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“Things have changed,” I say in a low tone. “Now we roll with the punches. We have a new objective, and that’s to get Willow to safety. You’re either in or you’re out. If you’re out, you can leave now and we won’t speak of it again, butIam going to help her. With or without you.”
Knox grinds his teeth. “Why are you so loyal to her? You shared a week together in Vegas. Was it really life changing?”
“Are you in or are you out?” I ask, ignoring his weak jabs. “I need to know if I’m going to plan a rescue operation with two men or with three.”
Knox is quiet for a long time. Heath is similarly silent. Nothing but the electric hum of the monitors and the whir of the computer fans sitting just beneath the desk can be heard. Outside in the hall, I can hear the steady march of patrolmen keeping an eye on the perimeter. We’re not in the right place, nor do we have enough time to waste on drawn-out decision making.
My youngest brother stands and faces me, his shoulders square and his chest high and proud. “I’m out.”
Heath crosses his arms. “Dude, come on.”
“This isn’t what I signed up for. I’m sorry, but I can’t watch you take on the fucking cartel for the sake of one person.” He paused to look at each of us. “You have to see where I’m coming from here. This is our lives on the line, our business.”
“We’re fuckingbodyguards,” Heath snaps, frustration dripping from his every word. His reaction takes me by surprise. He’s normally so nonchalant about things that seeing him get riled up like this is rarer than a blue moon. “It’s literally our job.”
“To protect, yes. But what you’re proposing—it’s suicide. I’m sorry, Zane. But I’m out.”
I swallow my feelings.
Am I disappointed? Of course.
Am I surprised? Not even a little bit.
“Then return to the office,” I tell him without a hint of malice or frustration. “You’ll continue to be paid what you would have working this contract. We’ll make up an excuse as to why you’re not here. I’m not going to force you to stay.”
Knox sighs. “There’s really no changing your mind, is there?”
“No.”
“Heath? Are you coming with me or sticking with him?”
“I’m staying. Sorry, lil’ bro.”
Knox shakes his head disapprovingly. “I hope that woman’s worth it.”
“It’s not about worth, little brother,” I tell him. “It’s about doing the right thing. But yes. She is.”
“I’m going back to LA. Try not to get yourselves killed.”
I’m used to Knox’s tantrums. Ever since we were young boys, he’s had a short fuse and a sharp way with his words. The thing is—I can totally see where he’s coming from. He’s not wrong to think about our own wellbeing. We’ve spent a long time building this business, getting our feet wet… But I can’t just sit idly by when someone’s in need. My fling with Willow aside, my gut tells me to do the right thing, and that means figuring out a way to break her out of here once and for all.
“What do you need me to do?” Heath asks over the hum of the monitors.
“I need information. We have a profile on Esteban Becerra already, but now I need one for Arturo Allegra. I need their itineraries, who they’re meeting, everything. You know the drill. I want no stone left unturned.”
“Copy that,” my brother says as he cracks his knuckles. “It could take some time, though.”
“That’s fine. We need to move slowly and cautiously. We can’t afford to raise any alarms.”
“And in the meantime?”
“We do our jobs,” I say simply.
Chapter 17
Willow
Ihave a shadow.
