Seducing Texas (So not Prince Charming #2)(41)

I give a shaky nod, patting my jacket pocket for the flash drive. I put the pager button between my breasts.

“I could’ve done that,” Shane whispers into my ear. “You’ll be fine. I have faith in you. Take him out as quickly as possible. Don’t hesitate. Think of your mother. She didn’t deserve to die.”

Shane’s right. If I think of her and Willa, then I know I can do it. I can’t let Willa end up like Mom. I love Willa.

I twist the key in the Camry’s ignition and drive toward Uncle Manny’s compound. My heart hammers in my chest. I don’t even know if Willa is alive. If she isn’t, I want Manny to suffer. I want his death to be slow and painful.

My phone rings, startling me. I answer, “Uncle Manny.”

“You know what I want. Bring it to me.”

“I need to know my sister’s alive.” Though that matters, I would still have to face him to stop the madness.

“I’m fine. Don’t come for me,” Willa says.

“When can I expect you?” Manny asks.

“In another forty minutes,” I say.

“That’s quick. How did you put it together so fast?” Suspicion hangs on every word, shocking my nerves into a mad frenzy.

I take one breath. “I knew you’d pull this,” I say with conviction I’m not feeling. “See you soon.” I end the call and put my phone in my pocket.

Willa is alive but for how long?

As I speed toward the compound, the Camry kicks up desert dust.

I’m scared out of my mind. Manny’s compound is fortified with armed guards and dogs. My nerves fire up. Once I get the gun, I have to know exactly where Manny is to shoot him. I can’t make any mistakes or else Willa and I will both end up dead.





Chapter Willa


Christina brings breakfast early—huevos rancheros. I take another sip from the opened bottle of water and save the other. I have two now. That’s enough to get me to the border. If I jog, it’ll take twelve to thirteen hours if they don’t catch up to me first.

The eggs slosh around in my upset stomach. I need to be out of here before Cyn figures out where I am. It won’t take her long to do that. I’ve loosened four stones, but I need two more.

Christina pushes the plate and silverware through the bars and sits down. I need her to leave.

A tearful expression seeps into her dark pretty eyes. She’s a beautiful young girl.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“I wish I could help you,” she says in Spanish.

My whole family treated Manny’s new family well. We always invited them to our home and played for hours in our pool or rode horses in the pastures. Maybe I could get them to help me, although it would be harder to sneak four out of the compound than just myself.

“You should go help your mom with breakfast,” I say, needing her to leave, so I can work.

She nods and her arms reach through the bars. I give her a hug.

“It’ll be okay,” I say, even though the words do not bring me any comfort.

“No it won’t.” She knows her father too well. “He wants to kill you both.”

“I know,” I say, swallowing down the sharp stones clogging my throat.

As soon as she leaves, I get back to work. Using the knife, I chisel out the mortar around another stone. Footsteps move toward me so I quickly put the stones back, my heart thumping in my chest. They normally give me an hour to eat, but it’s only been a few minutes.

Manny strolls up to me, hatred seething in his eyes, and hands me the phone. It’s Cyn. I don’t understand his hatred, and I don’t want her to come, so I tell her so. I start to ask about Aedan, but Manny snatches the phone away. I wish she’d wait. If I escape, then she won’t need to come, but Manny would come after us again.

I need to kill him.

I only have time to remove one more stone by the time young Manny comes. I’ve hidden the water bottles and put the stones back in before I roll the huevos rancheros into the tortilla. I hand over the plate and utensils.

Manny’s gaze rakes over my body. This kid’s only thirteen, maybe fourteen. “Es muy bonita.” His fingers run along the bars. “I bet you have a nice tight little *.”

He’s disgusting, like his dad, even though it’s commonplace for twelve-year-olds to have sex in this region.

I was pretty sure my uncle did our cousin Maria. “You’re too young and inexperienced for me.” Not that I know since I’m a virgin myself.

He grabs his crotch. “I’ve stuck my cock into many fine pussies. I will stick you before I cut off your head.”

That sends bone-jarring chills into me. “That little thing?”

He starts to unzip his pants. “Maybe I’ll just do it now.”

His mother’s voice calls him.

“Your mommy’s calling,” I say.

He rattles on the bar, and it causes me to jump back.

“Nervous?” he asks. “I can’t wait to break you in, just like one of my dad’s mares.” He struts away. He fits perfectly into the cartel family.

I remove the five stones and try to work the sixth one loose. It’s not budging, and I don’t know when Cyn will get here. She has to be hours away from here. She’d need to get her passport from the safety deposit box.