[Truyện Tiếng Anh] Into The Lair

Author : Maya Banks

Katie Buchanan stared at the clock with growing dread. A knot of panic—and grief—swelled in her stomach until she feared vomiting.
He wasn’t going to call.
Despair rolled over her shoulders, and she slumped forward, dropping her head into her arms. Don’t cry. You can’t cry. You can’t lose it now.
Her teeth sank into her bottom lip. Gabe was all she had left. Her only family. And now he was gone.
You don’t know that. Maybe something went wrong on a mission.
But no, he’d missed both call times, and he’d never missed the second. He once told her that the only reason he would miss his check-in was death. His. And in her heart she knew that. He’d never let her down.
The cell phone that was clutched tightly in her hand rang, and she lunged upward, grabbing at it to flip it open.
“Gabe, thank God!” she babbled into the phone as a rush of relief so strong it made her weak stormed through her veins. “I thought you were dead.”
Heavy silence settled over the line. Her brow furrowed as dread took hold once more. “Gabe?”
“Katie, this is Ian Thomas.”
She slammed the phone shut, fear-induced adrenaline sparking and flowing fast through her veins. She scrambled out of her chair and looked wildly around the tiny apartment.
“Okay, calm down,” she said as she tried to steady her breathing. No one had that number. Gabe had arranged for the high-tech phone, and it had an international number...

Into the Lair
Into the Lair Page 1



Chapter One

Katie Buchanan stared at the clock with growing dread. A knot of panic—and grief—swelled in her stomach until she feared vomiting.

He wasn’t going to call.

Despair rolled over her shoulders, and she slumped forward, dropping her head into her arms. Don’t cry. You can’t cry. You can’t lose it now.

Her teeth sank into her bottom lip. Gabe was all she had left. Her only family. And now he was gone.

You don’t know that. Maybe something went wrong on a mission.

But no, he’d missed both call times, and he’d never missed the second. He once told her that the only reason he would miss his check-in was death. His. And in her heart she knew that. He’d never let her down.

The cell phone that was clutched tightly in her hand rang, and she lunged upward, grabbing at it to flip it open.

“Gabe, thank God!” she babbled into the phone as a rush of relief so strong it made her weak stormed through her veins. “I thought you were dead.”

Heavy silence settled over the line. Her brow furrowed as dread took hold once more. “Gabe?”

“Katie, this is Ian Thomas.”

She slammed the phone shut, fear-induced adrenaline sparking and flowing fast through her veins. She scrambled out of her chair and looked wildly around the tiny apartment.

“Okay, calm down,” she said as she tried to steady her breathing. No one had that number. Gabe had arranged for the high-tech phone, and it had an international number from a remote country at the ends of the earth.

It started ringing again, and she nearly hyperventilated. And then as quickly as panic had gripped her, an eerie calm descended.

Gabe was gone. He couldn’t help her now. He hadn’t spent the last several years teaching her independence for her to crumble when he was no longer around to help her pick up the pieces.

First she had to get the hell out of here.

She went through the room, throwing her clothes into a backpack. She only packed the necessities. Everything else would have to stay. The phone began ringing again, and she ignored it.

She pocketed the ATM card for the account Gabe had opened for her. Her first stop would be to drain what cash she could, and then she’d be out of town in less than an hour.

West. She’d go west. Maybe some isolated mountain town. Montana. Or Colorado. There had to be some place she would be safe.

She zipped up her backpack, her heart heavy. Gabe had been working on getting her out of the country. A year ago, he’d been prepared to take her to Argentina, but then things had gotten weird. He’d become distant. Worried and anxious.

Her departure was delayed, and Gabe became more paranoid, more cautious. She moved constantly, once every couple of months, and he’d enacted their call system.

He drilled into her over and over what to do if he failed to make his monthly call. Oh God. Maybe that was it! Was he testing her? Making sure she followed through with their escape plan?

A flutter of hope swelled in her throat. It would be just like Gabe to force her through the steps of a plan they’d gone over until it was branded into her mind.

She snagged the now-silent phone, hauled her backpack over her shoulder, and then, taking one last look at the apartment that had been home for the last two months, she took a deep breath and started for the door.

Early morning sunlight shone bright, causing her to squint as she hustled down the rickety steps toward the street. As she turned onto the cracked sidewalk, a black SUV pulled to a stop alongside her.

The passenger door opened, and a large man stepped out. She froze as they stared at each other. Slowly, he removed dark sunglasses, giving her a glimpse of deep green eyes. His expression was indecipherable.

Power radiated from those broad shoulders. Tall, muscular and intimidating as hell.

“Katie,” he said in a low voice.

Anger, fear, panic. They all swamped her, and she didn’t wait around to figure out which would prevail.

Dropping her backpack, she turned and ran.

Curses rang out behind her, and then he called out to her. “Katie! Katie, wait!”

God, they knew who she was. Bile rose in her throat. Gabe wasn’t testing her, and he hadn’t warned her. Which meant he hadn’t been able to.

She could hear her pursuer behind her, and he was gaining ground. She threw a look over her shoulder and wished she hadn’t. Two men were closing in on her.

Her chest on fire, she pushed herself harder, faster. Her tennis shoes pounded the pavement. The park loomed ahead of her, a study in lush green grass and playground equipment. The men chasing her wouldn’t want to take her down with a dozen children and their mothers looking on.

She turned onto the jogging trail and poured on the speed. To anyone else, she’d look like she was out for a run. She was dressed the part in athletic shorts, T-shirt and tennis shoes.

Her phone and ATM card, all she needed, were in her pocket, and she reached down to make sure the phone didn’t fall out. When she got to the other side of the park, she chanced another glimpse behind her and nearly fainted with relief. They weren’t there.

Not that she could count on them to be gone for long. They’d find her again. She’d been a fool to ever think Ricardo would forgive the fact that she’d killed his brother.

Chapter Two

“Piece of cake, huh?” Braden Thomas snorted derisively as he and his brother Ian drove down yet another street paralleling the park. “This was supposed to be a simple extraction. We show up, she falls gratefully into our arms and we haul out of the country.”

Ian ground his teeth as he contemplated the pleasure he’d take in shoving Braden out of the moving vehicle.

“It’s your damn fault,” Ian growled. “You had to barrel out of the truck and scare her ****less. What the hell was she supposed to think?”

Braden snorted. “Yeah, like you did any better on the phone? She hung up before you finished telling her your name.”

“Spooky flake,” Ian muttered. “I’m not convinced she’s worth all this trouble. We’re risking a lot to fulfill a promise to a guy who betrayed us.”

Even as the thought crossed his mind, a wave of grief consumed him. Gabe was gone. Yeah, he’d betrayed his team, and that was hard to swallow. They’d been through a lot together. But until he knew the full truth behind Gabe’s defection, he couldn’t bring himself to condemn a man he’d called friend for so many years.

“Yeah, but if we have her, sooner or later, Esteban will come calling. We’ll kill two birds with one stone.”

Ian nodded. Braden had a point. They’d talked it over with Eli and with Falcon, and it was decided that Katie was too good an angle not to exploit. Worst case scenario, they were stuck babysitting for a few weeks. Best case scenario, they nailed Esteban and could then send Katie Buchanan on her way.

Where the hell was she? She’d taken off like a scalded cat, and she was damn fast. He had to give her that. He would have caught her, but in the midst of the chase, he’d felt the prickle up his spine, a sign he was fast ociating with the need to shift.

His heart had damn near pounded out of his chest, and vivid images of a cat stalking its prey had come to mind. He’d been just a few seconds from transforming to jaguar. He would have hunted her and probably killed her.

A resigned sigh escaped him, and Braden cast a sidelong glance at him.

“You okay, man?”

Ian grunted in return. He didn’t want to admit to Braden how close he’d come to losing control. They both battled the beast on a daily basis.

“Something happened back there, Ian.”

Ian raised an eyebrow and stared over at his brother in question.

Braden’s face twisted into a scowl. “When I was running after her…it was as if I was the cat and she was the prey, only I didn’t have an urge to hurt her. Just the opposite. I can’t explain it,” he finished lamely.

Ian frowned. It was similar to the way he’d felt, not that he was about to admit that to Braden. But he wasn’t so sure that he wouldn’t have hurt her. “Maybe you need another injection. We should go back to her apartment and see if she shows.”

He glanced down at the bag Katie had dropped. They’d go back to her apartment and wait inside. He could give Braden an injection and hope to hell he held out until he could take one himself later. While they waited, he’d poke around and see what he could discover about Gabe’s little sister. And figure out her next move.

***

Katie stood at the ATM and jammed the cash into her pocket. Stupid daily limits pissed her off. She’d need to make several more withdrawals before she’d have enough money to fund her getaway. In the meantime, she had no choice but to get the hell out of town, no matter how dire her finances.

The evening air chilled her sweat-dampened skin, and she shivered. She’d been stupid to drop her pack, but then escaping the two men would have been more difficult carrying it. Warmer clothes would have to wait until she’d cleared town.

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She took off down the street, weighing her options. The bus station was too obvious. Airport even more so. Hitchhiking, though something she’d done in the past, gave her too much exposure, not to mention it was dangerous as hell.

A resigned sigh escaped her. Walking it was. She was in shape, thanks to rigorous workouts and training sessions. But fitness didn’t help with the cold. And it wasn’t like she hadn’t walked all damn day already.

Though heading west held certain appeal, she’d be better off going east, to some large city she could disappear in. Small towns made her too noticeable.

Some place warm. Florida sounded heavenly. But it left her too boxed in. Not enough escape options. Atlanta maybe? Anything beat the cold of Missouri.

St. Louis had seemed like a good idea when she’d arrived. How had they found her? She’d been so careful. Or so she’d thought.

She picked up her pace. A cab could take her out of the city. It would cripple her monetarily, but it would be worth it. She could pick up some light camping equipment and parallel the interstate south to Cape Girardeau. It would take her several days, but it would give her time to hit ATMs and build her cash flow. From Cape, she could buy a cheap vehicle and drive wherever she wanted to go.

Bolstered by her plan, she crossed a busy intersection and started looking for an available cab. Clutching her arms with her hands, she rubbed up and down to infuse much-needed warmth.

Note to self: Don’t relax your guard. Ever.

It was appropriate that at the moment she administered the reprimand, a man stepped in front of her, his hands flying out to grip her shoulders.

She lashed out with her foot and kicked him squarely in the balls. A harsh curse split her ears as he doubled over. She didn’t waste any time. Turning around, she launched into a full run.

Only to collide with a heavily muscled wall of male flesh. Steel bands wrapped around her none too gently. She reacted violently, kicking and flailing, but he didn’t loosen his hold.

Her eyes met his and she found fire. Angry determination glittered in his green eyes. Bracing herself, she reared back and rammed her head into his nose. Pain exploded through her skull, and her vision blurred.

To her dismay, he didn’t budge. If anything he crushed her tighter against him, and she whimpered in pain.

“I’ve had about all I can take from you,” he bit out.

She struggled harder as she fought the dizzying effects of her head-butt. She managed to wiggle enough to bring her knee up between his legs.

Fingers dug into her knee, squeezing until she yelped.

“You give me no choice, sweetheart,” he said grimly.

Before she had time to try and figure out that cryptic remark, she felt a prick against her shoulder. She went rigid in his arms, and fear hissed through her veins. Oh God, no. He’d drugged her.

His face swam in her vision, and she went slack against him. And then she heard another voice, close to her ear.

“We won’t hurt you, Katie. We’re here to help you.”

Her eyelids fluttered, and no matter how she fought the drug, it was too much. Everything went dark.

Chapter Three

Ian frowned as he stared down at Katie Buchanan. She lay on the seat, her body curled into a defensive posture even in sleep. Strain lined her forehead, and a frown tugged her lips downward. He reached down to touch the short blond wisps that lay raggedly on her neck. Then before giving it any thought, his finger traveled over her jaw to her lips where he smoothed the downward curve.

Her hair was an interesting ortment of lengths, like she cut it herself with no regard for appearance. The strands stuck out, each going a different direction, but on her it fit. She didn’t strike him as the sleek, always-styled type at all.

Hearing Braden behind him, he yanked his hand away and frowned in annoyance. His head ached like a mother, his eyes were crossing with fatigue, and yet he was standing here like a nimrod entertaining himself with her hairdo.

Grumbling to himself about psycho females, he gathered her limp body in his arms and hauled her out of the SUV. Braden walked ahead and opened the door to her apartment. They hadn’t wanted to risk getting a hotel room, and her apartment was unassuming.

Katie was an enigma. Cautious. Extremely so. Spooky as a bat, and she kept a very low profile. Looking around her apartment earlier, he’d discovered that she lived a very barebones existence. Odd for a woman. Did she know she was a target? Had Gabe warned her?

He shouldered his way into her small living room and gently laid her on the couch. Then he stepped away as Braden leaned in to check her pulse and peel back her eyelids.

“She’s going to have one hell of a bruise on her forehead,” Braden said as he straightened.

“She damn near broke my nose. You’ll forgive me if I’m not terribly sympathetic,” Ian said darkly.

“At least you aren’t walking funny and singing soprano,” Braden grumbled.

Ian grimaced and felt a sympathy twinge in the region of his groin. He’d seen how hard she’d kicked Braden in the balls. He’d be lucky if he ever fathered children after that.

“So what now?” Braden asked as he slumped down in one of armchairs.

Ian lowered himself into a chair as well and eyed his brother. “We get some damn sleep, and tomorrow we get the hell out of the country.”

“You call Eli yet?”

Ian frowned. “And when would I have had time to do that when we’ve been chasing the hellcat down all day?”

“And where are we taking her exactly?”

“You’re full of questions today, little brother.”

Braden grinned. “Am I annoying you?”

Ian scowled.

“Then my duty is done.”

“For someone who just got their balls relocated you sure are a cheerful son of a bitch.”

Braden shrugged. “Maybe I’m looking forward to being done with this. Makes me edgy being back in the good ole U.S. of A. I somehow doubt Uncle Sam will roll out the welcome mat, you know?”

Ian’s lips tightened. “Yeah, well ’em. We’ll be out of here tomorrow.”

“Going where?” Braden asked again.

Ian sighed. “Eli’s supposed to be working on it. Evidently Falcon has a few safe houses across Europe. I liked Argentina, but that’s ed now that Esteban knows where it is.”

“Isn’t the point of this exercise to lure Esteban?” Braden asked.

Ian nodded. “Yeah, but he’s not supposed to know he’s being lured. Going to Argentina would be tipping our hand, not to mention making us look like complete nimrods.”

Braden grew quiet for a moment. “Tell me something, Ian. Do you think this whole merger with Falcon is a good idea? I mean I know why Eli is there. Tyana’s fingers are wrapped tight around his nuts, and he’s content to be led around like a lapdog.”

Ian’s gaze narrowed. This was the first time he’d heard Braden express doubts about joining ranks with Fal******rcenary Group. Their former team leader, Eli Chance, had fallen head over for Tyana Berezovsky, a member of Falcon, and with the way their hostage recovery team had gone to **** when they all turned into a bunch of unstable shifters, it made sense to team up with the merc group.

Eli wasn’t unstable, though. Resentment bubbled up before Ian could control it. He and Braden hadn’t been as lucky as Eli and Gabe. While the two other men had full control over their newfound abilities, Ian and Braden struggled with their instability on a daily basis.

Braden was watching him closely, and Ian tried to school his features. “Are you having doubts?” he asked Braden.

Braden looked thoughtful for a long moment. “Honestly? I don’t know. Too much has changed in too short a time. I don’t think Falcon will us, if that’s what you’re asking. I just wonder how we fit into the picture. I don’t like the idea of being some ing charity case and having their doctor shoved at us at regular intervals.”

“Yeah, I hear you,” Ian muttered.

“Are we going to end up like Damiano?” Braden asked softly.

Ian swore under his breath. Damiano was a member of Falcon, and like Ian and Braden, a victim of the chemical agent that had changed them all into shifters. He was even more unstable than Ian and Braden, and if D’s future was their own, it wasn’t pretty.

Damn Esteban Morales. Damn him to hell. Ian glanced over at Katie again, and his resolve hardened. If she was their key to nailing Esteban’s , then he’d have no compunction about using her in any way necessary to achieve their means.

“Let’s get some sleep,” Ian said, ignoring Braden’s question. “You can take the couch. I’ll take Miss Psycho into the bedroom and make sure she isn’t going anywhere for the night.”

***

Katie came awake with a start. Her eyes flew open, and despite the fogginess surrounding her mind, she felt alert. Fear could do that to you. Adrenaline coursed through her veins as she took stock of her situation.

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She tried to move and then froze, feeling rope around one wrist. The next thing she registered was the large body of a man next to her. The third thing she realized was that she was in her own bed in her apartment.

As far as what-the-**** moments went, this was a big one.

Her eyes rapidly adjusted to the darkness, and she looked down again to see that she was tied to the man’s wrist. He was sound asleep, his soft, even breathing filling the room.

Then she frowned. There had been two of them. She remembered that much. Which meant that somewhere close, there was another one. As if one wasn’t enough to deal with.

She gritted her teeth then turned her attention to the rope binding her to the mountain of muscle lying next to her. With her free hand, she carefully slid her fingers under the neckline of her T-shirt and into the sports bra to find the tiny pocketknife underneath the curve of her right .

Dumb bastards hadn’t patted her down, but then why would they feel the need to search the poor defenseless little woman?

She pulled the razor-sharp blade free of the clasp with her teeth then ever so carefully, she lowered it to the length of rope between their wrists.

As it passed through the twines like butter, she gave herself a mental pat on the back for being prepared and making sure she kept the blade sharp. Gabe would be proud.

Deep sadness clogged her chest, pulling painfully at her heart. No, she wouldn’t think about him now. Later. When she was safe, she’d mourn. For now she had to make sure they didn’t both end up dead.

If it weren’t for the fact that she had no idea where the other guy was, she’d bolt out of bed and run. She’d have the element of surprise, and by the time sleeping dude figured out she was free, she’d be two blocks away.

Instead she inched her way off the bed. Slowly, carefully, moving the tiniest bit with each breath. Every time he stirred she froze. When he flinched, she held her breath. Until finally, she slid the remaining way.

Not wasting a moment, she hurried across the floor, damning the fact that the bastard had removed her shoes. She didn’t have time to find them.

She halted in the doorway to the living room when she saw the second man’s too-large body sprawled on her too-small couch. He didn’t appear to be sleeping as deeply as the man in her bed. Getting by him and out the door could be a problem.

She felt in her pockets and nearly cursed aloud. All her cash was gone. She trembled with rage and curled her fingers into tight fists at her sides. Her bankcard was gone along with her cash.

Tears of frustration burned her eyes, pissing her off even more as she made her way quietly across the living room floor.

Her hand was on the knob, and she held her breath as she made her bid for freedom.

“Tell me you aren’t going to make me chase your across town again.”

She yanked her head toward the couch to see the man leaning up on one elbow, staring balefully at her. Foregoing any attempt at stealth, she threw open the door and bolted into the night.

The pounding of footsteps behind her told her that she was being pursued. She put her head down and turned on the speed. At the end of the block, she darted across the deserted street and veered away from the direction of the park. They’d expect her to go the familiar route.

She’d only gone another block when she heard the groan of an engine. As she went to cross another street, the squeal of tires sounded deafeningly close, and she pulled up short just in time for a silver Mercedes to careen in front of her.

A man jumped from the driver’s seat, and even in the dark, his identity was unmistakable.

Fear, vicious and stark, pooled in her stomach and swelled outward until nausea overwhelmed her.

“Katie, my love. Out for a late-night jog? I’ve always thought you were in impeccable shape, but one would think you were running from someone. Surely not me? We have a lot to clear up, you and me.”

She stared dully at Ricardo de la Cruz. It was only a matter of time before he showed up. His henchmen had sat on her long enough for him to arrive.

****y and arrogant as ever. His perfect white teeth flashed in the glare of the streetlights. His smile was sinister, with the promise of retribution. If only she’d killed him instead of Paulo.

Bitterness welled in her mouth, hard to swallow.

She turned to run when a strange sound shattered the night. Her entire body jerked and went stiff as agony fired through every one of her nerves. She couldn’t move, couldn’t speak, couldn’t think. So much pain. She was on fire.

For a moment, she stood locked in the grip of hell, her body refusing to respond to her commands. As she stared into the darkness, she saw the man who’d chased her from her apartment standing in the shadows a distance away.

His expression wasn’t one of triumph, however. Concern creased his brow, and he looked angry.

Then she sagged to the ground, gasps of pain spilling from her mouth. Desperately, she sucked in air, trying to drag more into her lungs. Lungs that felt as though they’d been torched.

Rough hands hauled her up. Fingers twisted in her hair, yanking her head back. She found herself staring into Ricardo’s handsome face right before his spit hit her on the cheek.

“You will pay for killing my brother, whore.”

Chapter Four

Tyana Berezovsky awkwardly made her way down the hallway to Jonah Pearson’s office. The going was slow, thanks to the crutches and heavy cast encasing her right leg.

She faltered for a moment when she got to the door but regained her footing and shoved the door open with one crutch.

Jonah looked up as she entered. “Should you be up and around?”

She glared and hobbled forward. When she got to his desk, she leaned on one crutch and brought the other one up until she prodded his chest with the rubber tip. Jonah glanced down at the crutch then back up at her with a raised eyebrow.

“You’ve got to do something about Eli. He’s driving me insane.”

Jonah shoved the crutch away and smirked at her. “Eli is your problem. Not mine.”

Tyana sagged into a chair and dropped the crutches with a clatter. “Surely you can find something for him to do?” She frowned at the pleading note in her voice. She sounded desperate.

Hell, who was she kidding? She was desperate.

Jonah chuckled. “It was your idea to fall in love with the guy.”

She closed her eyes. No, it wasn’t her idea. If she’d had a choice, she wouldn’t have waded into all those messy emotions.

It was one thing to be accountable to herself and to her team. She could deal with that just fine. But now she was accountable to someone else. Someone she was emotionally involved with. In short, it sucked.

“He’s smothering me,” she grumbled. “I can’t take a piss without him hovering.”

Jonah put his fingers together at his chin and stared hard at her. “As much as you know I don’t love to play armchair psychologist, may I point out that A. the guy loves you, and B. he damn near lost you. He’s entitled to hover a bit.”

She closed her eyes and groaned. “Jonah, please. There has to be something you can give him to do just for a couple of days. You’re supposed to be bringing him into Falcon. Isn’t there some bull**** ignment you can throw at him? Have him go make the arrangements for the safe house for Ian and Braden. Something, anything. I just need him out of my hair for a little while or I’m going to pull it all out.”

He studied her for a long moment. She was begging, and she knew it wasn’t a pretty sight. She never begged for anything. Maybe he sensed her desperation, not that it would take much brilliance to figure out she was at the end of her rope, because he sighed and leveled a resigned eye roll in her direction.

“I’ll see what I can do, Ty. But damn it, Eli isn’t my problem. He’s yours. I’d thank you to remember that in the future.”

She grinned. “If I could get up, I’d hug you.”

He managed a look of horror. “You’ve gotten soft on me. You fell in love, and it turned your brain to mush.”

“Could we stop going on and on about the L-word?”

Jonah shrugged. “You’re going to owe me one for this, and don’t think I won’t collect from your invalid .”

She nodded and made a grab for her crutches only to realize she couldn’t reach to the floor from her chair. She shifted and reached again only to come up short.

“Damn it,” she muttered.

“Problem?” Jonah asked with ill-suppressed humor.

She flipped her middle finger at him as she strained with her other hand to snag her crutch.

“And you wonder why Eli is hovering,” Jonah said dryly as he walked around the desk. He bent and picked up her crutches and then handed them to her.

“Thanks,” she mumbled.

She heaved herself upward, sweat breaking out on her forehead as she bobbled. Her continued weakness bugged the hell out of her. She was ready to be a hundred percent again.

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Jonah caught her arm to steady her and frowned. “Might I suggest you stay off your feet for a while longer? You’re clearly not ready to be up and around so damn much.”

Tyana sighed. “Now you sound like Eli.”

“Heaven forbid.”

She hobbled toward the door, ignoring his sarcasm. Up to now he hadn’t fussed over her much, and he hadn’t cut her any slack. Just the way she liked it.

“Don’t you get soft on me, Jonah,” she said when she got to the door. She turned to look at him. “I much prefer you being the big hole.”

He lifted one brow. “And you expect me to do you a favor?”

She winced. “Yeah well, forget the hole part.”

He smiled again. “Don’t let the door hit you on the on the way out.”

Chapter Five

A sharp slap to her face brought Katie awake. She tried to raise a palm to her stinging cheek, but rough hands gripped her wrists, holding her immobile.

Ricardo stood in front of her as two men hauled her to her feet. Annoyance ticked his cheek even as satisfaction carved a smile on his sensual lips.

He was an extraordinarily handsome man, as Paulo had been. Olive, sun-kissed skin, raven hair and startling blue eyes, crystal clear, like a Caribbean sea.

She wanted to laugh at the idea that she was standing here, waiting to die and remarking on the beauty of the man holding her life in his hands.

Instead of striking her again, he cupped her cheek in his palm and lightly caressed her skin.

“Paulo was a fool to think he could ever tame you,” Ricardo murmured. “He was too weak, too trusting. You unmanned him in every way.”

She had to bite her tongue to keep from retorting. Let him bait her. She wasn’t going to give him a reason to hit her again.

His fingers trailed down her skin and hooked into the neckline of her tank top. He slid his palm inside, cupping her . Every muscle in her body tensed. She couldn’t control the shudder of revulsion, and it angered him.

“I, on the other hand, am more than capable of bringing you to heel,” he said silkily.

Bile rose in her throat. He didn’t mean to kill her at all. Merely make her wish for death.

“Take her upstairs and make her bathe.” He withdrew his hand and stepped back. Then to her he said, “I’ve taken the liberty of laying out some clothes for you. I expect you to clean yourself up and change. You look a mess.”

She pressed her lips together and looked away. It was a mistake.

His palm cracked against her exposed cheek, knocking her back into the men who held her arms.

“Don’t you ever look away from me, whore.”

Slowly, she turned to stare him in the eye, doing nothing to disguise her hatred.

“Yes, you’d like to kill me wouldn’t you?” he said in a deceptively soft tone. “Just like you killed Paulo. I will make you beg, Katie. You will beg me to kill you before I’m finished.”

He waved his hand. “Take her away.”

The two men dragged Katie toward the stairs. She scrambled to get her feet under her, but they walked too fast. They hauled her up to the bathroom and shoved her inside.

“Do as the boss says,” one of them ordered. “Your clothes are on the counter.”

They retreated, closing the door behind them.

Katie took quick stock of the bathroom. There wasn’t a single window. Most of the rooms in the house didn’t have any. The first time she’d seen Ricardo’s compound, she’d remarked to Paulo how it reminded her of some clichéd drug dealer’s fortress. Paulo hadn’t been amused, but then she hadn’t realized until later how on-target her essment had been.

Her hopes plummeted at the thought of how difficult escape would be. Even if she did manage to gain freedom from the house, she would have to deal with the surrounding terrain. Ricardo would have no compunction about ordering his men to bathe her if she refused to do it herself. With that in mind, she turned on the shower and stripped out of her shorts and shirt.

Her body ached from the Taser Ricardo had used to prevent her from fleeing. She checked her appearance in the mirror and winced at the bruises on her face, neck and arms.

She turned away and climbed into the shower.

What the hell was she going to do? She washed rapidly, knowing Ricardo could very well show up in the bathroom. He thrived on being unpredictable, on keeping people off balance.

The little weasel had wanted her from the moment Paulo had brought her home and introduced her as his girlfriend. He’d played into Paulo’s insecurities and convinced his younger brother that Katie was having an affair with him.

If only she could have killed Ricardo instead. If only. It was a regret she’d carry to her grave. And if she ever got the chance to rectify her mistake, she’d take it without a moment’s hesitation.

As she rinsed the last of the soap from her hair, she ran her hand over the back of her neck, sliding the wet strands away from her skin. Her fingers glanced over something at her nape, and she frowned.

She backtracked and ran her finger over the slight protrusion again. It felt like a splinter. Gripping it with her fingernails, she tugged, and after a slight twinge, it came free.

She pulled her hand around so she could look at the tiny object. What the hell was it? It was metal, needlelike but not very long.

Opening the door to the shower, she stepped out, the sliver still in her palm. She laid it on the counter then reached for a towel to dry off.

After she hastily pulled on the jeans and shirt—the bastard hadn’t included any underwear, his way of humiliating her, no doubt—she turned her attention back to the thing she’d taken out of her neck.

There was no way she’d gotten it by accident, which meant someone had inserted it on purpose. Was it a tracking device? And why put one in now, after she’d been captured? Unless Ricardo was afraid she’d escape again…

Carefully, she inserted the device back into the hollow of her neck. She didn’t want Ricardo to know she’d found it. If she did manage to escape—and she had every intention of doing so—the tracking device could buy her valuable time if she sent him looking in the wrong direction.

First she had to regain her strength then she’d bide her time until she found a way to escape. Whatever she had to endure from Ricardo in the meantime was a price she’d have to pay.

***

“I knew this was a bad idea,” Braden grumbled. “This has been one pain in the after another.” He glanced up at Ian who wore a similar look of irritation. “Is Tits sure Esteban hasn’t made a move on Katie yet?”

Ian shrugged. “Word is Esteban offered a reward for her—alive—yesterday. These holes nabbed Katie two days ago. You do the math.”

“****.”

“He’s reportedly no longer interested in Eli—alive, anyway. I’m guessing that us teaming up with Falcon has deterred Esteban. After the last -kicking he received at our hands, I doubt he wants to pick any more fights. He’s focusing all his resources on finding Katie, which has to make us the biggest dumbasses alive for sticking our necks into this one. It’ll make us targets all over again.”

Braden shook his head and put the binoculars back to his eyes. He focused on the sprawling mansion nestled in the small valley below. He and Ian were stationed in the densely wooded area just above the house, keeping close watch on the goings-on. They were still getting a signal from the tracking device Ian had planted on Katie, but there had been little to no movement in the last twenty-four hours.

Ian wanted to wait, watch, learn the lay of the land. Braden? He just wanted to get it the over with, go in, put down some serious lead, hogtie Katie before she could cause any more trouble and then get the hell out of the country.

He lowered the binoculars and looked up again at Ian. “Are we going to stare at the damn house for another day or are we going to get our heads out of our es and make a move?”

Ian’s lips tightened. “I’m not getting my shot over her. It’s bad enough we’ve had to chase her across the damn country after spending weeks looking for her, but now apparently she’s pissed off some jacked-up coke dealer with an ego the size of Canada.” He shook his head in disgust.

“Yeah, it would seem Esteban is the least of her worries,” Braden muttered.

He put down the binoculars and rose from his knee. As he stretched and worked the kinks out, he glanced back at the house.

“So what’s the plan, big brother? We going in or not?”

Ian heaved a disgruntled sigh. “Yeah. We’ve ed off enough time already. We’ll move in just before dusk. We’re going to have to be quick and not too picky about piling up the bodies. We grab Katie and get the hell out then book it to the Delta. Our pilot is on standby there.”

Braden shrugged. The bodies didn’t bother him. Scum-sucking drug dealers did, however. What he really wanted to know was what connection Gabe’s little sister had to Ricardo de la Cruz. She was still alive which told Braden that de la Cruz wanted her that way.

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She was pretty enough in a psycho, hellcat sort of way, that is if you liked your women with claws. He preferred them slightly more biddable.

“Let’s do a weapons check and then…” Ian stared at Braden as his voice trailed off.

“Then?” Braden prompted.

“We should probably take a low dose of the sedative,” Ian said quietly. “We can’t afford a shift.”

How ridiculous that Braden hadn’t even considered it. No matter how long he dealt with the limitations of living his life as half man and half panther, it still managed to creep up on him. Stupid.

“Where are we flying to?” Braden asked as he watched Ian take out the syringes and the small vial of medication.

“Paris,” Ian said in a tight voice. “Falcon has a safe house there.”

Braden nodded. He knew Ian was uncomfortable relying on Falcon. Braden wasn’t entirely down with it himself. They’d spent too many years as their own team, Covert Hostage Recovery. Eli had led the team, no doubt there, but everyone knew their job and they did it, no babysitting required.

Now, suddenly they were faced with new people, new personalities to learn and a new leadership. Jonah had Braden’s respect, but he didn’t have Braden’s complete trust. Yet.

Ian checked his watch. “We’ll wait two more hours then take the sedative. The doses are light enough not to impair our judgment, so we should be fine.”

Still, Braden would feel more comfortable if they had back-up. Even Falcon. Against ordinary civilians, he and Ian were more than capable of taking down the entire house, but these weren’t ordinary people. They were drug dealers. Armed to the teeth and not bashful about shooting first and asking questions later.

“So I guess falling asleep just before go time probably wouldn’t be a good idea,” Braden joked, knowing it would annoy Ian.

Ian scowled. “Very funny.” Then his scowl deepened. “I sure hope to hell she’s worth all this aggravation. She better damn well serve Esteban up on a platter or I’m going to be pissed.”

Braden shrugged. “We owe it to Gabe to make sure she’s safe.”

Ian’s eyes hardened. “We owe him nothing.”

“You wouldn’t have betrayed the team for me?” Braden asked. “Because I would have for you. No question.”

Ian looked surprised, and then he grew pensive. Instead of responding, he glanced away, busying himself with the two syringes. He packed them into one of the bags and then started a weapons check.

Subject closed. Typical Ian. If he didn’t want to talk about it, he just ignored it until it went away. Braden sighed and walked to the back of the SUV to run down his own weapons.

They needed to view Katie as a key to a cure, to figuring out how to rid themselves of the beasts lurking inside, waiting to be released at any moment. If they did that, they could put up with any amount of inconvenience.

And really, if they couldn’t handle one slip of a woman, they needed to ing quit anyway.

Chapter Six

Katie lay on Ricardo’s big bed with a sense of purpose. Even as pain whipped and coiled through her body, her mind focused on what had to be done.

She shifted and sucked in a painful breath as the movement jarred her abdomen. Ricardo had enjoyed watching as his men hit her. But that wasn’t as bad as what he planned next.

He wanted her helpless and hurting, completely at his whim and mercy. His men had carried her to Ricardo’s bed and left her. He was going to rape her. There was no pretense, no false arrogance that told him she really wanted him and would welcome his advances. He didn’t want that. He enjoyed inflicting pain and humiliation. Her enjoyment would ruin the experience for him.

Her gaze fastened on the one window. Her escape route. Few of the other rooms had windows, but here in Ricardo’s domain, there was a large picture window overlooking the rugged terrain of the Uncompahgre Plateau.

She heard his footsteps, and she tensed in anticipation. She would escape or force him to kill her, but either way, he wouldn’t have her, would not take from her by force what she wasn’t willing to give.

She’d spent the last two years running, constantly looking over her shoulder, and for what? So she could end up Ricardo’s whore until he tired of torturing her?

**** him and that.

He appeared at the foot of the bed in a silk robe. How cliché was that? Clearly the man had watched too many mafia movies.

There was nothing put-on about the look of lust that crowded his eyes or the way he stared at her. The lapels of his robe parted as he pulled at the silk and let it fall to the floor.

He was aroused, but violence had always been a huge turn-on for him. Katie was convinced that he couldn’t get it up unless he inflicted pain.

She shrank into the bed, careful to affect the pitiful, injured look she was trying to maintain. Let him see her fear. It would only make him more confident of his power. He underestimated her. He always had.

The bed dipped under his weight as he climbed onto the mattress. She didn’t move. She waited.

She adopted an appropriate look of meekness and fear. When he reached out to touch her, she held back the flinch.

“I told you to undress,” he said in a menacing whisper.

Yeah, he had, but she couldn’t very well escape .

“But I’m glad you didn’t,” he continued on as his fingers trailed up her arm. “I rather like the idea of tearing your clothes off myself.”

Just a little further, hole. Just a little further.

She held her breath as he leaned forward. His engorged brushed against her hip, and she bolted into action.

She grabbed his erect ***** in one hand and twisted violently. She smashed her other hand into his nose.

His howl of pain was immediate. She rolled until they both fell onto the floor, her on top of him, her hand still wrapped tight around his and balls.

Not giving him any time to recover, she leaped up, grabbed the lamp off the bedside table and smashed it over his head as hard as she could.

He went limp.

She didn’t take even a second to savor her victory. She lunged for the bedroom door, flipping the bolt to lock it. His men would have heard him bellow and would be beating down his door in a matter of seconds. She needed those precious seconds.

After securing the door, she went back to the bed and yanked the comforter off. She moved toward the window, wrapping the blanket around her body as she went.

The window didn’t open. She’d already tried it. So the only way out was through it. She just hoped she didn’t break anything in the fall from the second story.

Desperate times and desperate measures and all that jazz. Yeah, stop thinking about it. Just go.

She backed from the window, clenched the blanket tighter around her and took off running. When she got to the window, she jumped, ramming her body as hard against the glass as she could.

It shattered on impact. For a moment, it felt as though she was suspended, but the air rushed over her face and a second later, she hit the ground with a resounding thump.

Pain speared through her body. Her arm. God, the one she landed on. It hurt like a mother. She hoped to hell she hadn’t broken it.

There was no time to take stock of her injuries or lack thereof. She scrambled to her feet, wincing when she cut her hand on one of the many shards of glass surrounding her.

She discarded the blanket and took off through the courtyard toward the stone barrier surrounding Ricardo’s estate. She held her bleeding hand against her shirt so she wouldn’t drip on the ground.

It wasn’t going to be easy to get over that wall but then what the hell had been easy for her so far?

She lowered her arm and took a running start. When she got to the wall, she leaped, doing a quick run up the stones. Her momentum carried her up, and she grasped the ledge with her fingers. Barely.

She hung there for several long seconds, catching her breath and praying she didn’t fall. Her hands ached, and she couldn’t even feel her fingers as she clawed for better leverage.

Her feet swinging, she boosted her body until she managed to scrape her elbows over the top, and then she used her arms to haul herself the rest of the way up.

As she rolled over the side, part of the stone by her head exploded, sending sharp pieces of rock into her face and neck. It took her a second to realize she was being shot at.

She dropped over the other side and took off running. She ignored the pain, her injuries, the fact that she had no shoes and that her clothing offered little protection from the bushes and shrubbery she flung herself through.

Only one thing mattered. Escape.

Sucking in mouthfuls of air, she ran, dodging tree branches and jumping over rocks. She didn’t know where she was running. That didn’t matter. As long as she was away from Ricardo, she could figure out the rest later.

She topped a slight rise and paused only to work the stitch out of her side before she started down again. She skidded to a halt when a large man stepped directly into her path.

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A frightened moan escaped her lips. God, not him again. She glanced frantically around for the other one and sure enough, he was circling behind her.

Against Ricardo she had a fighting chance. Though bigger than her, he had a slim build. These two? Hulking masses of muscle-bound humanity. She’d bounce off them like a quarter.

She tightened her shoulders. No matter what, they weren’t taking her down without a fight, and she damn sure wouldn’t let them get close enough to drug her again.

Ian’s gaze traveled over Katie’s tense body as Braden circled behind her. He didn’t miss anything. Not the bruise on her cheek, the bruises around her neck and the fingerprint-shaped bruises marring her upper arms.

Her blue eyes were wild with fear—and determination.

He put a placating hand out. “Now, Katie—”

He couldn’t even get the words past his lips before she was off like a shot. Braden cursed as he gave chase. Ian took off after her as well. The last thing they needed was a damn long pursuit when de la Cruz’s men were going to be after them.

This was not how this was supposed to go down. They were supposed to go in, shooting anything that moved, and haul her out on the route they’d planned. She wasn’t supposed to have already escaped with Ricardo’s men all still accounted for. Difficult wench.

Braden managed to bolt ahead of her, effectively cutting her off. The moment she paused to change direction gave Ian the chance he needed.

He took her down with a tackle. Her cry of pain hit him right in the chest. Damn it, he hadn’t wanted to hurt her.

She struggled beneath him as he tried to pry most of his weight off her.

“Get off me!” she cried.

He grabbed her wrists, careful not to squeeze too tightly as he tucked both hands into one of his and held them over her head.

“Stop fighting me,” he said through gritted teeth. “I’m trying not to hurt you here.”

“I won’t go back to that bastard,” she hissed. “You’ll have to kill me.”

Braden made a noise that sounded like a snarl. Ian yanked his head up to see Braden scowling beside him. Ian glanced back down at Katie in surprise. She thought they worked for de la Cruz. And why wouldn’t she? They both showed up at the same time and both had made a grab for her.

He eased his hold on her and backed away, determined not to terrify her any more than he already had.

“Katie, listen to me. Gabe sent us.”

Her eyes widened in shock, and all the fight went out of her in one big whoosh. She stared dumbly at him for a long second as he rose to his feet. She scooted along the ground on her behind then picked herself up as if she was prepared to flee again.

Braden stepped forward, but Ian held out a hand to stop him.

“Is he alive?” she demanded.

There was so much fear in her gaze that he couldn’t stand the thought of telling her Gabe was dead. Right now his priority had to be keeping her alive.

Braden glanced over his shoulder as the staccato of machine gun fire sounded in the distance. Then to Ian’s surprise, he strode over to Katie, hoisted her over his shoulder and took off into the brush.

Ian jogged after them just about the time Katie started to fight. But it was her pained grunt when Braden hopped over a fallen log that made him pause.

“Braden, wait, you’re hurting her,” Ian called out.

Braden stopped and swung around to stare at his brother in surprise. Ian grimaced. Whether she was hurt or not wasn’t the issue. If Braden wasn’t killing her then Ian should have just let him go. The sooner they got the hell out of here the better.

But Braden eased her off his shoulder and set her on her feet, though he gripped her arm so she couldn’t take off. Her pale, shaken face and her short gasps of breath made it obvious that she was indeed in a lot of pain.

Braden cursed and touched her cheek with one hand. “I’m sorry, Katie. But we’ve got to get the hell out of here. Now. We can’t around waiting for you to decide if you can trust us. It’s either your buddy de la Cruz or us. I need you to decide so we can escape without an full of lead.”

There was a brief flash of uncertainty in her wide eyes as she studied Braden first and then Ian. She glanced back toward the house, and her expression hardened.

“If you betray me, I’ll kill you,” she said in a voice that sent chills down Ian’s spine.

Funny thing was, he absolutely believed her.

“You can certainly try,” Ian said as he moved toward her again.

He took her arm and turned her in the direction of the SUV. Braden took her other arm and they hustled her up the incline. By the time they reached the SUV, Katie was stumbling to keep up. As he glanced down at her bare feet, he cursed to see one was bleeding. He hadn’t even considered her feet. He’d told Braden to put her down because she was in pain, and he had no idea the extent of her injuries, but in his boneheadedness he hadn’t considered the fact she’d been running through the woods with no shoes.

He reached for her, sweeping her into his arms as he walked the remaining distance to the truck. Her face went pale, and sweat beaded her forehead.

He stalked over to the SUV and sat her on top of the hood. Before she could utter a sound, he yanked at her T-shirt, baring her ribcage and s to his view.

“Hey!” she shouted as she took a swing at him. She shoved furiously at the shirt, but he held tight.

“What the hell did he do to you?” Ian growled.

Her full, pink-tipped s bounced slightly as she struggled to cover herself, but Ian’s gaze was drawn to the dark bruises that marred her belly. He put his hands over her ribs, checking for breakage.

Beside him, Braden muttered a dark obscenity as he stared at her chest.

Her hands trembled as she gripped the T-shirt, trying to pull it away from Ian.

“Can we just get out of here?” she asked in a shaky voice.

Ian gently arranged her T-shirt back over her stomach then plucked her off the hood of the truck. He carried her around to the passenger side and deposited her into the backseat.

“Stay down,” he ordered.

To his surprise, she complied, lying on the seat as Braden slid into the front seat.

Ian hurried around to the driver’s side and got in. He shoved his gun at Braden. Seconds later, he peeled out down the rugged path they’d taken to the ridge overlooking de la Cruz’s house.

As soon as he pulled onto the divide road, they were nearly run over by two black SUVs. He careened sharply to the left to avoid being hit and then stomped on the accelerator, fishtailing in the loose dirt.

“Holy ,” Braden spit out as he almost landed in Ian’s lap. Then he hit the deck when a barrage of bullets pelted the passenger door.

“What the hell did you do to piss him off so bad, sweetheart?” Braden called back to Katie.

“I’m breathing,” she muttered.

“Not for long if I can’t shake these holes,” Ian said grimly. “Anytime you want to take some heat off us would be nice, little brother.”

Braden cracked a grin. “Well, you do always say I’m too quick to start shooting ****. Figured I’d show some restraint.”

“Restraint, my . Now ain’t the time for it. Shoot the ers.”

Braden laughed, and Ian shook his head. How on earth he could always crack jokes in high-pressure situations was beyond Ian, but he was used to it by now. It used to drive Gabe up the wall, while Eli just chuckled and went on.

Braden cracked the window, angled his rifle and squeezed off several rounds. Ian checked his rearview mirror to see one of the SUVs hit the ***ch. The bad news, however, was that two more had joined the chase.

“Son of a bitch,” Ian swore.

“I’d say the airport is out,” Braden said as he steadied himself for another shot. “We’re going away from Delta, and it’s not like they’re going to let us on a plane to calmly fly out of there.”

“Aren’t you the observant one,” Ian said snidely.

“Can we dispense with the adolescent bickering and get the down the road?” Katie bit out.

“Aah, I’d almost forgotten about her,” Braden said cheerfully as he took out another SUV.

“We’re saving your sweet , so I don’t want to hear any bitching,” Ian said in a tight voice.

She snorted. Actually snorted.

“Would you like me to let you out so you can hitch a ride with your buddies back there?” Ian asked.

Braden arched an eyebrow as he glanced sideways at Ian. Ian ignored him.

“Don’t expect me on my knees with gratitude. I don’t know who the hell you are, only that you’ve chased me all over St. Louis, you drugged me, tied me to you in my bed and stole my cash. Now you show up here in Colorado and tell me Gabe sent you. That’s the only reason why I didn’t take your goddamn heads off back there.”

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Ian laughed. He couldn’t help himself. “You talk big for such a little woman.”

He heard her hiss of anger and smiled even bigger, and all the while, Braden was looking at him like he’d lost his mind.

“Need I remind you that there are people behind us that would love to reshape our bodies with ault rifles?” Braden pointed out.

Ian grunted and focused his attention on the road. He needed to lose these holes and fast. Preferably before they picked up a police tail. And then there was the problem of their pilot waiting at the airport. They couldn’t very well lead de la Cruz’s men to the airstrip and expect them to let the airplane take off. Which meant that their departure from U.S. soil was going to be delayed.

This was turning into one long-ass mission. Goddamn Gabe. Why the hell had he kept Katie a secret, and what the hell kind of mess had he dumped Ian and Braden into by asking them to protect her?

This was supposed to be easy. He’d thought it no less than a dozen times since this ****storm had started.

“They’re slowing down, Ian,” Braden said.

Ian checked his rearview mirror to see that, sure enough, they were putting more distance between them and their pursuers. He frowned. Why were they giving up?

Katie cautiously rose and glanced back at the fading vehicles. Evidently satisfied that it was safe to sit up, she reclined rigidly against the seat. Ian watched her in the rearview mirror out of the corner of his eye as she gave a weary sigh and closed her eyes.

She looked exhausted. It was obvious she was in a great deal of pain. Unexpectedly, his gut clenched. What had the little bastard done to her?

If he’d expected her to be an easy acquisition—and he had—he’d never been more wrong in his life. She wasn’t a shrinking violet. She had courage—and a spine made of steel. Some of his earlier annoyance faded. He admired guts, especially in a woman who looked way too small to ever fend for herself.

“Are you okay?” he asked softly.

She opened one eye and stared back at him. “Honestly?”

“Yeah.”

“No. But I’ll get there.”

His lips quirked upward in a smile.

Braden turned in his seat to stare at Katie. “What the hell did you do to Ricardo de la Cruz, lady?”

“The name is Katie. Use it.”

He gave her a lazy grin. “Sure thing, sweetheart.”

“Asshole,” she muttered.

Ian chuckled under his breath. Braden the babe magnet was failing in the charm department.

“Look, can you just pull over and let me out?” she asked. “It’s obvious neither of you understand the seriousness of the situation. Maybe you have time to sit around and make stupid remarks and laugh at your own lame-ass humor, but I really need to put as much distance between me and Ricardo de la Cruz as possible.”

Ian’s eyes narrowed. “Keep your panties on. Braden’s way of dealing with any tense situation is with lameness. What can I say? He’s a lame guy.”

“Hey, you,” Braden said. “And good God, don’t tell me you’re getting a sense of humor in the middle of a mission gone to ****.”

Ian ignored his brother. “We hauled your pretty out of Ricardo’s grasp, so the least you can do is show a little gratitude.”

Her mouth gaped open. It was a pretty mouth too. One he could easily fantasize about. He blinked as the absur***y of his thoughts hit him.

“You pompous, dumb-as-**** moron. If it weren’t for you, Ricardo would have never caught me. I wouldn’t be in this situation. I’d be halfway across the country with money and means of transportation.”

She heaved a breath, and he saw her wince, but her face was mottled with anger, and her eyes glittered.

“And as for hauling my anywhere, I had already taken Ricardo down and escaped through a window, thank you very much. I’d gotten over the wall and would have escaped the grounds on my own. Where the hell do you get off thinking you’re some kind of goddamn hero when all you’ve done is cause me endless pain and grief at that hole’s hands?”

“This would probably be a good time for you to shut up, dude,” Braden said out of the corner of his mouth as he surveyed Katie with an amused expression.

Suddenly Braden’s head snapped back as Katie decked him. All amusement vanished, replaced by astonishment.

“She hit me!”

“Let. Me. Out. Now.” Fury glinted in her eyes as she gave her dictate through gritted teeth.

Ian didn’t know whether to throw back his head and laugh his off—and he probably would if he wasn’t sure she’d deck him next—or gag her. He was seriously leaning toward the latter.

“I hate to break it to you, but you’re stuck with us.” He stared at her in the rearview mirror. “Gabe asked us to come,” he said quietly.

Raw grief swamped her eyes. “Is he alive?”

Ian hesitated a moment too long. He watched her fold inward, hunching her body into a ball. She turned her face away, pressed her cheek into the seat and closed her eyes.

“I’m sorry,” he said, though he doubted she heard him.

He exchanged uneasy glances with Braden then returned his attention to the road. He listened for the sounds of her weeping, but she didn’t make a single peep.

Every once in a while he glanced back at her, but she remained huddled against the seat, her expression one of deep pain.

Something in his chest softened. She was prickly as hell, but then who could blame her? She was right. He and Braden had likely been the cause of her falling into de la Cruz’s hands, and she’d suffered a lot at those hands.

His jaw tightened as his gaze flickered over the bruises on her face and neck. He’d like to meet up with Ricardo. Severing the hole’s with a rusty knife held a certain appeal.

At some point she drifted off to sleep. Her body language changed from the tense, defensive don’t ing touch me stance to a more relaxed posture. Her eyelashes rested on her cheeks, but even in sleep, there was such an expression of sorrow that it formed a knot in his throat.

“What the hell are we going to do with her?” Braden murmured.

Ian looked at his brother in surprise. “Nothing’s changed. Esteban is still our priority. We get her the hell out of the country then wait for him to make his move.”

Braden nodded, but something in his expression bothered Ian. Neither of them could afford to grow soft. Not when so much was riding on them finding a cure.

Remembering their pilot, he yanked up his cell phone and put in a quick call. Ian didn’t want to be exposed for a prolonged period of time. The more time they spent on the ground, the more likely they were to have run-ins like they had with de la Cruz and company. But at the same time, he didn’t want to risk their pilot landing in an area where they would have to risk their es to fly out of.

After he explained the problem, the pilot suggested a rendezvous at a small airstrip outside Chama, New Mexico.

It was a long-ass drive, and he and Braden were both fighting the effects of the sedative, but they couldn’t afford to stop.

He glanced one more time back at Katie. Hopefully she’d sleep for a good long while. The sooner they got her on the plane—preferably without any more drama—the better.

Chapter Seven

Katie stared dully out the window as the scenery passed in a blur. Dead. Gabe was dead. She’d known it when he hadn’t called, but hearing it confirmed sent a fresh wave of grief splintering through her system.

Dusk had fallen, and the stars were gradually popping in the sky. She’d listened as the two men murmured between them, but they hadn’t said anything that told her who they were, why Gabe had sent them to her nor had they given her any indication she could trust them. She knew their names only from listening to their conversation, but nothing else. Gabe had never talked about his teammates. Once he’d mentioned someone named Eli, but that was it.

She umed they were brothers because of the strong resemblance. Both had black hair and green eyes, though Braden’s were a lighter shade than the deep emerald of Ian’s. They obviously took their military training to heart because they were built like brick houses. Ian was taller than Braden, but Braden was the stockier, more muscular of the two.

Clearly they were the lesser of two evils. No, she wasn’t entirely sure of their motives or intentions, but she knew what her fate was with Ricardo. That in itself was good enough reason to go along for the ride. Ian had seemed appalled by her bruises, so maybe he wasn’t a complete head.

She dragged a tired hand through her matted hair. Dried blood was smeared on her fingers, and her arm screamed as she tried to figure out how injured it was. It didn’t feel broken, but it was swollen. Just great.

Her ribs protested as she gently probed. Breathing was painful but not hindered. All in all, she was damn lucky to escape with only bruises.

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Into the Lair Page 8



She closed her eyes briefly and sucked in her breath. When she opened them again, Braden was staring back at her.

“You okay?” he asked in a tone that suggested he actually gave a damn.

“I’m fine,” she mumbled.

He turned to Ian as though she hadn’t spoken. “We need to stop. She’s a mess, and we need to make sure her injuries aren’t severe.”

She aimed a glare at the back of his head. Funny how he hadn’t appeared very concerned with the severity of her injuries when he’d tossed her over his shoulder and bounced her to hell and back.

On the other hand, if they didn’t stop, she couldn’t very well escape. Granted she’d like to be a little further away from Ricardo and company before she bolted, but she’d take whatever opportunity was presented.

Gabe sent us.

Why?

Did she want to know? And did it matter now that he was dead? She was on her own. Not that she hadn’t been for the last few years, but there had been comfort in knowing that Gabe was a phone call away, that if she really needed him, he would come.

Trust no one. Ever.

Gabe’s words came back to her. Words to live by.

She glanced toward Ian and Braden again as they went back and forth as to whether they were going to stop. She wasn’t a gut person when it came to forming opinions. Obviously she had the sense of a moron when it came to men. No, there wasn’t some nifty little feeling steering her emotions. She dealt in concrete evidence, and nothing had shown her that these men were anything but dangerous.

A pitiful little moan worked its way past her lips. She was careful to make sure her gaze was focused out the window, so they wouldn’t suspect she was paying them any attention. She even managed an appropriate wince as she moved her arm, not that she had to work too hard, because damn, it really did hurt.

She heard Ian sigh, and a few seconds later, he turned off the road. The headlights bounced over the wooded area as they came to a stop on the makeshift path.

“I don’t want to stop anywhere close to a town,” Ian said gruffly. “We’re only a couple hours from de la Cruz’s place, and I’ll feel better when we’re a lot further. We’ll get you cleaned up and checked out, and we’ll worry about finding better accommodations later.”

Said like she was a child in need of coddling after a bad fall. She blew out an exasperated breath and plotted her move. She studied the area. Lots of trees and brush. As best as she could tell, they’d already bypassed Nucla and Naturita and were probably approaching Norwood.

Their size was to their advantage, though she’d already proven she was faster when she had a good lead. But they weren’t injured, and she was.

Gabe sent us.

She closed her eyes. Yes, she wanted to know why, but at the same time, she couldn’t discount what Gabe had drilled into her head. Trust no one.

It had been proven to her over and over that trust was not something to be given lightly, if at all. She couldn’t even trust herself or her judgment, so how the hell was she supposed to hand her wellbeing over to complete strangers? Strangers who had drugged her, tied her and tackled her.

No thanks.

The SUV ground to an abrupt halt, jarring her uncomfortably. Before she could react, Ian got out and yanked open her door. As soon as he touched her, she shrank away.

His stare grew menacing, but it was clear he wasn’t angry at her. No, he was focused on her battered appearance with a frown that would scare the hell out of the boogeyman.

His touch grew gentle as he slid his hand up her arm. Then he simply reached in and picked her up off the seat. He carried her around back where Braden had popped the door.

“I’m afraid this will have to do,” Ian said as he lowered her to sit just above the bumper.

Her legs dangled over the edge of the truck, and he urged her to lie back. Panic set in as she processed the vulnerability of her position. Her hands flailed, but she found them restrained by his firm grip.

“Look at me, Katie,” Ian said in a quiet, firm tone.

She stopped for a moment, unwittingly lured by the strength in his voice. For just a moment, she felt safe. It had been so long since she’d gotten even a fleeting taste of what it felt like to live without fear that she grabbed on to the feeling and absorbed it hungrily.

His eyes bore into hers. “I won’t hurt you, at least not intentionally. We haven’t gotten off to the best of starts, but I’m not a bastard who beats up women.”

Her mouth went dry as his fingers slowly pulled at her shirt.

“Shine the flashlight over here, Braden,” he said.

Ian scowled when the beam of light hit the splotches of discolored flesh on her abdomen. In an effort not to make her uncomfortable, he tried to keep as much of her s covered as he could.

It amazed him that such a slender, slight woman would have so much in the boob department, and he couldn’t help that his gaze kept returning to the lush mounds. If he moved his finger at all, it would brush the soft underswell.

With gentle hands, he probed her ribs. She winced in a few spots, but it didn’t feel like she had broken anything. Satisfied that at worst she’d suffered painful bruising, he tugged down her shirt then turned his attention to her arm.

The area above her elbow and the elbow itself was swollen. He could tell it hurt when he moved it, but she remained motionless and stoic.

“This could use some ice,” he said as he carefully lowered her arm back to her side.

She averted her gaze. “I’ll be fine. It’s not broken.”

Braden reached out and ran his fingers lightly over her bruised cheek. His expression was bland, but Ian could see how tightly his jaw was drawn.

“What does Ricardo de la Cruz want with you, Katie?” Braden asked.

Her blue eyes became ice crystals. She visibly retreated behind a mask of indifference. It was a lot like watching a brick wall go up.

Ian pulled a T-shirt from one of the bags then opened a bottle of water. He poured it over one corner of the shirt and set to work wiping the dried blood from the cut on her hand.

She had small hands, dainty almost, and as soon as he made that observation he wanted to laugh. She was about as far from dainty as a woman could get.

When he was through cleaning the wound, he let his hands trail down her leg until he got to her foot. It was dirty, and there was a large cut on the bottom. It had to hurt like hell.

He felt her tremble when he began wiping at it, and he glanced back up at her to see that she’d relaxed her guard somewhat. Pain glittered in her eyes, and he was gripped by an odd, fierce rage for what she’d endured.

How the hell did he know she wasn’t some drug-running floozie in league with de la Cruz? For all he knew, he and Braden had walked into the middle of a lover’s quarrel. Still, no matter what her sins were, no woman deserved to be a man’s punching bag.

He swabbed the T-shirt over her small feet, and he was fascinated by the incongruity of her pink toenails. They looked decidedly feminine on a woman who was as prickly as a hedgehog.

“Get me something to bandage her hand and foot with,” he said to Braden.

Braden dug around in a first-aid kit, pulled out a roll of gauze and thrust it at Ian. Ian eyed Braden’s hand resting on Katie’s other knee. It was a possessive grip, and he moved his thumb in a soothing up-and-down motion over her skin.

Ian rolled his shoulder then began winding the gauze around the instep of her foot. When he was satisfied with the result, he taped it and cut the end.

He reached again for her hand that was now resting on her taut abdomen. For a brief moment, her fingers curled trustingly around his, but then she flexed them, the tips flying off the back of his hand as if she’d realized what she was doing.

A few seconds later, he had her hand wrapped, and he tossed the gauze into the truck.

Braden slid an arm underneath her and eased her forward. She regarded him with wary eyes as she gingerly sat up. Her gaze flickered to Ian, and for a moment he saw fear—of him—shadowed in her face. Before he could offer any reassurance, the vulnerability was gone, replaced by a look of annoyance.

It was fascinating to watch her, because she was like an open book. Every thought, every emotion played out in her eyes. You only had to watch closely enough to see the changes.

Somehow he didn’t think she’d appreciate his analysis, or that she was so easily read.

“We should get on the road,” Ian said.

He started to help her up, but she shrugged off his hand.

“I can make it,” she said as she slid from the back of the SUV.

She hung back as he and Braden started for their seats. He saw her hesitate as she rounded the corner of the truck, and before he could blink, she bolted.

“Well goddamn,” Braden swore. “Not again.”

Ian let out a frustrated growl as he and Braden both ran after her. His nostrils flared, and her scent carried to him on the wind. Lightning fast images cascaded through his mind.

Into the Lair
Into the Lair Page 9



Predator and prey.

God.

His breaths came faster as he closed the gap between him and the fleeing woman.

He wanted her.

She was his.

A low snarl tore from his mouth.

And suddenly Braden slammed into him, knocking him to the ground.

“Hold it back, Ian.” Braden’s voice came hoarse and urgent close to his ear.

“Go after her,” Ian managed to say. “Don’t let me hurt her, Braden. Swear it.”

“Forget her. She still has the tracking device. Come back to the truck with me so I can give you an injection.”

“Too…late,” he rasped. “Get away from me. Now.”

Braden’s face contorted and rippled in Ian’s vision. The change began to ricochet over his body. Painful.

Bones popped, muscles spasmed and reshaped. He closed his eyes and panted as he fought the shift with everything he had. It was a battle he knew he wouldn’t win.

Braden sped after Katie’s retreating figure. Stupid twit had no idea what she’d started. He’d be lucky if Ian didn’t eat them both for dinner.

Adrenaline-laced fury rocketed through his veins as he focused on the chase.

Don’t shift. Don’t shift. Don’t shift.

The chant swam fluidly through his brain as if by saying it, willing it, he could escape his brother’s fate.

He was gaining on her. He sucked in air through flared nostrils as her scent grew stronger.

Mine. Mine. Mine.

He shook off the hum of arousal as it surged, hot and steady through his groin.

This had to end now.

As he topped the next rise, he dove for her. He slammed into her back, knocking her to the ground. Her body absorbed the shock of both their landings, and her cry of pain echoed in his ears.

He rolled, wrapping his arms protectively around her even while he wanted nothing more than to shake some sense into her. She rammed her knee in the direction of his balls, and his hand shot downward, halting her inches from his groin.

He squeezed her knee until her leg went limp. She sagged against him, but he wasn’t in the least bit fooled by her sudden capitulation. He locked his other arm around her body and held her flush against him, so that absolutely no space existed between them.

“I can’t breathe,” she gasped.

“And right now I don’t give a damn,” he snarled. “I’ve about had it with you, lady.”

She squirmed against him, and he tightened his grip until she could no longer move.

In one quick movement, he flipped her over, threw one leg over hers and wrapped both his arms around her, trapping her arms against her sides. Her was pressing hard into his groin, and that wasn’t the only thing hard. Goddamn it. What a time for a freaking erection.

She felt it too, and for a moment she went completely still. He felt her quick intake of air and then she exploded into action, kicking and writhing.

“For the love of God, chill the out,” he barked. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

“Let. Me. Go.”

“Not on your life.”

She went limp against him.

“Now we can do this one of two ways,” he said through gritted teeth. “You can give in and walk back with me to the truck, or I can hogtie your , carry you back and stuff you into the cargo space.”

She stiffened again. “**** you.”

“No, you, sister. I’m usually a good-natured guy, but I swear you’re doing your best to piss me off. Now what’s it going to be? If I don’t get an answer in three seconds, I’m choosing option B. God knows it’ll be a lot easier on me if you’re trussed up like a turkey.”

“Fine,” she muttered.

“What’s that? I didn’t hear you.”

“I’ll go back with you,” she spit.

He almost grinned. Sounded like a pissed-off kitten. Then he frowned. He had no idea where Ian was which meant the trip back to the truck was going to be interesting. The sooner he could get her locked in, though, the safer she’d be. For that matter, he wasn’t crazy about skulking around in the dark with a jaguar on the loose.

He loosened his grip and cautiously got to his feet. She lay there in the darkness, her breaths shallow and pained. He refused to feel any guilt over it.

Pale moonlight streamed through the treetops, softly illuminating her skin. The forest was quiet except for the short gasps of her breath as her shoulders heaved up and down.

She rolled to her back, and a shadow fell over her face. He moved so he could see her and then extended his hand down to help her up. For a long moment, she stared at him as if not believing he was acting so civilized. Hell, he wasn’t an ax murderer.

When he shrugged his shoulders and started to lean down to pick her up, she quickly thrust her hand toward his. He curled his fingers around her wrist and pulled so she stood in front of him.

He cupped her chin and tilted it upward until the moonlight better illuminated her face. “You’re a mess.”

Her lips thinned, and she jerked away from his grip. “You’re not looking so hot yourself. And you smell like a goat.”

A light chuckle escaped him, and it seemed to irritate her even more. He cupped her uninjured elbow and herded her back toward the truck.

Though he made an effort to relax and not give away his concern over where Ian was, his gaze shot left to right as they walked back. Halfway there, he heard a low growl emanate from about thirty yards to his right.

****.

“Listen up, sister. When I tell you to run, you haul your pretty back to the truck. I’ll be right behind you. Don’t pull any stupid tricks or I swear to God I’ll leave you for the critters to eat.”

She tensed beside him but didn’t argue, thank God.

A hiss shot through the night.

“Run!”

Thankfully, she didn’t hesitate. She took off like a jackrabbit, and Braden pounded the ground after her, his hand at her back urging her faster.

Metal glinted in the moonlight ahead. The SUV came into view, and he grasped her arm and dragged her the remaining way.

He yanked open the door and tossed her inside. She landed with a thump then rapidly turned over to glare at him.

“Don’t get out of this truck,” he said. “I don’t care what you hear or see. You don’t leave. You got me?”

“Yeah, I got it,” she returned softly.

For a moment, fear lurked in her eyes.

“What’s out there?” she asked.

He grimaced. “I’m not entirely sure.”

He glanced once over his shoulder to make sure Ian hadn’t stalked them back to the truck, and then he turned back to Katie.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Without giving her a chance to respond, he shut the door, bathing the interior in darkness once more. The night air blew down his spine, eliciting a shiver.

He listened closely, tuning in to the sounds around him. There in the distance—the slow, methodical sound of a predator creeping through the underbrush.

Braden turned and ran in the direction of the noise. He shoved aside branches and bushes then leaped over a fallen log. It was stupid to confront the jaguar, but he wouldn’t leave Ian out here alone.

He burst into a clearing and came to an abrupt halt when the luminescent eyes of the cat stared back at him.

****.

They stared at one another, both so still. Then the jaguar raised its head and sniffed in his direction. The ears that had lain flat against his head slowly rose.

The cat stepped forward, and he hastily backed up. He reached for a gun that wasn’t there, not that he’d use it. Then he nearly laughed. What was he going to do, threaten the cat with it?

The jaguar stopped, his nostrils flaring. His head bobbed up and down as he inhaled Braden’s scent. Then he started pacing from side to side, his eyes never leaving Braden.

“Ian, man this sucks. Come on. Shift back. Katie’s probably setting the truck on fire as we speak.”

At the sound of his voice, the cat hunched down and let out a growl.

“Shutting up now,” Braden murmured.

He remained stock-still, not wanting to alarm the jaguar any more than he already had. He couldn’t bring himself to think of the cat as Ian. That wasn’t Ian.

The jaguar padded forward again, his steps cautious and slow. His ears flicked and twitched, and occasionally he tossed his head in the direction of a distant noise.

Braden held his breath and hoped he wasn’t about to kiss his goodbye.

When the cat was just a few yards away, he stopped again and settled on his haunches. He simply stared at Braden, his tail lazily flopping around his paws.

Afraid to say anything that might set him off, Braden just stood there, waiting.

His chest grew tight. Sorrow squeezed his throat even as anger lit fire to his veins. This was bull****. It was no way for him and Ian to live—worried that at any given moment they could shift to beast and kill the other, or someone else.