Unshackle (Deliver 7)

“Yeah, I know.” His eyes hardened. “I raped you.”

“I forgave you. You don’t have to forgive Silvia. In fact, I’ll be royally pissed if you do.”

“Dayyy-um.” Lucia grinned. “I like her. It’s about time someone put you in your place, Luke.”

“When her leg heals, my place will be standing behind her upturned ass while I blister it red.”

“Promises, promises.” Vera lay back down, returning her head to his lap.

She slept off and on through the duration of the flight. During moments of alertness, she listened to them wrap up the details of the mission and discuss the status of another one Camila was running in Mexico.

But mostly, they talked about Tomas.

Cole asked a lot of questions about the email, its origin, and Tomas’ childhood. Luke and Tate didn’t have the answers. Tomas had never told anyone he’d loved and lost a girl. He’d certainly never told anyone he’d been writing to her ghost all these years.

It sounded like they were going to give him a week to make contact. Then Cole would fly back to America and go after him.

“Who are you?” Vera cringed at the rudeness of her question. “Sorry. That came out wrong. But seriously. You’re not one of Van’s captives. You’re not related to them by blood or marriage. You’re not a Restrepo cartel member. So… Who are you?”

Cole flashed her a wolfish, bearded smile, all teeth, and no answers.

“If you ever figure it out…” Luke stroked the curve of her hip. “Tell the rest of us.”CHAPTER 29Vera spent the next week in a blur of recovery and acclimation. She’d been dug out of hell, dropped into a brand-new life, and she embraced it with her entire being.

The Restrepo Cartel headquarters in Colombia was even more lavish than Casa de La Rocha. Nestled in the Amazon rainforest, it boasted top-notch security, freedom to roam without consequences, and the best part? The cartel didn’t traffic humans. They sought and destroyed those who did.

Matias and Camila were in Mexico right now, running another mission. But she met the rest of the crew. Liv and Josh, Van and Amber, Kate and Tiago, Martin and Ricky. And Tula…

Her sister had greeted her on the helicopter pad, arms wide, black hair whipping in the turbulence, and tears streaking down her face. They cried together, blubbered their regrets, and reconnected for days.

Tula’s guys, Martin and Ricky, had greeted Vera with warm, hard-muscled, masculine-scented hugs. Then they hung around, listening to her and Tula exchange questions and reminisce for hours. They were good-looking men. Attentive. Devoted to her sister. But dangerous.

Everyone she encountered vibrated with ruthlessness and menace. A sense of danger hung in the air and lurked around every corner. But not like it was with La Rocha. The danger here wasn’t directed at her.

Luke’s friends protected their own, followed their own laws, and viciously destroyed anyone who threatened their loved ones. She felt it in every handshake, embrace, and flinty-eyed look.

For the first time in her life, she felt safe among criminals.

Tula monopolized her first week here, showing her around the fortress and introducing her to everyone they passed. Vera hobbled along on her crutches as Tula shared the brutal details of her time in prison. But when she spoke of Martin and Ricky, her eyes lit up, and her cheeks rose with a goofy smile.

Love.

Vera sympathized with that ailment.

Luke was giving her space to catch up with her sister. He was using that time to work on a strategy with Cole, who was leaving tomorrow to return to the States.

Tomas still hadn’t made contact.

So she stayed out of Luke’s way and formed a delightful friendship with Tiago’s wife, Kate. The pretty blonde only stayed here part-time. She was shadowing Picar, learning medicine, and working toward her degree. She wanted to be a doctor.

She didn’t have the experience to treat Vera’s wound, but she always accompanied Picar, absorbing his broken English while he examined Vera. Then she hung around after, chatting and sharing stories about her captivity with the Venezuelan crime lord, Tiago Badell.

Everyone here had a story, and Vera loved learning about their survival, their triumphs, and how they all interconnected.

There was so much she’d yet to learn about Luke.

She wanted to know all his quirks and complain about them. She wanted more Klondike and rap-song moments. She wanted to bicker with him over nothing and whack him with a pillow when he snored. Because that was what couples did, right? They drove each other crazy.

Crazy with Luke was going to be crazy amazing. She couldn’t wait.

She missed him.

“Do you love him?” Tula pushed her sunglasses to her forehead and squinted in the afternoon sunlight.

“Yeah. Terribly.” Swallowing a sip of beer, Vera stared out across the crystal-blue pool. “I’ve barely seen him all week.”

“He’s busy. But you’re sleeping in his bed, right?”