Libby turned, her groaning belly attesting to the fact that it had been far too long since she’d eaten. She decided to raid the other tent quickly to find a few pickings, and after she did, headed into the jungle.
She glanced up one more time and looked to the right, knowing that a few hours earlier Jaxon and the rest had tracked through the jungle on the beaten path that would eventually bring them high up the mountain and close to the DaCosta compound. She looked to her left and felt a spark ignite as she set off. A half mile away was a river that originated near the compound. The going would be tough, but it was more direct and would save her some time.
Hopefully, she’d make it there before the fireworks started. Before someone else got to Fat Frank. Her hand went to the guns tucked safely in the waistband of her pants. She knew that Frank was her last hope of finding out where her child had been taken. She had her own plans for him, and no one, not even Jaxon Castille, was going to stand in her way.
Chapter 19
Jaxon’s unit moved deeper into the Maya Mountains, forging their way through the lush underbelly of the jungle until it opened onto a ridge that quickly became permeated with pine, mahogany, and cedar. The trees were taller here, but the vegetation at their feet was healthy, vibrant and deep green.
Heavy moist air filled his lungs and melancholy filled his soul as an array of emotions wove their way into his brain. The cat began to move, burning his skin with a heated shimmer, excited at the hunt and thirsty for revenge. Every cell in his body was wired, crackling with electricity, humming along his limbs like an invisible force field.
He ignored the excitement that hung low in his gut. He needed to be in control. He had to focus and banish thoughts of the previous evening far from his mind.
It was hard…incredibly hard. Guilt hung heavily around his neck. He couldn’t shake the feeling, and felt like a first-class asshole. He hadn’t planned on seducing Libby; in fact, he’d hoped a run in the forest would quiet the animal that raged inside him.
Instead it had done the exact opposite, and when he returned to camp after a strenuous hour or so with his brother, her scent lingered in the air, leaving a trail of sweetness that called to him on such a primal level, he’d not been able to resist. He’d made love to Libby. And then left her.
Again.
On top of that, he had gone along with Declan’s idea to charm her into a deep sleep.
There would be hell to pay when he next saw her, and not just for him. He looked to the left at Dec and sighed. Libby would kick both of their asses. But he had to admit, he’d rather have her pissed off back at base with Ana to protect her than out here on the hunt facing possible death.
He couldn’t lose her. Not ever again.
Jaxon shook himself mentally, calling upon the steel resolve that lay deep at the heart of the jaguar. He took a long swig of water, his hand fisting upward, motioning everyone to stop. They’d been hiking through the mountain range for almost eight hours, and the sun was low in the sky. Soon nightfall would cover the landscape.
The forest was alive with sounds, smells, and activity. Declan had used an invisibility charm to cloak their presence from the animals that lived out here. They didn’t want the DaCostas to sense any change in behavior from the creatures that called their territory home. Howler monkeys and a whole host of screeching birds would have been sure to trumpet their presence, but for now the charm was working wonderfully in aiding their silent approach.
And so, their quiet, deadly foray up the mountain had moved quickly, hidden from prying eyes.
Jaxon turned his head to the right, nostrils quivering as he scented the air. They were close.
He motioned to his brothers. “It’s time.” His dark eyes went from the emerald green of Jagger’s to the deep topaz eyes of his older brother, Julian. A flood of emotion cracked through his thick outer shell, and he took a moment to compose his thoughts.
He’d worked with Jagger on several occasions and knew his younger brother was both a skilled warrior and a deadly soldier. But to have Julian there, on the front lines, putting his life at risk, was something he’d not anticipated. It meant a lot.
“Julian, you sure you want to go through with this? I understand if you want to hang back, and—”
His brother hissed at him, “I might not have the warrior tattoos, but I am by no means any less of a threat than either of you. I will do this. No one makes a move against a Castille without facing the consequences.”
His eyes had morphed to a deeper amber color, and his mouth slashed into a harsh grin as he began to strip the clothes from his back. “Truthfully, I’ve not felt so alive in a long while. I’ve been spending so much time in the boardroom, I neglected the very nature that makes me what I am.”
“Yeah, Jaxon, don’t worry about us,” Jagger growled deep from his gut. “I need to hunt me some DaCosta meat.”
“Nice.” Declan chuckled. “You boys know the plan?”
Julian and Jagger nodded, and after stripping completely, ran toward the forest as mist formed long tentacles around their bodies, obscuring the change that was taking place. Within a few seconds two distinctly different jaguars glanced back at them, and Jaxon was overcome with pride and love for his brothers. He nodded at them and watched both cats, one golden and one black, disappear into the thick blanket of foliage that laced the forest floor.
Cracker spat from the side of his mouth, coming to a halt beside the others. He opened up a handheld unit and after a few seconds flipped it shut.
“The compound is about two miles dead ahead. Satellite images Ana sent show limited activity.” His face darkened as he turned to Declan. “You sense any magick here about? Seems to me they’d have all sorts of wards in place, or whatever the hell it is you people do.”
Declan frowned but shook his head, “No, there’s nothing out here that I can find. Surprising, actually. I was expecting to at least come across traces of the dark arts used back in Manhattan.” He looked around and shrugged his shoulders. “There’s nothing.”
“I don’t like it. Something don’t feel right to me.” Cracker looked at Jaxon, and made no effort to hide the worry that lined his face.
“This whole situation is fucked, but right now I don’t see any other alternative.” Jaxon’s face was fierce and his voice rough. “This is ground zero. It’s the only logical place to start looking for those bastards.”