Free Confessed (Vargas Cartel #3) by Lisa Cardiff

shouted, pointing to the man in the shadows.
    In the darkness, I could make out the outline of Ryker’s body. I ran across the room and circled my arms around his strong shoulders. My fingernails dug into the back of his neck like talons. My knees sagged. Tears flooded my eyes. My breath came hard and fast until I started hyperventilating.
    He wrapped an arm around my waist, and his fingers pressed into my side. “Relax, Hattie. I’ve got you.”
    He rocked me back and forth for a frozen second, and I wanted to tell him I missed him, I loved him, I couldn’t live without him, and so much more. But the words wouldn’t come. Instead, I pressed my lips to his neck, drawing his essence into my lungs. He smelled like sea air, gunpowder and man, but somehow it was better than anything in the world.
    “Can you walk?” he whispered, next to my ear.
    Jumbled thoughts whirled through my mind. Incoherent words mixed with whimpers streamed from my mouth. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t talk. Walking was out of the question.
    “Listen, baby. We need to get out of here right now. The helicopter can only stay so long before it draws too much attention.”
    I lifted my head from his chest and nodded. “I can walk.”
    “Hold on to the back of my belt and don’t let go no matter what happens.”
    I clamped my hands around his belt, fusing my body to his. My swollen hand protested the movement, but I ignored the pain. “Got it,” I whispered, my throat raw from dehydration and crying for days.
    “Noah,” Ryker said. “Follow us out of here.”
    A tall, dark-haired man stepped out of the shadows. A flash of light from the bottom of the stairs lit up one side of his face. He had sharp cheekbones, a long angular nose and almond shaped eyes. He flashed a thumbs-up signal. “I’m on it.”
    With his gun in front of him, we jogged down the stairs. Dead bodies and bloodied groaning men littered the floor. I floated through the room as if I were submerged in water, suffering from a nightmare I couldn’t wake up from. My vision tunneled. My entire body trembled so I hard I thought I’d collapse.
    “Don’t look. Just keep your gaze glued to the ground in front of you and keep putting one foot in front of the other,” Ryker said without glancing at me.
    I squeezed my eyes shut and plastered my body against his back. My fingers curled around the waistband of his pants. My lungs rattled with suppressed cries. I would’ve crawled inside him if it were possible. A warm breeze caressed my skin. We were outside. Relief poured through my body. I opened my eyes and lifted my head to the sky, drinking in the faint glimmer of the stars. Palm trees danced in the wind. Sea salt wafted through the air. On any other night, it would’ve been peaceful, but not today. With the roar of the helicopter blades slicing through the air, it felt sinister. Ominous.
    Three guys barreled around the corner of the house, their guns pointed at us. “Ya están aquí.”
    Ryker shoved me away from him, and I stumbled backward. “Noah, get her the fuck out of here. Now!”
    “No,” I repeatedly screamed, reaching for Ryker. Horror clawed at my chest, dragging me into a full-blown panic attack within a matter of seconds. I didn’t want to be separated from Ryker ever again.
    Noah wrapped his arms around my waist and heaved me over his shoulder. “No. I’m not leaving him. Leave me here.” I slapped the corded muscles of his back until my hands stung.
    “You don’t have a choice,” Noah growled.
    “Please,” I begged, as my heart crumbled. “I can’t leave him. Not again.”
    “It’s better this way.”
    Noah ran to the helicopter, his boots kicking up a fine powdery dust that coated my lips. My head bounced against his back and blood rushed through my ears. Sobs clogged my throat. Acid gnawed at my gut. When we reached the door, he climbed inside and slammed it behind us. “We’re ready to go.”
    “No. We can’t leave him.” I darted for