Page 75 of Exposed

Her arm threatened to tremble, her muscles tight. She’d never stabbed anyone before. But when it came down to her life over theirs—she’d do it without blinking.

“Hector, get the fuck up, you pussy.” Carlos growled from behind him. “Diego, grab her. Enough of this shit.” He cut his hand through the air. “I don’t give a damn about who she claims to be. Kill her.”

Hector staggered to his feet, reached around, and pulled the automatic from the waistband of his pants. Diego closed his hands into tight fists, thankfully unarmed. Maddie took a step back, keeping her eyes trained on the two men. Carlos turned his back and stormed toward the door.

No! She couldn’t lose him. Once he walked out of that door, they had nothing. She forced her brain to think. Keeping him close was the only option, even if it limited her chances of survival.

“Stop,” she called. Carlos’s back tensed and his steps halted, but he didn’t turn around. “You’re right. I’ve been lying to you.” All the moisture left her mouth. The muscles in her hands flexed as she kept the knife poised in front of her. Out of the corner of her eye, he moved. She shifted her gaze as Carlos retraced his steps.

“C’mon, boss. She’s talking shit again,” Hector groaned.

Carlos held out his hand. “Wait. I want to hear this.” He focused on her, his eyes unflinching. “Talk.”

“I moved to Miami to find you. My best friend is Zoe Ramez. Do you recognize the name?”

His tongue moved along the inside of his lip and one eye narrowed at her. “No.”

She sucked in a deep breath of air and took another step backward. She had to get out of here. If she could take Hector, she could get the gun. Her insides went weak at the image of young, sweet Leila. Tears burned her throat and she lifted her chin. The bastard had gotten her hooked on drugs, used her, and didn’t even remember her name.

Hate shot through her veins and burned her skin. If she couldn’t get Carlos arrested, she’d at least get vengeance for Leila. “Her younger sister was Leila Ramez. She was nineteen years old when you met her and got her hooked on cocaine, and then meth. She died in a damn alleyway because of you.” She spat the words at him, her breath coming out in erratic puffs of air.

Carlos shoved his hands in his pockets, and tilted his head at her. “Ah, Leila.” His accent thickened at the memory. A hard glint flashed across his eyes. “I do remember her. Such a shame. She became quite popular with my friends. She’d do anything for a hit.”

Maddie’s lip threatened to quiver. She sucked it in between her teeth and narrowed her eyes at him. “You piece of shit,”she breathed. “How does it feel to know you were duped by a woman?” She let out a loose laugh and shook her head. “Do you remember how you dogged my heels for weeks, begging for my attention? Damn, you must feel stupid.”

He moved quickly, crossing the distance that separated them. His fist shot out and connected with her cheekbone. Pain exploded through the side of her face and her ears rang. She stumbled backward, but caught her balance before she landed on the floor.

She tightened her hand on the knife, pulled her elbow back, and slashed it through the air. He dodged to the right, and she missed by an inch. A set of arms closed around her from behind, locking her in place.

Hector.

“Go ahead, boss. Take a few shots before we finish this bitch.” Satisfaction laced Hector’s voice.

Carlos slowly rolled up his sleeves. He reached out and wrestled the knife from her hand. Her arms lay trapped beneath Hector’s meaty biceps. His chest pressed to her back, the stickiness of his sweat melding them together. Revulsion lodged in her throat, the acidic burn of bile hit her palate. She swallowed it down and glared at Carlos.

“Don’t you find it a little pathetic that you need someone to hold me down? You’re not man enough to risk going up against me?”

He wiggled his fingers at his side and took a step closer, sandwiching her between them. He grabbed her jaw in his hand, squishing her mouth. “It’s a shame you’re a snitch. You have a nice, pretty little tongue.” He spoke evenly, his tone a whisper.

A trickle of terror slashed down her spine. Images filled her mind of Fabian. A whimper bit at her throat, but she forced it down. She pinched her lips together, as if that would somehow prevent him from following through with his threat. Her eyesflicked from Carlos to Diego hovering behind him, his hand rubbing his knuckles, and then dropped to Hector’s hold.

There were three of them. Panic bubbled inside her, but she wouldn’t let her mind wander to what they could do to her.

Carlos let go of her face, and her skin tingled with the surge of blood flow returning. Hector shifted his hold, tightening it. A smile cut Carlos’s face, creasing the skin around his eyes.

Whack!

The back of his hand connected with her cheek. Her head snapped to the side and heat flooded the abused spot. She worked her jaw and turned her head back to meet his eyes.

“Such a cocky thing, aren’t you?” He let out an amused laugh. His foot shot out and connected with the wound on her abdomen.

Agony shot through her insides, turning her stomach. A scream of pain ripped from her throat. Warmth spread across her stomach. She was bleeding heavier. She sucked in several deep breaths. Her hair had fallen over her face.

Her weight hung in Hector’s hold and her knees threatened to buckle.

“My turn.” Diego stepped in front of Carlos, menace wrinkled his aging skin. Tears burned the backs of her eyes. She’d failed. Not just Leila and Zoe, but herself, Nate and her family. She’d die at the hands of Carlos Santiago and they wouldn’t even be granted a body to bury and mourn.

Diego’s fist connected with her jaw, rattling her brain. Stars flashed in front of her eyes and the tinny taste of blood trickled into her mouth. She blinked away the darkness that crept in, wanting to drag her down. She couldn’t die like this.

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