Page 60 of Reign of a Billionaire

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 corruptedand 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 aWhat 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 seeyouhere,” 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 eerieswooshof 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.