Hearts and Aces (Kelsey's Burden Series Book 7) Kaylie Hunter (books to read this summer TXT) 📖

helping the guy to his feet. He led the guy over to the van as he glanced back at me. “Best do whatever you’re going to do behind the van so if someone drives by, they can’t witness anything.”

I shrugged, following behind them. The van’s side door was open so I sat on the edge, holding the gun loosely in my hands. Shipwreck forced the guys to his knees in front of me.

“Tell me everything.”

“Like what?”

“Like everything,” I said, shrugging. “What do you know about Santiago? What do you know about Sebrina? What do you know about us?”

“Santiago is a crazy bastard.”

“What’s his reach in the U.S.?”

“He can get anywhere. He hires guys like me to do his dirty work, or he kidnaps someone in Mexico and holds them hostage until their relatives in America do his dirty work.”

“He ever come himself? To the States?”

“I’ve only heard of him crossing the border on two occasions. Both times it was to see Sebrina.”

“Why is he fixated on her?”

“I only know what I’ve heard. They say he told her that either she marries him or he’ll kill her.”

“That’s one hell of a proposal.”

“Why the hell would she marry the bastard?” Shipwreck asked. “She’s a DEA agent.”

“Rumor has it she was helping Santiago get drugs into the U.S., but something happened to one of the shipments.”

“I’m so confused,” I said, sighing. “Was she working undercover to take Santiago down? Or was she working behind the DEA’s back for some extra income in the drug trade?”

The guy shrugged. “No one knows. Santiago knew she was DEA, but whether she was setting him up or betraying the DEA, I don’t think he knows. I think that’s why he’s saying she has to marry him or die. It’s driving him crazy, and he was nowhere near sane to start with.”

“Shit.” I looked up at Shipwreck. “She’s supposed to come to Michigan with Grady tomorrow.”

“Perfect. We can just ask her,” Shipwreck said, smirking. “I’d like to know if she’s the reason the bastards found my house. I’ll ring her scrawny little neck for it. I had a sweet setup down there.”

“I have some ideas about that but we can discuss them later.” I turned back to the guy in front of me. “What else? Who other than Santiago do we have to worry about?”

“His brother Miguel. Miguel lets Santiago run the day to day, but he’s the brains behind most of the operation. He makes all the big decisions. He also sits on the boards of all their legal businesses in Mexico and America.”

“They have companies in the U.S.?”

“Si.”

“Do you know the names of those companies?”

“Nah. I’m not in that part of the business. I just handle some shipments from time to time. This was my first kidnapping.”

“You suck at it. I’d stick to smuggling.”

He nodded, casually. “No matter, I guess. I get the feeling you ladies would’ve taken us down even if we were pros.”

“We’re trained in combat and hostage rescue. You should’ve researched us before you made a move.”

He shrugged.

“Do Santiago and Miguel have any other family?”

“Santiago has a daughter who doesn’t speak to him. She goes to college at a university in Arizona. Miguel has two sons, both younger and still live at home.”

“Their wives?”

“Beautiful but not too bright.”

“Anyone else?”

“Not that I can think of.”

“What’s the family’s surname?”

“You don’t know?”

“I haven’t bothered to research them yet. I’ve been busy.”

“Remirez,” Shipwreck answered. “Even I knew that one.”

“What will Santiago do to you if he finds out you failed to kidnap and hold us?” I asked the man.

“Santiago doesn’t let anyone live who disappoints him. Why do you think I don’t care about telling you about the cartel?”

“I thought maybe you were just a chatty person.”

“Nah. Normally I’m a handful of sentences a day kind of guy. But, hey, if you’re going to go down, take the assholes with you, right?”

“Makes perfect sense to me.”

“Now what?” Shipwreck asked.

“Load them in the van. We’ll take them with us.”

“You plan to let us live?” the man looked at me with surprise.

Shipwreck raised an eyebrow as well.

I looked back at Shipwreck and shrugged. “They didn’t actually hurt us. As far as kidnappings go, this one was by far my favorite.”

“It was a nice break from our normal Wednesday workout,” Katie said, leading two of the men toward me.

Tyler and crew led the others over.

“Look, gentlemen, here’s the deal. If I let you go, either Santiago kills you or you make another dumb attempt to come after us and my boys kill you. That doesn’t sound like a good plan to me, so I have a counter offer. Would you consider signing a contract, agreeing to be held in our custody until this whole thing gets sorted? I can guarantee you cots, food, and dry shelter. I’ll even promise the boys won’t beat the shit out of you.”

All seven men nodded in unison.

“I have no idea how to write a contract like that,” Katie said, nudging her two guys toward the van.

“Maybe we’ll find something on Google.”

Tyler handed me a pack of cigarettes and a lighter, then finished loading the rest of the men in the van. “Where do you want them?”

“Alex’s house. Basement storage,” I answered before lighting a smoke.

“Did Goat get the floor bolts installed?”

“We’ll find out when we get there. I’ll warn Alex if you handle the rest.”

“You got it, boss. I’ll ride with the prisoners,” he said before tossing his keys to Ryan and climbing into the back of the van.

“He’s good,” Ryan said, nodding toward Tyler.

“I know. Donovan’s been trying to poach him, but I pay Tyler well. Both in salary and entertainment.”

“Casey