Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 23289 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 116(@200wpm)___ 93(@250wpm)___ 78(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23289 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 116(@200wpm)___ 93(@250wpm)___ 78(@300wpm)
“What about the blatant indiscriminate murder of the habitants of Valle de los Susurros?” I ask him. “Would you consider that survival?”
“For the greater good, yes.”
“And what about torture?”
He stares at me with those cold calculating eyes as he formulates his answer. “It must be easy for a beautiful woman from the richest country in the world to look her nose down on us. We do what we can to survive. We provide jobs that feed families. We offer stable income for thousands of people and we create wealth where the government has abandoned us.”
“Actually, the El Nicanduras government has tried to help the habitants of Valle de los Susurros, but Los Lobos de la Muerte have held them out at gunpoint. What gives you the right to use violence to thwart the will of the democratically elected government?”
His chest starts moving up and down a little harder. I can feel the anger emanating off him. I glance at Ryker, knowing there’s a protective grizzly bear hiding inside him that wouldn’t hesitate to kill all these men to keep me safe.
“You think the democratically elected government doesn’t profit from the work we do?” Hector says, his voice heated. “They profit from our tax dollars. And you think they’re so innocent? They criminalize these drugs—drugs we aren’t forcing anyone to use by the way—yet they benefit from the legal pharmaceutical industry, which sells highly addictive opioids. Where is the outrage there?”
“The pharmaceutical industry doesn’t force children to work in their factories,” I say, staring him down. “But Los Lobos de la Muerte does.”
“Our village has been growing coca for generations,” he says, shifting in his seat. “It is part of my people’s history and culture. How is it fair for your foreign government to criminalize what my people have been doing for centuries?”
“I don’t think the US government cares what you do on your land,” I say. “But the problem arises when you smuggle those fatal drugs onto American soil for use in our communities.”
“We are simply fulfilling a market demand,” he says. “We are providing a high-quality product that people want. We’re not the cause of the problem. We’re part of a global economy.”
“And what about torturing the locals?” I say, narrowing my eyes on him. “Is there a demand for that?”
I’ve gotten under his skin. He’s turning red and gritting his teeth as he stares me down. This isn’t the kind of interview he had planned.
I think he wanted a softball interview where he could portray himself as a nice community man, which would help him get off the FBI’s most-wanted list. Well, he picked the wrong interviewer for a softball interview. I’m launching fastballs at his head.
“There is no torture,” he finally says.
“Oh really?” I say as I stand up. “Then, you’ll have no problem showing me around your facility. Ryker, keep rolling.”
I march to the door and one of the guards steps in front of it. He’s not holding a gun, but he’s big enough to not need one with those giant muscular arms and broad shoulders. A snake tattoo runs up his left arm and onto his thick neck.
“Move out of her way,” Ryker growls from behind me.
The man looks over my head at him and growls back.
And then, the wildest thing happens. He starts shaking violently. The man’s hulking body trembles and then begins to swell up. Those big arms get bigger. His back curves and he falls to his hands, only they’re no longer hands—they’re paws. Long brown hair spurts out of his skin and with a loud tear, a huge snarling brown wolf explodes out of him, tailing swaying behind him.
I step back with a gasp, bumping into Ryker as the fierce deadly wolf steps forward with a nasty snarl.
“You’re not going anywhere,” Hector says as he stands up with his muscles flexed and his veins straining against his skin. His face is red with fury. “You’re in my world now.”
He turns to his guards and points at me and Ryker. “¡Agárralos!”
I turn in panic and look at Ryker only he’s shaking too.
And growing…
Larger than humanly possible.
CHAPTER NINE
Ryker
Kill them all, I tell my bear as he explodes out of me.
I’m pulled into the darkness, watching through my grizzly’s furious eyes as men turn into wolves all around me. I could smell them coming in—wolf shifters everywhere.
Gracie looks terrified as she dives under the table, her beautiful eyes wide with panic. I can feel the protective fury ripping through my bear’s veins. It’s the first time he’s seen her in real life and she’s surrounded by deadly threats.
He snarls as he turns to the pack of wolves approaching from every angle. I’m nervous, but he’s just mad. He’s about to do what he was built for—protecting his mate.
The large brown wolf lunges on my grizzly. My bear is distracted by the sight of our mate hiding under the table and doesn’t react fast enough. The wolf lands on our back and sinks its teeth into our shoulder.