Chapter 9
Chapter nine
The image of Xander flapping his arms around and hissing like some strange exotic bird made Essie want to laugh. She probably would have if she wasn’t so completely terrified that they were both on the verge of being eaten alive.
When the jaguar hesitated, sinking back instead of lunging forward, she joined in the jarring antics, launching the backpack at the same time. The jaguar leaped away, jumping down to the ground, and took off into the undergrowth.
“Dios mío!” Essie laid a hand over her racing heart as relief flooded her. Then she looked over at Xander who ran a hand over his slightly pale face.
“That was too close. We need to get the hell outta here.”
“Yes, please.” She was all for leaving the jungle far behind and never stepping foot in one ever again.
“C’mon, let’s get down.”
They moved fast, carefully making their way back down to the ground.
“Good job throwing the backpack, by the way.” He scooped it up and slung it over his shoulder.
“Good job on looking like a drunk, deranged bird,” she returned, lips twitching.
“Hey, whatever works, Peaches.”
They shared a look and smiled. She liked how well they worked together.
Even more so, she really liked how brave and intuitive he was.
And, of course, there was the hot element he had going on.
It didn’t matter how much dirt or grime covered him, that level of appeal blazed through.
Like his flames were trying to lick at her very senses.
She wouldn’t mind him licking her. Not one little bit.
“We must be close to a town,” he surmised. “I don’t think those guys would be wandering around too far from civilization. They sounded too casual. No gear.”
Unless they were looking for her. Although she didn’t recognize any of them, that didn’t mean they weren’t her brother’s men. José had a veritable army at his beck and call.
“So you want to, ah, follow them?” Even though she wanted to stay as far away as possible from anyone who might possibly be associated with her brother, it made sense. They would likely lead them straight to the nearest town.
“Yeah, let’s go.”
They started hiking again, and Essie wrapped her arms around herself.
Had José sent men to find her? Was he that desperate to marry her off to one of the Cardenas brothers?
If he thought it would strengthen his hold on global drug trafficking, he’d do whatever it took.
Even pawn off his only sister to a ruthless narco.
An unexpected sadness filled her, quickly replaced by a simmering anger. All her life, she’d seen the horrible effects caused by the Mexican drug lords and their brutal operations. It was so much more personal to her than the intense violence and political corruption.
It was the reason her parents died in a carbombing.
Why her brother Miguel had been gunned down and left in a ditch.
Getting Tomás out of there had been her top priority.
The last thing she wanted was for him to end up like José, succumbing to the trappings of wealth and power.
Fernando Lazaro had groomed him to become his second-in-command, filling his head with dreams of expanding their empire by conquering and dominating the drug trade.
After Lazaro was murdered, José had eagerly embraced his new role as leader.
Her older brother was beyond hope, but she and Tomás would escape. She’d make sure of it.
Eventually, the landscape around them began to change.
The tropical jungle thinned out, giving way to poppy fields.
So pretty, but she knew what they truly represented—addiction, war, death.
They were used for opium. A staple source of the drug supply the cartels relied on, used to create heroin and fentanyl.
Mountain ranges soared in the distance. A stunning backdrop for tourists and travel brochures, the sierras provided the ideal climate for growing the opium poppies, as well as marijuana. The remote location, protected by rumor and warfare, was a perfect place to store and process the drugs.
Xander stopped and grabbed her arm. “Look,” he whispered, pointing through the trees.
The old, abandoned building peeking through the foliage looked on the verge of hitting the dust. Most likely it had been used to store the poppies. If the plot outgrew it, the owners likely built a new building rather than restore or enlarge the dilapidated structure.
“We can rest there,” he said, heading toward it.
“It looks like it’s about to fall down.”
“Good, then nobody should come snooping around.”
“Just as long as it doesn’t fall on our heads,” she grumbled.
Before they reached the ramshackle structure, Xander paused and grinned. “Oh, hell yeah.” Pivoting away from the old shed, he tilted his head and gave her wicked smile. “C’mon.”
She was about to ask where he was going when she spotted the river through the trees. They walked to its bank, and she wondered if it was part of the Balsas River system. Leaning down, she skimmed a hand over the surface. So cool and inviting.
“If you’re shy, now would be the time to look away.”
No words could’ve snagged her attention faster or more completely.
Xander whipped his shirt off, and she didn’t mean to stare, but there was just so much to look at.
From his sculpted chest with a light smattering of hair to his broad shoulders.
Despite more than thirty days neglected underground, he looked like he could take on another half dozen of her brother’s men.
Her attention slid down to his flat abs, and then he turned, showing off a smooth back and—
He dropped his cargo pants. With zero warning. Just shucked and chucked them aside.
Essie sucked in a sharp breath and spun around.
But not before she noticed the sexy indents above his black boxer briefs.
Oh, my. Yummy little grooves that made her bite down on her lip.
Fanning her face with a hand, she tried not to think about his very firm ass or the slight sound of him ditching his underwear.
She swallowed hard, beyond tempted to take a peek at the man in all his naked glory.
Before she could make the decision of whether to face him or not, she heard a splash followed by a long, low, very satisfied groan. “You have no idea how good this feels,” he moaned. “And it’s safe to turn back around.”
Was he also a mind reader?
Pulling in a steadying breath, making sure her expression was carefully blank, she slowly turned to face the river.
The water came up to his chest, covering most of his body.
Thank goodness. At the same time, she couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.
The water was too murky to see beneath the surface, so his most tantalizing parts remained hidden from view.
And that was definitely for the best. She didn’t need to see his…
assets. Nope, not at all. A very bad idea.
“Are you gonna join me?”
She tilted her head, debating over his invitation. As tempting as it sounded, she was not about to take her clothes off while he watched. He must’ve known, too, because she saw his lips twitching all the way from the river’s edge.
“I’m fine.” She tried to sound nonchalant but failed miserably.
“How about if I promise not to look?” he offered, but she shook her head and held her ground. “Suit yourself, but you’re missing out.” He dove beneath the surface then popped back up a few moments later, giving his head a shake then sliding his fingers through his wet hair and slicking it back.
Stepping closer to the water’s edge, she hesitated again. She really would love to go in for a dip, but was it safe? Proper? The grime and heat covering her skin made her reconsider. Screw it.
“I changed my mind. Turn around,” she ordered, twisting her hair up and knotting it on top of her head. “And pretend to be a gentleman.”
He chuckled, turned and swam further out.
With fast, jerky movements, Essie kicked off her boots then removed her shirt and jeans.
She was keeping her bra and panties on, though.
They wouldn’t provide much, if any coverage, when wet, but…
Oh, well. Xander Hawke would not be getting a peep show. Well, not a proper one, anyway.
Stepping into the cool water, she let out a squeak as she hurried deeper. When it reached just below her shoulders, she closed her eyes and dropped her head back. It felt so refreshing, and she let out a soft sigh.
“Permission to approach?” Xander asked, tone deep and teasing.
Essie let out a little laugh, straightening up. “Permission granted.”
He swam up to her. “I don’t suppose you have any soap hidden in that backpack of yours?”
She shook her head. “No, sorry. I wasn’t expecting to take a bath in the river. You’re lucky I had a toothbrush.”
“That was a nice surprise.”
She didn’t miss the way his gaze dropped, focusing on where the water lapped against the tops of her breasts.
A quick glance down confirmed the white satin bra wasn’t concealing all that much.
Looking over at him, she became acutely aware of his nakedness.
Not because she actually saw anything, but because the sexual tension between them suddenly skyrocketed.
The water, which had just felt so cool, now seemed warmer and heavy with a sultriness that had her squeezing her thighs together.
When she cleared her throat, his gaze snapped back up. A lusty awareness swirled in his dark blue irises, and something hot and needy passed between them.
“We shouldn’t be in the open like this,” he finally said, so husky, it made her toes curl into the sandy bottom. “I’ll get out first.”
“Okay.”
He moved past her, his bare arm brushing against hers, and a jolt of awareness swept through her entire body. Pressing a hand to her chest, she told herself to turn around and give him some privacy. And she would… just as soon as the water became too shallow.