Gabriel's house is surrounded by gardens outlined with olive and avocado trees. I march right over to the tree line. I lift my gun, release the safety, and shoot at the narrow trunk of an avocado tree over and over until the clip is empty. I reload and keep firing until the small tree is splintered and leaning at a strange angle, its branches touching the neatly trimmed lawn.
"Now, what are you out here doing?" Marney startles me when he walks up behind me.
"Jesus, Marney. Don't creep up on a girl with a gun."
"Out here killin' nature like a hoodlum." He chuckles. "What's got your panties in a bunch?" He wraps his arm around me and squeezes.
I fire off another shot. "Who do you think?"
"Yeah, well. You're both under a lot of stress..." He squeezes me a little harder. "Why don't you just come on back inside."
I pop the clip out and reload. "Marney, it's this tree or him right now."
He mumbles something and scrapes the toe of his boot along the ground, waiting while I unload another round of bullets. The tree creaks, the wood splits loudly, and then it topples over, snapping in two.
"Well, hell," he huffs. "God rest its soul."
I turn and glare at him, and he tosses his hands in the air. “Fine, fine. I’ll just let you be.” With a chuckle he turns and shuffles back towards the house.
I load the gun again and fire, my anger growing with each pull of the trigger. If Jude Pearson thinks I’m going to let him treat me like some delicate wall flower, he’s got another thing coming.
24
Jude
Tor wouldn't talk to me last night… or this morning. She's royally pissed, which is par for the fucking course by now.
The sun's just set behind the mountains and Gabe's at the table with a bottle of brandy. "My god, ese,” he groans. “How you are not a drunk by now?" He shakes his head and takes another sip. "She holds a grudge..."
"Tell me about it," I say.
"She came in a minute ago and snatched my brandy up, tossed it in the trash." He shakes his head. "That was an expensive bottle and she just tossed it in with rotten meat."
I'm sure she's on rare form. I glance at my watch. We need to be leaving in half an hour and I know Tor's going to make an ordeal about it. I don't have the patience for it right now. "Where'd she go?"
"Away. That's all I care about." He leans back in his chair. "How are we going to get out of here, ese, without her knowing?" he whispers.
"I guess I'll just tie her ass up."
His eyes go wide and he sighs. "Ai, ai, ai. That's probably a bad idea. She's the kind that would pretend she's going to suck you off and bite your ball bag off instead."
"I can handle her."
He snorts. "Yes, sure seems like it."
I shoot a glare a him just as Tor walks into the kitchen wearing a pair of shorts that barely cover her ass and a white tank with no bra, her fucking nipples clear as day. Gabe does a double take and I smack him in the back of the head.
"Ow," he groans, rubbing over the spot I just whacked.
"Evening, doll." I smile.
"Fuck off," she says, ignoring me and heading for the liquor cabinet.
I grab onto her waist and tug her against me, nuzzling my chin in the crook of her neck. "You know it makes me horny when you talk like that." I nip at her neck.
She smiles and faces me, brushing her lips over mine as she presses her body flush against me. "Well, why don't you and Gabe go and lock yourselves in his office. Perhaps he can fix it for you." She shoves out of my grasp and goes over to the cabinet, taking a bottle before she turns to look at me again. "You don't get to exclude me when it comes to saving our daughter." And then she walks out.
Shit.
My mind goes straight to Cayla, to the place I've tried to keep it from since we left Russia because I can't think straight if I let that realization set in. It's grieve or go on the warpath...and those two just don't mix. Closing my eyes, I let my mind drift for just a second. The way she cried, those big tears. How I didn't want to let her go...I grit my teeth, taking that sadness eating away at me and redirecting it. I think of Jésus. I think of Ronan, and I let that anger set in. I know sitting here, not doing a damn thing will do nothing but grind away at Tor, but this is too much of a risk right now. And I'm not ready to lose her. I know this is a suicide mission, but I want every last minute possible with her.
I take a deep breath. Gabe lifts a brow. "Go get Marney and load the Hummer up,” I say. “Give me fifteen minutes."
"Oh, I can't wait to see how this works out."
I walk out of the kitchen and up the stairs to my room. The door is barely cracked and I push it open. She's standing in front of the open balcony doors. "I'm sorry," I say, but she doesn't move. I step behind her and brush her hair from her neck before I gently kiss her throat. "Go if you want."
"You're full of shit, Jude," she says without looking at me.
"I'm only halfway full of shit." I smirk against her neck.
Sighing, she turns to face me. "You're full of promises, making deals when it suits you." She narrows her eyes at me, stabbing her finger against my chest. "It's this that drove me to Jésus in the first place."
My heart rate steadily rises at her words, a slow burn heating my skin. I close my eyes because I have to do this just right or I'm fucked...I take a slow breath to release the mounting tension. "I'm sorry." Those words are like acid on my tongue.
She tilts her head to the side, studying me. "What's going on?"
"I'm just..." I take a step back and pace behind her. "I don't know. I just don't know what to do." I don't know what to do to get you off my ass. Fuck my life. "You have every right to go. I shouldn't have said you couldn't." God, this is so damn hard. I smile because that seems like it will make it more genuine.
"Are you drunk?"
I furrow my brow. "No," I groan. "See… this is why I can't be nice to you."
"Nice?” She raises her eyebrows. “Are you fucking serious? There's nothing nice about you, Jude."
I stare blankly at her. Why is she so fucking stubborn? I trail my hand down her side, around to her ass, and squeeze before I kiss her neck. "I'll show you fucking nice." I quickly slide my hand between her legs and she wraps her fingers around my wrist halting me.
"You can't seduce your way out of this one, Jude."
I laugh against the side of her neck and she shivers. "Wanna bet?" I slip my fingers under the leg of those short fucking shorts she's wearing and ram my finger inside her. Her breath catches, her nails dig into my skin, and I smile. I can feel her fighting it, but...two more thrusts and she gives in.
"I hate you," she whispers.
"I know you do." I slam my lips over hers and peek with one eye over my shoulder at my watch as I back her toward the bathroom. I kiss down her neck until she's panting and clawing at my jeans. Her warm fingers skim over my cock, and I groan before I rip that little tank top over her head. My gaze falls to her tits and I glance back at my watch. I could fuck her real quick—shit.
She grabs my hair, pulling hard enough to make my scalp burn before she kisses me, brushing her tongue over my bottom lip. "Fuck, I want you," I say as I spin her around and tear her shorts down her legs. I slap my hand over her ass before I place my palm on her shoulders and push her forward. "Don't fucking move," I say.
I sink one finger inside her before I back away, unzipping my fly and then—I yank the door open and kick the handle so hard it goes flying off. Tor stands up, spinning around, and I can just make out the absolute rage on her face before I slam the door closed on my way out. She shouts and bangs over the door, but I'm already into the hall and halfway down the stairs trying to shove this raging hard on back inside my jeans.
I nearly bust my ass running out the front door. I round the corner and run into a bush. "Gabe, let's fucking go," I shout, swatting the leaves out from in front of my face
He glances up. "You said fifteen minutes, ese. It's only been ten."
"Le
t's go," I shout again as I look around. "Where the fuck is Marney?"
"Getting supplies."
"Ain't got a missile launcher in this fucking shed?" Marney shouts from the garage.
"What the... I'm not the fucking Russian," Gabe shouts back, and then spits. He tosses a rifle in the back of the Hummer. "What did you do with her?"
"I locked her in the bathroom."
He looks at me like I'm a fucking idiot. "Locked her in the bathroom. Wow, ese."
"Don't question me." I glance at my watch, it's nine and I just want to hurry the hell up. "Let's fucking go. We don't need any damn missiles, Marney."
Gabe steps around the back of Jésus' Hummer and cracks a smile. "Afraid your woman's going to break out" He wiggles his thick eyebrows.
"Look, you have no idea... she'll scale a fucking wall if she has to. And the last time we did some shit like this, she nailed a guy's nuts to a chair."
Gabe wrinkles his brow. "That's just crossing a line, even for me."
"That's exactly what I fucking said to her." I go to the driver's side and climb in.
Marney chuckles. "She's a lil' spitfire. Bless her heart."
Gabe climbs into the passenger seat and Marney files into the back.
"Jude Pearson!" Tor shouts and I freeze. Gabe claps his hands and laughs.
"Fuck. What?" I huff, gripping the steering wheel.
"This is low, even for you." She folds her arms over her chest and actually taps her fucking foot. Oh, she's mad alright.
"For the love of..." I breathe, cranking the engine. I shut the door and put the car in reverse, but here she comes, storming over to the damn car.
"Oh, ese," Gabe laughs, "you are in trouble."
She grabs the roof bar and steps up on the running board to lean through the open window. She snatches the key from the dashboard and jumps back with a smirk on her face.
"Here we fucking go." I roll my neck and groan. "Give the keys back, Tor."
"My keys, my car."
"It's not your fucking car."
"I stole it, so it's mine!"
I glance at Gabe. "You see what the actual fuck I deal with?" I look back out the window. "So, we're five now?"
"Me? You locked me in a bathroom," she says.
"Yes, I did." I hold my hand out. "Keys."
"Marney has an AK strapped to his back, Jude.” She points to the back seat. “What the hell is Marney going to do with a AK?"
I glance at Marney in the rearview. He shrugs. "I like 'em..." he chuckles.
"We're going hunting." I smirk.
"For el chupacabra," Gabe says.
She slaps her hand over her forehead, grunts, and shakes her head before she turns around, walking back toward the house. "Most idiotic bunch of twats..."
Sighing, I glance at Gabe. "See what the fuck I'm talking about?"
"Women, ese, women..."
I open the car door and step out. "Tor!" I shout, but she goes right back inside Gabe's house. I storm up the sidewalk and sling the front door open then go down the hall. "Tor!" When I round the corner, I find her sitting at the breakfast bar with the bottle of brandy in front of her.
"You realize that we have to take down the Sinaloa cartel?" She glares at me. "Like, actually annihilate the entire thing..."
"Yep." I smile and hold out my hand. "Keys."
She rolls her eyes. "Get those dick heads out of the car. You need a plan. You have no plan. I mean shit, is Gabe even sober at this time?"
"We have a plan, that you are interfering with, woman. Don't fucking push me." I step toward her, palm up as I wiggle my fingers. "Give me the fucking keys." And I arch a single brow.
She pushes off her stool and walks over to me, standing so damn close I can smell her perfume. Her gaze slides down my body before lifting back to my face. "I make the perfect bait because I look vulnerable. They'll do what men always do when it comes to a woman and underestimate me. You on the other hand...." She rolls her eyes. "You're too pretty to die for no bloody reason, Jude."
"I'm not fucking dying!" I glance her over and notice a small bulge on her left tit. Without warning, I shove my hand down the neck of her shirt and inside her bra. She punches me in the gut and I grunt, but I still grab the keys and yank them out. "Stay the fuck here," I say, pointing my finger in her face. I swear, we've had this conversation before.
"Jesus Christ," she sighs as she storms out of the kitchen. I follow her through the house and out the front door. She walks straight up to one of the black motorcycles parked by the drive and swings her leg over it, flipping me the bird. The keys are always in the fucking ignition for some reason around here, so she starts it up, revving the noisy engine. The bike growls and spits, drowning out everything else.
"Tor!" I grit my teeth.
She kicks up the stand and peels off.
"Fuck." I head to the Hummer and open the door.
"What the hell is she doing, ese?" Gabe says, wide eyed.
"What Tor fucking does best, annoying the ever-loving shit out of me." I crank the engine and back out of the drive, gravel flying everywhere. "I know where she's going, but fuck me, on a goddamn motorcycle."
"She wasn't wearing a helmet, ese." Gabe tsks.
I glare at him as I turn onto the street. "A fucking helmet? Are you serious, Gabe?"
Gabe shrugs. "At least she's wearing a bra..."
I drive down the road, fuming mad. That woman is going to give me a fucking coronary before the cartel can take me down.
I finally catch up to her when we enter Juarez, and she's driving like a bat out of hell. "What is she doing?" Gabe asks.
I see the bar up ahead on the right-hand corner, and there are a shitload of guys outside. I hang back, watching to see what she's going to do.
"Ese, what the hell are you doing? You better drive up there. That's the Sinaloa bar that she is driving up to with her gringo hair."
She slows the bike, pulls a gun, and pops a few rounds into the crowd outside the bar. "What the hell, Tor..." I mumble, watching as she speeds off.
"Oh, that makes my dick hard," Gabe says.
She turns and skids onto a side street. There's gunfire from the bar and within seconds the men are on bikes chasing right behind her. "Fucking hell, Tor.” I floor the accelerator and head down an alleyway that cuts through one of the back roads. I turn a corner and slam the brakes on, screeching to a halt. "Where the hell did she go?" I watch the street, waiting with my heart hammering against my fucking ribs.
The ping of gunshots bounce down the narrow alleyway followed by the rumbling of the motorcycle's engine. Tor comes flying around the corner of the building and into the alley. The bike loses traction when she swings it around. My grip on the steering wheel tenses and my heart palpitates for a second, but she somehow manages to regain her balance and revs the engine. The tires squeal as she guns it down the alley straight at us, her hair a golden blaze behind her.
"She's going to hit us, shit, she's going to hit us," Gabe says.
She squeezes the bike between the Hummer and the wall of the alley, the noise from the engine causing my ears to ring. As soon as she's past I pull forward and angle the vehicle so that it completely blocks the street. The vibrations from the approaching bikes come through my seat, the noise they're making reminds me of a swarm of angry hornets. The back door to the Hummer clicks open and Tor jumps in, panting.
"Damn, ese...she's a keeper," Gabe says before he climbs out of the open window, propping one foot on the ledge. I hear the clang of him placing the AK on the hood of the car. Marney aims his gun through the cracked window, and I load the rifle before slipping the barrel through the door. The army of bikes turn into the alley before they see us. One bike slams into the other and the men face plant into the concrete wall, blood spatter flying everywhere.
"See, helmets!" Gabe shouts before a mass of gunfire rings out.
Bullets spark off the building, ping from the metal of the bikes. I pull back on the trigger and watch the first
guy's body jerk back before falling to the ground. A few get in shots at us, but we took them by such surprise, they weren't prepared. After only a few seconds, silence rings out, smoke billowing from our guns. About fifteen of Jésus' men lie dead on the filthy ground of the alley.
“Esto es una mierda,” Gabe says before hopping out of the car and walking over to the pile of bodies. He holds the gun against his hip as he pulls a cigarette and lights it. "I hate the fucking Sinaloa," he says, aiming and shooting at one of the men.
"They're dead, Gabe," I say, and he shrugs.
"Don't ruin my fun, ese."
I sit staring at the massacre in front of me. Did we kill them? Sure, but that was stupid of Tor. I drop my gun in my lap and grab a cigarette, light it, and take a long drag as I glare in the review mirror at her. I take the steering wheel in my hand and squeeze it, trying to release some of this bubbling, boiling tension that's working its way through me. "Fucking really, Tor?"
She meets my eyes in the mirror, her expression giving away nothing. "It needed to be done, so I did it. They're dead, so we're good. We need to get out of here though." Her gaze goes to the front of the car and she groans as she jerks her head towards the windshield. "Really, Jude? Really?"
I turn and look, shaking my head. Gabe is standing in the middle of the damn street, dick in hand, taking a piss on a dead guy. "Fuck me...Gabe," I shout out the window, "stop pissing on that cartel fuck and get in the car."
"That's your best friend and you're trying to tell me I'm out of line," Tor says.
I turn and glare at her, pointing a finger in her face. "You are out of line. On every fucking level." I turn back just in time to catch Gabe jiggle. He grins as he saunters toward the car, his AK strapped to his back.
He yanks open the door and climbs in.
"Now you're done urinating on the dead, can we go?" Tor asks, annoyance lacing her voice. "I don't fancy spending time in a Mexican prison."
War (Wrong Book 4) Page 13