Gus waved at Carlotta then put me in the backseat, lying me down.

“I thought this was suspicious,” I reminded him, slurring my words a bit.

“Have you seen the car?” he pointed out, getting behind the wheel. “We’re a moving target for the police now.”

“I guess it’s time to ditch the old girl,” I said sadly.

“Isn’t this car called Jóse? Funny name for a girl. And I’m not ditching it, there’s far too much stuff in here, this was Ellie’s life. We’ll ditch it when we find her. I’m not stopping until we hit Veracruz.”

I was too dazed to argue. Gus revved the engine and peeled us out of the parking lot.

“Where are we anyway? What happened?” I asked.

“We’re in Cordoba. A little off course, but Carlotta was the only person that I knew could help us.”

And not turn out to be a traitor, I thought to myself.

He continued, “She owed me a big favor anyway. I caught her father without papers in LA. I turned a blind eye and allowed him to stay. Carlotta grew up in California, then moved back home after school.”

“Why would anyone move back here?”

“She missed it, I guess. It’s not all bad. Hell, they might have the drug wars but their economy is a lot stronger than ours at the moment. She seems happy. She’s married. We had a long chat while you were out.”

I nodded, my head rolling to the side. “How far are we from Veracruz?”

“About a hundred miles give or take. We’ll be there in time for the nightlife to get good.”

“Nightlife?”

“Carlotta told me that Travis goes to this club every Friday night. It’s pretty much public knowledge. It’s very cheesy, touristy, frat boy jackasses, that sort of thing. He has his own room, a lot of guards obviously. I’m guessing he probably owns the club by now. Anyway, security is extremely tight. Metal detectors, passport scanning and the works. But if she’s right, he’s there tonight. And maybe Ellie is too.”

I opened my eyes, trying to fight through the cloud. “How will we get in?”

“Maybe we won’t have to. We’ll find her and follow her. Either way, we’re tourists and we’re white. We’ll sail under their radar.”

“With my arm in a sling?”

“Maybe not. You’ll stay in the car. I’ll go investigate.”

I hated that idea. I wanted to go with him. I wanted to see her with my own eyes. I needed to. It wouldn’t be real otherwise.

The monotony of the engine and smooth highway began to lull me to sleep. When I woke up, I’d be in Veracruz.

“Gus?”

“Yes?”

Fragments of my dream were choking me. “Do you think we’ll get Ellie back?”

Pause. “We’re going to try.”

CHAPTER NINETEEN

ELLIE

Things got very messy, very fast.

After the incident in the orange grove, we made our way back to Alvarado. Since my shirt was ruined, I had to hike my skirt up to my chest and wear it as a strapless dress. That, of course, exposed Camden’s tattoo on my leg which both made Javier sullen and moody and me feel like a piece of shit. Camden. I succumbed to the past and my hormones and years of pent-up feelings. That’s all it was. That’s all it had to be. I couldn’t fall for Javier again. I couldn’t.

That’s what I kept telling myself. So what if I told him that I was “his?” I didn’t mean it.

I didn’t.

I wasn’t the only one who arrived back at the fish shop looking different. Javier had a shiner forming on his right eye and his lip and nose were swollen from my punches. The minute we climbed the stairs and Raul and Peter saw what happened, I knew their tongues were wagging.

Javier and I went to our room, closing the door on their questions. I walked over to the window and stared out at the ocean, the low, dark clouds on the horizon that never seemed to come any closer. They just hovered there, ominous and waiting.

I felt his energy at my back, his presence, his gaze. Then he came closer to me and placed his hand on my bare shoulder. I closed my eyes.

“Angel,” he said seductively. I didn’t have to give into it again.

“I think that was a mistake,” I said softly.

His breath hitched. “It wasn’t.”

I stared at the horizon. The clouds were still not moving.

“I have to get … I know what I have to do. Now is not the time to start dredging up the past, to get involved in this.” I couldn’t let him fool me into thinking he’s all I’d ever have.

He placed his lips on my neck. I didn’t flinch. I pretended it didn’t feel good, electric.

“And what is this?” he asked, when he pulled away. I could feel he didn’t go far, his mouth was close, tickling my skin.

“Javier, this is a distraction. You know it. I have to get to Travis.”

“I admire your sudden dedication,” he murmured. “But we both know there is no stopping this. You are my queen, Ellie. And when Travis is gone, you will rule with me.”

I didn’t want to be his queen. I didn’t want to rule over a terrible kingdom, a land of violence and strife. I was good, somewhere, I knew it.

Yet, I was going to help murder Travis Raines.

He let go of me and walked over to the closet, rifling through his clothes. “Tomorrow night, I will take you to The Zoo,” he said, his voice back to business. “The club Travis will be at. Should be at. You’ll go to the bar and order a drink and look for him. When you see him, you will not react. You will continue to scan the club. I just want him to see you. Then the next day, at the market, perhaps he’ll have something to talk to you about.”

I gulped air. Panic fluttered through me, tiny winged insects.

“And what if he wants to talk to me at the club?”

“Then you talk. We’ll have you in something like you wore today. If he’s anything like me, he’ll want to rip your shirt right off you, just to get a taste of your tits.”

I spun around in shock. “You want him to do that?”

He shrugged, back to me. “No, I don’t particularly want him to. I don’t want any man even looking at you. But in the name of revenge, yes, it will have to do.”

I glared at him as I came over, stopping at his back. “So I’m a sacrifice?”

“Yes. You’re good at making those now, aren’t you?” he said sarcastically.

He faced me, a twisted smile on his bruised lips. I felt like making them worse all over again.

“There are things we have to do in order to get what we want. You shouldn’t let your conscience, or your feelings, ever stop you. We are both stronger than that.”

The image of him in bed with the redhead. Patricia.

“You’re a sacrifice,” he went on smoothly, “I’m sacrificing you.”

“For the greater good,” I said snidely.

“Except there is no good here. This is for us. The greater us.”

I shook my head. I knew I’d have to get Travis’s attention, I just didn’t really think it would have to go to that, that Javier would let me, but apparently that wasn’t the case here. He probably would care if I slept with Travis—I mean, I know he would, judging by the anger in his eyes every time he looked at my cherry blossoms, but he didn’t care enough to not have me do it.

“Okay fine. I go get his attention. Then what?”

“Then we play it by ear. Maybe go on a date with him.”

My lip curled. “With that … that man, Javier, I have to go out with that man.”

He put both his hands on my arms and brought me into him, his eyes staring deeply into mine. “I wouldn’t have you do this if I thought you couldn’t. I know you can. You will be all the better for it. Can’t you see what you’ll become?”

I looked down. “I’ll become like you.”

He brushed my hair off my face. “My dear, you already are like me. You always have been.” He placed his lips on my forehead. “Why do you think we work so well together? A soul needs its other half to truly live. I said that to you once, do you remember? That was a long time ago.” His lips trailed down to my ear. “I don’t have a soul,” he said softly. “You make me feel like I do.”

He led me over to the bed and gently pressed me down onto it. He kissed along my collarbone, nibbling as he went. “I have no interest in redemption anymore. If I did, I know I’d find it in you. Deep inside.”

He pressed his erection against my leg. Hunger flared up inside me, hunger that made me feel disappointed in myself. For letting him do this. For liking it. For wanting it when I should know better.

He came up off my chest, his fingers already finding me wet for him.

“So drenched,” he whispered, taking his fingers up and sliding them across his lips. “This taste. You’re ready to be fucked again.”

With one swift and powerful motion, he flipped me over on my stomach and pulled my skirt up around my waist. He grabbed the back of my hair and yanked my head back, painful pleasure radiating out from my head. The sex in the orange grove was child’s play; I’d forgotten how rough he could be.

He didn’t give me much time to prepare for him before he thrust himself inside, my body expanding from his fullness. “You’re wet but tight,” he growled in my ear. “Perfect.” He slipped his hand over my throat and closed it there like he used to do. Instead of applying gentle pressure, just enough to feel taboo, to make me light-headed, he full on clamped his hand like a vice.

I had no air. I couldn’t breathe. I started to squirm and he pulled me back harder with his hand, yanking my hair with the other, still thrusting into me in a frenzied rhythm.

“You think I don’t know how to handle you?” he groaned into my ear. “Well I’m handling you now.”

I brought my hands up to my throat, trying to pry his fingers off.

“Stop,” I managed to eke out.

“You don’t tell me when to stop,” he grunted.

I decided elbowing him in the chest was better.

He let go of my neck and I collapsed onto the bed, trying to breathe, my throat tender and sore. He pressed down on me, keeping me flattened. “Angel?”

I coughed, not able to speak yet. What the fuck just happened?

“Angel, I thought you were tougher than that,” he said, his voice a tad apologetic. He put his hand underneath my stomach, rubbing my clit. But the moment was gone and for once my body was responding to my head.

“I couldn’t breathe,” I said, trying to turn over. He hesitated, as if deciding whether or not to let me move, then he backed off, pulling out of me. His eyes flashed in a mix of lust and concern, an odd combination for anyone but not for him.

He leaned back, sitting upright and pulled me on top of him, my legs going around his middle. He cupped my face in his hands. “I’m sorry. I should have been more … considerate.”

You scared me, I wanted to say. Instead I nodded, wanting to forget the whole thing.