Wicked as Sin (Wicked & Devoted 1)

“First, I have to take a step back and give you two a history lesson.” Hunter sighed. “About eighteen months ago, Arnold Waxman, a wealthy doctor from Atlanta, hired the colonel to infiltrate the Guerrero region in Mexico and find his daughter, Kendra. She had traveled there with a group of doctors to give medial aid to the poor. They got caught in the crossfire when a couple of factions within the Tierra Caliente cartel started warring and they were taken hostage. Waxman paid the ransom, but Kendra wasn’t released. That’s when Logan, Dad, and I stepped in and discovered that another rival splinter gang, headed by Emilo Montilla, had overrun the first and taken the hostages. We located them, got in, then extracted Kendra, along with the rest of the survivors.”

This was all news to One-Mile. But something must have gone to shit since because it definitely hadn’t been their last trip to Guerrero. “Then what?”

“While Kendra was in captivity, she made friends with Valeria Montilla, Emilo’s wife. She begged us to smuggle her out with the medical workers. She was pregnant and feared what would happen to her child if she stayed.”

One-Mile let out a low whistle. “I know our friendly neighborhood drug lord didn’t take that well.”

“No.”

“So we went to Guerrero a couple of months back…why?”

“Valeria hired us to rescue her sister. Emilo had been keeping her as bait.”

“But everything went south,” Trees pointed out. “Our mission failed, and we nearly died.”

Hunter nodded. “Because of the mole.”

“So we’re going back in to retrieve Valeria’s sister?”

The boss shook his head. “That’s not a good idea until we figure out who within our organization turned against us. This mission is purely a screen to smoke out our rat. So you two will land in Acapulco and set up surveillance equipment together in a predetermined location. Trees, from there you’ll drive out of the city and head inland to Taxco, where you’ll set up surveillance in another location. Pierce, you’ll head up the coast to Petalán.”

“We’re splitting up?” Trees raised a brow. “That’s risky as fuck in a place like that.”

“It’s the fastest way to figure out who’s selling us out.” One-Mile shrugged. “If we don’t, it’s only a matter of time before we’re caught unaware again. At least we’ll be going into this with our eyes wide open.” He turned back to Hunter. “So what are you telling everyone around here?”

“Each of the other three operatives will get a different cover story. We’ll know who our mole is based on which location Tierra Caliente raids.”

As ideas went, it wasn’t foolproof. But they didn’t have a lot of options, and he understood the rationale.

“We’ve only got a few suspects. Maybe we can discern our mole without all the cloak-and-dagger bullshit.”

“And just so we’re clear, Zy would never sell us out,” Trees vowed.

How sweet. The tall dude was sticking up for his bestie. Based on what, a pinkie swear?

Still, Zy’s family was loaded. He seemed less likely to betray his peers…but it wasn’t impossible.

“Trees, I know you’re convinced Zy is innocent,” Hunter acknowledged, “but we can’t assume anything. We have to rule everyone out before we know for sure what we’re dealing with.”

One-Mile considered the other two possibilities. Josiah Grant was former CIA, so he was more likely to have the international connections needed to stab his fellow operatives in the back. But was that really the surly loner’s speed?

That left Cutter. The asshole had a hero complex…but was it possible appearances were deceiving? Just because he couldn’t think of a reason Bryant would sell them out didn’t mean he wouldn’t. On the other hand, no matter how badly he wanted Cutter to be guilty, that didn’t actually make him the culprit.

“When are we leaving?” he asked Hunter.

“Tonight.”

Son of a bitch. Of all the terrible timing…

One-Mile bit back a groan. “Mission duration?”

With any luck, he’d be back in a few days, and his absence would only be a momentary setback with Brea. Hell, maybe this was for the best. She’d asked for space, and if he stayed in the same zip code, he’d be tempted to corner her, strip her naked, and remind her how good they were together.

“Couple of days, tops. You should head out before you and Cutter are tempted to commit murder on company property.”

“Sounds like more fun than fucking with a cartel,” Trees quipped.

Amen. But he didn’t get that choice. Besides, if he killed Cutter, Brea would never forgive him. “I’m in.”

“Listen, you can’t tell anyone you’re leaving or where you’re going. Logan, Joaquin, and I will circulate your various locations after you’ve set up the surveillance equipment.”

One-Mile rose. “Got it.”

“Roger that.” Trees stood, too.

“Both of you report here at twenty-one hundred. I’ll be waiting with further instructions. That gives you about twelve hours to get your shit in order…just in case this doesn’t go as planned.”