Page 82 of Dangerous Seduction

I would move heaven and earth to see her free, to unleash the full fury of my resources and influence upon the system that dared to cage my queen. The wheels of justice might grind slowly, but I would be the wrench that jammed them, the unyielding force that ground their machinations to a halt.

With a grin and a gleam of determination in my eyes, I pulled into the station’s parking lot, the tires of my Maserati leaving streaks of rubber on the pavement as I brought the car to a screeching halt.

It was time to get my queen.

THIRTY-SEVEN

NATALIA

Fear was heavy in the air as I paced the confines of the holding cell, my mind a whirlwind of thoughts and memories.

The seconds ticked by like leaden footsteps, each one dragging me deeper into the brutal reality that was my new life. I was trapped, ensnared in a web of lies and deceit that tightened around me with every passing minute.

But it wasn’t just the threat of a lengthy prison sentence that had my heart palpitated wildly. It was the knowledge that, once my affiliation with the DEA was exposed, my life would be worth less than nothing in this place. Every face that surrounded me, every hardened criminal locked away in this concrete hell, would see me as the enemy. And in a place like this, the enemy didn’t last long.

I could feel their eyes on me, their gazes like daggers boring into my back as they whispered amongst themselves. They may not have known exactly who I was yet, but it was only a matter of time. And time was a luxury I didn’t have.

I tensed, my back against the cold, unforgiving wall as a crew of newly arrested women swaggered into the cell, their eyes scanning the room like predators on the hunt. My gaze locked with the leader, a hulking, tattooed woman with a scar across her cheek that spoke of a thousand violent altercations.

“You,” she rumbled, her voice laced with the same Southern twang I remembered all too well. My heart sank as the pieces clicked into place. Kayla Hayes. We’d put her brother away last year for running drugs. “I know you, pig. You and your narc buddies locked up my brother last year.”

Shit. Shit. Shit.

The memories flashed through my mind: a raid on a seedy motel, Kayla’s brother cuffed and spewing curses as we hauled him off, and now, his sister standing before me, eyes glittering with a cold, calculating fury. I didn’t stand a chance against her and her crew. Not here, not now.

This was bad. I’d gone weeks before Dante figured me out, yet in here, I get made within the first day. It wasn’t a coincidence. Someone, probably named Reynolds, made sure to put Kayla in here with me.

I straightened my spine, willing myself not to show a shred of weakness as they advanced, their steps deliberate and menacing.

Kayla advanced on me, her crew falling into step behind her, their intentions clear in the predatory smiles that twisted their lips.

I braced myself, my muscles coiling like a spring as I prepared to fight for my life. I might have been outnumbered, might have been defenseless against the storm that was about to break, but I’d be damned if I went down without a fight.

The first punch was a blur of motion, a blinding flash of pain as it connected with my jaw. I staggered back, tasting blood as the metallic tang filled my mouth. But I didn’t go down. I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction.

I lashed out with a swift kick to Kayla’s midsection, catching her off guard as she grunted in surprise. For a moment, the tables were turned, but it was a fleeting victory. The rest of her crew was on me in an instant, a flurry of fists and feet that had me hitting the ground with enough force to knock the wind from my lungs.

I curled into a ball, protecting my vital organs as the blows rained down on me. I could feel my consciousness wavering. But I refused to surrender, refused to let them see my fear.

And then, just when I thought my life was over, the onslaught stopped. I lay there, gasping for breath, as the sound of the commotion slowly receded into the background. I could hear the guards shouting, their voices muffled by the ringing in my ears.

I rolled over onto my back, wincing as pain lanced through my body. My vision was blurred, and I could feel the warm trickle of blood running down my face from a bloody nose. But I was alive, and for now, that was all that mattered.

“Ramirez! You made bail. Let’s go. Someone’s waiting.”

I didn’t hesitate, surging forward with a gratitude that was almost overwhelming. I owed that guard my life, literally. And maybe one day, I’d find a way to repay that debt. But for now, all I could do was keep putting one foot in front of the other, following the guard out of the belly of this beast and towards whatever waited on the other side.

My mind raced as I was escorted down the corridor. Was this an extraction by my DEA team? Or was it something else, something more complicated and potentially risky?

As we rounded the final corner, the answer came into view. There he was, Dante Reyes, looking disheveled, his eyes burning with a thousand unspoken words. In that moment, seeing him felt like the first breath of fresh air after being trapped underwater, a lifeline that tethered me to the world I knew.

I felt Dante’s arms tighten around me, his embrace a refuge from the storm that had threatened to consume me. As I clung to him, burying my face in the crook of his neck, I could feel the tension radiating off him in waves, an energy that spoke volumes about the depths of his concern.

“How did you know?” I whispered, my voice hoarse with emotion. “How did you find me?”

Dante pulled back, cradling my face in his hands as he searched my eyes. “Valentina called me. She told me everything.”

I nodded, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes as I realized just how close I had come to losing everything.

---