Page 108 of Chris

He didn’t watch her walk to the cliffs because that was easier, and while he wasn’t at all scared to run into a gunfight between rival cartels for his twin … watching that woman walk away was the hardest thing he would ever have to do in his life.

He wasn’t ready for it.

Instead, he looked to Abril still on the horse.

“You’re next,” he told her.

Abril arched a brow. “I’m not leaving.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“This is my home—my family. I have a place here, a purpose here. I can do what they can’t, and I can do it better.”

The cartel, he knew.

“Abril—”

“Do you have an extra gun for me?” she asked.

There would be no argument. Her tone made it clear.

“Pink?” he called to the Marcello enforcer handling the guns.

The man’s attention flew his way. “Yeah?”

“Toss me a gun that’s ready.”

An AK was in his hands in ten seconds, and he handed it up to Abril on the horse. She used the strap to secure the weapon at her back before nodding at the horse Valeria had brought along.

“That’s Butter—it’s a good horse. I want to keep it. You’ll ride it back.”

Well, all right, then.

“I take it, the plan has changed?” he asked.

Abril laughed airily. “For the cartel, plans always change.”

“And the new plan is …?”

“I walk out of here on top. The rest of you have to follow along.”

Chris nodded.

Seemed simple enough.

Truth was, some women didn’t need to be saved. They didn’t want to be saved. Not when they would do it themselves and do it better. Abril was one of those women.

Chris was fine with that—she wasn’t his woman. She could do whatever she wanted as long as he got what he needed.

He had that now.

On horseback, Chris and Abril arrived back at the ranch first. The group, in their tactical gear and with guns ready, wouldn’t be too far behind them, though. That was the least of his concerns when the property line of the infamous Lòpez compound came into view.

Flames licked at the sky.

Smoke clung to the air.

“Oh, my God,” Abril whispered.