She’s got to come with us,” another male voice said from behind.
“Fuck no. Right now, she knows nothing, but—”
“I’m not taking a fuckin’ chance!”
Fear tearing at her heart, she kept her eyes shut, swallowing deeply as her breath panted from her lungs. The two men’s argument swirled around her, but she remained still. Not that she had much of a choice. The pressure on her back and head kept her immobile. With them behind her, she forced her eyes open, not expecting to see anything, but caught a glimpse of the man holding her when her gaze landed on the sideview mirror of her truck.
Alejandro.
The pressure suddenly fled, causing her body to slump against the side of the truck, her knees buckling. A hand closed tightly on her upper arm, and she was jerked backward. Twisting to the side, she observed that Lionel had stepped forward, pushing Alejandro to the side.
“Stay on your feet, bitch. I’m not carrying your ass,” Lionel ordered.
As he dragged her past her truck and down the lane toward a path heading into the woods, her head snapped around and she spied Alejandro walking behind, a scowl carved onto his face. His black eyes held hers for a moment, but she read nothing in them. Blank. Even if he’d tried to get Lionel to let her go, it was clear he was doing nothing now.
Joseph flashed through her mind. He said he was with Colt and Liam. They’ll come. Surely, they’ll come. But what will they find?
Entering the woods, she had little time to focus on anything other than staying upright. Spindly pine saplings slapped at her legs and arms, tripping her feet. The ground was soft and covered with a layer of dead leaves, hiding the dips in the path. Stumbling, her arm ached where Lionel’s grip was unrelenting.
The farther they walked the underbrush grew more thickly, and she could barely make it through. Finally, they came to a small shed, and Lionel whirled her around, shoving her face against the wooden side. “No!” she cried, sucking in a gasp, sure that she was about to be killed. Instead, Lionel whipped a handkerchief around her head and tied it over her mouth, forcing her teeth apart. Her hands were pulled behind her and wrapped together. Seeing the end of the restraint, she recognized a thin, rope dog leash.
“Open it,” he growled, and she watched as Alejandro bent to the door and unlocked the padlock holding it shut.
Before she had a chance to think of running, Lionel gripped her arm again and forced her to bend before shoving her into the small space. The dirt floor rose to meet her face, but she managed to jerk her torso upward, landing only on her knees. The door slammed shut behind her, the lock clicking back into place. She heard footsteps walk away but couldn’t tell if it was only one or both of them.
She jumped at the sound of a man’s voice on the other side of the door. “It’ll be okay. I promise.”
She leaned forward to listen closer, but all she could hear were the two men arguing as they were both walking away. She had no idea which one had spoken to her nor did she know what he meant.
Looking around, she was grateful the shed was old and cracks of light penetrated the slats of wood. Crawling forward on her knees, she maneuvered to peek through one of the slight openings closest to the sounds of retreating men. Seeing both of their backs disappear through the woods, she breathed a sigh of relief, knowing they’d left her alone and alive for the time being. Breathing deeply, she fought to steady her heartbeat. After a moment, she felt calm descend, and if the gag wasn’t pulling against her mouth, she would’ve smiled. They had not only left her alone, but they’d seriously underestimated her.
Staying on her knees, she relied on her small stature and flexibility, remembering how she’d surprised her fellow soldiers when she was able to escape restraints. Working her wrists to loosen the leash as much as possible, she shimmied her arms over her hips before plopping her butt on the dirt. Now, she was able to maneuver her wrists up the back of her legs and bring her arms to her front.
Lifting her hands over her head, she was able to grasp the ties of the handkerchief. Only able to use one hand, she managed to loosen the knot at the back