Not that she’d ever leave Sammy, but Lia knew how to act, how to set a scene. She was practically trained by the FBI.
The man cocked his head, narrowed his eyes. Not so much in suspicion, but a slow, uncomfortable perusal.
“We’re real…particular about who we hire,” he said. But his mouth curved in what she figured he thought was a kind smile. Hell, maybe she would have fallen for fake kindness all those years ago.
Lia nodded like she understoodparticular. “I’m willing to work hard. I’m… I’m kind of desperate.” She let the tears she was feeling over Sammy being in the middle of this pool in her eyes, then worked hard to blink them back.
Because men who did this kind of thingloveddesperate, but they wanted a woman who was trying to be brave.
So they could break her.
Case in point. Thisleadernow made a considering noise. Then he opened his arms as if in welcome. “You have come to the right place, sweetheart. Wedoneed help. Now, what’s your name?”
“Eddy.” It’s what she’d gone by way back when, so why not? She grimaced like she was embarrassed. “Pretty sure my parents were high when they handed that one out.”
The guy laughed. She was even more certain he was the ringleader when a couple other guys around him laughed too, but only after he did.
“Good one,” he said with a wink. Everything he did was meant to make her at ease, but she could see all the cracks in it. The predatory gleam.
Was she just older and wiser that she didn’t fall for it, or had her captors way back when just been that much more charismatic? And did it matter? She’d been fifteen and desperate.
She wasn’t any more. She was here to save Sammy. That was all that mattered.
“Speaking of high, what’s your poison?” He swept his hand around the room. Most people had gone back to whatever they’d been doing, but a few of the men were watching her with intent eyes.
She didn’t even try to hide her nerves. It was expected. Hell, they probably fed off it.
“You’re going to…share?” Lia asked somewhat skeptically. Then she let out a nervous laugh. “That’s not really a good sign in my experience.”
“Oh, don’t be suspicious, Eddy. We’re all family here. If you join the family, you getallthe perks of the family. We take care of our own. There’s some good stuff here.” He pointed at a table where some needles and other items Lia didn’t recognize sat.
Luckily, Lia had spent most of her teen years making excuses not to partake. She knew how to avoid and deflect. “Needles make me nervous. I wouldn’t mind a drink though.”
“Sure, sweetheart. You just come with me.” The man slung his arm around her shoulders in an overfriendly move. Lia worked hard not to stiffen as he pulled her deeper into the house.
She glanced at Sammy on her way past, just couldn’t resist. Sammy was watching her with wide, scared eyes. Lia did her best to force a reassuring smile.
Everything was going to be okay. She was going to make sure of it.
Chapter Seventeen
Gard managed to carry Dani back to his truck. The physical exertion helped keep his mind off of Lia going inthere. He’d needed to use every ounce of strength to make it to the truck without dropping Dani.
Once at his truck, he managed to lay Dani out in the back seat. She wasn’t lucid. Sometimes she’d have some clarity, but then she’d just start crying about Sammy or mumbling things Gard couldn’t understand. But she stayed conscious, and that was important. Conscious was alive.
She desperately needed medical attention though, so he could hardly leave her here to go back to Lia and Sammy, but… How could he leave them?
I can do this. I have to do this.Lia had been so earnest when she’d said that, so determined. And this was all for Sammy. And Dani.
So he had to think like a cop. Not like the terrified man he was, being pulled in too many different directions. Because fear couldn’t get them out of this, but his training could. Lia’s understanding of the situation could.
So, the plan had to change a little. Gard couldn’t possibly leave Lia here, so when Royal arrived,heshould take Dani into the hospital. So Gard could go back and handle this.
He got into the driver’s side of his truck, pulling out his phone.
Dani was crying faintly, but that meant she was alive and breathing, so Gard tried to harden his heart to the sound andfocus on what needed to be done. If he handed Dani off to Royal,hecould get back to Lia.
He didn’t love the idea of Dani feeling like she was being passed off to a man she didn’t know that well, but there was no way Gard was able to get through this if he had to drive Dani all the way to the hospital. Besides, it would keep Royal from having to be on the hook for any trouble anyway.
