The fact that he kept his word and didn’t tell a single soul—including his wife—of our plans or where we were told me he’d have my back through any storm we weathered. All these years, I still wasn’t sure why he thought he owed me.
“I never thanked you,” I said, the gratitude long overdue. “For saving me eight years ago.”
His pale blue eyes found mine, and he nodded. The shadowy expression that I used to see in the years following my rescue had changed since he married my sister.
“I fucked up your life,” he finally said. “It’s the least I could do.”
I looked at him, and the puzzle piece fell into place. He’d been blaming himself for my capture even though he was never the reason it happened in the first place. He was a victim of circumstance, being Ivan’s prisoner during his childhood. The day of my capture, it was Alexei who followed my sister back to our house and ensured she made it back safely, and for that, I considered us even.
My father, on the other hand, was a different story. His arrangements put a bullseye on his children’s backs. He was to blame.
“You didn’t deserve that fate, Alexei. None of us did.” I let my eyes roam the jungle’s planes. “Our parents are to blame. Not us.” I glanced his way. “We just have to do better with the next generation.”
“Yes, we do,” he muttered from my side. “Do you want to talk about her?”
Her. Liana. Louisa. The twins I failed. Did I want to talk about it? Where would I even fucking start? I swallowed the lump in my throat, keeping quiet. I felt detached from everything apart from this strange sensation when it came to the twin I wasn’t supposed to care for.
“No,” I finally answered, but Alexei must have read something in my expression because his lips lifted.
“You’re whipped.”
“Fuck off, asshole.”
Alexei looked out at the cloudy sky, staying silent for a beat. “Sofia’s daughter or not, if she’s the one, go for it.”
I shrugged. “It’s complicated.”
“What relationship isn’t?”
I looked at him in surprise.
“Who are you and what have you done with Alexei Nikolaev?” His lips twitched as he flipped me the finger. “I never thought you’d be offering relationship advice.”
It was his turn to shrug. “Your sister’s teaching me a lot.”
I stayed silent for a beat. “I’m happy for you. For both of you.”
He nodded his thanks, then pulled out his binoculars from his pack. I followed his line of sight, and when he handed me the pair, I homed in on the docks, streets, and alleyways corrupted and controlled by Perez Cortes. Dusk had started its descent over the drug- and human-trafficking-infested gateway city.
“Bidding at the auction might be the way to go,” Alexei stated matter-of-factly. “No one’s ever been able to find Perez’s compound. It’s how he’s managed to survive all these years. Kian’s the only man who’s left that place alive.”
Kian Cortes, a friend to the Ashfords, made it his business to track down men—and women—who didn’t want to be found. We had quite a bit in common, though we’d never officially worked together.
“Nothing’s impossible.”
“True,” he agreed. “But do we have months to scout every inch of this jungle to locate his compound?”
We both knew the answer to that. A week with the likes of Perez Cortes could feel like eternity.
The rancid taste of unease lingered in my mouth, warning that I might have to go against my principles and fatten the motherfucker’s purse at his auction. But I had to trust my instincts here. They had saved my life way too many times, and right now, they told me he’d break Liana beyond repair once he had her in his compound.
That was where his torture really began.
The hum of the engine was the first thing we heard. The headlights came next. We both reached for our weapons, aiming them toward the incoming lights. One Jeep. Two. A fucking caravan of them.
I shared a What the fuck have we gotten ourselves into? look with Alexei.
“This’ll be fun,” he muttered as they all came to a stop, surrounding us. If only we could lure them off this cliff.
“Clearly our definitions of what constitutes fun don’t line up,” I retorted dryly.
Four armed, uniformed men jumped out. Fuck, if they were locals, they worked for Perez. More flooded the area until a familiar figure stepped out.
“What the fuck?” Alexei’s voice portrayed the surprise I felt. Of all people, Kristoff Baldwin, Byron’s buddy from his military days, was the last person I expected.
“I didn’t expect to see you here,” I deadpanned. I’d used Kristoff over the years to broker properties around the world.
If he was working with Perez, we were fucked. In fact, the entire Ashford line would be doomed. He was intimately aware of family secrets and hidden assets related to my brothers which could easily ruin them.
“Ditto,” he said brusquely.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice colder than Siberia.
“Looking for my daughter.”
The stillness of the jungle reflected the dread in his eyes. The eerie swoosh of leaves resumed, matching the storm in Kristoff’s expression.
“The one who refused to answer your calls?” I questioned, recalling his comment from when I last saw him.
He nodded.
“In the jungle?” Alexei asked.
The fatigue in his eyes was glaring. So was the fear. He reeked of it.
“She got into hacking.” My brow furrowed at the odd explanation. “Apparently, she wiped Perez’s bank account.” Alexei whistled, clearly impressed. “Please spare me the kudos,” he said, pushing his hand through his already unkempt hair. “First year of college and not a single month has gone by without some sort of trouble. Larson, intoxication, getting arrested for breaking and entering, and now getting kidnapped.”
My lips twitched, part of me already liking the kid, whoever she was.
“Don’t forget theft,” Alexei added, a hint of amusement in his usually cold voice.
Kristoff shot him a murderous look, clearly not appreciating being reminded of his daughter’s extra-curricular activities.
“You say that in front of my wife, and I’ll have my daughter wipe your accounts clean,” he growled. Alexei’s expression remained unflinching. Kristoff’s eyes filled with conflicted uncertainty as he looked away. “Jesus, I’d give up every penny of my own just to get her back. I can’t go back without her.”
“Why Perez Cortes?” I asked him.
He shook his head. “Fuck if I know. I’m gonna be bald by the time all my kids wrap up their tantrums.”
“Let’s get her back, then,” I said. “Although, I think you could pull the look off. Unlike Byron.” My phone buzzed and dread filled my stomach, saliva pooling in the back of my throat. “The auction date has been set.”
It would seem we’d both be restoring Perez’s bank accounts soon.
Chapter 31Liana
My wrists and ankles bound once again, I sat in the chair and tried to reason with my nerves. I shook my head to clear it—my plan had to work. There was no room for failure, and any panic would just get in the way.
“You okay?” Giovanni asked out of the corner of his mouth.
“Yes.”
Surveying the room, I noted the yellow walls, wooden floors, and randomly placed pillars, with large doors providing a view of the water and the boat slowly approaching.
“It’s a warehouse,” he explained. “That’s just a tender to pick you up and take you to the larger ship.”
I swallowed. Not exactly ideal, but it was the only way to get to Perez.
“Maybe he comes to pick me up personally and we snatch him,” I murmured, the hope in my chest a vicious bitch. After all, he personally handled a transaction with my own mother not too long ago. Maybe he’d want to do the same now.