Page 40 of Disciplining Dana

Shining her phone around her, she looked for anything nearby she might use to help free herself. But there was nothing. The largest piece of splintered wood nearby was barely six inches in length, and it was also six inches out of her grasp. The only thing she could do was reach back and scrape away at the rubble at her waist, but she could spend hours doing that and it wouldn’t be enough to free her.

Dana had been twelve hundred feet below ground in Argentina when the edge of a vertical shaft she’d been trying to skirt had caved inward. She’d fallen for what had seemed forever, though it hadn’t been nearly as far as it had felt at the time. Still, it was enough that she’d broken two ribs and a leg in the process. It’d taken two days for the rescue team to reach her, but there was a difference here. In Argentina, Kurt had known she was in the mine, even though she’d gone far beyond where they’d agreed. Here, she’d lied by omission, and he had no idea where she was right now.

But he’d suspect. When she didn’t answer his calls about whether they were going to have dinner tonight, when she wouldn’t come to her door to either invite him in to fuck her or to tell him to fuck off, he was going to wonder where she was. Eventually, he’d suspect what she’d done. Of course he would because she was… Dana. Her rash, reckless, undisciplined self. He’d come for her, because in one fashion or another, he always had.

She hoped it’d be soon. Before her phone battery ran out or the rubble shifted, or the ceiling collapsed further. Because if any of those things happened…

Maybe this was it.

Maybe this was where her luck would finally run out.

CHAPTER 10

Kurt

“I beg your pardon?”

He said it in a calm, polite tone, but Derek Hawkins didn’t need to raise his voice to make it perfectly clear how pissed he was.

“She snuck into the mine.” Kurt indicated the gate he and Roman had opened before calling the owner of Rawhide Ranch here.

“This is partially my fault—” Roman started.

“Stop,” Mr. Hawkins commanded. “There isn’t one single bit of this you need to own up to, Roman.” He pointed a finger toward the shopkeeper, but his eyes never left Kurt’s.

“Did you know she was going in there?” he asked quietly.

“I knew she might.”

“Did you try and stop her?” This came from a man who’d arrived at the mine with Mr. Hawkins. He’d been introduced as Jason Jaeger, and it hadn’t taken Kurt long to understand he didn’t just play at being a cowboy. No, he was the real thing, with a Clint Eastwood silent-but-deadly stare, and an interrogation method as intimidating as Derek’s.

Kurt nodded. “Yes, Mr. Jaeger, I did what I’ve done in the past—I tried to talk sense into her. Tried to reason with her. Tried to get her to exercise some patience.”

“It’s just Jagger,” the man corrected him firmly. Pursing his lips, he searched Kurt’s face for a second before looking over at Derek. “I don’t know how you feel, but I’d say Mr. Ellery’s friend is a grade-A brat.”

“I’d be inclined to agree,” Mr. Hawkins replied drily.

Kurt could’ve smiled, but of all the emotions he was feeling right now, humor wasn’t one of them. “I’ve heard other people describe it in less colorful terms, but… yeah, that’s accurate.”

“Well”—Mr. Hawkins huffed out a sigh—“I’ve spent a lifetime dealing with brats, Mr. Ellery, I assure you, but that’s a conversation for another time. Right now, we need to get in there and make sure she hasn’t gotten herself hurt.” He gave Kurt a sober gaze. “Or worse.”

Kurt swallowed. “I’m sure she just went in to look for the indications she was curious about.”

“And I’m pretty sure I warned you both the mine is in no condition to be walked through. It’s collapsing in places, and nobody—not you or her or anyone else—can give an ironclad guarantee it isn’t going t0 collapse today rather than tomorrow.” He made a dismissive gesture with his hand. “Doesn’t matter now, though. We need to get in there and get her out. The rest we can deal with later.”

Mr. Hawkins turned away from Kurt for the first time since he’d arrived. “Roman, grab three hardhats, some flashlights, and bring the first-aid kit. I hope to God we aren’t going to need it, but… better safe than sorry.”

“Yes, sir,” he replied, then moved off to gather the things.

“I tried calling her on her cell…” Kurt said.

Mr. Hawkins grunted. “’Bout a hundred feet back in there and you won’t get any signal, I can tell you that from experience. Which is a good point…” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his own cell.

“Erika, it’s Derek. Jagger and I are going into the mine with Mr. Ellery.” He paused, then nodded. “Yes, the old mine. We’ve got something we need to look into, and I don’t want Sadie all riled up, so I’m letting you know. If you don’t hear back from us in an hour or so, you call Dan Forrester and tell him to get the search and rescue team together to come look for us.”

Kurt grimaced. Dana had wanted to keep this a secret, and only involve herself, but that was blowing up in her face right now, and she didn’t even know it.

But she will. She fucking will soon enough.

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