Page 59 of Dangerous Seduction

“We have to stop them, Val,” I said. “All of them – the cartel, the mole, whoever is behind this. We must bring them down, no matter what it takes.”

Valentina nodded, her grip on my hand tightening as a slow smile spread across her face. “You know I’m with you, Nat,” she said. “To the end.”

Driving back to the apartment, I gripped the steering wheel tightly as my thoughts turned to Valentina’s shared revelations. A mole within the DEA, someone who had been feeding information to Ricardo Reyes, someone who had likely compromised my cover and put my life at risk.

The implications were staggering. But even as the anger and betrayal threatened to consume me, a part of me clung to the hope that Dante’s feelings for me were genuine. The moments we had shared, the passion and vulnerability he had shown me – could it all have been an act, a carefully orchestrated deception designed to keep me under his thumb?

I shook my head, banishing the doubts from my mind. Now was not the time for second-guessing.

As I pulled into the parking lot of my apartment complex, my mind was made up. I couldn’t walk away, not now, not when I was so close to unraveling the truth behind the corruption. And if that meant confronting Dante, laying all my cards on the table, and allowing him to choose a side, then so be it.

I knew I was going against Morrow’s orders, but now, I had little choice. If the DEA had been compromised, if there were traitors in our midst, then I couldn’t trust anyone but myself, Valentina – and perhaps, Dante.

But I had no idea how Dante would react when laid bare the lies and deception that had brought us to this point. What if he didn’t already know? Would he lash out in anger, consumed by the betrayal and the desire for vengeance? Or would he see the truth, the opportunity for redemption that lay before him?

My number one priority was dictating the terms of our confrontation and ensuring that I remained safe no matter what.

I would choose the battleground and set the stage on my terms.

A slow smile spread across my face as the beginnings of a plan took shape.

TWENTY-EIGHT

DANTE

I stumbled through the dimly lit parking lot, my body heavy with exhaustion. The familiar weight of my car keys jingled in my hand as I approached my sleek black Maserati, the promise of a few hours of respite calling to me like a siren’s song.

But just as I reached for the door handle, a prickling sensation crawled up my neck, a sixth sense honed by years of living on the razor’s edge of danger. I tensed, my muscles coiling like a spring as I whirled around, ready to face whatever threat lurked in the shadows.

Too late.

A sharp sting pierced the side of my neck, and before I could react, a wave of dizziness washed over me, my vision blurring and my limbs growing heavy. I tried to fight it and lash out at my unseen attacker, but my movements were sluggish and uncoordinated, as if moving through a thick, dense haze.

Then the world tilted on its axis as my knees buckled, my body crumpling to the unforgiving pavement. I struggled to stay conscious, to cling to the rapidly fading threads of awareness, but it was a losing battle.

The last thing I saw before the darkness claimed me was a pair of scuffed boots advancing toward me with a slow, deliberate stride.

When I came to, I was in the trunk of a car, at least by the smell of it. My limbs felt like lead as I tried to piece together what the hell just happened. Motherfucking Javier Cruz, this had to be his work. It reeked of the desperate, back-alley tactics that asshole loved. Well, he picked the wrong fucking guy to mess with this time.

My head was still cloudy when the car lurched to a stop. I could hear muffled voices outside. I tried to make out what they were saying, but with the buzz in my ears, it all sounded like underwater shit. My heart pounded, fear of what was coming next gripping me.

I gasped for air as the trunk lid opened, and blinding light from a flashlight pierced the darkness. As my eyes adjusted, I found myself staring up at… Natalia? What the hell? Her expression was a mix of determination and something else – something I couldn’t quite place.

“Dante,” she said, her voice steady, betraying none of the turmoil I knew must be raging within her. “We need to talk.”

I struggled to sit up, my limbs still heavy and uncoordinated from the effects of the sedative. “Talk?” I rasped, my throat dry and aching. “Is that your word for kidnapping, special agent Natalia Ramirez?”

Natalia’s eyes narrowed, her jaw tightening ever so slightly. “Don’t play the victim, Dante,” she countered, her tone sharp and unyielding. “You knew what you were getting into when you gave me those false leads.”

I felt a surge of anger course through me, pushing past the lingering haze of the drugs. “And you knew what you were doing when you lied to me and manipulated me with your undercover shit,” I shot back, my voice rising with each word. “So, let’s not pretend like either of us has the moral high ground here.”

A flicker of something like regret passed across Natalia’s features. “You’re right,” she conceded. “We’ve both played our parts, deceived each other in our own ways. But that’s not why we’re here, Dante.”

I arched an eyebrow, curiosity, and caution warring within me. “Then why are we here, Natalia?” I asked, emphasizing her real name. “What’s this all about?”

She inhaled deeply, her eyes never leaving mine. “It’s about the truth, Dante. The truth about the DEA and your father, about the corruption that runs deeper than we could have imagined.”

I felt my heart skip a beat as her words sank in. “What are you talking about?” I demanded.

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