Page 67 of Colombian Chemistry

“Oh, God. That’s hot,” Wesley breathed.

Piper flashed him her sexy smile and waggled her dark eyebrows.

I swept a gaze across them. “Are you sure? We always know every mission may be our last. I don’t want anyone going in unless you’re sure.”

Knox crossed his hands behind his head and leaned back. I noticed the new tattoo coiling up his massive forearm. Part of our requirements for being on an Elite Stealth Force team were no identifying marks. Knox had always wanted tattoos, and after he got out, he went a little crazy with the ink. Paired with his beard, he really did resemble a huge Viking with the black ink swirling over every inch of his forearms.

“Marcus, we’ve put our lives on the line for a lot less important shit than this. We’ve done it for money. We’ve done it for our piece of shit government. We’ve done it because some dude pushing papers behind a desk told us to. If ever there was a good reason to stick our necks out, doing it for the girl you love is about is as worthwhile a cause as any.”

“Hear, hear,” Piper said. “I’m in. All the way in.”

My heart swelled knowing that I had people like them in my life. People I could depend on no matter what. “Thanks, guys. That means a lot. And you know I’ve always got your back if you need me.”

“We’re a team for life,” Knox said. “Just because we’re retired from the government doesn’t mean we’re retired from each other.”

I let out a sigh and nodded. My family. The only people in this world I cared about... well, and now Irene too.

“So, I get in and plant the bug. Wesley takes out the security systems and overrides the security cameras to put them on a loop, then you guys sneak in. After that, we bust out the doctor and whisk him to safety. Is that the plan?”

“Yeah,” I answered. “Once he’s safe, we’ll have to get him out of the country. The cartel is gonna keep hunting for him, though, so we’re going to need to get him and Irene new identities until I can deal with the rest of the cartel.”

“What do you mean?” Knox asked.

“I realized after I put Irene on that plane that even if we save her father, and even if she’s safe back in the States, it won’t take much for a well-funded cartel to find them. The only way for me to make sure they are safe forever, and she can continue her dream of being Dr. Irene Saltzman, is to take out Pedro and the top Jungle King players. For good. Once we get Dr. Saltzman free, I’ll handle that myself. I’m not involving you guys any more than I have to.”

“You trying to cut us out of the action?” Knox said, lifting a dark eyebrow.

“Just making sure I don’t ask you guys for too much. We free Dr. Saltzman, and I’ll figure out how to get rid of Pedro and his lieutenants.”

“The best time to do that is when we’re in there saving Dr. Saltzman,” Piper said. “I say we don’t leave that compound until all three of them are dead.”

“Won’t some other thug just rise up in his place?” Wesley asked. “I mean, cut off the head of a snake, and it always grows back.”

Knox grumbled. “It’s possible. If any of the lower-level players rise to power and know about Irene and her dad, they may still be in danger.”

“I doubt many people know about Dr. Saltzman. If word got out inside his cartel about him, it wouldn’t take long for some overzealous nobody to take the opportunity to rise. You know how those guys work. They’d sell off Dr. Saltzman’s location to the highest bidder and take the big payday.”

They all nodded in agreement.

“True,” Wes said. “So, you think just the top players know about him.”

“Exactly,” I answered. “But just to be safe, I think it’s best to wipe out as many as we can. We take out Pedro and his lieutenants, and then we alert the other cartels in the area that they are temporarily weakened,” I said as the plan slipped into my mind.

Piper lit up with the idea. “Yeah. Let the scavengers tear each other apart. With the Jungle Kings already weakened, they won’t stand a chance against another cartel. We just open the door and let them waltz right in, and soon the Jungle Kings will be no more. Irene and her dad can go live their lives in peace.”

My heart swelled at the thought of her and her father safe forever... of the thought that she and I could be together far sooner than I’d imagined. “You guys sure you want to go even deeper down this rabbit hole with me? I’m fine handling this solo if you can just help me get her dad out. It may take me some time to do it, but I’ll get it done.”

“All for one, and one for all,” Wesley cheered.

“We’re not the Four Musketeers, nerd,” Knox teased. “But yeah. All in.”

“All in.” Piper nodded. “None of us are leaving Colombia until your lady and her dad are safe. For good.”

I didn’t know how I’d gotten so lucky to have these three by my side, but I knew that together we would figure out how to dismantle the Jungle Kings and lift the threat they bore Irene and her father for good.

A woman walking down the beach caught my eye. Her long, dark hair brushed her bare shoulders as she sauntered toward us. Though I didn’t recognize her, my heart sped up as my gaze slid over her petite frame. At first, I cursed myself for finding another woman attractive and having such an intense response to her—the primal response to a woman I’d only felt once in my life. The way I responded only when I saw Irene. I wanted to rip out my own rapidly beating heart for betraying the woman I loved.

But then I noticed the way her hips moved. The size of her stride. The soft angle of her exposed shoulder beneath the floral dress she wore. My racing heart revved to near-fatal speeds as it knew before my mind just who walked toward me.