Anything.
“Brave words from a naked girl in a cheap hotel room,” the third man sneers. “Where’s your biker boyfriend? Run off and left you already?”
“He’ll be back any second,” I warn, but they just laugh like hyenas.
“We knowexactlywhere he is,mija. Sitting in that diner across the street, ordering eggs and bacon for his little wife. Such a sweet husband. He’s been takingrealgood care of you. Karaoke, dancing in the rain. He’s a real teddy bear,” the big one mocks.
He shouldn’t know any of this.
And the fact he does makes my blood run cold.
They’ve been watching us.
“Let me put some clothes on,” I say, trying to buy time, trying to think of a way out of this.
“I don’t think there’s any need for that,” the leader says, nodding to his companions. “Javier’s waiting. And we don’t want to make him mad.”
My eyes widen as they begin to move toward me. My heart rate spikes, but my instinct takes over. I launch myself off the bed, the sheet dangling around my legs, before I grab for the heavy table lamp. I swing it with everything I have, catchingone of them across the temple. He staggers back, blood trickling down his face, a savage satisfaction racing through my veins.
“Puta!”he snarls, swiping the blood from his temple. “You’re going to pay for that.”
But my legs move fast, trying to get to the door, to scream for help, to do anything that might save me. One of them grabs my arm, his grip brutal enough to bruise, and I twist away, clawing at his face with my nails. “Get off me,” I scream as loud as I can.“Help!HELP!”
A hand clamps over my mouth, cutting off my cries. I bite down hard, my teeth breaking through his skin, blood seeping into my mouth, making me want to gag while the man swears viciously in Spanish.
But there are three of them and only one of me, and I’m wearing nothing but a bedsheet that is fighting the force of gravity.
I fight like my life depends on it—because it does.
I kick, scratch, and attempt to bite, but they’re stronger, faster, and have that ruthless Cartel venom running through their veins. Within seconds, they have me restrained, the sheet pulled tight around me to limit my movement.
“Feisty little bitch, isn’t she?” one of them pants, nursing the bite marks on his hand.
“Javier likes them with spirit,” the leader replies coldly. “Makes breaking them more fun.”
The words send ice through my veins, but I don’t stop fighting.
I can’t.
If they get me out of this room.
If they get me away from Phoenix.
I’m dead.
Or worse.
That’s when I see it, my cactus wedding ring gleaming on myfinger.
The one thing I swore I’d never take off.
The one connection to Phoenix, to this perfect morning, to the happiness I finally found.
With a twist of my wrist that sends shooting pain up my arm, I manage to work the ring off my finger. As they drag me toward the door, I let it fall to the floor by the bed where Phoenix will find it.
Where he’ll know what happened.
Where he’ll know I didn’t leave willingly.
