Chapter 38
CHAPTER
THIRTY-EIGHT
DANIIL
I spend the entire six-hour flight to Colombia pacing the aisles of our Boeing, wondering if they’ve hurt Bianca, if she’s all right, if she hates me for how I treated her.
I don’t typically go around quoting hymns, but the lyrics from “Amazing Grace” play in my head, specifically the line about being blind, but now I see.
Well, now I see what a fucking idiot I was.
I’ve never prayed a day in my life, but at one point—somewhere over the Caribbean Sea—I locked myself in the bathroom and prayed to the patron saints of fallen angels and Russian gangsters that I’m not too late. That I’ll get another chance to prove to Bianca that I’m worthy of her.
My brothers and Yulian have worked around the clock since we found out she was in Colombia.
They’ve commissioned a private security team to help us with the extraction, because apparently this shit ain’t easy, and it certainly is not in the area of our expertise.
We know how to take someone out in broad daylight on the sidewalks of NYC, but the jungle of South America is not our territory—that’s where Mercy Kate comes in.
One of Leo’s underground contacts suggested the private security team that she runs, SPK Security.
They know this territory well, employing the best mercenaries in the business.
Now we’re huddled in a one-room hut Mercy secured, located fifteen miles outside of the compound that Emilio is based in.
Mercy has a team of half a dozen ex-Special Forces men and women, to support Yulian, Leo, Andrei, and I.
The first thing Mercy told me when I arrived was that Bianca is still alive, and for that, I’ll forever be grateful to her.
In the bare-bones village hut, Mercy leans over the blueprint she’s acquired on the wooden table.
She spreads out the large sheet and glances up at me, as if she knows I’m the most invested.
Her long dark braid swings over one of her shoulders, her brown skin already perspiring in the gentle humidity.
But she’s used to this. Word is she spent twelve years undercover with US Army Special Forces, working deep in the jungles of South America.
So if anyone can handle this world, it’s her.
Gesturing for everyone to look carefully, Mercy says, “Alright, this is the main house.” She moves her finger.
“The east wing is the living quarters, the west wing is where they conduct business. I have an agent infiltrating their ranks right now. Last she confirmed, Bianca was being held in some sort of prison.” My sharp intake of breath doesn’t go unnoticed.
Mercy frowns at me. “She won’t be there long. Jorge plans to marry her.”
What in the fuck? My head shoots back at this nugget of information. “How does he plan to do that? She’s already a married woman.”
“Are you sure about that?” The look on Mercy’s face tells me everything I need to know.
Andrei swears under his breath. “She’s right, brat, Emilio’s people took care of the wedding, including the paperwork.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. Why in the hell would he want to marry Bianca? He has to know that’s a death wish. But the one positive twist—it means they have reason to keep Bianca alive. For now.
“My agent infiltrated Emilio’s property as a staff member. She’ll be able to help us gain access inside the compound.”
“If you have an agent in there already, why not have her kill Emilio and save us a lot of trouble?”
She shoots a withering look my way. “Emilio is protected at all times. He’s never alone and armed to the teeth. The moment she took him down, she’d be dead. We need to attack strategically, as a team.”
A volcano threatens to erupt in my chest. “Fine. But the goal of this mission is to extract Bianca, and then eliminate Emilio, Jorge, and any other fucker remotely connected with their cartel. We’re going scorched earth.”
“Well, shit,” she breathed. “I like your style, boy.”
Leo sinks back onto a bench in the corner of the hut. “I suggest we use a distraction method. Something that will cause chaos all around. Either a fuse bomb or a power outage if we can swing it.”
“I like that, but it means we need to go in at night to create the most confusion,” Mercy says shrewdly. Then to one of her men she says, “See if you can hack into the power grid.”
“How are we going to get near this place?” Andrei asks, looking at the satellite image on his phone. “It’s like a fort in the mountains.”
“We can take the Humvees to the foot of the hills. Then we hike. It’s the best way to get in undetected.
The compound is remote enough that there is no fence, just eagle-eyed guards with AR-15s itching their hot little hands.
Especially with the wedding taking place today.
Once we’ve handled our business, choppers will extract us. ”
My chest burns, and a vein throbs in my forehead. The thought of another man’s ring on Bianca’s finger, especially that evil fuckwad’s, makes my blood boil. His death will be long and slow, and as painful as possible. Doubly so if she’s hurt.
Activity buzzes to life around me. Mercy’s team is well-trained, understanding exactly what needs to be done, and how to move forward undetected.
Yulian, Leo, and Andrei join the fray. This might not be our usual line of operation, but bratva business is not so different.
We’re used to leading a team and taking down any enemy that needs to be eliminated.
Yet here I am. Glued to the spot. Clenching and unclenching my fists that hang at my sides.
Mercy eyes me carefully. “Gonna be honest with you here. This mission is gonna be tense. We can’t afford to have emotions running high. If you want to wait here—”
“Fuck no.” I scowl. “I have no intention of sitting this one out. I’ll be the one to gut the motherfuckers who did this to her. Who hurt her.” But even as the words roll off my tongue, I know that I’m no better. I’m the reason she’s here.
And if that’s not fucked-up, I don’t know what is.
She may want nothing to do with me ever again, and frankly, I’d understand. But I’m going to make sure she gets her revenge, and I’m going to make sure it’s ugly. “This is my mess, and I’m going to clean it up.”
“Giddyap, cowboy. We leave at seventeen hundred hours,” Mercy says before punching my shoulder with more force than seems entirely necessary and stalking off.