says. “I need to go back inside. I need you guys to help those little girls. Will I be able to hear you from inside the building?”
“You will, honey,” Slim answers. “I made these myself and am confident in their range.”
“Alright, then I need to do this.”
“They’re coming,” Wolf whispers urgently.
“We’re going on mute, baby,” I say quickly. “We can still everything you can, but you won’t be able to hear us.”
“I love you, Sammy,” she whispers.
“Stay strong for me, Rachel.”
I nod and Slim mutes our connection.
“Everything seems to be in order,” we hear the doctor say. “Nice work Mr. Wolf.”
“Thank you, Dr. Andrews,” Wolf says, his voice calm. “I had to numb her back in order to clean out the dead tissue.”
“Alright. Mrs. Hernández, I’m going to give you these shots to give the antibiotics and steroids a good start,” the doctor says. “I’ve already given your husband the prescription. If all goes well, you should be feeling better within a few days.”
“Thank you, Doctor,” Carlos says. “I’ll call you if anything changes.”
“I do recommend not sleeping on your back, Mrs. Hernández,” Wolf says. “It would only slow healing down.”
“He’s right, of course. You need plenty of rest and good food. I don’t want you up and moving around until the infection is gone.”
“Everything is taken care of, mi Reina. Let us go home.”
“What the fuck does mi Reina mean?” Hawk asks.
“It means my queen,” Slim answers. “He’s obsessed with her.”
“So am I,” I growl. “And an obsessed man is a dangerous one. Especially if it’s someone you love.”
Hawk nods in agreement.
“I’m going to connect with Rachel,” Slim says. “Be extremely quiet. I’m confident that no one will hear anything from her earpiece, but I don’t want to take any chances.”
It’s always a good idea to listen to Slim.
“Rachel,” Slim whispers. “Don’t say anything and don’t react. We are going to lose connection until you get back inside of the compound. I already have a signal booster in place for when we get there, but it won’t work until we’re in range. When we get to our location, I’ll let you know we’re there and you only respond when you’re confident that no one can hear you.”
“I love you, baby,” I whisper. “Stay strong for me. We’re going to end this shit fast.”
Slim cuts off the signal and we race to our vehicle. I want to be in position before she gets back.
I can’t fucking wait to wrap my hands around Carlos Hernández’s neck. Or better yet, Mike.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Rachel
“You did well, mi Reina,” Carlos says. “I was very impressed.”
I’m sitting in the backseat of that same damn futuristic car that I freaking hate. Carlos is driving and Mike is in the passenger seat.
“One,” I say with a new bout of courage. “I’m not your queen and of course I stayed quiet. Mike threatened to beat that five-year-old girl the same way he does me if I said a word.”
Carlos laughs.
“He wouldn’t have done it,” he tells me. “Those girls are to be put up for auction. We can’t have them parading around the stage with bumps and bruises on their precious little exposed bodies. It would lower their prices.”
How is it possible for me to hate someone as much as I do this man?
I decide to keep quiet. I carefully lean back against the seat. The numbing shot that Wolf gave me hasn’t worn off yet.
The corner of my lips twitch with the urge to smile but I hold it back.
Wolf was there. Sammy was nearby.
As much as I wanted to take Wolf up on his offer to get me out now, all I could think about was the parade of little girls I saw being locked in the cells around mine this morning.
I’ll do whatever it takes to get them free.
“I’ve decided to let you stay in one of my rooms until you heal,” Carlos says. “You can get a taste of the life I would give you. When your back is healed, I will give you the chance to change your answer. If not, then I’ll put you back in the cell until you do. Mike is all for helping you pick the right answer.”
“I’m sure he is,” I mumble.
Carlos and Mike laugh as we make our way through the streets and back to the prison.
I sure hope Sammy and the guys know what they’re about to walk into.
***Ink***
“We are not waiting another week,” I roared. “There’s no way in hell that Rachel can endure more beatings.”
Wolf