His blood was going everywhere.

But I couldn’t move.

What had I done?

But then the dog was there, sinking his teeth into my arm. He was struggling, trying to do something.

I didn’t feel his bite.

The lady was screaming from the house. I looked, and she had a phone to her ear.

Police.

It registered that she was calling the police.

I looked at the guy in front of me. He was dead, hunched over, and the dog was still trying to chew off my arm.

Move!

The command came hard and fast in my mind, and I jumped up.

Wait.

Fuck.

I used the edges of my shirt to wipe off the shears, as best I could. I wasn’t going to run with those, but my gun.

Where was my gun?

There it was.

I jumped up to my feet, shoved the dog off, and ran, bending to scoop up my gun.

“Hey!” The lady was outside now, her phone by her side. She held the door open.

I stopped and pivoted back to her. “You tell them a different girl and I won’t come back for you.”

The blood drained from her face.

She was realizing I was at her house.

I knew where she lived. I knew she had a kid, too.

I didn’t have time to wait for her decision.

Hearing a vehicle screech to a halt from the road, I started to run, but I yelled back, “Get inside! Lock the door. Hide!”

Then I turned and ran.

And I ran.

And I ran.

I ran until I didn’t know where I was going, but I still kept going.

My arm was bleeding, and I stopped and ripped off my shirt. I wrapped it around my arm and looked behind me. I’d left a trail of blood. The droplets might be few and far between, but they were there. They could track me.

I hadn’t been thinking.

My head was woozy.

I started to see stars.

I was spinning.

I was falling.

I was out.

I could still hear that dog barking, though.

20

Ash

I opened an eye, but only one because damn, the world already hurt so much for this early in the morning.

Wait.

No.

That didn’t seem right.

I closed my eye again, and it registered that I was on a bed.

My arm hurt. I hurt all over.

What had happened?

“Boss.”

I didn’t know that voice.

“She’s awake,” he added.

I opened both eyes and wished I hadn’t.

A light shone down on me, and I hissed, knowing it was supposed to be there and it was supposed to disorient me.

“Move that away.”

“What? Oh. Sorry.” The light moved away.

I could see a guy sitting next to me, inspecting my bandaged arm.

I lifted my head, looking over his shoulder to see who “boss” was, and a man stepped forward. He was dressed in an expensive business suit, and he had a handsome face. Classic features. High cheekbones. Full lips. He looked Latino—with dark hair, dark eyes. Tall. Almost skinny.

His lips curled up in a slight grin, as if I was amusing to him. He straightened to his fullest height. “You killed one of my men because he was going to shoot a dog. That’s the most striking part for me. You didn’t care about the old man he shot, but the dog.” He shook his head, throwing a look at someone farther into the room, back where I couldn’t see. “Abram tells me you’re important to Raize.”

Abram, as in Abram Basil, as in he needed to go talk to his boss, the head honcho for the Estrada Cartel before telling us about a meeting.

I was beyond screwed here.

“What’s your name?” The guy had softened his tone, and he sat down, bending over to rest his elbows on his knees.

He was trying to make himself more appealing to me, coming down to my level. He was talking to me like I was someone who needed a soft voice.

Fuck him.

“Carrie.” Abram spoke for me.

Estrada nodded to himself before narrowing his eyes. “Carrie what? What’s your last name?”

I didn’t answer.

Abram spoke. “I doubt anyone knows it.”

Another nod from Estrada, and he motioned to me with an opened hand. “Do me a favor, Carrie. I doubt you’ll give me a real last name, and I doubt Carrie is your real first name, so pick a name. Any name. I like to indulge myself and think I know someone when I talk to them.”

He wanted a name? Fine. “Marakov.”

The guy working on my bandage froze, and I waited.

There was a glimmer of a grin from Estrada before he sat up again. “Okay. We’ll go with Carrie Marakov. Miss Marakov, if you were in my shoes, what would you do with me?”

The truth? “I’d let me go.”

I would. That was the bleeding heart in me, the kind that would take shears to a guy about to shoot a dog. The dog that tried to tear my arm off seconds later.

He studied me and something must’ve clicked because he let out another sigh, glancing to the back of the room again. “Make the call. I have a feeling Raize will be motivated to get this one back.”

“Boss. Marco.”

Marco.

I tasted bile.

I didn’t like that name.

Marco Estrada ignored whatever that was about, standing. “There’s a reason Raize reached out for a meeting. I know him. He wouldn’t have done it unless he had something he thinks I will want. Enough time has passed. I’m interested in seeing how he handles me having something he’ll want. I have no heart to torture this girl. Not today.”

He left and Abram appeared in his place, standing so I could see him. He had a phone in his hand, and he gave me a searing look. “You just got incredibly lucky. You know that, right?”

I did.

Man, did I know.

I grunted, wincing. “I liked the yellow suit.” He was wearing a dark blue suit this time.

He snorted, but didn’t answer.

I laid back down, needing to trust that Raize would come through somehow to get me back. I didn’t know how he’d do it.

The guy finished my arm. “I treated you for any infection and gave you a shot, just in case of rabies. You should be good. You’re stitched up, but keep them covered for another day or two. After that, let the air heal you. The stitches will dissolve themselves.”

I raised my eyebrows. Dissolvable stitches. How fancy.

Then Abram spoke into the phone. “Raize, we have something of yours.”

21

Ash

The meet was in the middle of a dirt road, somewhere far out of the city. They’d kept me blindfolded in the van, and only when we’d parked, did they open the door and yank me out. When I could see again, Estrada was standing in the front. Abram was with him. A guy I didn’t recognize was holding me by the arm, and there were six others positioned around the van. Estrada had literally surrounded himself with men, and looking around, I could see why they picked this site.

It was flat desert around us. The hills were far away. Not many trees.

We could see Raize coming long before he pulled up. He brought two vehicles—his truck and the car. When he got out, Jake and Cavers came with him. Cavers had a large bag.