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)
I learned Carter was in danger from more than the cartel. A high-ranking CIA agent visited me and gave me a depressing choice: I could sell my soul to them and Carter would stay safe, or I could stay here and his whole world will come crashing down. On my own, I wouldn’t have the resources to save him, so I did what I had to do.
One afternoon in the heat of the day, with sweat dripping down my face, I slipped into the jungle and headed toward the cartel’s headquarters. I’d told Carter I’d learned about a break in their defenses where we could potentially sneak into the compound to get intel or make an attack. He’d tried to convince me to take him along, but I assured him I could handle it alone.
In the middle of my negotiation with two high-ranking cartel members, one of them held up a hand. “Did you hear that?”
I shook my head, but I had. Someone was out there. I prayed it wasn’t Carter, but my prayers went unanswered.
“Come out before we start shooting,” one of the men yelled.
Carter ran, but the man caught him and dragged him back to the clearing where we’d been talking.
The way he looked at me—like he hated me—caused my stomach to churn. “What the fuck is going on?”
“I can’t help you now.” Saying those words was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I might not have told Carter how I felt about him, but I’d shown him with my body. And now I was going to ruin any chance of him loving me back. I was going to make him think I was the worst kind of monster.
Carter stared at me, eyes wide “Why?”
The man standing beside me ordered his fellow soldier to search for any other onlookers, then he focused on me. “This is your kill. Go ahead and take care of him.” I knew it was a test of my loyalty. I was going to have to shoot Carter.
I forced myself to look Carter in the eyes. His face was pale, and he looked like he might vomit. I wanted so badly to tell him none of this was real, but that would be a death sentence for both of us.
“Go ahead,” other man said. “Finish him off.”
The horror on Carter’s face as I raised my gun took my breath. I had one chance to make this right. It was going to hurt him. It was going to ruin any chance I had with him, but if my aim was true, if all the skill I’d developed as a marksman stayed with me, he would survive. As I aimed, Carter took a step back. Fuck, I couldn’t do this with a moving target.
“Don’t,” I called out. “You’re defeated. Take it like a man.” I looked at him, hoping somehow he would know what was in my heart. Then I shot him.
He fell to the ground as blood poured from the wound.
“Give him another through the head,” the man beside me demanded. “We need to be sure he’s dead.”
I shook my head. “He knows a hell of a lot. Let’s take him back with us and see if he lives long enough to give us any information.”
He reluctantly agreed. I tied Carter’s hands and feet and carried him as the man led me to a filthy cell.
I convinced the cartel’s man to go get his leader and leave me to see if I could get anything out of Carter. While he was gone, I cut away Carter’s bonds. As soon as he could move, he tried to fight back.
“No. You need to get out of here.”
“You’re letting me go?”
“Yes.” I told him the safest path to back to camp. “Save yourself and everyone else.”
“Why?” he asked.
I shook my head. “You don’t have long. You’ve got to go now.” He stumbled away, a hand pressed to his wound as blood dripped to the ground. I sat there, fighting back the tears that stung my eyes as I gave myself a tranquilizer shot. I was damn glad I kept one on me at all times. The cartel leaders would be furious, but at least I had a reasonable explanation for how Carter had escaped.
3
CARTER
present day
This was not the time to be thinking about that night a year ago. The first night I spent with Matteo Moretti. The first time I’d let him fuck me and I’d loved it. He’d had me ready to beg for more.
We’d stayed at the seedy motel until nearly dawn, lying on the hard floor since we didn’t trust the mattress, then going at each other again and again. It had been heaven once I’d stopped listening to the cautious voice in my head. I’d known then that things would never work out, I just hadn’t known how fast or how badly they’d go downhill.