Page 26 of Wyoming Cowboy Undercover

Whirling, Mercy bolted for the backside of the sanctum, passing two more guards who were in a flat-out sprint toward the gunfire.

She hustled to the bank of Conex trailers, where Shawn stood, posted by room number two.

“You have to hurry!” Mercy raced up to him. “Alex needs as many guys as he can get to help him.”

Shawn glanced back at the door of the unburdening room, as though questioning the order.

Another gunshot pierced the air.

“You better go!” she said.

Giving a curt nod, Shawn put a hand on the hilt of the gun holstered on his hip and dashed off to assist.

She waited until he was out of sight. Then she fumbled through her keys, found the right one and unlocked the door. Her gaze collided with Rocco’s angry stare, and it was as if he stole the air from her lungs with that one look.

He never failed to take her breath away.

Seated on the cot, Rocco was shackled to the bolted down frame. She hadn’t factored in the possibility that he might be handcuffed.

“Nice to see you,” he said, his brown eyes warming.

She shut the door. “I didn’t bring a handcuff key.”

“Give me one of your hairpins,” he said, holding out a hand.

She plucked a bobby pin from the messy bun she wore, dropped it in his palm and he got to work. “Can you really unlock it that easily?”

“Sure can. Just have to get it between the ratchet and the ball, the catch mechanism. Disengage the teeth and—” The cuff popped open, releasing him. He held up his free wrist. “I’ve had practice.” He stood and clutched her shoulders. “What are you doing in here? It’s a risky move on your part. I don’t want to get you into any trouble.”

“We don’t have much time. I need to get you out of here, off the compound.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know what you did, but my father plans to dose you tonight with ayahuasca. It’s a powerful drug we use for rituals.”

“I know what it is.”

“If you’ve got anything to hide, it will come out while you’re under the influence.”

His gaze shifted to the floor. His whole body tensed.

Hewashiding something. But what? If only she had a chance to find out, but they didn’t have minutes to spare for that discussion.

“Afterward, for your transgression,” she said, “you’ll be beaten.”

He rocked back on his heels. “Like hell I will.”

While drugged and weakened, they’d restrain him. “There won’t be anything you could do to stop it.” But she could intervene now before it got to that point. “You didn’t take any vows, agreeing to follow our ways. You’re here to learn and understand. The only way to prevent this from happening is to get you off the compound.”

“I can’t leave.”

“Why not?”

A muscle twitched in his jaw, and he looked away from her again.

Her heart squeezed. What wasn’t he telling her?

“If you stay, whatever secrets you have will come to light. And you will be beaten,” she repeated. She pressed a palm to his warm cheek, not wanting anything bad to happen to him. “I can’t say how severely.” But whatever anger Mercy’s father had toward her for her recent acts of rebellion he would take out on Rocco. Of that she had no doubt. “We’re out of time. Decide. Stay or go.”

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