Page 58 of Winters Heat

“Miss Kensington, tell me why you stole my files.”

His pleasant smile and placating conversation evaporated. The veins in his neck popped.

The fork shook in her hand, and she accidently clanged it against the crystal bowl.

“I don’t know what you mean.” No way would she fall into his trap with such ease.

“Let me see if I can refresh your memory, my dear. My men followed that disk to America—where that soldier stashed it. Very clever of the young man, telling his trusted therapist. But here is where my annoyance grows. You took it. You and your counterpart. Your compadre. Now, I did not send my best men to retrieve it. That was my mistake. But they were not amateurs. Somehow, you evaded them with the help of your partner. You are here, and that man will come here to barter some deal for your life.”

He knew a lot more than she thought he did. Time for a different tactic. She shook her head. “Mr. Silva, if you know what the disk has on it, then you know he won’t trade me for it. I’m collateral damage. He isn’t going to come. His job was to secure it. I’m sure by now, it’s secure.” God, please don’t let that be true. Let Colby come as soon as possible. Please.

“I think you underestimate him, Miss Kensington. Men like him, they walk a very dark line. But one they consider honorable. Men like him live for the fight, but they do not leave a woman to die. They help. That is what they do. And, I hate to be so blunt, but unless your friend and I work out a business deal, you will die to prove my point. It is all business, my dear. I hope you understand that.”

“Well, thank you for being honest with me.” She smirked before she thought better of it. The oppressive heat skewed her judgment, and she needed to be smart about this. She could talk her way into more time, increasing the likelihood Colby could save her.

“The sarcasm is not necessary.” Juan Carlos showed his impeccable white teeth in a garish smile, extended his arms as if welcoming her to the family. “I promised you to my second in command. However, if you have something to offer, if you can bring your man to me, then I will spare you that unpleasantness.”

Mia couldn’t think straight. Her head pounded. “I don’t understand. What do you want from me?”

“Stupid woman.” His hands slammed on the table in fisted balls, and the table settings jumped with a loud crash.

The noise startled her. She shook to attention. “Your men grabbed me at his house. By now, he’ll know I’m gone.”Tell him what he already knows. Buy time.

“I am not an idiot. You will speak to him, tell him I will consider a trade. You for the file.”

“I just met him. It hasn’t been a normal few days. I have no idea how to get a hold of him.” More or less, that was true.

Silva raged and slammed his hand on the table again, making her jump at the clatter. “If I can find his hidden house, I can surely track down a phone number. Do not waste my time.”

“I’m not. I promise.” Tears welled in her eyes.

“Miss Kensington.” He calmed a degree but still spit fire. He took a long sip of his ice water and dabbed at his lips with his napkin. “You will agree to my request, or I will hand you over to Alejandro, my number two.”

For the first time, Mia noticed Alejandro a dozen yards away. He stood savage. The gleam in his eye turned her stomach as he sneered his vulgar face. Alejandro licked his lips, and his fingers flexed against his thighs. He looked one defiant order away from losing his restraint and salivated like a junkyard dog, frothy spittle at the corners of his mouth. His face was pocked and sunburned, greasy and hairy. He looked heavy in the gut but strong in his arms. Sweat dampened his pits, and stains marked his pants. That was his number two?

Mia shook her head, her eyes glued to Alejandro. “Mr. Silva, I’m not worth that trade. He won’t agree to it.”

“Alejandro does not look like much, but he is very important to me. To my enterprise. You would be his reward for his continued excellence.”

Alejandro licked his lips again, this time, with more tongue.

An involuntary shudder rippled through her. “Wait.” She didn’t know what to say. They would kill her but not before torturing and raping her. Her tough girl act faded, and she whimpered. “I’ll do it.”

“Of course you will.” Juan Carlos motioned for the sandwiches to be served. With an expedient delivery, several types of tea sandwiches were placed on the fine china plates with the crusts removed. Such contradictions. Dainty sandwiches as she dined with a monster in hell. Narcissist was too weak a description. She should tack on sociopathic, pathological, and deranged.

They sat in silence as he devoured his finger sandwiches, and Mia picked at hers with polite intention. She would follow his requests, be demure when she needed to, and play to his psyche. She would do whatever the hell it took to live until Colby showed up.

Dabbing his mouth with a linen napkin, Juan Carlos eyed her up and down. “If he comes for you, it will be on my terms. But just in case either of you try to deceive me, you will stay in the main house with me.”

With him? Less scary but not encouraging.

He stood with a smooth air about him and walked away, a gaggle of armed guards in stride. Alejandro and Senor Scissor Face stalked toward her. They bound her hands again and pushed her down a path. They rounded a bend, then stopped at a pickup truck with a partial canvas cover. Senor Scissor Face tossed her onto the truck bed and jumped in, perching above her, while Alejandro got in the truck cab.

With every divot in the makeshift road, her body slammed onto the hot metal bed. They traversed further into the jungle. Mia closed her eyes and wished Colby could read her mind. Until then, she was alone.

CHAPTER TWENTY

The pickup truck rumbled to a stop before an imposing wood gate with a half dozen armed men guarding it. A stone fence surrounded the compound, soaring at least twenty feet high. The guards did a bored once-over of the truck until they saw Mia. Laughter and catcalls followed. Animals. They were all animals.

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