Page 20 of Hostile Love
The sunlight fades when I can’t see her anymore and my chest aches. At least she’s safe and we’re all heading to the same place.
Moving quickly, we pass through the wire gates and march towards the waiting choppers in a nearby parking lot.
Even though I’m surrounded, I’m still on high alert, searching for her face in a sea of soldiers.
Except she’s nowhere to be seen and a wave of nausea crests in my chest.
I push men out of my way and head straight for Dario, getting up in his face. “Where is she?”
Dario shrugs. “Gone.”
“What the fuck do you mean, she’s gone? Gone where? With whom?”
Meeting my gaze, he stares at me, his expression deadpan.
“She didn’t want to get in your chopper, Souza. She wanted to leave. On her own.”
“You’re fucking lying,” I hiss at him, my fists clenched. “What have you done to her?”
“Look, man, that’s who she is. A lone wolf. I take orders from Daniela because I’m a Blanco soldier. Comprendes, Souza?”
My blood boils and the thin thread keeping my decorum intact snaps.
Everything blurs and a thumping pulse pounds in my skull. In a blind rage, I throw a fist at his jaw and continue to unleash furious punches.
Dario fights back and the two of us end up on the ground. One minute I’m bearing down on him, the next he’s head-butting me square in the nose.
He didn’t get much momentum for the impact. I doubt it’s broken and the blood seeping into my mouth would stop eventually.
I don’t even feel pain, because I’m too driven to punish the fucker for letting her leave.
“Lower your gun,” a man shouts, his commanding voice breaking into the madness in my head.
“Get your fucking hands off him,” another barks out. “Or you’re all dead.”
From the darkness clouding my mind, a flicker of recognition punctures the black haze.
I’m acting like Papá would, rather than how Mama taught me to be. And I sure as fuck don’t want to be like that paranoid asshole.
Killing Dario won’t bring Dani back and starting a war between the Souzas and Blancos—between soldiers who’d fought together to save the two of us—would only make her hate me.
I should keep the Blanco soldiers close, not slaughter them.
After all, they know how to reach her.
And let’s face it, once we’re married, they’d serve me too.
Rearing back, I spit out a wad of blood and scramble to my feet, doing a slow one-eighty while telling everyone to put their weapons down.
“We aren’t at war,” I announce. “I just want to find Dani and I’ll pay one million dollars to anyone who can bring her to me.”
Dario rises and stretches out his jaw, panting heavily.
“Why should we help you? We won’t hand Daniela over to a Souza. No fucking way.”
“I like you, Dario.”
I offer him a show stopping smile, full of charm.
