LITMIR.BIZ

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      “Damn good thing.”

      “And you don’t own the woman.”

      Rio laid a hand on Jaime possessively, his thumbs resting just below her breasts. Luke lingered, staring at her as if he could see right through the wrinkled dress before leering contemptuously and ambling back toward the house.

      Rio’s gaze followed Luke until he’d completely disappeared in the trees. He exhaled slowly and scooted away from Jaime, letting go of her entirely.

      “I can’t say much for the company you keep,” Jaime said.

      “I didn’t do the choosing.”

      “You’re here.”

      “I do what I have to.”

      “Then just let me go,” she pleaded. “I’ll pay you and you won’t have to split the ransom with anyone.”

      “It doesn’t work that way.”

      “It could.” But it was clear he wasn’t buying and what he did say didn’t make a lot of sense. “How much ransom did you ask for?”

      “Can’t say.”

      “Because you let those stupid thugs call all the shots?”

      “For now, except with you. I’ll be calling the shots with you, and if you’ve got a brain in that pretty little head of yours, you’ll listen. Rule number one, don’t try anything stupid like that feeble escape attempt again.”

      Not until she got half a chance.

      Rio moved into a sitting position and tugged her up to do the same. “We need to talk, Jaime.”

      “I’ve told you all I plan to about my brothers. You may collect a ransom, but you’ll never live to enjoy it. They’ll hunt you down and—”

      “I know about your siblings. Your oldest brother Langston is CEO of Collingsworth Oil. Your brothers Matt and Bart run Jack’s Bluff Ranch. Your brother Zach is in law enforcement. Your sister, Becky, is married to Nick Ridgely, former Dallas Cowboy star.”

      Just as she expected. The kidnappers knew her situation all too well. She hadn’t been a random hit.

      “Who’s the black sheep of the family?” Rio asked.

      “We don’t have one. We leave the dirty dealings to people like you.”

      “Every family has a backslider, maybe one who’s involved with dealing drugs. That pays really well these days, I’m told. A huge, respectable ranch might be just the place to stash a shipment from Mexico.”

      Fury fired through her. One minute she could almost convince herself to trust Rio. The next, she ached to slap him hard across that rugged, handsome face. “How dare you accuse my brothers of something so despicable!”

      “I’m just asking.”

      “I’m through talking to you.” She stood, yanking her dress down to cover as much thigh as she could. “Now I’m going to walk down to that lake and wash the mud off me. You do as you please.”

      He smiled for the first time since he’d tackled her to the ground. “Is that an invitation?”

      For some stupid reason, she felt heat rush to her cheeks. She turned so Rio wouldn’t see her blush.

      “You don’t need an invitation. You have the gun. But don’t think I’d ever welcome your touch, not if you were the only man left on earth.” She stamped away without looking back.

      She could hear Rio following her, and turned when she reached the water’s edge. He’d stopped a few yards from her and leaned against a tree, giving her space. He looked relaxed, cocky. More like a sexy protector than a villain who held her life in his hands.

      Probably all part of his diabolical plan, she told herself. He expected her to trust him because he didn’t force himself on her and protected her from Luke’s perverted advances. She had to find a way to escape, but outsmarting Rio might be impossible.

      That left Luke. He was totally disgusting and she wouldn’t put anything past him. But it was clear he was the weaker of the two both mentally and physically. If she was going to escape, it would have to be on his watch.

      Heaven help her if she failed and was left at his mercy alone.

      ZACH ARRIVED BACK at the hospital at ten before ten in the morning, parked in a space reserved for law enforcement and bolted up the stairs to the ICU waiting room where he and his brothers and sister were to meet with the doctor.

      Langston, Bart and Becky had been there since they’d followed the ambulance to the hospital last night. Matt had stayed at the big house in case there was a call from the kidnappers. So far there hadn’t been.

      Zach had been on the move, investigating the crime scene on his own and combing police records for cons who met the descriptions Buerto had given them. He was no closer to a lead on who had abducted Jaime.

      Langston saw Zach enter the waiting room and motioned him to the far left corner of the room where they’d staked claim to a group of chairs. “The doctor’s with Mother now. He’ll see us as soon as he comes out.”

      “Glad I made it in time. Have you seen Mom since we last talked?”

      “They let me go in for a couple of minutes,” Becky said. “The nurse thought I might calm her.” Her voice lowered. “Even drugged, she’s restless and jerky, and there was nothing I could say to change that.”

      Zach leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “Did she ask about Jaime?”

      “No. She’s still drifting in and out of sleep from the drugs they’re giving her, but the nurse said she’d called out Jaime’s name when she was sleeping. I’m sure that as soon as she’s fully alert, she’ll demand answers.”

      Zach wished to hell they had some. “As soon as the doctor finishes with us, we have to find a place to talk in private.”

      Bart nodded. “I’m for that. I think we should reconsider our current strategy.”

      They’d agreed to hold off on calling in the cops or the FBI until they heard the kidnappers’ demands, but no one had expected the wait to be this long.

      Zach’s phone rang. The group grew instantly quiet, though there was no real reason to think the kidnappers had his cell number. He answered.

      “Buerto,” he said out loud, so that they would know to whom he was talking. They stared at him, their anxiety tangible.

      “I’ve heard from the kidnappers,” Buerto said.

      “Why did they call you?”

      “I guess because I was with her when they abducted her.”

      “What did they say?”

      “It would be better if we could talk about this in person.”

      ”I’m at the hospital waiting to talk to Mom’s cardiologist.”

      “I’m already on my way to the ranch, so I can be at the hospital in about fifteen minutes, twenty at the most.”

      “I don’t see the point in waiting that long.”

      “Can you talk freely?”

      “I can listen.”

      “Not good enough. The deal they want is complicated.”

      Zach’s irritation level skyrocketed. The kidnappers should have come directly to the family. Where did they get off dealing with some guy who was a stranger to all of them?

      “Call me the second you arrive at the hospital.”

      “Naturally,” Buerto answered and then quickly broke the connection. Zach returned his phone to the clip at his waist.

      “Contact?”

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