The younger man, his face hard as stone, looked at her with disdain. “You can’t help us,” he sneered. “You’re only alive to keep him in line.”
Great. Another brute. She already had a hard dislike for him for screwing with her sanctuary. This only added to her dislike. Sadie was trying not to let it interfere with her wits, because she needed them now more than ever.
Her gaze returned to Dale, praying he would wake up soon. Her desperation grew with every second, knowing their lives were hanging by a thread, and there was nothing she could do to save them.
But she couldn’t just sit by.
“Look, maybe I can help,” she said, trying again.
Dale groaned, catching everyone’s attention. Excitement spread across the brute’s face, while impatience ruled the young man’s.
Dale’s eyes slowly opened. “Who the hell are you and what do you want?”
“Ah, you’re awake. Good.” The young guy smiled, but his gaze remained cold. “Pedro, go outside and make sure no one gets in,” he ordered.
Several thoughts shot through Sadie’s head. If he sent Pedro outside to stand guard, then did that mean there were no other cartel members outside? If not, who were those six heat signatures in the woods? Why hadn’t she heard any gunfire? And where was Mac? Cooper? RJ? Dean?
Pedro grumbled but left, and within seconds, she heard the back door close.
The remaining guy turned back to Dale and folded his arms across his chest. “My name is Ricardo.”
Dale lifted a brow. “I take it your last name is Ortega.”
“Correct,” Ricardo growled, his gaze now menacing. “What do I want? Revenge, Taylor. Revenge for my father.”
Sadie’s blood ran cold as she realized who this man was—the son of Miguel, the cartel leader Caspian and his SEAL team had taken down years ago.
“Your father was a piece of shit cartel head who killed innocent people for fun,” Dale said calmly, and Sadie’s heart dropped to her knees.
What was he doing? He shouldn’t provoke a madman.
Ricardo’s gaze narrowed, his expression deadly. “I could so easily have killed you and your woman many times over the past few weeks.” He withdrew a device from his pocket and smirked as he waved around what looked like a small cell phone. “It was fun watching you scurry to put security measures in place that are no match for this baby. I paid handsomely for it on the dark web, but it was well worth the money. So you see? I might not have been able to get to your dad, but I had easy access to both of you. You’re just lucky I was waiting for Caspian to arrive. I went through a lot of trouble hanging around for the right moment to get that horse to throw your father. Then the wrong Taylor comes home. What’s the matter with your brother? Doesn’t he love his father?”
Sadie’s heart raced, her fear mingling with anger as she glanced at Dale then back to Ricardo. “You don’t know anything about Caspian or Dale. They’d do anything for their father, and for each other. You’re the one who doesn’t understand love, and that’s why you’ll never win. You’re just a coward, hiding behind your cruelty.”
“Such brave words from a helpless woman,” he sneered, putting away the device. “And I loved my father, right up until the day Caspian killed him when I was ten.”
“Your father got what was coming to him,” Dale said in that same calm voice.
Ricardo lifted his chin. “And now, so will the two of you. But first, I need you to call your brother.”
He swiped Dale’s phone off the table and lifted it in the air. She’d seen the guy fish it out of Dale’s pocket earlier and try unsuccessfully to unlock it.
“And how do you expect me to do that with my hands tied?” Dale glared, defiance burning in his eyes.
Their captor shrugged. “You’re clever enough to figure it out. But if you don’t, I’ll make sure your little girlfriend here pays the price.”
Sadie’s heart lurched at the threat, but she also watched Dale struggle with the decision. No matter who got hurt, Dale would never forgive himself. Since she was the only one here, she wanted to keep it that way. “Dale, don’t do it,” she pleaded, even as fear gripped her. “Don’t let him—”
Before she could finish, Ricardo rushed over and backhanded her so hard, her chair swayed. Although she tried, she couldn’t stop a sharp cry of pain from escaping her now painful lips.
“Don’t you touch her,” Dale threatened, his voice filled with venom, as he wrestled against his restraints, rocking his chair. “Do it again and I’ll kill you!”
Ricardo laughed, a cold, heartless sound. “Now it’s big words for amanwho’s tied to a chair. Make the call, or she gets more. Or maybe I’ll let Pedro have his fun while you watch.”
Sadie tried to speak, to tell Dale not to give in, but fear had stolen her voice. She could see the anguish in Dale’s eyes, the internal battle he was fighting. But she didn’t want him to risk his life—or Caspian’s—because of her.
Dale looked at the phone in Ricardo’s hand, then back at Sadie, anguish and rage churning in his eyes. “Fine. I’ll do it. Just don’t touch her again.” He blew out a breath. “Give me the phone,” he said, wiggling the fingers of his right hand.
