Page 76 of Exposed

She squared her jaw and met Carlos and Diego’s satisfied smirks. Diego shook his hand in the air as if he’d hurt his wrist.

She smiled. “Is that all you’ve got?”

Diego widened his stance, but Carlos moved him aside. “Enough. I want the last shot, and then you can kill her.” His fist rose in the air, and the light caught the hard line of his jaw, resembling Tony.

Tony!

She nearly bounced against Hector as the idea popped into her head like bread in a toaster. “Don’t you want to hear what I did to Tony first?”

Carlos’s fist wavered and Hector’s body clenched against hers.

Yes. She had their interest. All she had to do was keep them talking long enough to formulate a plan.

CHAPTER 25

Nate dragged hishand through his hair, his fingers grasped at the strands until his scalp burned. Cold air blasted him in the face through the vents in the truck, but all it did was turn his sweat cold against his boiling skin. He kept his gaze on the purple and black building. Bars caged in the windows except for the fire escape on the second level.

They were wasting valuable fucking time. “Where the hell is he?” he seethed.

Ashley let out a sigh and lifted the mic at the neckline of her shirt. “Dylan, where are you?” She pressed her finger to the bud in her ear and then turned to him. “He just parked and is on foot. Only a few blocks away.”

Nate’s phone buzzed in his pocket and hope surged through him. He pulled it out and read the screen.

Josh.

His chest sank and he swiped to answer. “Yeah,” he said.

“I have some info on Diego Sanchez. He owns a club in Old San Juan called Club Viejo. I wasn’t able to find any ties to Carlos with regards to ownership, but from what I’ve found out, Carlos and Diego go way back. I can work on getting a warrant, there’s enough to—”

“No need. Thanks for your work.” Nate disconnected. “Diego owns Club Viejo and there’s a lot of background on him and Carlos. She has to be there.”

She just has to.

Nate made an impatient sound under his breath. “I’m not waiting around while they could be doing god knows whatto her.” He opened the passenger door and climbed out. He slammed the door and the vehicle shook. He didn’t have a plan and he didn’t need one. This wasn’t about the case anymore and hadn’t been from the beginning. He’d go in, shoot Carlos and his buddies in the fucking head, and get Maddie out.

He strode by local musicians that sat on the side of the old cobblestone streets. Coins piled on the red felt liner of their guitar cases. Heat still hung in the air despite the sun setting below the skyline and dusk coated over the stars.

Ashley’s fingers curled around his elbow and yanked, but his arm didn’t budge. She planted her feet beside him, bringing him to a dead stop.

He reeled on her. “What?”

“You can’t just walk in. Geez, Nate. Screw your head back on please. Let’s talk about this for two minutes.”

Hot air burned his nostrils on an exhale. He shook his head, but let her tow him to the side of the building next to them.

“Let me go in first, and survey the club. Your stride has FBI written all over it.”

“Hold up.” A deep purr sounded near his ear. Nate pulled out his gun and whipped around, shoving the mouth of it in Dylan’s chest.

“Jesus,” Dylan squeaked. “Jumpy are we?”

Ashley chuckled behind him. “Did you pee your panties, Dyl?”

He narrowed his eyes into slits at her but a smile played on his mouth. Nate’s scowl deepened and he lowered his weapon. Thankfully the dark shadows concealed them and no one had witnessed him pull his Glock. “Use your head. I could have shot you.”

“I thought you guys were going to wait? Parking is a bitch in this part of town. I just ran like three blocks.”

Nate hung his weapon close to his hip and out of sight from any passersby. “No time. Maddie’s inside,” he said, nodding to the building beside them.

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