Page 132 of Sins of the Orchid

“He knew,” I whispered. “George knew I wasn’t his.”

DeAngelo’s eyes watched me carefully, his own brain putting things together. My eyes flicked his way and locked with his.

The other men stood a few feet behind us, giving us privacy.

“Do you think…” I couldn’t even finish it. I heard him scream, the agonizing pain of it haunted me for nights to come. No, it couldn’t be. He loved Mom. He wouldn’t have let anyone hurt her. I saw what they did to her with my own two eyes. The pain and terror on Mom’s face as they tortured her, burned her, cut her. Then ended it all by slicing her throat.

I clenched my hand into a fist and shook my head. Not now. Right now, I needed to focus.

“Never mind,” I said brusquely. “Let’s go.”

We continued on foot, but I couldn’t erase the bad feeling; my gut telling me to evaluate all the thoughts swirling in my mind. George kept his sons a secret. It could be that he kept many more secrets. His sons killed Mom and wanted me dead.

Except, what could they gain by killing us? Damn it, I needed a clear head. When we get home… I’d think it through then.

Unless we are walking into a trap here, I thought wryly.

“Okay,” DeAngelo whispered in a low voice. “Everyone put your masks on.”

I groaned silently. I hated wearing it, but DeAngelo knew it was safest. We didn’t want anyone recognizing our faces. It would make us vulnerable. Though if they had some brains, they probably knew already. I mean, if you attack, you get attacked back.

Tit for tat and all that bullshit.

DeAngelo pointed a finger, directing the men, splitting us up. “Two men there, two there, and Amore with me. Everyone, sync up the watches. The chopper will get us in twenty minutes. Set the explosive and we get clear. If you seeanyAnderson, old or young”—And there was my confirmation. DeAngelo thought George alive—“kill him and take a picture. Twenty minutes!”

We took two steps into the camp and chaos exploded around us. The whistling sound of an object being thrown was the only warning we had before a grenade exploded. It pitched me and DeAngelo forward, spraying dirt and debris on our faces, and DeAngelo threw his body over mine.

My head turned his way; he was screaming in my face, but I couldn’t hear a thing.

My ears were ringing, and I wondered if this would be it. One glance in the opposite direction told me the whole damn camp was on fire, a flaming carcass.

“Chopper now.” I could finally hear DeAngelo’s voice. My eardrums were finally starting to clear. “Fucking bring the chopper now,” he yelled into his watch.

Bullets started to fly, and DeAngelo had me flattened to the ground. Somewhere in the distance I heard a chopper. Commotion, yelling in Spanish and English.

“We just fucking got here,” he hissed. “What the fuck?” When he was pissed off, his accent got thicker. It was kind of sexy. Not Santi sexy but still. In the midst of the chaos, I wondered if DeAngelo had a girlfriend.

His eyes roamed the area. I wanted to do the same but he literally kept my head down with his palm on my forehead, so I was left just staring at his hard and handsome face. If it was Santi’s hand on my face, and there weren’t bullets flying around, I would have totally been turned on.

Priorities, Amore,I groaned silently. This wasn’t the time nor place to think of Santi and kinky sex.

“We can’t stay lying here,” I hissed. We had to help the others and kill whatever members of the cartel were still here. Hopefully, Ulrich was here, and we could end him once and for all. And if George was alive… well, let’s just say I knew a few men that were excellent at torture. Starting with my father and brothers.

DeAngelo finally nodded wearily.

“Stick to me and stay low,” he warned.

I had no desire to get killed, so I followed his advice. The compound was a battlefield. I aimed and shot at whoever was shooting at us. I couldn’t pause and think about their families. Then we’d never make it out of here alive.

These men had to be held accountable for the destruction they caused to numerous families, including mine.

From the corner of my eye, I saw a reflection of light, blonde hair and my head whipped in its direction.Ulrich Anderson!

He was here; he was actually here! The other bastard that killed my mother. One nod from this asshole and his brother sliced my mom’s throat. My mind was filled with the blood-soaked images of her body, her screams echoing in my brain. They had done that to many others, mutilated corpses, men and women that disappeared forever. My mother couldn’t even get a burial because her body was who knew where.

I grabbed DeAngelo by his hand and pointed. He followed the line of my sight and spotted him too. We both started running after him. I was ready to end all this bullshit and make him pay.

DeAngelo was faster than me and tackled Ulrich to the ground before I got to him. As I neared him, I could smell blood before I saw it. It was Ulrich’s. His shoulder was bleeding profusely. DeAngelo grabbed him by his neck and held him up in the air, his feet dangling.