27. Mateo Vargas #2
“Copy. Teams searching.”Mateo’s eyes narrowed.“You really aren’t Roman.”
“No.”
“Roman wouldn’t have said that in front of me.”
“Roman never existed.”For the first time, Mateo looked almost sad.“That’s a shame.”
Chris frowned.“I liked him.”Chris gave a humorless smile.“Yeah.”Mateo stared.“So did I.”
Another crash echoed somewhere above.Mateo glanced toward the ceiling.His empire disappearing one room at a time.Chris lowered his voice.“Don’t die over this.”Mateo looked at him.“Concerned about me now?”
“No.”Chris’s expression softened only slightly.
“I’m concerned about what it’ll do to Camila.
”Mateo stared.“She’s going to lose enough tonight.
”That landed.For the first time, Mateo’s anger faltered.Chris saw the brother beneath the cartel leader.
“Don’t make her bury you too.”Mateo swallowed.Chris took one careful step.
“Put your hands on your head.”Mateo didn’t move.“Come on.”Nothing.“It’s finished.”
Mateo’s eyes dropped toward Chris’s badge.Then his gun.Then the agents behind him.
Chris saw Mateo’s right shoulder move.Tiny.Barely anything.But Chris knew.“Don’t.”
Mateo’s hand moved toward his back.Every weapon came up.“DON’T FUCKING DO IT!”
Mateo froze.Chris’s gun remained trained directly on him.“I know where you carry.”
Mateo stared.“Back waistband.”Chris’s voice lowered.“Take your hand away.”Mateo didn’t.“Mateo.”Silence.“Take your hand away from the gun.”Mateo’s breathing changed.
Chris could hear Mercer in his ear.“Walker, maintain distance.”Chris ignored everything except Mateo’s hand.“Don’t make me shoot you.”Mateo’s eyes met his.“You think you can?”
Chris swallowed.“Yes.”Mateo’s expression changed.Chris continued.“If you draw that weapon, I will shoot you.”No bluff.No Roman.No personal history.Training.Law.
Survival.But Chris’s next words were quieter.“Please don’t make me.”Mateo stared.
“You don’t want to kill me.”
“No.”
“Because of her.”
“Yes.”Chris didn’t hide it.“I don’t want to walk back into that building and tell Camila I shot her brother.”Mateo’s jaw tightened.“Then lower the gun.”
“No.”
“Chris.”
“No.”It was the first time Mateo had called him Chris since seeing the vest.Chris noticed.
So did Mateo.Chris took a breath.“I’m going to give you one chance.
”Mateo stared.“Move your hand away from the weapon.”Nothing.
“Put both hands on your head.”Nothing.“Turn around.”Mateo’s fingers twitched.Chris’s finger settled against the trigger.
“Don’t.”Mateo looked at him.Chris saw everything in his eyes.Anger.Humiliation.Betrayal.Fear.
And beneath all of it—Camila.Chris lowered his voice.“She loves you.”Mateo froze.
“She might hate what you’ve done.”Chris kept his weapon steady.“She might never forgive you.”A long beat.“But you’re still her brother.”Mateo’s eyes glistened.Barely.
Chris saw it anyway.“Don’t make tonight worse for her than it already is.”Silence.
Then—slowly—Mateo moved his hand away from his waistband.Chris breathed.
“Good.”Mateo raised one hand.Then the other.Placed them behind his head.Chris’s shoulders loosened by a fraction.“Turn around.”Mateo turned.An agent moved forward.
Chris stopped him.“I’ve got him.”Mercer stared at Chris but didn’t interfere.Chris holstered his weapon.Approached carefully.Mateo stood with his back to him.Chris removed the handgun from Mateo’s waistband.Set it aside.Then reached for his cuffs.
Metal clicked open.Mateo laughed quietly.Chris paused.“What?”
“Nothing.”
“What’s funny?”Mateo looked over his shoulder.“You.”Chris took his wrist.“Me?”
“My sister really knows how to pick them.”Despite everything—Chris laughed.
One short, exhausted laugh.“Yeah.”He secured one cuff.“She’s got terrible judgment.”
Second cuff.Click.Mateo Vargas was in federal custody.Chris stepped back.
For a moment, neither man spoke.Then Mateo looked at him.“Take care of her.”
Chris’s expression changed.“I’m going to.”
“If you hurt her—”Chris almost smiled.“What? You’re going to kill me?”
Mateo looked down at the handcuffs.“Eventually.”Chris shook his head.
“Good luck.”Then—radio.Urgent.“Secondary target moving!”Chris’s head snapped up.
Another voice:“Serrano confirmed exterior!”Diego.Chris turned.“Direction?”
“Northwest service road. Multiple vehicles!”Chris looked at Mercer.Mercer was already moving.“Go!”Chris started running.Mateo called after him.“Walker!”Chris stopped.
Turned.Mateo stood between two federal agents.For the first time, the cartel king looked like a man who understood he’d lost everything.“My sister.”Chris waited.Mateo swallowed.
“Don’t let Diego get near her.”Chris’s expression changed.“You know something?”
Mateo looked toward the warehouse.“Diego knew you were FBI before I did.”Chris went cold.“How?”
“I don’t know.”
“Mateo.”
“He was investigating you.”
“I know that.”
“No.”Mateo looked directly at him.“He was investigating her too.”Chris stopped breathing.“What?”
“Once he realized what she meant to you.”Every muscle in Chris’s body tightened.
“Does he know where she is?”
“I don’t know.”Chris stepped closer.“What did you tell him?”
“Nothing.”
“Mateo.”
“I said nothing!”Chris stared.Mateo lowered his voice.
“But Diego has people you don’t know about.
”A radio transmission cracked through Chris’s earpiece.
“Secondary vehicle approaching north exit.”Chris turned.Diego was running.And now Chris understood something worse.Diego wasn’t simply trying to escape the FBI.He knew Chris’s real identity.
He knew Chris loved Camila.And if Diego escaped tonight—Camila would become the easiest way in the world to hurt Special Agent Chris Walker.Chris looked at Mercer.“I need a vehicle.”Mercer nodded.“Go.”Chris ran.Logan appeared beside him.“Where?”
“North exit.”
“You driving?”
“Yes.”Logan closed his eyes for half a second.“Fuck.”Chris kept running.“What?”
“I’ve seen you drive.”Chris pulled the keys to an FBI Charger from another agent’s hand.
“Then buckle up.”Behind them, Mateo Vargas stood in handcuffs as federal agents led him toward the surface.Ahead—an engine roared.Tires screamed.Diego Serrano was running.Chris hit the warehouse doors at a sprint.And the moment they opened—Special Agent Walker started hunting.