Clothes. She got wearily to her feet before turning and dragging the heavy black bag Tanner had brought in toward her. Gripping the zipper, she pulled it open, then flipped the top back before staring into it in shock.
They were her clothes.
Her comfortable clothes, the outfits she wore to relax in, to be herself in. Soft velvet lounging pants with matching sleeveless tops and overshirts. There were silk shorts, silk pants, comfortable shirts, socks and jeans. And on top of the carefully folded clothes was her favorite vibrator. What the hell? He had packed everything but damned shoes.
She pulled a black silk, French-cut thong from the top of the pile. No bra. And she knew she had bras.
How the hell had he managed this? How close to home was she? Or had he done this after he drugged her?
She dressed quickly in the panties and black velvet lounging pants and sleeveless top. And on her feet she pulled on matching velveteen socks. Who needed carpets?
And what was she supposed to do now? Pace the floors more? Check out tunnels she had already checked a thousand times, top to bottom, and still not found the entrance?
The television didn’t work. She had tried it earlier. The stereo didn’t work, but the appliances did.
She was stuck. Until she could figure out how he was getting in and out, she was stuck there.
“There’s a washer in one of the connecting caves if you need to wash anything,” Tanner growled as he reentered the main cavern. “And you can hang your clothes—”
“In the smaller cave off this one.” She turned to face him as he exited the bathroom cave. “Are you trying to drive me insane? How the hell do I get out of here?”
“You don’t.” He stalked across the room to the suitcase, lifted it from the bed and carried it to the smaller cave on the other side of the bed. “Remember that if you decide to kill me in my sleep, little Schemer. I die here, so do you.”
She clenched her fists at her side.
“All this just to get f**ked?” she asked derisively. “Fine, Tanner. Fuck me and get it over with.”
He grunted, obviously still angry. “All this to get the answers I want,” he retorted. “When you give me that, then I’ll let you go and make certain you’re safe.”
Oh, she had a lot of information her father would kill for. Information he would do anything to attain if he learned she held it, and that she was still alive.
Not the least of which was the message she had destroyed.
Her smile was mocking.
“My father knows everything I know,” she said softly. “I’m not hiding anything, Tanner. I hold enough information that I’m a risk. It’s that simple.”
She was a risk. She would have only one chance to walk away from her father when the time came, and even that could be jeopardized if she didn’t find some way to reach her contact.
“It’s that simple?” His expression was calculating, disbelieving. “Why don’t I believe you, pretty girl?”
“Who cares?”
“Why did Tallant send St. Marks to kill you? He was once your lover. The father of your child?”
“Because he trusted Chaz to get the job done,” she whispered, swallowing tightly. “You heard what he said, Tanner. He agreed with Father’s decision.”
“Why did you stay after that?” Tanner snarled furiously. “Why, Scheme? Why give your loyalty to that bastard after he killed the baby you so obviously wanted?”
What could she say? She couldn’t force the words she’d thrown at her father when he questioned her on it. General Tallant was maliciously efficient.
Why do you still love me, Scheme? he had asked. I took your child, yet I have your loyalty?
You did what you thought was best, Father, she would respond sadly. She would do it so well that the Coyotes trained to smell a lie never detected the deceit.
But she couldn’t say it now. She couldn’t betray that child she had wanted so desperately by excusing even one more time the monster that had taken it away from her.
“Get ready for bed. It’s nearly midnight,” Tanner snarled when she refused to answer him.