Confessed (Vargas Cartel #3) by Lisa Cardiff Read Free Book Online Page B

else’s judgment, but right now I had to trust Emanuel and Ignacio.
    I swiped a stack of papers from the desk and handed each one of the men a stack of photos of the Alvarez safe house. “Okay. This is where they’re holding the hostage.”
    “When are we going to move on the location?” Noah asked as he studied the photos.
    “Tonight,” I answered.
    “Don’t you think we should do a little recon first?” Rick said, cocking his head to the side.
    “That would be ideal, but time is of the essence.”
    Rick whistled as he shook his head.
    I shot him a leveling stare. “Is that going to be a problem for you? If so, you can get the fuck out now. Either you’re all in or you’re not.”
    Rick scrubbed the side of his face. “You’re asking us to take a leap of faith here. A lot can go wrong.”
    “You’re absolutely right. This mission could blow up in our faces whether or not we spend a week staking out the Alvarez safe house.” I paused in front of him, resting my hands on my hips. “Either way, I’ve agreed to compensate you for the added risk and time constraints. If it’s not adequate, then you can walk out right now.” I waved my hand toward the door.
    Rick’s lips curled. “This is a suicide mission. We don’t know if the place is booby-trapped or how many men we’ll encounter. At least let a few of us do a quick surveillance run tonight so we’re not running blind.”
    “He has a point,” Noah said, propping his ankle on the opposite leg. “The security might change the following night, but it’d give us more information than a few pictures.”
    “No,” I spat, my hands shaking with violence. “If someone sees us, they’ll move her or kill her and we’ll be right back to square one, except they’ll know we want her.”
    Noah’s nostrils flared. “And if we fail because we’re unprepared, they’ll cut off her head and deliver it to her family or you by sunrise.”
    “Failing isn’t an option.” I curled my hands into balls. “Are you saying you’re not good enough to do this?”
    Noah’s lips thinned, and his eyes glittered. “No, I’ll do it, but I want seventy-five percent of the money dropped into my account before I’ll lift a finger.”
    I glanced out the window. An older man with gray hair crouched in the garden beds planting flowers. “Are you worried you’re not going to make it out?”
    “No. I always come out on top.” He chuckled as he leaned back. “I’m worried you won’t make it out and I won’t be paid.”
    “I’m not worried about myself, but I’ll wire the money to your account tonight.”
    “One more thing,” Noah said.
    “What’s that?”
    “The final twenty-five percent payment won’t be dependent on whether the girl lives or dies.”
    “No.” I gritted my teeth. “I need there to be an incentive for you to do everything in your power keep her alive.”
    Noah ran his fingers over his lips. “Fine, but if they kill her before we show up, I still want all the money you promised me.”
    A shiver ghosted down my spine. I hoped his words weren’t prophetic. Hattie couldn’t die. I wouldn’t allow it. Life couldn’t be that cruel. I swiped my hand across my forehead, hardening my heart. “Deal,” I barked with a wintry smile. “Now, let’s bang out the logistics so we can get everything ready.”

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Seven
     
     
    Hattie
     
    “Wake up.”
    A boot rammed into my lower back, not hard enough to injure me, but with enough force to get my attention. I scrambled to my knees and pushed my greasy, matted hair from my face. My stare collided with Enrique’s, and I quickly lowered my gaze.
    “Okay. Okay. I’m up,” I mumbled.
    “We’re moving you to a new location today.”
    I chewed on my lower lip, stifling the questions stampeding like a herd of cattle through my mind. Instead, I nodded with half-lowered eyelids. Ryker promised he’d come for me tonight. Hopefully, Enrique intended to move