Page 36 of Lethal Vengeance

She thinks about it. “No, my name wouldn’t mean anything to him.” Her eyes linger on each of us. “Won’t you have my background back soon?”

All three give me a look of approval. Deception doesn’t sit well with them. Any of us, really. “We don’t know when the information will get back to us, but I have a feeling you planned for that contingency. We need something concrete now.”

Small hands clench into fists. “My sister’s name is… was Sophia Lopez.”

Raider steps closer.

None of us say a word. The devastation on her face tells us how hard this is for her.

“Armando… he… killed her,” she finishes, her whole body shaking. “It was personal.”

Raider’s eyes turn wild, but this time, he shifts back a few steps.

Ah, hell.

Cruz reaches out and places a hand on Raider’s shoulder to stop him.

Quinn watches everything with wide eyes.

“Sophia is a beautiful name, love,” Sterling states softly, his voice soothing in the tense atmosphere. “I think we all need a break, don’t you?” When she nods, he motions to Cruz. “Why don’t you go with Cruz and pack your stuff up? We’ll take it over with ours in the morning.”

She drags her eyes from Raider to Cruz and nods.

Cruz laces his fingers with hers and pulls her out the door.

Raider explodes into movement the second the door shuts.

I place my body in front of his, but I don’t touch him. “Stop. Two girls are counting on us to get them out of that hellhole tomorrow. After they are safe, we can figure out what to do for Quinn and the rest of the people in the facilities.”

Raider stops laying weapons on the table. Blank icy blue eyes drill into me.

“Personally, I think we should ask Quinn what she has planned for that bloody bastard,” Sterling interjects. “If you take her vengeance, will she find peace?” Green eyes meet blue, and a shared understanding passes between them.

Raider’s body shudders, and he gives a negative shake. “No, she won’t.” He kicks the chair from the table. “Merda!”

“They’re on their way back,” Sterling says, getting to his feet. “Try to act civilized.” His tone is snobby, upper crust English and dripping with disdain.

A spate of French spills from Raider’s mouth.

They both laugh, and I sigh with relief. The last thing we need before a mission is for Raider to go on a killing spree.

16

QUINN

The last time I said her name aloud, I was carving Julio’s body into pieces—while he was alive, of course. He was blubbering on about his brother and someone named Gabriel. And love. Like I would believe he’dlovedmy sister. Not all the bruises and breaks on her body were caused by her death.

When it was all done, I dragged his carcass outside and walked away. Leaving the bodies for the carrion and wild animals roaming the desert. Like they did to Sophia.

My eyes burn, but the tears dried up long ago. I stand in the middle of the room trying to remember the reason I’m standing in the middle of this room.

His intense eyes search mine, but thankfully, he doesn’t ask if I’m okay. What a bland, insipid word. Okay. Like anything can ever be okay again. But he knows. It’s why he doesn’t ask.

After a deep breath, I head to the bedroom and pack my clothes. Two drawers. Each safe place has the same clothes. It’s all I’ve allowed myself. I stash them in my duffle and grab my backpack with my laptop, listening gear, and a few other electronics that have come in handy. At the last minute, I stuff the pot of Raider’s cream into the bag. I can’t believe how well the stuff worked to get rid of my bruises.

“Ready.”

An eyebrow rises, and he turns slowly around the room. “What about the pictures or the rest of the stuff?”