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“Still bullying women, I see.” Her sharp words pushed his guilt button, as she’d undoubtedly intended.
“A conversation for another time, Jordan.”
“Let Carmen go. She works for the FBI, and Special Agent Roberts asked her to bring me here.”
No surprise since Halstead had already let that secret slip, but Roberts was usually a better judge of character. On the other hand, Halstead had had a lot of experience buying people. “Carmen might work for Roberts, but she moonlights for Halstead, feeding him information and warning him when the feds get too close. Halstead owns this place, and he knew right where to find you because he told her to bring you here.”
Carmen would have turned Jordan over to a killer with no remorse. Though lucky to be alive, the wariness in Jordan’s expression said she was once again unsure if she should trust him. Travis had bumped up against her stubborn streak before, but he didn’t have time to argue right now.
“Just get your coat. We’re leaving.” His gaze met and held hers, silencing any protest she might have launched. “Trust me a little longer, Jordan. I haven’t lied to you yet, and I won’t start now.”
She hesitated a heartbeat before nodding. “It’s upstairs. I’ll just be a second.” She hurried toward the door. Jake started to follow, but Jordan told him to stay.
Travis shoved Carmen toward Halstead and motioned them into chairs at the table. He rummaged through drawers and cupboards until he found a roll of duct tape, then bound Halstead’s arms around the back of a chair and secured Carmen in her seat.
“We had a bargain,” Halstead said. “Where are my weapons?”
Travis grinned. He hadn’t promised to refrain from lying to Halstead. “Don’t worry. You’ll see it all at your trial.”
*****
JORDAN JOGGED UP THEstairs. She’d been so glad to see Travis alive, yet her gut reaction was to suspect him of lying. His rough treatment of Carmen infuriated her. Was the poor woman doing Halstead’s bidding? If so, Jordan had been a prisoner since they left FBI headquarters and survived only because Travis had intervened again and saved her life. She owed him her trust and so much more.Yeah, I’m safe with him. Right?
Damn it!Alex had made her feel safe, once upon a time, as had Carmen, Coop, and Travis. If Jordan was that naïve, it was a miracle she’d made it on her own for twenty-six years. How could she be sure Travis didn’t have malicious intentions also? Maybe she couldn’t trust anyone.
She gathered her dirty clothes from the bathroom and then dropped them in the trash after realizing she would only burn them later. Her coat, filthy with mud, dirt, and pitch from pine trees, would have to do until she could get home, so she slipped her arms in the sleeves. Looking around one final time for anything she might have left, she gave the soft, clean bed she’d hoped to sleep in one last glance. Hopefully, they wouldn’t have to sleep on the ground tonight. Immediately, the fact shewouldbe sleeping as opposed to dying filled her with equal amounts of shame and gratitude. She shivered and pulled her coat tighter.Why is it so cold in here?Her gaze swept to the window.It’s open.Jordan hadn’t opened the window, but processing that information took far too long.
Pain exploded in the back of her head, sending her sprawling face down on the bed. She fought to retain consciousness as her attacker’s weight pressed her into the soft pillowtop. Unable to move or turn her face to draw a breath, the mattress muffled her cries. Her lungs hurt, and a moment of clarity told her she was suffocating. Desperation kicked in, and she fought harder but couldn’t dislodge the body holding her down.
A hand grasped her hair and jerked her head up. She gulped air into her burning lungs even as the searing pain on her scalp brought tears to her eyes.
“I’ve missed you, Jordan.”
The voice wormed through her like slime.Brody!He leered as she stared sideways to see his face. “You...”
“That’s right, darlin’. It’s your old friend, Brody. I promised you a good time, remember? I’ve been looking forward to this.” He leaned over her, forcing his mouth over hers, crushing and brutal.
She struggled anew, ignoring the pain and the taste of stale whiskey on his lips. He held her head where he wanted it while he assaulted her mouth, plunging his tongue deep enough to gag her. She couldn’t budge the weight that pinned her down, couldn’t pull away, could only endure his attack. Forcing herself to save her energy, she stopped fighting. Abruptly, he released her mouth and bit her earlobe hard. She clamped her lips shut to keep from crying out.
“I like it when you fight, darlin’. Once I get you someplace where we won’t be interrupted, I’m gonna like hearing you scream too. We’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other. And we won’t have to worry about your boyfriend overhearing us having fun. You should have stayed away from him.” Brody shoved himself off the bed and pulled her with him, pressing a gun into her side. “Do everything I say, and you’ll stay alive.”
The crazy in his eyes promised he wouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger. With one hand banded around her neck, he propelled Jordan through the doorway to the stairway landing. The sound of ripping duct tape reached her as they descended step by step.
Why hadn’t she been paying attention? She should have noticed the open window sooner. Now, she was helpless to save herself. Worse, her carelessness had endangered Travis and Carmen. There was no telling what Brody would do to anyone who got in his way. Clearly, he didn’t have anything good planned for her. Fear took a foothold, and her body trembled. Not wanting to set him off, she moved where he guided, stopped when he stopped, and waited for an opportunity with whatever that might bring. She had nothing left to lose.
At the bottom of the stairs, instead of moving closer to the front door, Brody turned toward the kitchen. Was he going to set Halstead free? There’d be no warning for Travis and Carmen. Jordan needed to make some noise.
Brody jerked her in front of him as though he'd read her thoughts. He slid his arm over her shoulder and around her neck until he held her tightly against him, the gun pressing hard into her temple.
“Careful now,” he breathed in her ear. “Wouldn’t take anything to snap your neck.” He shoved her forward in short, awkward movements.
His forearm, pressed against her throat, constricted her breathing, and she gasped between steps. Just before they burst through the doorway, Jake came to his feet, a snarl curling his lips. Travis whirled to face the door in a half-crouch, tossed the roll of tape, and reached for his gun. Halstead and Carmen were bound in chairs by the table, and Carmen’s eyes widened with fear.
Brody seemed pleased by their surprised expressions. Keeping a close eye on Travis, he snickered. “Unless you’re feeling really lucky, you’ll want to put down that handgun.”
Travis straightened and lowered his arm. His dark gaze flickered over Jordan for an instant before returning to the man who held her captive. “Let her go.”
Brody chuckled softly. “Now, why would I do that? She’s my ticket out of here.”
