Page 41 of Between Passion and Revenge: Part Two

“Good,” I reply.

“But there’s a problem,” Axel adds, and if that statement doesn’t give me heartburn.

“Explain,” I grate out.

“Well, so you remember how Shae gave the Keystone folks half a billion dollars to escrow her earnest money? Well, it looks like they’re already moving it.”

My stomach drops. Of course they’ll move it, use it to fund their crimes.

Shae’s given them enough money to bankroll at least one genocide.

“They haven’t cashed out all of it because they’re not completely dumb, but they’ve already started siphoning off funds,” Axel adds.

“So it’s too late already,” Riale grinds out. “Why are we intervening? We can just throw some security on her and call it a day. She’s gonna do what she wants to do anyway.”

I go still, so still I don’t even breathe.

“Riale, are youthatfucked up that you can’t see why I’m here?” I deliver the question quietly.

Axel shifts in his seat to sit with his back to his door, and his gaze moves between me and my best friend.

“Listen, I’ll admit that I’m not one for all the touchy-feely shit. I know you’re in love or whatever?—”

“Or whatever?” Axel joins in, and I ignore him.

“But you’re out here moving reckless and without strategy, and you forget that the three of us? We work as a team. You got us behind you, and that’s great. But when one of us is fucking up, we’re all fucking up. And when we’re all fucking up, we all are at risk of getting merked out here. And I don’t plan on dying anytime soon, andespeciallynot over some shit that don’t even fit the mission.”

The car goes silent, and it lasts about three seconds before Axel pipes up.

“For real, though. What’s your plan? You gotta have one.”

I still stare at Riale, trying to figure out when my best friend turned so cold…and ignoring the fact that he does have a point.

“Listen, the sooner we can resolve this Keystone issue, the sooner we can get back to what matters. Lakeland. Or did you forget that there’s another acquisition event happening sometime in the next five days?” Riale says.

My stomach flips. Riale’s right again. I should be focused on the intel we got about Lakeland and his crew’s plans to round up at least another fifty people to traffic through Southeast Asia.

That’s why he’s on Isla Cara.

It matters to me. It’s always mattered. Breaking down Lakeland’s underground business operations from the outside in, surrounding him until we choke off his blood supply, has always been the focus, the plan.

But it’s different for me compared to Axel and Riale.

Axel hates all billionaires—except me, from what he says. Anytime he can destroy them, he’ll take it.

Riale’s sense of justice and his commitment to protecting the vulnerable make it impossible for him to look away from what Lakeland does.

For me? My number one motivation has always been and will always be Shae. My sole mission in life is to keep her safe from harm, and with Lakeland still on this planet, breathing air, she isn’t safe.

That was the truth back when my parents died, and it’s especially true now that he’s set his sights on her again.

“Couldn’t you drain the account? Put what’s left of Shae’s $500 mil in crypto and store the wallet somewhere random until it’s safe for her to have it back?” I ask.

Axel tilts his head from side to side as if thinking it through.

“Icould,but wouldn’t that amplify the target on her back? We don’t have her with the plan enough for us to do that without her getting herself hurt.”

He’s right, of course. Doesn’t mean I like it.