“Thanks. I mean it.”
“I’ll send three men with you,” Beau says. “To make sure they can get those fuckers back here without any issue.”
The idea of having some of his men with me when we rescue Camile makes me antsy. They might cause trouble or get in the way of our rescue mission. But with all my men, we’ll outnumber them massively, so I can’t see what harm it would cause. I also don’t want the hassle of dealing with a rival MC’s men, when all I want is to take Camile home. Nor do I wish to start up a war with the Revenants, which insisting I take their men back to my club might do.
I’ve already got a massive win with Beau agreeing someone can sit in on the questioning of the fuckers who took her. Best not to push my luck. I can put one of my men in the interrogation, knowing he’ll make sure we get all the information we need. I already want them dead, but Beau has shared what he knew, which has allowed us to find Camile, so I owe him the respect of letting him deal with his own men his way. With the caveat that at the end of all this they end up in a box.
I gesture for Beau to walk with me, and when we’re about fifty steps away from the others, I talk, keeping my voice super low. “You do know that for my men, particularly those who are fond of the girl who was taken,” I glance at Ace, “the only way they get closure is if, ultimately, your men are dead. I’m not trying to tell you how to discipline them, just saying that I am trying to keep a lid on some of the more…. impetuous members of my club.”
He chuckles. “You are very much trying to tell me how to deal with them, but I understand. If someone came on our land and took one of our women, then I’d want them dead. You have my word that after I’ve interrogated them and made them suffer, they’ll be executed.”
“Then we’re all good, but if we get there and discoverCamile has already been harmed, or they start shooting at us, I can’t promise you’ll get them back alive.” I shrug. “I want to keep them alive so we can get information from them, but her safety comes above all else.”
Beau gives a curt nod. “Agreed.”
I raise my voice to address the rest of my men. “We’re moving out.”
15
CAMILE
The atmosphereinside this disgusting building practically vibrates with tension.
I’m curled into Rook’s arms on the cold floor. He’s still naked, but at least I have Ledger’s shirt to cover me, and I use both my body and part of the shirt to help keep some of Rook’s modesty, too. We’re no longer tied up, but now everyone is waving guns around, and making a run for it would probably get us shot.
Ledger is in only jeans and boots, since he donated his shirt to me, his upper torso flexed with muscle. He trains his gun on the other men, but Ginger is also armed and is aiming at him. Would he really risk shooting Ledger?
Does he understand that Ledger is the son of a powerful cartel family? Do these men have any idea what they’re dealing with? If Ledger dies, what happens then? It’s not like they’re just going to let me and Rook walk free. They’ll have to clean up their mess, and that mess will be the two of us. We’ll probably end up with bulletsin our heads and buried in shallow graves somewhere, but I’m sure they’ll have some more fun with us first.
I never in my life thought I would be on Ledger’s side, but in this moment, I am. We can’t afford for Ledger to be killed.
I don’t blame Rook for what he did, but I know he’s going to blame himself. Though he holds me tight, he won’t meet my eye. I’m sore, and I’m sure he is too, but I’ll recover. I can cope with what happened, but if it had been those other men doing what he had, then I’m not sure I’d be saying the same.
“Well?” Ledger insists of Ginger. “Have you got a wife, or what is it you call them… an ol’ lady?”
Ginger’s eyes go wide. “What if I do?”
“Then you should bring her here so we can all come in her face.” Ledger looks around. “What do you say, boys? Ready for round two with this asshole’s missus?”
The other men grimace and glance at each other warily at this turn of events. Perhaps their minds are going to their own wives and girlfriends and wondering if they’ll be next in line. They’re quite happy treating a strange woman in such a way, but they don’t want it to be someone they care about.
“I’m sorry, Ledger,” Ginger says, clearly trying to calm the situation. “We weren’t thinking.”
Ledger takes several steps toward Ginger, so they’re now only a foot apart, and he jabs his gun toward Ginger’s head. “No, you didn’t fucking think, did you?”
“You acted like you wanted her degraded.” Ginger shrugs despite the danger he’s in.
Ledger slams a hand against his own chest. “Byme!She’s going to be my fucking wife, so I’m the one who gets to degrade her. You fuckers were supposed to benothing more than guard dogs until I got what I needed out of her.”
I suddenly remember the bad info I fed him. He’ll have passed that information on to his family back in Mexico, and they’ll be sending someone to check it out. Not enough time has passed yet for them to realize I’ve given them bullshit info, but when they do…
¡Mierda!
I squeeze my eyes shut and try not to think about what Ledger’s reaction will be. He’ll kill Rook for sure, just to punish me. I’d used it to buy us time, but what if it’s not enough time? I keep thinking this situation can’t get any worse, but then it does.
Rook leans into me. I think he’s seeking comfort, or support, but he whispers against my ear.
“We need to get out of here.”
