He took a pickaxe to my heart.
“Maybe he’ll take six years,” I whispered, feeling the hope drain out of the wound. Javier was right and I hated it. Camden wasn’t coming. He wouldn’t get his family back and then leave them for me. He wouldn’t give up on them. I wouldn’t even want him to do that. I knew then that I had to let him go, it just hurt too much to even consider it.
“I didn’t come for you until I was ready,” Javier spoke up after a thick pause. “That’s evolution.” He sighed. “You’re right not to trust me or not to trust anyone. But I am not keeping you in the dark. We’re just trying to figure out the best way to get you in Travis’s path.”
That idea made me shudder. “Easiest way possible, please.”
I felt Javier’s eyes on me. “A dress like that will be a start. Travis doesn’t go out all that often from what our friends say but he’s not a total, how you say, hermit. He goes to the market every Saturday, so three days from now. I would like to see if we could find him before that, though.”
“So what, you’re going to keep driving me into town and dropping me off and hoping I’ll bump into him?”
“Well, no. We’ll get you a hotel room in the city. You’ll be a female traveler there alone. I have a man who works there. He’ll be our day-to-day contact. You won’t see me much.”
That worried me for some reason.
He went on, “It’s better that way. We can’t take chances. Once you are in Travis’s sights, I’ll have to disappear. He would probably have you followed for a bit, so you must keep up the mask of American traveler for some time. If he caught you and I talking, things would be over for you pretty fast.”
“Why me? Why not someone else? Why do you think he’ll take any interest in me at all?”
He licked his lips and turned his attention back to the dark highway. “You don’t know what you are, Ellie. You act strong but everyone can see how vulnerable you are. Men, like me, like Travis, we want to protect that. We want to break you, mold you and keep you as ours. He’ll see you and he’ll see that in you.”
I didn’t know how to react to whatever the hell he just said. It was honest and disheartening. I was pretty sure Camden never saw me that way. Pretty sure …
“Besides, you’re very beautiful, from head to toe. Any man would be crazy not to have you as his queen.”
I kept my mouth shut to that. I was sure a woman with scars, tattoos and a nipple ring wasn’t the height of all beauty.
Javier’s original plan that night was to visit the small hotel where I was to be staying. It was just as well that I had decided to come along.
Veracruz was only 40 miles from Pedro’s place so before we knew it we were entering the lights of the city, the plazas and malecón all aglow for the evening. The hotel was right in the city but backed out onto a small preserve that ran along a stream. There was one two-story building that held the office, gift shop, lobby and rooms, then a courtyard and a pool, with two large haciendas at the back with their own private everything. Javier had splurged on the private cabin starting Saturday night, especially liking that it had a hidden entrance at the back that led to a small landscaped patio and the reserve beyond.
The only person on staff that night was Javier’s contact, Enrico. Enrico was no older than twenty, with a smooth face and bright eyes. He was sharp as a tack too and respected Javier without being all fan boy about it. At least I’d feel safe with Enrico there acting as Javier’s eyes. I had to wonder how many of Javier’s men were scattered around town, protecting him from afar.
Before we left, Enrico slipped Javier a piece of paper. I didn’t ask about it until we were back in the Range Rover and heading to the fish shop.
“What was that paper he gave you?” I asked.
“The name of someone who can help us.” Another person that could help? Javier caught the look on my face and smiled sympathetically. “Ellie, for this, we are going to need all the help we can get.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CAMDEN
Swerve, swerve, swerve.
The GTO responded to my touch like I did to lips on my dick. I jetted the car down the road while Gus frantically flipped on the GPS to try and get us a better route away from the cop car that was still on our trail. We didn’t know if it was in relation to what had just happened with Dan or the cop just happened to see us speeding, either way it was bad news. If the cops caught us, we’d be found out pretty fast with my somewhat “Wanted” face and a trunk full of crazy ass weapons that the cartels wouldn’t want anywhere near them.
“There’s a small road up to your left,” Gus said, jabbing at the device. “Take it then take the next road to your right, that hooks around to the highway.”