AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I scanned the docks for any sign of movement but saw none. When Rafe informed us there was another shipment coming in, he assured us this was the best way to gain leverage over Zavala and secure Raven’s release. There was no way Zavala would give up all that money over a woman.
But if that were true, where was the other party?
With no sign of any movement on the docks, I ran forward, taking my position behind the gatehouse. It was quiet tonight, with only the sounds of the waves lapping against the docks and the distant sound of the bells ringing. It sent an ominous chill through my body as I waited to take back what was mine.
I felt Chase’s hand on my shoulder, signaling everyone was in position. As one, we moved through the night, making our way onto the dock and closer to Zavala’s yacht. It was all too easy. There was no way he’d leave himself unguarded when he was most vulnerable. I held up my fist, halting everyone as I squatted next to a post.
“Cash, what’s your status?”
“All clear.”
“Fox?”
“Not a soul in sight.”
“This is wrong,” I said into comms. “It’s a trap.”
“We move forward,” Rafe insisted.
“There are no guards out here. Zavala wouldn’t leave himself unprotected like this.”
“So, you want to leave her behind?” Rafe hissed. “Just walk away?”
Cash had warned me that Rafe was up to something else. I knew he wasn’t concerned about Raven’s welfare. He wanted to confront Zavala, but why, I still didn’t know. It might be as simple as we were so close to catching him and Rafe didn’t want to let that opportunity slip away. Still…if anything happened to Raven because we rushed in, I would never forgive myself.
“Say the word and I’ll fire,” IRIS interrupted.
“Not yet,” Rafe said. “Nobody fires on that yacht until we’ve secured the shipment.”
“There’s no movement on the yacht,” Cash confirmed.
“He’s probably below deck,” Rafe urged. “We move now. Jack, your team is on me.”
I saw him move through the darkness without waiting for the rest of us to comply. “Dammit, moving in!”
I motioned Chase and Patrick forward, rushing to the side of the yacht as Rafe boarded from the other side. There was no time to wait when Rafe was taking charge. The three of us hopped over the side silently and followed Rafe and Jack’s team around the yacht, clearing every inch of it. When we cleared the upper portion of the yacht, Rafe motioned us downstairs.
Our footsteps were audible as we descended, but there wasn’t much we could do about that. We didn’t even get all the way to the back of the yacht when the lights flicked on and Zavala stood with a smile on his face. I wanted to charge him, to demand to know where Raven was, but despite how we outnumbered him, he held all the cards.
His eyes scanned all of us before settling on Rafe. “I thought I might find you here. I admit, I thought I killed you a year ago.”
“I’m not that easy to kill,” Rafe retorted.
“Is there something I can help you gentlemen with?”
“You can start by releasing Raven,” I snapped.
“Ah, the thief. Yes, I thought someone might come for her. It’s a shame, you arrived just a few hours too late.”
Panic tore through me at his words, but I forced myself to remain calm. “Where is she?”
“A colleague of mine took a liking to her. He sailed not that long ago,” Zavala smiled. “If you take a boat out, you might catch them before they reach my island. But once she’s inside my borders…” His grin grew as he stared at us. From everything Rafe told us, it was impossible to get to the island. If I couldn’t reach her soon, she would be out of my grasp.
“A trade then,” Rafe spoke up.
“A trade for what?” Zavala asked curiously.
“Me for the girl.”
