PAXTON GAVE COCO'S hand one last squeeze before reaching for the tent flap and pulling it back. She let go of his hand and stepped past him, into the tent with its combined audience of Aegis Group and Mlilo's anti-poaching team.He wasn't sure how today was going to go. He'd lain in bed this morning mulling the problem over with no solutions.Now what?Zain stood in the corner with Shane and Daluxolo. Zain glanced toward Paxton, catching his eye and jerked his head. Paxton changed directions and strode across, joining the three men already in discussion."What's up?" Paxton asked.Zain's gaze was serious, all business. "I just want to confirm that you didn't see anything last night that proves Utata's death?"Paxton hooked his thumbs in his pockets and glanced at Shane. "I thought you didn't want to know about last night.""Did you find any of the darts?" Zain asked."No." Paxton grimaced. "We looked. I brought Coco in and we didn't see the horn. Then the fire started up and ou
LUKE SLID INTO the back seat of his Mercedes, the leather cool against his skin.Uncle wanted results. He wanted to see some profits.Fine.Somehow Luke would have to turn a pretty profit and fix a vote all in the same few days. He could do this. One thing at a time.Money was the easiest option.It was time one of his investments began paying him back.Sometime last year a man by the name of Bekker had come to see him. Several of his crew had gotten arrested while trespassing on a rhino farm. Luke had only been able to help Bekker a little. The case against his men was airtight and there was too much evidence. Without the manpower Bekker was going to have to close up shop. And there was where Luke had seen the opportunity. He'd made Bekker a deal. Luke would negotiate an arrangement between an arms dealer to get Bekker the best equipment possible. In exchange Luke got a small percent of the profits.Bekker wasn't close to paying Luke back what he owed, but he was about to pay
COCO COULDN'T ACTUALLY believe she was here.Johannesburg was such a world away from her daily life at Mlilo. Concrete buildings rose into the sky. Sleek cars went on their way with little to no dust covering the exterior. Purple Jacaranda trees were in bloom here and there. Tall, digital billboards of chocolate skinned goddesses advertised products Coco had never heard of.She took a deep breath, and it was as though she couldn't get enough air. There were too many people, too much noise.A warm hand wrapped around hers.She glanced at Paxton, grateful he'd offered to drive her into the city. Lacey and Shane were in the back seat, and Coco knew her best friend would offer the same comfort, but it was Paxton she wanted. She focused on his profile, the bumps in his nose, those tiny scars at his temple, rather than the world passing them by.How was it they'd found each other?There'd never been a man in her life who she wanted to be with all the time. Until Paxton. She was beginni
"WHAT THE FUCK, man?"Paxton thrust one of the handheld cameras into Silas' hands. "Don't start."Ex-CIA agent Brett Jones was slower to join them."Seriously, what the fuck?" Silas flipped open the view finder then glanced at Paxton."A lot's happened." None of which he was happy about. Once Coco and Lacey had gotten going, there was no stopping them. As Shane had pointed out, they could either try to stop them and then scramble to catch up when the ladies struck out on their own, or they could orchestrate this.Silas held his hand up to his ear. "Did I hear you right when you said we're going to confront this ultra deadly poaching group that's protected by the South African version of the mafia?""Yeah. Any questions?"He glanced at Brett then Paxton. He and Silas stared at each other, and Paxton knew whatever his friend was about to say he wasn't going to like it."Why, dude?" Silas asked."Because someone has to watch her back." It was the answer that fit, the one Paxton c
COCO STARED AT EBRAHIM. She knew his name and had seen his handiwork, but this was the first time they'd locked eyes. Or at least that's what she'd have expected.She knew this man, but not by the name Ebrahim.It wasn't uncommon for the larger poaching operations to get someone hired on at a place like Mlilo. They'd get an inside view on security, a leg up. She remembered working with Ebrahim, even if he hadn't been there long."Decided you didn't like the name Isaac anymore?" She crossed her arms over her chest and swallowed down the burning sensation in her chest.Ebrahim wrinkled his nose, a smile curling his lips. "It didn't fit."Someone across the room shifted and their foot scraped. Coco glanced at the person and her heart fell.The boy, Cameron, the one she'd run down on her motorcycle for taking Sushi Roll, stood holding a backpack, staring at her. So much for their bargain over groceries."Is this what you do? Groom people so you can murder a whole species?" She ges
LUKE STARED AT the offering fate had brought him. Maybe his luck was turning around?He'd come here to see about making a penny and found the other De Jong.She'd changed for the better since their high school days. Gone was the scrawny girl and in her place was a shapely woman with shoulders that would carry the world.Back then, he'd first noticed Coco in a science class. It was impossible not to notice her with the way the teachers always called on her to give the correct answers, and she never failed. With his grades slipping, he'd sought her out, trading snacks for tutoring. He'd liked her, but at that early age he'd let the social opinion of her cloud his advances.Except for their last year. He'd given in and asked her out. But like so many other parents, hers had intervened, telling him to stay away because his last name was Nodorf.And his parents thought he could escape that? That if he worked hard enough, studied enough he'd be able to be his own man?That was the lie.
COCO STARED OUT at the private pool outside Lacey's honeymoon villa. Guilt ate at Coco for begging off the spa treatment. She couldn't relax and the thought of someone leaning into her personal space made her want to crawl under a table and never come out."Here." Lacey pushed a cold bottle of water at her."I'm really sorry," Coco mumbled."Stop." Lacey grasped her by both shoulders and turned Coco to face her. "Do not apologize, got it?"Coco stared miserably at her best friend."Talk to me. Tell me what's going on." Lacey nudged Coco toward the sofa. "Lunch will be here any minute."She retreated, sinking onto the cushions and curling her legs under her.Where did she start?"How can I be mad at people like Ebrahim for poaching when what happened to them was equally bad?" Coco asked."Two wrongs don't make a right. Before you say anything else, yes, I realize this is a complicated situation. We've been over that. The darts were there. That means Ebrahim is probably also beh
MIA HELD TIGHT to Patrick and James, her heart pounding against her ribs.This was not what they'd discussed. This was not the plan.The hours ticked by. The shed grew hotter, the boy's skin was sticky with sweat. They'd stopped asking her questions, which was a relief. It wasn't like she could explain what the plan had been to them without incriminating herself.The less she said the better. She knew she was going down. Whatever Luke was doing, someone had to take the fall, and she still owed him. Hell, she deserved to go down for what she'd done to Cane.She bent her head and kissed the top of James' head. He was the same age as her oldest, and it was easy to envision herself sitting in the dark with her own babies trapped in this nightmare."Someone's coming," Patrick whispered."Stand. Come on." Mia pushed to her feet, helping both boys up.She took their hands, holding on tight, and stared at the line of light under the door. First one shadow bisected the line then anothe