Hunt Them Down(28)

Vulnerable. Not a sensation she enjoyed. Her family’s betrayal by Terrance Davis—a.k.a. Pierce Hunt—had transformed her. She had fallen in love with the man. Hard. She had given him everything and introduced him to her family. When she’d realized she had fallen for a lie, she’d started questioning her own self-worth. Hunt’s treachery had stolen her pride and her heart, had put her father in jail, and had now gotten him killed. There was no man on earth she hated more than Pierce Hunt.

But that’s not true anymore, is it? Whoever had kidnapped Sophia and Leila had taken the prize. It wasn’t a stretch to link the attack on her father’s motorcade to the girls’ kidnapping—all of it a ripple effect from Hunt’s betrayal.

After her father’s arrest, she had tried to track Hunt down, but like a ghost he had disappeared, helped by the all-powerful DEA. She had never seen or heard from him again.

Until Chicago.

At first she hadn’t been able to believe it. Was it really him? Then the media had reported his name.

Pierce Hunt.

Dios mío.

Hunt had almost killed a reporter, they’d said. Pointed a gun right at his head. That had surprised her. Hunt was an impulsive man, yes, but very protective of the ones he loved. He could be a meticulous son of a bitch too. How else could he have played her for two years? The man was like a chameleon, and for him to lose his cool, the reporter must have done something stupid.

Hunt used to be protective of her once, which was why his treason wounded her so much. After her father’s trial, she had begged her brother to send a hit team after him, but he had refused, saying it was too dangerous, that it would start another war with the DEA. They had enough on their hands as it was. She understood why her brother had been reluctant, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t pursue him on her own, like a ferocious tigress.

She would get her revenge. One way or the other, Pierce Hunt would pay for his sins. But first things first. They needed to find Sophia and her friend.

Then it would be Hunt’s turn.



When Tony came home an hour later, he was pissed. Anna had seen him in a bad mood before, and it was always best to keep a distance when he was like that. Tony was a loving father, but he was a different man when it came to the family business. He was prone to using violence when things didn’t go his way. There was a reason his men feared him. Anna wasn’t scared of her brother, but with Sophia’s kidnapping, all bets were off.

Tony’s eyes were just visible beneath the brim of his Miami Dolphins cap as he entered the living room. His lips were pressed together so tightly that Anna could barely see them, and the seething anger in his eyes sent shivers down her spine.

Anna’s heart rate soared, and she felt weak at the knees.

Oh no. Please God. Not Sophia. I’ll give my life for hers.

“What’s wrong?” she asked shakily, fearing the worst. “Is Sophia—”

“It’s the Black Tosca,” he spat. “That double-crossing, backstabbing cockroach.”

The Black Tosca? Valentina Mieles?

“Why would—” she started to ask, but her brother cut her off with a wave of his hand.

“There are things you don’t know, Anna,” he said curtly.

She wasn’t about to let her brother walk all over her, so she held his glare. Sophia was her blood too. “Then tell me.”

He looked at her, his face a mask of rage.

“You’re the best dad I know, Tony, but you’re also a controlling, manipulative asshole,” she added. “I have a right to know.”

Her scolding seemed to surprise him. All of a sudden, it was as if all his strength left him. Tony slumped onto the sofa, his face haggard, worry clouding his eyes. Anna put her hand on his arm and gave it a little squeeze before kneeling next to him.

“Let me help you, Tony. We’re family.”

“You can’t help me, little sister,” he said, blinking back tears, all trace of anger gone.

“What happened out there? Where are the men?”

He sighed. “We’re under attack, Anna. I’ve ordered the men to patrol the property.”

Tony’s property was huge. His house was nestled on a two-and-a-half-acre lot at the end of a cul-de-sac in the prestigious gated community of Journey’s End. In addition to the eight-thousand-square-foot house, the exterior included a large separate guesthouse, a five-car garage, staff quarters, and a grand private driveway surrounded by lush tropical trees. His security system was the best money could buy, but it didn’t mean a clever kill team couldn’t breach it.

“By the Black Tosca? Why?” Anna pressed him.

“Because Father was about to testify against her.”

She stared at Tony blankly. “What?”

His words had left a sickening sensation in the pit of her stomach.

“Don’t look so shocked, Anna. With Dad in prison, someone had to lead the family. Under my leadership, we became the de facto organization for anyone wanting to move product in and out of Miami and along the Florida coast.”

Anna didn’t know all the operational details, but she knew the family money came from the drug trade. She understood this and was a willing participant in the family business. Nonetheless, her father and brother had always been the ones making the hard decisions. Her job was to keep the books straight and to perform computer-generated trend analysis. Tony had developed some legitimate businesses—mostly in construction—but most of the family’s activities revolved around the illegal drug trade. She hadn’t chosen any of this, but it was her family, and loyalty to her clan was central to her identity. Family first.