Arms shackled behind his back and legs chained, Ike shuffled forward, easily matching the pace of the armed guards surrounding him. Humidity clogged the air, making it hard for him to breathe. A thick cloth covered his head but didn’t conceal the darkness of night.
A hand jerked him to a stop. In the distance, the purring of helicopter blades slicing through the air was faint. The movement was designed to be undetectable to the untrained ear. The wind picked up, blowing in a chaotic frenzy, whipping against his body, almost knocking them over. The helicopter landed, and the blades slowed. A metal door creaked open, followed by heavy footsteps banging against metal.
The guards moved closer to him.
Guns jabbed into his side.
“Stand down.” Her voice was clear and confident. “I’ll take it from here.”
It was her.
“He’s dangerous. Are you sure you want to handle him alone? We can assist with the transport.”
“That won’t be necessary.” She rubbed a hand down his chest as she moved closer to him. “I can handle Ike da Costa.”
The scent of her jasmine perfume surrounded him. He closed his eyes and inhaled the intoxicating fragrance. He wanted to touch her. To hold her. To know her. All in due time.
He didn’t respond. He wouldn’t. Not until they were alone.
“Payment in full,” she said.
A briefcase clicked open, then closed, followed by grunts of satisfaction from the guards.
“Where do you want him?” A guard asked.
“Take him inside,” she instructed.
Ike fumbled over his feet as the guards ran, dragging him toward the helicopter. They raced up the incline inside and then pushed him down onto the hard floor. He tumbled and rolled for a few feet before stopping with a loud thud against the side wall.
“Nice doing business with you,” a different guard said.
“Likewise,” she said.
The helicopter rose from the ground.
Ike flipped over on his back and then maneuvered until he sat upright. He closed his eyes and focused on the sounds, listening for her. But she wasn’t back here with him. Was she in the cockpit? Or had she left him alone to be taken to his final destination?
To his home.
St. Felipe.
His mind wandered to his family as the helo rose higher into the sky. His sister, Serena, was the head of the family’s coffee empire. She’d taken her rightful position in the spot she’d been groomed for since birth. A spot that would never have been his, no matter how much he’d wanted it. Hullabaloo Enterprises passed from mothers to daughters. Not sons.
He’d fought hard for the chance only to be thwarted by his mother at every turn. Until, on a trip to Los Angeles, he’d given up and accepted his destiny. He was expected to follow in his father’s footsteps. The moral and charismatic minister who’d dedicated his life to helping others. Ike hadn’t given a rat’s ass about helping anyone but himself until a skinny blond kid stole his wallet and raced away down the sidewalk, jumping over the stars on the Walk of Fame.
Ike hadn’t been upset. He’d been intrigued by the kid’s boldness. For every blessing Ike had, others were scratching and fighting to survive. The minute he caught up with the kid and body-slammed him to the ground, ripping his wallet out of the kid’s grimy hands, Ike’s life changed.
He stared into the boy’s scared brown eyes and was saddened by the desperation and hopelessness there. The kid was only a few years younger than Ike and was headed toward a life behind bars if he lived long enough. Ike felt what his father must have felt on every mission trip he took. He felt responsible for helping the kid, and that’s what he did. He convinced his parents to rescue the kid. Set him up with a host family in St. Felipe and enrolled him in the local public schools as a foreign exchange student. Over the years, the kid had grown up to become his closest friend. Sebastian was the one he could rely on through thick and thin and the one who’d be the happiest to see him return home.
And then there was Gabrielle, his younger sister who’d survived a heinous tragedy and embarked on a journey of self-healing that inspired millions. Ike hadn’t been around for most of Gabrielle’s life. He’d done all he could to support her from afar, giving her the time and space to dictate the nature of their sibling relationship. For the most part, she kept him at a distance. He was as guilty as their parents for her being sent away. He hadn’t stood up for her when he should have. It was one of his biggest regrets.
The scent of jasmine wafted in the air. Ike forced his thoughts away and focused on the footsteps coming closer to him. A hand stroked along his neck, then pushed the thick cloth off his head.
Fuck was she insanely beautiful. A force to be reckoned with like the mightiest hurricane but calm like the eye of the storm. He wanted her in ways he didn’t understand. Couldn’t put into words. He’d taken her promise to save him to heart. It was lodged there, buried deep and unmovable. Unshakable. Tethering their souls and their lives together.
She knelt beside him with a quizzical look clouding her face. “Why are you pretending you haven’t gotten free of your restraints?
“Because I need information,” Ike said, folding his arms across his chest. “Are you a PISCO?”
