Page 37 of SEAL of Fate

Each time she passed the door, she tried the handle and got the same result.Wait, isn’t that the definition of insanity?She sprawled on the narrow cot and stared at the window with a frustrated groan.

Twenty-four hours had come and gone since she’d had food or water, and her legs trembled from her small amount of exertion. Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth and her throat burned. Equal measures of apprehension and hunger churned her stomach. No doubt stress, fatigue, and adrenaline took their toll as well. Would good old Uncle Joe bring her last meal? She laughed out loud at the absurdity.

Closing her eyes, she pictured Travis’s face and the warmth of his smile. Had Brody bought her act to convince him Travis hadn’t double-crossed them? She half expected Travis to show up any minute to save her again. He’d put himself and his job at risk to steal her away from Alex, even though she’d fought him every step of the way. Wherever he was, quite possibly, he was glad to be rid of her.

Snap out of it!What-ifs and feeling sorry for herself served no purpose. She needed to stay alert because she couldn’t afford any more surprises.

Jordan shifted to her side and winced when her hip landed on something hard. She patted the bed beneath her before realizing the lump was in her coat. Her heartrate stuttered as her hand closed around the sturdy pocketknife she’d found in her pocket yesterday.Or two days ago?It didn’t matter. She’d found a weapon. Perhaps she had one trick left.

The stark sound of metal sliding against metal and the lock turning startled her for a second, and she jerked upright. Brody stepped inside and closed the door behind him. Anger vied with nervousness in his expression.

Jordan rose to her feet; both hands shoved in her coat pockets. She faced him, determination breeding courage that hadn’t existed until now. She despised this man most of all.

“You’ve caused me a lot of trouble.” Brody kept his voice low.

She laughed, shaking her head in disbelief. “Do you listen to yourself? A man is dead because of you!”

“Alex is dead because he was a fool and thought everyone else was stupid. No great loss, except his uncle needs somebody to blame for this mess, and I’m at the top of his list.” Brody stomped forward as he spoke, stopping at the foot of the cot. “I’m not happy about that.” His cold eyes accused her.

“And that’s my fault? I’m not exactly in Uncle Joe’s good graces either.”

“I know.” Brody smiled, his gaze traveling the length of her. “Maybe we can help each other.”

“Drop dead, you son of a bitch.” Jordan stepped back to put the cot between them.

Brody’s grin broadened as he raised his hands in mock surrender and started to turn away. Suddenly, he swung back, his boot striking the cot and sending it crashing against the wall. The movement and clamor caught Jordan by surprise. Brody reached her before she could react, shoving her backward against the wall, and pinned her arms to her sides.

She struggled to pull the knife from her pocket, but he was too strong. He snickered at her efforts, and his fetid breath stirred the hair by her ear. His body pressing her to the wall, Brody ran his tongue across her cheek and tried to capture her mouth. She turned her head away, gritting her teeth to keep from crying out as he shoved his thigh between her legs. He grabbed her chin, forcing her to face him, and covered her lips with his, wet and sloppy and smelling of whiskey.

Jordan’s stomach lurched as he palmed her butt, pushing her hard into his grinding pelvis. It was a second before she realized her right arm was free. The weight of the knife felt good in her hand. She positioned her thumb, ready to open the blade as soon as the knife cleared her pocket. She’d have to be quick—one motion, pull out the knife, flip it open, and stab him. Could she do that?Don’t think. Just do it.

The door jerked open again, and Brody pushed away so abruptly that her knees almost buckled. His surprised expression quickly turned to rage. “What do you want?”

“Excuse me. Are you Brody?” The stranger didn’t seem to care that Brody didn’t answer. “I’m James. Sorry to bust in, but Mr. Halstead’s looking for you and seems real anxious.”

Brody scowled, casting a warning glance at Jordan before stalking from the room.

Jordan slumped against the wall, relief so overwhelming she momentarily forgot about the stranger. When she looked up, he was studying her with curious brown eyes. He was tall and broad-shouldered, his blond hair close-cropped. There was something familiar about him, but she couldn’t remember where she might have seen him before. Something in his gaze made her think he would speak, but he glanced sideways as footsteps sounded behind him. A partial grin appeared on his face for a mere heartbeat, and he gave her an exaggerated wink. Then he was gone as quickly as he’d barged into the room.

The remaining light outside had faded, leaving Jordan in the dark when the door closed. Earlier, she’d noticed a solitary bulb hanging from the ceiling and a switch by the door, but she didn’t turn it on. Righting the cot, she slid it away from the wall, then sat on the floor, her knees drawn tightly against her chest.

She couldn’t stop shaking. Brody’s attack had been vicious, and he’d quickly overpowered her. He was too muscular, and she’d had no chance to defend herself. It gutted her to realize he could do whatever he wanted, and she wouldn’t be able to stop him.

I won’t give up!Her one advantage—she had nothing left to lose. Jordan was exhausted physically and mentally, bruised, scratched, and sunburned. She was hungry, thirsty, and filthy, but most of all, she was tired of being so afraid that it hurt to breathe.

From deep within, iron-strong resolve calmed her. Sitting alone, she prayed for strength and courage. She’d always believed she’d see her mom and dad again someday, and if someday turned out to be today, she was ready.

A twinge of sadness hit her when Travis came to mind. He’d been surprisingly kind to her. It wasn’t possible she’d fallen for him so quickly, especially under the circumstances, but there’d been a connection and definite chemistry. There could have been something between them if they’d met somewhere far away from here.

Jordan wasn’t sure how much time had passed before the sound of voices and booted feet warned her someone was approaching. She stood when the lock turned, and the door opened. The light from the room beyond silhouetted Liam’s heavily muscled torso. The big blond man who’d inadvertently rescued her from Brody followed Liam into the room.

“Time to go.” There was no compassion in Liam’s eyes or voice.

She stared at him as though his words meant nothing.

“We can make this quick and painless, but we can make it hard if you give us trouble.” Liam crossed his arms over his chest.

She bit back the caustic remark that flew to her lips and stepped toward him. “I won’t give you any trouble.” Her words were barely above a whisper.

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