Page 36 of Corey
“It’s Brand,” he informed her, completely oblivious to her sexy thoughts. “We’ve got a call with Mitch in an hour.”
“That’s Julia’s dad?”
He nodded. “Yeah, so we better get ready and head out because no one makes the General wait.”
???
Sera got her first look at the illustrious General Mitchell Evans exactly one hour later.They’re certainly prompt,she thought, as she sat beside Corey at the corner table in Old Glory with the rest of his team. The fire crackled at her back, giving the bar a cozy feel, and Brandon introduced her.
“Chief, this is Sera Darling. Sera, General Mitchell Evans.”
The distinguished-looking man on Wes’s laptop screen oozed confidence and authority. He possessed keen brown eyes below dark brows and a head full of thick, silvered hair.
Wasting no time on pleasantries, he got straight to the point. “I found out some interesting things about your former employer, Ms. Darling. Specifically, how they seem to be connected to the Lazaro Cartel. Not my favorite group,” Mitch added dryly.
Across the table, Xander Hawke sat up straighter. He was an extremely attractive man, younger than the others, with an aloof air that she found a little intimidating. He’d been lounging back in his chair, the picture of moody nonchalance, but the moment Mitch mentioned the Lazaro Cartel, he perked up.
“Connected how?” Xander asked, leaning forward, blue eyes intense.
“The CIA thinks J&J Shipping is involved with the drone-piloted subs the cartel has been using to ship drugs,” Mitchexplained. “They believe the Lazaro Cartel is docking there and using the warehouse to store their product until it’s sent out to be sold.”
Sera’s head spun. Joel and Jeremy were working with a cartel?
“I thought we’d knocked the Lazaro Cartel off its throne,” Chaz said.
“And helped shift power over to the Villareal Cartel,” Wes added.
Chaz smirked. “Hell, Hawke even left with a souvenir.”
“If I recall correctly, we both cut a finger off the fucker,” Xander replied easily. He possessed a slight East Coast accent, and Sera wondered where he was from originally. Maybe Boston? New York?
“Yeah, but I didn’t wear mine around my neck like Leatherface.”
Xander narrowed his eyes, lifting his middle finger. Sera had no idea what they were talking about, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to know any further details.
“Do you still have the digit, Hawke?” Mitch asked.
“What?” The question seemed to catch him by surprise, but he schooled his features into a cool look.
Everyone was staring at him, obviously not sure how he’d answer.
“No, of course not,” he finally said in a flat voice, but Sera wasn’t so sure.
“No need to worry then,” Mitch stated.
“I’m not worried about Hawke’s sanity,” Lex said, his tone suggesting otherwise. “But I don’t think I want to test that theory and be alone in a dark alley with you, either.”
“Fuck the fuck off,” Xander grumbled. “Can we please get back on track?”
“When we went down to Tierra Caliente and rescued Julia, Hawke killed Fernando Lazaro,” Brand said. “Who’s running the operation now?”
Mitch’s brown eyes sharpened. “The latest intel received confirms the Lazaro Cartel’s second-in-command—a dangerous man named José Barrera—is rallying the troops, determined to regain their previous position of power among the Mexican cartels and beyond.”
“Motherfucker,” Xander seethed.
Sera’s attention shifted back to him, watching as he touched the gold cross hanging around his neck. Something about his tone and posture gave her the impression Xander had a deeper, more personal interest in the Lazaro Cartel than the others.
Maybe she was reading into it—because what did she know? She barely knew the man.
