Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Who knew that agave plants take eight or more years to grow to make tequila?
Not me. I know how Tequila tastes. Going down and coming up. Unfortunately.
I shudder as my stomach pitches from recollection alone. A blurry memory that ended in a vicious hangover.
Damn, I’ve had one too many wild nights drinking tequila to count.
But this… this farm is a thing to behold.
The fields are beautiful. The way the light plays over the rows, casting shadows in the morning and evening. It’s mesmerizing.
I’ve never grown anything in my life.
Except mold in the fridge.
Man, I must be going crazy. Scratch that. I know I’m going crazy.
I need to see Marianna.
Two fucking days feel like two lifetimes.
But I’ve never sat and looked at any kind of farm for days.
It’s… tranquil.
If I wasn’t a fucking knot inside.
That part is the antithesis of tranquility.
If I chewed my nails, I’d have stubs for fingers.
Breathe, Evan.
When my phone sounds I jolt and grab it, hitting the accept button before the second ring. “Boss man.”
“Are you still on guard?”
“Roger, that. What do you have?”
“We dug up some shit on Sylvester.”
A surge of excitement makes me push to my feet. “Don’t keep me waiting.”
“That dude’s sheisty. He’s got a lot going on. Weird import and export business, artifacts and produce going out, car parts coming in. We think we dug up some kind of small-time crime ring, too. Maybe a chop shop business. Generally just a scumball.”
“What the fuck is her father up to with the arranged marriage shit?”
“Camile’s trying to sort through the possible reasons.”
Dust flies around my boots as I stalk around.
“What are you doing?”
“Pacing.”
“No, I mean what are you doing?”
“Sitting guard on a hill that overlooks her farm. Besides that, I’ve been binge listening to material about agave farming.”
There’s a weird stretch of silence.
“First, I’m worried about your mental health. Not that that’s new. Second, is he still there?”
“Oh yeah. Fucker won’t let me step foot on her property. Little does he know I was all over it last night. I fixed her tractor. Had a slight run in with the guy that works for her, but we’re all good now.”
Beast whistles. “Wow. You’ve been busy.”
“I’m about to get busier.”
“I don’t like the sound of that. But back to Vik, what do you make of him not allowing you on her land?”
I squint as I scan the horizon. The farm truck that her employee uses is driving along the northern perimeter. “I’m not sure. It could be because of her father. Vik does work for him.”
“Is that all you know about him?”
“Pretty much. But get this, he’s got all kinds of military grade shit with him. You should have seen all the weapons he carried into her house.”
“No shit?”
I shake my head. “I kid you not, he’s got enough gear in there for a small army.”
“What is he up to?”
“I don’t know. But tonight I’m going in.”
This snaps my boss’s attention. “What do you mean going in?”
“He’s done.” I glare at the house.
“Fuck.” Beast blows out a breath causing the phone speaker to squelch. “I don’t know, brother. Give us a minute here so we know what you’re stirring up.”
“Time’s up. I don’t like this.”
“You think he’s keeping her against her will?”
“She was moving around in her house last night and this morning. But something’s off. He should be with his team at the mayor’s mansion, but he’s here.”
“What if this is his new assignment?”
Shit. I groan. “I thought about that.”
“Are you sure it’s smart to play this card right now?’
“What else have I got?”
He harrumphs. “Camile has some information for you.”
“Copy that, put her on.”
“Hey you.”
Hearing Camile’s voice is a kick in the gut. “I’m sorry, I was an ass.”
She makes a soft sound. “You have every right to be angry.”
“At myself.”
For a few seconds the line is quiet.
“So. Anyway.” Her voice wavers. “I wanted to tell you about some things I found about the farm.”
“Okay. Sure. What?”
“Marianna went to college to study agricultural entrepreneurship. She was planning to come back to Vandemora and run the farm with her grandfather. But…”
Camile clears her throat. “But he died unexpectedly a few months ago… and she’s been left with a struggling business.”
“Struggling, how?”
“It’s expensive to operate, and I found a loan application. There are debts too. She needs money for?—”
Her voice cuts off.
“Camile? Can you hear me?”
When I look down at my phone, all of the signal bars are gone. Not even an SOS call icon is blinking on it. I guess I’ll have to get the rest of the information later because when I look up from the phone, Vik’s striding up the trail toward me.
And he’s got a head of steam.
I set my rifle aside and stand up. Stretching out the kinks feels good.
His face is a slab of stone that leans toward resting bitch face. “You’re still here.”
“I’m not going anywhere until I know she’s safe.”
Vik halts his forward momentum a few feet from me. “You idiot. She’s safe. I’m in house. No one is going to fuck vith her.”
I glare at him. But he does have a point. He’s better than any guard dog.
He shakes his head. “You should be dealing with father and Sylvester, not sitting on hill like hyena.”
“I need to talk to her.”
He scoffs and rolls his eyes. After saying something guttural in Russian he sits down on a rock. “I told her it was love.”
“What?!?”
Leaning back, he sticks out his legs and crosses them at the ankles. “Told her you are obsessed because you’re in love. It’s writing on fucking wall.”
I wheeze. “Whatever.”
His laugh is loud enough to echo in the valley below. “You two are a pair.”
I scrub my face with both hands and kick a rock off the edge of the hill. “I’m going down to that house to talk to her.”
“You go near house you deal with me.”
Fucking lug headed Russian mountain of muscle. I should have just winged him when I saw him walking up the trail.
“What do you want, Vik?”
His smile turns cunning. “Now we get somewhere.”
The look on his face makes my stomach drop. “What’s going on?”
“We work together, yes?”
“For what?”
“Little something for me. Little something for you.”
I drop my hands to my hips. “Do I have any choice in this?”
“You want to live to see Marianna again?”
“Fucking asshole.”
This time when he laughs, he gets up and smacks me on the back. “We make good team.”
“I’m not on your fucking team.”
He starts back down the trail. “You are now.”
I snatch my rifle off the rock, grab my pack and start down the trail behind him.
That’s when a glint of light catches my eye.
He sees it too, because he curses. “Fucking hell, that girl.”
I take off at a run. “Good thing I put a tracker on her truck.”
Shaking his head, he wags a finger at me. “She finds this out, you’re screwed..”
“Like I’m not already?”