.
“Ah, I see,” Camila said with a nod. “If we can find a way to get Jorge’s attention, that might be our chance to get close to him without getting killed, like I apparently would have yesterday had I gone near his house.”
Sydney pointed at her chest, still damp from sweat from their early morning run. “You want me to sing? What, at the club Wednesday night?” No, that was crazy. Give her a gun. A bow. A target to take out. Sure. Sing in public again? No, that was a one-time-only thing because she adored her grandfather.
“There’s a twenties band that will be performing, and I’m pretty sure the event sign I saw in the hotel lobby advertised a female singer.” Was Camila really agreeing with Mya’s idea?
Sydney adamantly shook her head and folded her arms. “We’re not going to kidnap the lead singer so I can take over for her. How would that even work anyway?”
Camila reached for Sydney’s forearm, setting it there while looking into her eyes. “Money talks. Carter has plenty. He can buy this woman off. Ask her not to show up.” Her eyes gleamed as if the plan was brilliant. “You happen to be at the club, and Jorge will be disappointed when the singer is a no-show. Then you stand up and offer to sing. This will catch Jorge’s attention.” She was nodding as if the scheme was already a done deal. “You seduce the man with your voice by singing his favorite songs.”
“Right.” Mya snapped her fingers. “And if he happens to invite you to his table after, that’s our way in.”
“But you’ll say you’re with your boyfriend and friends, and you can’t leave them out, so you turn him down.” Camila was smiling now. “A man like Jorge will love a challenge. A taken woman that saves his night by singing . . . he will want you. He’ll insist we all join his group.”
“So, I’m bait, huh?” Sydney laughed at the absurdity.
“It’s worth a shot. Your teammate, Jesse, will be there. You’ll have some of us with you as backup,” Camila offered. “My four men are still staking out the hotel. So, we have them too.” She nodded. “This might be our only way to get our foot in the door in the literal sense.”
Sydney palmed her cheek, feeling the heat rise to her face. “Let me cool off and shower while I think about it.”
Camila let go of her arm, and Sydney grabbed her shower kit from her luggage. “ Destino ,” she said behind her. “There is no question now. It is all fate.”