Chapter 41
K ane gripped the dashboard of the SUV and stared at the photo. The text he’d received moments ago from an unidentified number hadn’t come with a taunting message. No demands. Nothing but an image of Beth’s bloody and swollen face. “Motherfucking fucker.”
Nic reached from the back and grabbed the phone from Kane’s hands. He cursed the devil in Spanish.
“We know she’s alive,” Linc said. “And we know they’re waiting for us.”
Linc was right. That text wasn’t just a taunt. It was bait.
Kane gripped the dashboard tighter. If Chris didn’t drive faster, he’d jump out and cover the remaining blocks on foot. Lacing his hands on top of his head, he fought to control his emotions. Impulsive decisions would get them killed, but shit, if he didn’t get to Beth quickly, everything he’d learned in training would be moot. At least she wasn’t on her way to Mexico—yet. That was a small miracle. But American soil didn’t make the Diablo cartel any less deadly.
“One minute out.” Chris glanced his way. “Hold on, brother. We didn’t let Scarlett get kidnapped to another country. We won’t let that happen to Beth.”
Kane nodded. Beth had better hold on too. He didn’t want to spend Christmas, or any day after that, without her.
“I got surveillance,” Ryan said through the mind comms. “ But I can’t pinpoint any hostiles.”
Kane cursed. “The Diablos must have figured out that we have weaponry they can’t combat or explain. The pussies are hiding so they don’t get hit with our cyborg voodoo magic.”
Nic laughed. “Cyborg voodoo magic?”
“Yeah. It’s what Beth calls our superpowers.”
Linc shrugged from the back seat. “We don’t need superpowers to fight. And if they want to hide, we’ll take the fight to them.” He cracked his knuckles. “Mexico was fun when I got to bust some noses in between shooting V-Strikes.”
Sweat broke out on Kane’s forehead despite the cold temperature. Mexico hadn’t been fun. When he’d seen Jenna nearly dead and beaten…
He slammed that thought down hard. Jenna’s battered and bloody image slid away. His sparkly sugarplum dancing under the Christmas tree took her place.
No regrets.
He finally understood what that meant. He regretted keeping his distance the past few weeks from Beth, of not holding her when she needed him. Of skulking in the shadows to watch her when he could have been in her arms. What he didn’t regret? Asking Beth to marry him. He should have confessed his love too.
He’d fucking remedy that as soon as he held her again.