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SEVEN

brUNO

“S on of a bitch!” I tossed my crystal glass across the room and watched as it shattered against the massive stone fireplace.

“ Lo lament ?—”

“Nando!” I spun around and glared at the man I had ordered to drive the reporter around. “Hablas inglés?”

“ Sí . Yes.” He seemed to struggle to switch to English and lowered his head. I had no sympathy for the pain he must have suffered. His face looked to be half melted from the explosion at the motel. “We did everything you asked. How could we know that Canos had his people follow us?”

“You should have been on watch,” I snarled and thought if he hadn’t been with me for so long, I’d snap his neck.

I remembered what I told Nicole about Talya Canos, that she was dead, and that I wanted to be the one to find her baby.

Everything came down to that fucking baby.

She’d better realize that if she didn’t come back with that child, I’d hunt her down myself and kill her with my bare hands. “Where’s the girl?”

“She stole my truck and headed south. She’s with that fat motel owner.”

“Qué?” I stepped around my desk in a need to put a barrier between us. “Why the hell is he with her?”

“I don’t know.” He jumped when I slammed my fist against the fine mahogany desk.

“Mr. Perez,” my secretary buzzed in over the intercom, “Mr. Sanchez is here.”

“Yeah,” I grunted. “I don’t care what you need to do, Nando, but don’t come back until you fucking find her!”

“Yes, sir.” He raced out the door as Sully came in.

“Does he know he’s got a fucked up face? Because he’s got a fucked up face.” Sully Sanchez eased into a chair, and I raised a brow at his comfort level in my office. “I know things took a dark turn but, Bruno, everything will be fine.”

I crossed my arms at his assurance and my temper grew. “How can you predict such an outcome?”

“Because of what we have in place.” He reached over and poured himself a drink. “You can trust Nicole.”

“How?”

“Because I’ve tested her more than once. I even set up a big operation where if she had told anyone, the federales would have been all over it.” He shrugged. “Guess what? Nothing happened. She has been well paid and has shown me her loyalty more than once.”

“She has shown me nothing but disrespect.”

He squinted an eye at me. “Perhaps it’s your approach, mi amigo . Kidnapping, violence, the way you talk to her, perhaps it isn’t the best way to win over an American reporter. They conduct business very differently.”

I rolled my eyes at his soft approach. That was where we were very different.

“Where is she now?”

“You tell me,” I snapped at him. “She was in her room at the motel under watch, and then there is a huge explosion, and one of my men is killed, and the other,” I pointed at the door, “is missing half his fucking face. Now, I’m told she drives one of my trucks and is with the owner of the motel!”

“All right,” he raised his hands to calm me down, “so have your man track her down. I can promise you she’s still looking for the child.”

I shook my head. “And how do you know that?”

“Because you have her good friend, and one thing to know about Nicole Winter is that she’ll do whatever is necessary to protect someone she cares about.

I know. I’ve seen it firsthand.” At his words, I dug my teeth into my bottom lip.

“What is it?” He leaned forward when he sensed my mood change.

“Did something happen with the cameraman?”

“Those pinchesgringos from the north took him.” His face lit up, a wide grin stretching across his lips.

“Oh, really?”

“ Sí .” I tapped my fingers on the desk.

“That’s a good thing, then, yeah?”

“ Quizás . In time… we’ll see.”

My phone vibrated, and I turned it around for him to see.

J: I have something for you.

“See,” Sully beamed, “things are looking up.”

I hit the J and connected the call.