Page 71 of Dirty Gambit

Travis exhaled loudly. “But you’re not giving me a good enough reason, Lena. You’re offering me nothing that isn’t already mine. You’re mine. Jessie is mine. I don’t care if you come willingly. I don’t care if you suck my dick right here until I’m dry, I am not leaving loose ends. So, once I deal with this and burn the house to the ground, you are going to lead me to Jessie.”

“I won’t.”

The gun next to Jaxon’s ear cracked as the hammer was drawn back. “Would you like to reconsider?”

Tears glinted in Lena’s eyes. They spilled down to catch on the hard lines of her mouth. Confliction drew her fingers into her palms in a ball of resistance. Her limbs vibrated. Jaxon could see the tremors moving along her muscles, catching in her dark curls, and working the muscles at her jaw.

“Don’t tell him anything,” Jaxon said softly to her. “You know I’d rather die than give him Jessie.”

Her lip gave a quiver, but he knew she knew that. He knew she would let them all die for Jessie. He wouldn’t have had it any other way.

“What’s it going to be, the life of one child — who is legally mine, by the way — for the life of the man you love? It’s a fair trade, don’t you think?”

“I think you’re going to kill them anyway,” Lena whispered. “And I think it’s bold to claim Jessie as yours given that Lissa was thirteen when she gave birth and you’re fifty. I don’t know a court in the world who would agree to give you custody.”

“I’m not fifty!” Travis blurted.

“Forty-nine, then,” Lena murmured without missing a beat. “Fact is, I’m not stupid. I’m not giving you Jessie even if I knew where she was, which I don’t.”

It was impossible to tell whether or not she was lying when she never so much as batted an eye through every word. It made Jaxon wonder where his sister was if Lena didn’t know. Last he’d seen the girl, he’d left her in the care of their aunt. So, theoretically, Lena meant it. She had no idea where in Frankie’s house Jessie was. It was a ballsy fib, but if it meant saving Jessie’s life, Jaxon wasn’t going to argue it.

“You’re lying.”

Lena shook her head, unnaturally calm. “I gave her to a contact of mine who was supposed to have her over the Mexican border by five this morning. They’re already gone. You’ll never find her.”

The skillfully woven lie was delivered with such a daring certainty that Jaxon nearly turned to Frankie for confirmation. He didn’t, not daring to risk any attention drawn her way.

“Without you?” Travis barked, suspicion narrowing his eyes. “I find that hard to believe.”

Lena never wavered. “I couldn’t risk getting caught with her when my face is plastered all over the country.”

Jaxon never would have even thought of that reasoning. It was brilliant. Travis must have bought it as well because he snarled between his rotted teeth. A spray of blood and spit showered past his lips, raining down on Jaxon.

“You will get me my daughter back or so help me I’ll—”

“You’ll what?” Lena challenged. “Kill everyone here? You’re already going to do that. Keep me prisoner and whore me out to anyone willing to pay? You’re already going to do that, too. You have nothing.”

Never in all his life had Jaxon wanted to kiss another person more than he did at that moment. The overwhelming urge coursed through him with the heat and ferocity of the sun rising on a frigid, December morning. But he remained in his kneeling position, not daring to move and risk Lena’s hand.

“There is a way out of this,” Lena pressed smoothly. “You let these people go. You take me. We all call it a day.”

“Why?” Travis spat. “So your boyfriend here can rescue you?”

“He won’t because he knows that doing something that stupid will put his family back on your radar. He also knows you won’t hesitate to kill every, single person he loves if he doesn’t back off. Jaxon is smart. He’ll see sense.” She spoke as if he wasn’t there, as if they were discussing the rules of a field trip. It was all so casual Jaxon wondered if he was the only one misreading the situation. “You will get me, the person who stole your money and lost Jessie. Everyone wins.”

Except you!Jaxon wanted to scream at her. She was offering herself to him as a punching bag, the sole inheritor of his wrath and punishment. She was intentionally putting the spotlight on herself.

Travis barked a laugh. “I can’t tell if you’re clever or stupid as fuck.”

“Probably a bit of both,” Lena retorted with a slight shrug.

With a shake of his head, Travis shifted his body so Jaxon’s family was in his view when he spoke. “It’s your lucky day, folks. You all get to live for the moment, but if I see any of you,” he gave Jaxon a hard, choking shake, “I will kill her. Then, I will come back here with my men and make you watch while they take turns with the women, possibly the men, too, then cut you up into tiny pieces and feed your remains to my dogs. I feel that’s a fair exchange, don’t you? Your lives for the life of one worthless piece of trash-whore. You can thank me later.” Not waiting for a response, he pivoted his greedy glee in Lena’s direction. “Come here.”

Lena’s nostrils flared once, but she forced herself forward, her motions stiff like her knees refused to bend. She crossed the five feet to where Jaxon knelt. She was so close, he could have grabbed her.

“Lena. Don’t!” The growl tore from the very pit of his belly.

Her gaze dropped to him briefly as she circled the table. “It’s okay,” she whispered. “I’m going to get you out of this.”

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