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“We were hired for an impossible job,” Evan cut in. “Trying to retrieve the kidnapped daughter of a high-level Bolivian army captain. He’d crossed someoneverydangerous. A guy by the name of Ferrera.”
Evan’s normally casual demeanor appeared visually stiffer. Even the name sounded sinister as it rolled off his tongue.
“Ferrera was a local warlord, but we found out he was much bigger than that. His reach was tremendous, his legacy brutal. Many of the things he did during his rise to power were reprehensible. Even the cartels were afraid of him.” The tattooed soldier averted his eyes downward in discomfort. “What we did next was stupid.”
He paused unintentionally, leaving me hanging there. I couldn’t help myself.
“What did you do?”
“We took a squad into the jungle and snuck into his compound,” Evan went on.
“More like a fortress than a compound,” Joshua added.
Evan nodded grimly. “We thought if we kept it small, we could go in quietly. That we could get in and out without being detected. But we were wrong. Very wrong…”
“We lost more than half our men,” Cole said impatiently. Unlike the others, his gruff voice was steady and calm. “Our squad was decimated, but we also took them by surprise. Somehow we reached Ferrera, and we thought we got him too…”
“You did get him,” Evan jumped in. “You shot him right through the eye.”
“Yes, but the bastard lived,” Cole said bitterly. “And even worse, his men got him out. The ones that didn’t flee, anyway.”
I was on the edge of my seat now. The whole thing was so crazy, so unbelievable. “And what about—”
“We got inside,” Cole finished. “We accomplished our goal.”
A chill caused my body to convulse momentarily. “You rescued the girl?”
“Yes,” Evan confirmed. “She was battered and bruised, though. Barely alive. But we brought her back. We returned her to her father, who was so happy and grateful he practically threw himself at our feet.”
An unnatural silence stretched out between the three of them. I knew enough not to talk this time.
“By then there were only six of us left,” Joshua finished. “We got back, licked our wounds, and cashed out. The mercenary company we worked for disbanded shortly after that. We thought that was it, but it wasn’t.”
“What he means is, we thought Ferrera was finished,” said Evan. “He was broken and beaten, his place thoroughly razed. But we underestimated him. Somehow over the years he managed to rebuild his former empire. And he never,everforgot what happened.”
I had a moment of bizarre clarity, where I looked around and everything in my life seemed suddenly and completely foreign. I was in a strange but beautiful mansion, an hour from town. Sitting on a couch at midnight. Six weeks pregnant. Surrounded by three incredible — not to mention breathtakingly beautiful — men I barely knew.
Their story was exhilarating and frightening at the same time. Something so far beyond my current reality I could scarcely believe it.
But of course I did.
“We believe Ferrera’s been hunting us down,” Cole said solemnly.
“What makes you think—”
“Of the other three men who were in the jungle with us, two of them are now dead,” he said flatly. “And the third one, Ripley, is on the run.”
I felt cold again, even in the warm room. Cradling my tea in both hands, I clutched it closer to my body.
“His men are here, now, right in Boston,” Evan added. “Or so we think. We never went on the run like Ripley did. It wouldn’t be hard to find us, especially for someone with Ferrera’s resources.” He paused awkwardly. “And if they found us…”
“They foundme,” I finished glumly.
Evan nodded wordlessly. There was an apology in his eyes.
“So they think I’m involved with you,” I theorized. “They followed you when you were out with me, and saw us together.”
“Yes.”
