Bad Men - Piper Stone Page 0,55

him. But there were a few so loyal they’d walk through a burning fire if requested.

“You trust your contact?” I asked, still glaring at the man through the window of the store. He was watching intently as Diego pulled away from the curb.

“With my life.” Diego’s answer wouldn’t be followed with any additional information.

“I don’t like this,” Lindsey whispered.

“We lay low and we’ll be fine.” Diego barely glanced into the rearview mirror before shifting the gear, quickly moving around oncoming traffic as he gunned the engine. “The city isn’t dangerous and certainly isn’t occupied by the Serpent’s men. The asshole didn’t like the reception they received early on, including several of his men being tossed into jail.”

As he drove through the streets, I kept my hands on the gun. A part of me anticipated an attempt to hijack the Jeep. There were far too many questions swimming in my mind, the possibilities of how our positions had been located something I couldn’t push aside. Not for a minute. Not for any reason.

Ten minutes later, he’d reached the destination, able to pull the Jeep behind a series of buildings facing a secondary road. There were no streetlights to highlight the area, no music pumping from one of the local bars. There was just… silence. While the Jeep was fairly hidden in a series of thick bushes, we’d need to secure it in another location, one far removed from wherever we were staying.

A flashlight in his hand, Diego moved toward a back gate, the sound of creaking iron accentuated by a barking dog in close proximity. Other than the intense barks, everything was eerily quiet, the humidity stifling. As he moved up a set of stairs, I could tell he remained tense. While he might have placed his trust in his acquaintance, he wasn’t taking any chances. At least I would give him credit for following the basic training every operative had been given.

Trust no one.

Follow your instincts.

Shoot to kill.

I trailed behind the other two, making certain we hadn’t been followed before heading up several flights of stairs. For some reason, the darkness seemed oppressive, the harsh reality of what we were facing far more troublesome than I think any of us cared to admit. I heard the jangle of keys as he unlocked a door, holding out his arm as he shifted the slender beam of light into the room.

“Wait here,” he whispered as he moved inside.

The gun still firmly planted in my hands, I kept my aim positioned toward the staircase, concentrating on what few sounds I could hear coming from the other apartments. Other than the noise from a television set, it would appear we hadn’t been followed.

“It’s okay,” Diego said quietly, ushering us inside, closing and locking the door immediately afterward. He turned on a light, exhaling as he glanced at the surroundings. “It’s not much, but all Felipe could provide. He makes decent money on the tourists who come here. There’s the front door and one leading to the balcony. Since we’re on the fourth floor, that will also give us an advantage.”

The main room fronted the street, the set of doors covered in a dark fabric, a small kitchen just off to the side. I could see a short hallway containing three doors. There was also a television set, which might come in handy for watching the news. While the accommodations weren’t expansive, the apartment was clean and the furniture adequate. I’d certainly been forced to hole up in worse locations.

I tossed the duffle bag before walking toward the window, staring out at the street below. “How much does your friend know?” Everything appeared quiet, although I remained on edge.

Diego sighed. “About what we’re doing? Nothing. However, he’s well versed in the Serpent’s recent activities.”

“Meaning?” I asked. When he didn’t answer right away, I snapped my head in his direction.

“Why don’t you check out the bedrooms,” Diego suggested to Lindsey.

She gave him a harsh onceover, shaking her head. “I’m a part of this… adventure whether either one of you like it or not. I’m not going to go away.”

“Let her stay. She’s right,” I huffed before moving away from the window, shifting down the hall and flicking on lights as I examined the rooms. Two bedrooms and a bathroom, all three with an ingress/egress. Four locations for some asshole to try to break in, even though they’d have to scale the building. When I walked back into the room, Diego had placed items he’d purchased onto