Chapter 18
Chapter eighteen
Twenty-four hours later, after the most intense fuckfest of his life, Xander heard from Brand.
Mitch had secured the exchange with Barrera, and the team was given the go to leave for Isla Esperanza, a small island in the Pacific Ocean, located just off the coast and slightly north of Manzanillo.
To his surprise, Essie informed them her family owned it.
The woman had nearly as many secrets as he did.
Xander and Essie sat in contemplative silence on their way to the airport, and his gut twisted up inside as he glanced over at her.
Head high, shoulders back, she looked so brave.
So damn beautiful. He shouldn’t have allowed her to put herself in the middle of a bad situation.
Of course, he also should’ve been a gentleman and spent the prior night coming up with options that didn’t make her a bargaining chip, not fucking her endlessly.
Maybe a little too rough at times. And, certainly, not without a condom.
But he was no gentleman.
Flashes from their night together made his mouth water, and he tightened his grip on the steering wheel. How the hell he could be getting hard again, he had no idea. But the lust running through his veins and straight down to his dick was of epic proportion.
Because that’s all it was. Or so he tried to convince himself. Essie was a gorgeous woman and he’d been celibate for far too long. The way they’d combusted shouldn’t have surprised him. Not in the least.
Except you’ve never experienced anything even close to that, a little voice said.
Sex had always been a release for him. A pleasant diversion from all the bullshit and pressure from his job with the CIA.
Then Alyssa died, and he’d been too devastated to even think about sleeping with a woman. Too focused on revenge.
And then Essie had streaked across his vision like a shooting star, sprinkling her light and celestial dust all over his doom and gloom. Igniting and consuming him.
He pinched the bridge of his nose. He’d stupidly fucked her without protection—twice.
As if the one time hadn’t been bad enough, he’d done it again.
Almost as though tempting fate. Because in the back of his mind, the darker part of him rationalized that a baby might give her a reason to stay.
And the blackest part of his soul knew putting his child in her belly was the biggest fuck you he could ever give to her brother. In a way, it was the sweetest revenge.
I’m a sick fucking bastard.
After everything was said and done, Xander knew she may never look at him the same again.
Despite what she said about wanting to help stop her brother, he was still her flesh and blood.
When the time came to end the murderous sonofabitch, Xander wouldn’t hesitate, and Essie would be there to witness his bloodlust. To see the crimson river flow when José fell, courtesy of Xander.
She could very well change her tune fast. End up hating him. Disappear with her younger brother, never to be seen again.
Whatever happened, whatever she decided, he’d have to live with it.
“Are you ready for this?” he asked her in a low voice.
“I’m ready to get Tomás back.”
“And José?” he pressed.
She looked over and met his questioning look. So unwavering and determined. An absolute fierce beauty ready to fight for those she loved.
Could she ever love me? The thought pinged through his head without warning.
“I’ll do whatever it takes to protect my little brother from José’s evil influence,” she stated firmly.
He nodded and focused his attention back on the road.
It wasn’t long before the small, private airport came into view. Xander parked the Navigator and they got out.
“Go ahead and board,” Lex called, coming around the corner, conducting his final flight checks. “The gang’s all here, and we can be wheel’s up in under ten.”
Xander gave him a chin tilt and motioned for Essie to board Spitfire.
He hadn’t expected to be back on board Lex’s vintage Soviet An-26 so soon.
He’d flown in the tin contraption more than he cared to remember, and each time he wondered exactly how many miles the old bird had left on her.
Whatever it turned out to be, he just needed the hulking bucket of bolts to get them back down to Mexico one last time.
Stepping into the plane, Xander saw the men already getting situated and setting up their equipment. And his morally gray heart lurched. His friends had volunteered to jump into the pits of hell with him, and that fucking meant something. It meant a whole helluva lot.
For three years, he’d been unsuccessfully trying to bring down José Barrera on his own.
He’d failed miserably. Now hope filled him.
If anyone could end the vicious drug lord, it was these former military men.
All incredibly competent and, despite no longer being in their twenties, still highly skilled and the biggest badasses he ever had the pleasure to work alongside.
“Buckle up,” Xander told Essie. “I’ll be right back.”
While she sat down, he wandered over to his friends and helped them organize the bags of weapons, explosives and equipment.
“All good?” Brandon asked, eyeing him closely.
Xander gave a sharp nod. “I’m ready to end this.”
“End Barrera,” Brandon clarified.
“Yeah, and as many of his men as physically possible.”
“Well, this oughta do the trick.” Chaz unzipped a bag of explosives. “Enough C-4 here to implement Plan B, C and D.”
“E and F, too?” Jayson asked, glancing into the bag.
“F yeah,” Chaz growled, and they all smirked.
“I thought we told Mitch we weren’t blowing shit up,” Xander commented with a low chuckle.
“Nothing wrong with being prepared,” Brand said.
Xander crossed his arms and looked at the men standing with him—beside him—and a wave of emotion hit him hard. “Not sure if I mentioned this yet, but thank you,” he said gruffly.
“No need to thank anyone, brother.” Chaz clasped a hand on his shoulder.
“I know how risky this op is,” Xander continued, “and how much you all have waiting for you at home.”
“You dismantled a fucking nuclear bomb to help me save Ellie,” Wes reminded him. “I won’t ever forget that.”
“None of us will forget how you stepped up when we needed you,” Corey added. “And now we’re ready to do the same.”
Xander nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Why was he so damn emotional? What the hell happened to his cold, dead heart? Why was it… feeling shit?
His attention flickered over to Essie, who watched him closely. And he knew she was the reason. She looked so innocent, far too breakable, and he didn’t want her to be a part of this mess any longer than she had to be.
Leaning closer, voice dropping, Xander addressed his team. “No matter what happens to me, I need you guys to get Essie out of there. Her safety is the only thing that matters.”
“Nothing’s going to happen to her or you,” Brand stated. “No more going rogue, got it?”
Xander wasn’t about to make any promises, but he lifted his chin. “Right. Let’s get her tracker set up and going.”
Because no matter what happened, there was no way in hell he was letting the Cardenas brothers steal Essie away and keep her for themselves.
Xander would do whatever it took to protect the shooting star who brightened his dark world, and whose warm light somehow managed to reach the coldest, furthest corners of his damned soul.
The closer they flew to Isla Esperanza, the faster Essie’s heart seemed to beat.
Everything is going to be okay. Although she kept repeating the mantra, worry consumed her.
She laid a hand over her necklace, where Xander had attached the tiny tracker to the back of her cross, and sent up a quick prayer to her parents, Miguel and whoever else might be listening.
God knew, they needed all the help they could get.
Before long, the men stood and she gripped the edge of her seat.
It was time to put their plan into motion.
Anxiety rolled through her as five of the men slid parachutes onto their backs and triple-checked weapons.
Since they couldn’t all land on the island together—which would ruin the element of surprise—only Xander and Lex would accompany her to the swap.
The others would hopefully arrive undetected, sneaking in right under José’s nose.
Brand, Wes, Chaz, Corey and Jayson prepared to jump as they approached the far side of the island.
They would swim to shore and work their way over to the house, where it was presumed José would take Essie and hold her until she could be handed over to Manuel and Joaquín Cardenas.
While Xander and Lex got Tomás safely to the plane, Brand and the others would extract her.
But, in case José had other ideas, the team had discussed all options and were ready to switch things up if necessary.
“Never heard of Isla Esperanza before,” Wes commented while prepping his prosthetic leg for the jump. It amazed Essie how he kept up with the others with such ease. Weston Murphy was like the Bionic Man. A true superhero. Completely unstoppable.
“Guess your geography is rusty, Murph,” Chaz teased.
“Gimme a break,” Wes fired back with a grin. “Aren’t you the one who thought Greenland was a continent?”
“That was a stupid-ass game. And no one could name all seven continents.”
“Not true,” Corey said with a proud smile. “Sera knew.”
“My father named it after my mother. Esperanza means hope, and we used to spend our summers there,” Essie said in a quiet voice laced with sadness. They all looked at her. “They died in a car bombing orchestrated by the Villarreals.”
“Was your dad part of the Lazaro Cartel?” Xander asked.
“Never. He loathed the cartels and tried to keep José away from Fernando Lazaro, but my brother was seduced by the money and power. My parents and Miguel ended up paying for it with their lives.” Her face screwed up in a fierce scowl.
“That’s why I have to protect Tomás and keep him far away.
I can’t let him fall victim—or prey—to the cartels, too. ”
“We’ll get Tomás,” Xander assured her.
She released a breath and glanced out the window at the ocean below. “You should know the water is teeming with hammerheads and bull sharks. They give birth this time of year.”
Xander paled. “Fucking great.”
“You’re not the one going in the water, Hawke.” Wes slapped him on the back. “Leave that to the SEALs.” He and Corey let out a simultaneous, “Hooyah!”
Brand, Chaz and Jayson didn’t look overly thrilled with her news.
“Some of us were Delta,” Chaz grumbled.
“Yeah, and we’re not used to getting our feet wet,” Brand added.
“Same with Rangers,” Jayson commented. “Give me boots over fins any day.”
“Well, get your fins ready, kids, because we’re swimming with the sharks today,” Wes announced, looking practically gleeful. “Just remember, if one comes at you, redirect with the nose.”
“Yeah, like it’s that easy,” Chaz grumbled.
“If that doesn’t work, punch it in the gills,” Wes said.
“Or poke it in the eyes,” Corey added.
“Christ.” Xander swiped a hand over his face. “I fucking hate sharks.”
“Good thing you’re staying on dry land then,” Wes said.
Essie enjoyed listening to the way they devised and discussed their plans—detailed but with enough fluidity that nothing was set in stone.
It amazed her how they possessed the ability to go from deadly serious to teasing side banter and then straight back into mission mode.
They were men of action, very experienced when it came to this sort of rescue operation, and that boosted her confidence and hope.
Despite all that, a nervous energy gnawed at her.
So many things could go wrong. She briefly squeezed her eyes shut then stood up to see the men off.
When she approached, Xander reached for her hand, forcing her to unclench her fist, and tugged her into their circle.
His action spoke louder than any words, and his teammates all watched as he laced his fingers through hers and pressed the back of her hand against his thigh.
A couple of them exchanged looks, but no one appeared overly surprised.
“Twenty seconds to the DZ!” Lex called, closing in on their drop zone fast.
“We’ll see you soon, Essie,” Brandon said, then motioned for Chaz, Wes, Corey and Jayson to line up for the jump. He opened the plane’s door, and a gush of wind blew inside.
“Thank you!” she cried, her hair blowing up around her face, caught in the wild draft.
Brand gave her a nod and Lex yelled an all clear from the cockpit. One by one, she watched them leap out of the plane and jump into the ocean below.
“Keep your comms on,” Brand told them. “See you at the rendezvous point.” Then he leaped into thin air and disappeared from their sight.
Xander shut the door and Essie let out a shaky breath.
The plan was in motion, and soon they’d be landing to face-off with José and his men.
If José kept his word—and that was a big if—Tomás would be rescued, and hopefully she wouldn’t be far behind him.
But there were still so many moving parts, so many variables.
So many things that could potentially go wrong.
And her mind spun with uncertainty and trepidation.
“Hey,” Xander murmured, scooping up her hands in his and squeezing. “It’s all going to be fine.”
She gave him a brave nod and hoped like hell he was right.
But if she knew anything about her older brother, it was that he was sneaky.
Keeping his word wasn’t a high priority, and the fact he’d have a mini army at his back made her scared for Xander and his friends.
José Barrera wasn’t a man to be trifled with, and if he suspected any kind of plot or threat against him, he would shoot first and ask questions later.
And that terrified Essie.
“You’re so damn brave, Essie.” Xander cupped her face then leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. “I swear, I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
“You’re not allowed to get hurt either. Please, don’t do anything stupid. We get in and we get out. Okay?”
“I’ll keep you protected,” he promised, avoiding her question.
Frustration bubbled up inside her. “What about you?” she demanded. He was hardly being reassuring, especially when he still didn’t answer. “Xander—”
But his mouth cut her words off as he kissed her deeply. Thoroughly.
And as much as Essie loved the soul-searing, possessive way his mouth moved against hers, it almost felt like he was kissing her goodbye.