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“He was furious. I have never seen him so angry. Honestly, that puzzled me because he barely noticed her. She was a possession to him, a thing mostly beneath his notice. He was neither kind nor faithful. He did not care about my sister. I assumed he would be happy to be rid of her. I hoped he would release me, too. After all, I would be one less bother. Instead, he gave Hector and Victor more tools to make certain I did not slip through their fingers. Then he took his anger out on me.”
“He raped you more.”
Laila hesitated, then nodded, her gaze skittering away.
He tipped her chin up until she met his stare again. “Listen to me. That isn’t your fault. And that isn’t your shame.”
“I know you are right, but logic does not stop the feelings.”
Her answer broke his heart, but when Trees made to gather her in his arms, she backed away. Because she was focused on helping Kimber? Or because she still thought he was the mole?
“Later, I realized that Valeria had been pregnant with Jorge when she escaped. Emilo probably realized it, too.”
That made sense. The drug lord might not have wanted his wife, but he would want his son. “Did your sister know she was pregnant when she left?”
“That was the reason she fled. She knew her son would have no future except that of a criminal if she gave birth in that compound. So while EM Security was rescuing another captive, an influential doctor’s daughter who had been abducted while providing medical assistance to poor villages, Valeria begged the team to take her with them.”
“Why didn’t they take you, too?”
“Nothing was planned, and everything happened too fast. That night I was pinned between Hector and Victor…”
When she trailed off, Trees fought down fury. Laila had suffered so much after Valeria’s getaway. How could she have simply left her sister behind?
Isn’t that what you did to your siblings? Didn’t you see the opportunity to escape poverty and grab it with both hands?
Yep. And with a baby on the way, Valeria would have been even more motivated to escape.
Trees sighed. “So we’re back to wondering why grown-ass drug dealers care that there’s a toddler out there with Emilo’s blood.”
“It seems. If Emilo wanted his son back, I can think of no reason Hector and Victor are determined to grab Jorge except to fulfill the man’s last wish.”
“Then what would they do with the boy?” Trees scratched his head. “Jorge only has value for the Ramos brothers if he has value for Geraldo, too. A bargaining chip, if you will. After all, he is Geraldo’s grandson.”
“True. But he is even more valuable now that Emilo is dead. He was Geraldo’s only son.”
“Emilo’s sister is gone, too. Clara tried to kill Walker’s fiancée a couple of weeks ago to avenge her brother after One-Mile gunned him down. Walker and his buddies ended her.”
“An eye for an eye,” Laila murmured, then she frowned. “Was Clara the only one who pursued Walker for killing Emilo? No reprisal from Geraldo?”
“As far as I know, he didn’t lift a finger.” Trees followed her logic. “But why would Geraldo go to such lengths to get his hands on Jorge yet not avenge his son?”
Laila shrugged. “I can only guess his reasons. Geraldo’s relationship with Emilo was complicated. Perhaps he had resigned himself to the fact that his son was ineffective and would never be fit to lead the cartel. He was not good at his tasks.” Laila sighed in frustration. “I cannot think of the right word.”
“Emilo was a fuckup.”
“Yes.”
“Would Geraldo want the fuckup’s son?”
“Since Jorge is the only family he has left, likely so.”
Slowly, Trees took that in. “Let’s work off that theory. Both sides are looking for you or Valeria because they want Jorge—the Ramos brothers to use as a pawn and Geraldo because Jorge is the last of his blood, not to mention the heir of his nose-candy empire.”
“Yes, but I still cannot say which side is more likely to have kidnapped Kimber.”
He’d been afraid of that. “Maybe once we see the pictures of the bodies dumped in the EM Security parking lot, we’ll get clarity.”
“Maybe.”
“Until then, let me convince you I’m not the mole who endangered you and your family.”
She gave him a wary glance. “How?”
“I don’t have any proof it wasn’t me, but you know me, Laila.”
“Do I?”
He sighed. “When have I not been a man of my word?”
“I find trust hard.”
“Of course you do.” And he knew why. Arguing about that did no good. Neither did spewing logic. He couldn’t refute her feelings. He simply had to give her reasons to doubt those worries. “Tell me how I can convince you.”
“There is nothing you can do.”
He wouldn’t accept that. “Listen to your gut. What is it telling you?”
