Bad Men - Piper Stone Page 0,14

contacts were able to anticipate the necessity.”

“Thank you,” I said, my voice still laced with defiance.

“For your information, Fernando Calderone, the man you know as the Serpent, is a heinous piece of shit, his wealth and status maintained by the fact he keeps male and female slaves in underground mines digging for gold. They are paid pennies, the treatment harsh and if they’re lucky enough to survive the brutal work, they usually die within a few years. Yes, I would consider you very lucky. You were obviously his prize. That means he will stop at nothing to get you back. Now, get some sleep. It might be the last time for a while.”

Sleep. I was terrified the nightmares would continue.

He took two steps then took a look over his shoulder. “I assure you, Dr. Lindsey Walters, I will take you. Taste you. Fuck you. The rest we will see.”

“I hate you. I just want you to know that.”

“Duly noted, Doctor, and I don’t blame you.” His words held an air of sadness. He hesitated, his shoulders tense and it seemed he had difficulty looking at me.

“Do you know what happened to the people I was with? There were three doctors and several nurses. I heard screams the night I was taken.”

He finally turned his head in my direction. “Sadly, I have no idea. We weren’t told about the welfare of the people in your organization but… I will try and find out.”

I nodded, offering a slight smile. For some crazy reason, I knew he would find information.

As he walked away, I shrank further against the wall, folding my arms over my knees. My God. This was an absolute nightmare, one I doubted I would awaken from.

While the bloodshed I’d seen would remain with me for the rest of my life, I couldn’t believe this Calderone person was capable of something so horrible as to imprison men and women in a mine. Maybe I was just fooling myself. I’d heard the stories, the violence that so many people had experienced. I thought about the various cases I’d worked on during my four months spent in Brazil. There were many locals who were terrified of certain areas in the jungle, people forced into various labor camps. But this?

The night I’d been taken had been so quiet, only the sounds of the jungle permeating the air around our camp. Up to that point, we hadn’t been threatened, although the camp director and the man I’d trusted with my life had gone to great lengths to hire security. Maybe I should have asked questions, confronted him on what was going on.

Maybe he was dead, the others as well. Oh, God. My stomach ached from the thought.

What the hell did the Serpent want with me? More important, who were these two men and could they be trusted?

Shivering, I pulled the bottle of water to my forehead, forced to face the truth. I had no other choice but to place my trust and my life in their hands.

Their very… capable hands.

I closed my eyes, the most inexcusable lurid thoughts attempting to crowd out the fear.

Alone with two sexy men in a jungle, rugged men who hungered for a taste.

Two strong and protective men with stunning bodies and delicious lips.

Oh, God.

Guilt surfaced, playing hardball with the ridiculous images rushing through my mind. All I wanted to do was go home.

Sadly, I also realized I had no home to go to.

“Arrogant asshole,” Jack said under his breath, the statement holding a level of amusement. “I’ll accept that from you.”

I glared at him, loathing the way the sound of his voice reminded me of a man who’d enjoyed far too many days sucking down whiskey and cigars. Somehow, the sultry tone excited me, creating goosebumps tickling my arms. There’d been little sleep, the heat oppressive, fear continuing to crawl through my insides.

The cabin wasn’t much, but at least there was a bathroom of sorts with running water. I’d been allowed to wash off the mud, the cool water more refreshing than I would have imagined. The main room held three beds, a small kitchen off to the side. The men had taken turns watching over the cabin and I’d imagined soldiers bursting in through the doors at any moment.

In his hands was a small stack of clothes, including some decent-looking boots. At least I could get out of the damn nightgown the Serpent had required I wear. I could imagine how many hours some poor unsuspecting slave had worked