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“I’m not going to prison for this.” Heat rose in Gideon’s face, turning his complexion red. “Law enforcement is close to figuring everything out.” He pointed to Sienna. “Obviously, she did. And that ranger she’s been working with can’t be far behind. We need to change the plan.”
Dallas arched a brow. “Interesting. When were you going to tell me about this grand new plan?”
“I just did,” Gideon snapped.
The men faced off. Ruby gripped Sienna’s hands in hers. Her skin was cold and clammy. Bruises in the shape of fingerprints marred the skin on her neck. At any other time, Sienna would’ve been horrified by them, but right now, her brain couldn’t process those emotions. She had to focus on an escape plan. Could she use the fight between Gideon and Dallas to her advantage?
“Watch your tone, Gideon. I control the cartel in South America. Without them, you don’t have a product to sell. More importantly, do you really think you can stab me in the back and live to tell the tale?” He flipped a glance at the men in the room and they all cowed, like dogs tucking their tails between their legs. “Any of you?”
The warehouse was silent. Rain beat against the windows and the roof. No one dared to take a breath.
Sienna’s mind whirled. Dallas was the one in control of the drugs, not Gideon. They were partners. Dallas provided the product, while Gideon handled the logistics. It would explain Dallas’s “sailing” tours. He probably used his boat to help bring drugs to US shores, along with the Trident IV.
She suspected Dallas Redding wasn’t the man’s real name. From the way the men reacted to his threats, Dallas must be deeply embedded in a wider criminal organization. Maybe even related to a drug lord.
Gideon’s face grew redder. “Don’t threaten me or my men.” He jabbed a finger toward Ruby. “Your obsession with that woman set all of this in motion. If you had just listened to me and let her be—”
“SHE’S MINE!” The roar erupted from Dallas like a volcano. He reared back and punched Gideon in the face.
The sound of cartilage breaking preceded Gideon’s cry of pain. He doubled over, hitting the ground on his hands and knees. Sienna took advantage of the distraction to scooch herself toward the darker recesses of the warehouse, pulling Ruby with her. Any moment, law enforcement was going to storm the building. She and Ruby needed to be as far away from these criminals as possible.
“You broke my nose!” Gideon’s voice was muffled as he glared up at Dallas. He dropped his hand away from his face and rose to his feet. “You’re going to pay for that.”
“I don’t think so. Where’s the rest of the product? Where did you move it to?”
Gideon’s hand balled into fists and he shook with rage. “Tony. Luis. Dallas is the one who killed your cousin, Albert.”
Sienna stifled a gasp. The air in the room shifted as Tony and Luis processed that tidbit of information. In two seconds, both men had a gun trained on Dallas. Rage twisted their features.
Chief Ramirez had been right. Nothing was more important to the Greer brothers than family. Not even when faced with the threat of being hunted down by a cartel.
Where were Ryker and Cole? What on earth was taking them so long?
It felt like an eternity had gone by since Sienna entered the warehouse, but it must’ve only been a few minutes. She hadn’t even heard the wail of an ambulance. Had anyone reached Eli and Dalton yet? Her stomach clenched at the thought that Eli was desperately trying to save his brother’s life, but couldn’t. She prayed the thunderstorm had masked the approach of the ambulance and Dalton was getting the help he needed right at this moment.
She also prayed for Ryker and Cole to hurry.
And for God’s protection.
Sienna squeezed Ruby’s hand and caught her gaze. She tilted her head toward the shadows to show where they should move toward. To her relief, Ruby gave a slight nod. The younger woman was terrified, but she still had her wits about her. That was good. It would make running for their lives easier.
Leading the way, Sienna shifted her weight and slid across the concrete. Ruby followed. No one paid them any attention. Every thug in the room was focused on the drama playing out between Gideon and Dallas. And now the Greer brothers.
Luis stalked closer to Dallas. “You killed my cousin?”
Dallas raised his weapon and pointed it at Luis, but it was useless. He was flanked by the Greer brothers and couldn’t possibly kill them both. “Gideon’s lying. What reason would I have for killing Albert?”
Sienna shifted again, bringing Ruby with her.
More. A little more. They weren’t out of range of the gunfight and this situation was set to explode. One wrong move and someone would fire.
“You killed Albert because he was blackmailing us.” Gideon was bent on spilling all of his secrets. “You promised to take care of the problem, but you only made it worse.” He took a step back and lifted his chin. “Tony and Luis, we don’t need him anymore. The cartel knows us now. Why continue to give Dallas the bulk of our earnings when we’re the one doing all the work?”
Dallas shifted his gun toward Gideon. “Shut up, before I kill you.”
Luis and Tony shared a look. The brothers were criminals, but they weren’t stupid. Both of them had caught on to Gideon’s confession. He’d been in on Albert’s murder. At the very least, he’d known about it.
Sienna’s pulse elevated as she shifted to the balls of her feet, gesturing for Ruby to do the same. Things were about to get very ugly.
