ass hard several times. It takes everything I have to keep singing as tears fall down my face. The men in the room all laugh and shout. Jorge sets me down but rises and spins me into his body. He grinds his hardened erection against my ass.
My insides crumple, and I grip the microphone, and rattlesnake pendent, scared of what's to come after this song is over.
Suddenly, all the lights go out, and the power to the microphone dies. Screams fill the room and two loud bangs ring in the air. Jorge falls next to me. I can't see him, but I feel the weight of his body.
Within seconds, I smell my favorite scent in the entire world—Dirk’s skin. It's as potent, woody, and raw as ever. The arms I've dreamed of holding me again wrap around me, and he murmurs in my ear, "Stay quiet and don't let go."
25
Dirk
Five Weeks Earlier
"Stop crying, my Little Diva, everything will be okay," I tell her repeatedly, but her sobs never end. "Tell me where you are. I can't see you."
Her anguish is heart-wrenching. I can't escape her pain, and all hours of the day, it's the only thing I hear. But I can never see her.
I'm in a tunnel of blackness forever, but then it becomes lighter. A gruff voice breaks through Zoe's.
"Dirk, time to wake up. Come on, son, you can do it."
No. I need to stay with my girl.
A rocking sensation consumes me, and I realize someone is shaking me.
"Dirk, come on."
Against my will to stay with her, I open my eyes, and sunlight blinds me, so I shut them.
"Dirk, time to get up. Our woman's out there."
Our woman? Zoe isn't anyone's woman but mine.
My eyes fly open, and I sit up, but pain floods my back and leg.
"Easy there."
It takes me a few moments to register who he is.
Clayton sits on the bed next to me. "You've been asleep for over a week."
"Where is she?"
A line forms between his eyebrows. "She hasn't surfaced yet."
"What do you mean?"
"They took her."
"Where were you?"
"I was in the shower. I heard the gunshots and got outside as soon as I could."
My blood boils. "You didn't go after them?"
"They shot you in the back and thigh. Blood pooled around your body, and you were already passed out."
"You should have gone after her," I bark.
"And let you die?"
"She's more important."
He sighs and reaches for the table. "Here's the bullets I removed. My stitches aren't pretty, but they didn't teach plastic surgery tips in the Marines." He drops them in my hand.
"Who were those thugs? They came to see you. Why didn't you go after them?"
"They were coming for passports. I don't know them. Another friend in my network sent them to me."
"So you help low life criminals for a living? And you didn't think to warn us they were coming?"
"Watch your tone, son. I didn't know when they were arriving just like I didn't know when you were. My job is to create passports for those who are referred to me by people I trust. Now, I'm as big of a fan of Zoe Diego as you are—"
"Don't you dare try to sugar coat this or compare your admiration for her to mine."
He rises. "Son, you can stay angry, or you can work together with me to get her back. Those are your options, so choose. I'll be in the other room when you make your decision." He storms out of the room.
I rub the palms of my hands in my eyes and growl.
Where is she?
What are they doing to her?
I rise, and the pain continues to throb, but I suffer through it and join Clayton in the other room.
"Where do you think they took her?"
"I don't know. Why was she missing?"
"None of your business."
He sighs. "I'm here to help you however I can, but you're going to need to take that chip off your shoulder."
There's a knock on the door.
"Expecting company?" I snarl. "And where is my bag with my gun?"
He shakes his head and points to the kitchen table. I remove my gun from the bag, and he opens the door.
Tinker walks in.
"What are you doing here?"
"Heard you got shot? They took Zoe? I thought you might need some help. But do you want to set that gun down?"
I release a big breath and put the safety back on.
"Glad you're here. He just woke up, and he's decided I'm the enemy."
I scowl at Clayton. "You didn't go after Zoe. Now we don't know