Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 71840 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 359(@200wpm)___ 287(@250wpm)___ 239(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71840 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 359(@200wpm)___ 287(@250wpm)___ 239(@300wpm)
Later, after everything went down and Carter was gone, I made sure Andres was never in danger from the cartel. The last time I’d checked on him, he was the proud owner of his own restaurant.
As I let the memories play in my head, the pain of the injuries I’d sustained when Carter had shot me with a tranq gun, then beaten me, receded. It was time to figure out how to escape. If only the pain inside my head and the knowledge I was every bit the motherfucking monster Carter saw me as would go away, but those horrors had never subsided in the months since I’d sent him stumbling through the jungle, barely able to stand, and pale as a sheet.
I’d shot him, betrayed him, nearly killed him, and for what? The cartel was still going strong, and if I didn’t get out of here, I was going to die.
But if I did escape, what the hell was I going to do? Go back to Columbia and hope the leaders bought my story about how I’d survived? Go dark? Crawl back to CIA headquarters and beg for another assignment?
I forced myself to focus on an escape plan. Carter hadn’t bothered to tie me up again. Had he wanted me to escape? Was he intentionally letting me go the way I had him? All I knew for sure was that he was conflicted as hell about me. I’d tried to use it to my advantage, but what I really wanted to do was pull him to me and hold him.
I freed myself from the bits of rope that were still around my ankles, then took the protein bar and the bottle of water Carter had thrown at me and shoved them into one of my cargo pockets. I was too nauseous to try to eat. Maybe if I got away from this room that still smelled like Carter, I would be able to swallow without throwing up everything.
Carter and his men had done a shit job of searching me—or at least not one worthy of a SEAL. The lock pick I’d hid in my boot was still there. I used it on the cell door and slowly pushed it open. I didn’t see anyone around, but I kept scanning the hallway in front of me, expecting the sharp whine of the hinges to send someone running.
No one came. Had Carter left me here alone?
My pulse increased as I wondered if this was a trap. Did he set me up to escape so someone would have to shoot me to subdue me?
Maybe. He wanted information or at least he pretended he did. I was sure he wanted to know why I’d fucked over my team, but that was a secret I couldn’t reveal. Not unless I wanted to ask him for help.
Yeah, right. That was one of the dumbest ideas I’d ever had, and that was saying a lot. Why would Carter help me after what I’d done? What could he do anyway? I was caught between two ruthless sides and neither gave a fuck about me.
I heard something just as I stepped out of the cell. Footsteps? Someone on patrol?
I moved silently down the hall and waited by the door. When it opened, a man in all black stepped inside.
I slammed my clasped hands down on the back of his head. He slumped to the floor, and I made my exit.
I encountered two more guards, but I managed to blend into the darkness, so they passed right by me. As I moved toward a parking lot, the edges of my vision darkened. The fucking tranquilizer was still in my system, making me slow. I had no idea when I’d last eaten. I’d been so focused, so…scared. Goddamnit. I could at least admit that to myself.
I turned and locked eyes with yet another guard. I guess Carter hadn’t wanted me to escape after all, or maybe the number of men here was Miles’s doing. From what I’d learned, he was merciless when it came to anyone hurting his friends.
I turned and tried to run, willing my limbs to work and my feet to move at the pace I needed. My vision was blurry, but I couldn’t stop.
The man fired a shot and missed. Then someone yelled. “Stop!”
It was Carter. Was he talking to me or the man shooting at me?
“Don’t shoot.”
That was my signal to keep running, but I didn’t move. There was no way in hell Carter wouldn’t catch me when I was slowed by the drugs.
I’d fucking frozen at his command. My body wanted to obey him. If only that could play out in bed, not here. He was going to drag me back to my cell and this time he was probably going to be much harsher. Did I even care?