Page 36

M addie pinched the front of her T-shirt and tugged it away from her chest. The material clung to a puddle of sweat between the pads of her bra.

Ugh, so gross. The cab didn’t have air conditioning and the open windows only allowed the humidity in.

She sent a look to Carlos and adjusted her shoulder bag across her chest. He’d warned her that they would have a lot of walking through the cobblestone streets once they stopped.

Nate hadn’t answered her call this morning and they’d left the ship almost an hour ago. God, she’d been stupid to think he’d understand. How much had he heard? She pushed Nate from her mind for now. She’d have to convince him to listen to her.

Pastel colored buildings lined the streets, their vibrant contrast brought life to the neighborhood.

As Carlos had said, the streets were tight and cobblestone.

It would be difficult to maneuver. Hector lit a cigarette in the front seat, and let out a deep exhale, as if the weight of the world had been on his bulky shoulders.

Smoke billowed to the back. Maddie scrunched her nose and turned her head toward the window.

God, she wished Hector didn’t have to be here. When he’d been waiting for them on the main level of the ship her skin had prickled. Carlos never took her to business meetings. This, he’d said, would be fairly quick and he’d wanted to show her some of his hometown.

Would he make the exchange right in front of her?

After what they’d been through, she didn’t expect him to trust her—unless it was a test. Her stomach twisted.

That wouldn’t be good either. Should she act surprised?

Maybe something like, Oh, honey. I didn’t know you’re one of the biggest drug lords in the US. Coke? I never would have guessed.

She let out a puff of air through tight lips. Yeah right. She wouldn’t be able to say that without laughing. Maybe she could make a phone call, act distracted… but if Carlos wanted her to see him in action, he’d make sure she did.

The cab slowed and pulled over on the side of the street. Carlos unfolded some money from a wad of bills and passed it to the driver.

“Keep the change.” He stepped out, his hand held tightly to the black duffel bag.

She mumbled a thank you to the driver and followed Carlos out of the car.

The sun shone brightly, making the vibrant buildings dance with life.

A smile touched her lips. Despite the reasons she was here, she was eager to experience some of the culture.

“We have a lot of walking still. We’re running late, so try to stay close.” Carlos turned toward a narrow alleyway and her throat tightened.

Her feet hitched with the reluctance to follow. “Why didn’t we have the driver take us closer?”

A beat passed. Carlos stopped and turned to her. Hector took a long drag on his cigarette, his gaze toward the street. He’d barely looked at her since their confrontation with Carlos and for that, she was grateful. Maddie looked up at Carlos and raised her eyebrows.

“It’s not an easily traveled area.”

Maddie’s pulse racked up a notch. That didn’t make sense. They were supposed to be going to his family’s yacht company. Why would that be in an area not easily traveled?

She nodded in response. Best not to question him.

She pulled her sunglasses over her eyes and swept her gaze around before entering the mouth of the alleyway.

Where the hell was Nate? If he’d known she was leaving with Carlos, he would have sent someone to tail them.

But there’d been no indication of anyone following them.

The ground beneath her feet turned to broken concrete.

As they got deeper, the well-maintained buildings turned seedy.

Stucco peeled off the walls, and rust covered the wrought iron around the windows.

A young girl tore down the alleyway, her feet bare and her ratty dress covered in dirt.

They stepped out the other end of the alley and her shoulders relaxed.

Cars bustled down the streets and a long line of vehicles wedged together at the side of the road. Good god, how would anyone be able to back out of their spots?

“This way, it’s at the end of the street,” Carlos said, gesturing ahead. Hector walked several paces in front, and Carlos picked up his speed.

A middle-aged woman slammed into Maddie’s shoulder, reeling her back. Maddie turned around and opened her mouth to say something, but the woman was gone. Her dark hair fanned out behind her.

Maddie scoffed and shook her head. She turned back in the direction she’d been walking. Carlos’s ebony head bounced down the sidewalk.

She held her shoulder bag close to her side and jogged after them. The sidewalks were busy, with merchant tables cluttering the walkway and people clustered everywhere.

If she didn’t hurry, she’d lose him. The door of a white van opened next to her as she sidled around a small boy.

Carlos was getting farther. She turned to lift the flap of her purse.

Maybe she could try Nate again and—An arm closed around her biceps and a rag slammed roughly over her mouth.

Panic blasted through her senses. She jammed her elbow backward but the assailant secured her arm and a sickly sweet scent filled her nostrils.

He towed her backward, dragging her toward the open van door. Terror spiked her blood pressure and fear bit its ferocious teeth into her.

Her instincts took over. She dove her body as far forward as his arm would allow, and then snapped her head back sharply. The back of her skull connected with his nose. A curse spat in her ear, but she shook her head and twisted against the tight hold.

Determination locked her joints, and he struggled to move her. She wouldn’t go down without a fight.

She repeated the movement for another blow at his face, but this time her vision waned and her eyelids fluttered. White latex gloves covered his hands and thick, black material adorned his arms.

White covered hands—more gloves—reached out from the van and grabbed her feet. She let out a scream, but the hand with the rag tightened and only a squeak escaped.

They dropped her on the floor of the van and her head slammed against something hard. The other pair of hands snagged her wrists. She kicked her foot out, catching the second man in the jaw and skewing the black mask over his face.

“Fucking cunt,” he snarled. His fingertips dug into her wrists and she winced. A patch of dark skin flashed beneath his mask but he didn’t let go. He leaned forward and secured a zip-tie around her wrists.

The door rattled shut and the rag pressed harder into her face. A dark fog misted over her eyes and she let her lids flutter shut. Maybe she could fake it…

“Vámonos!” he yelled at the driver.

The vehicle bumped over the road and her body jostled against a sharp turn. Her eyelids lifted and closed, lifted and closed…

Her body sank into the floor and her face went numb. Darkness washed over her, sucking her away from consciousness.

She couldn’t pass out. She had to stay alert. She’d be completely at their mercy if she didn’t fight against it. Nate’s laughing green eyes filled her vision and her heart constricted.

Nate, where are you?

Tears stung the backs of her eyes and her body went lax. She imagined Nate’s warmth surrounding her as she fell deep into oblivion.

***

Vomit hit Maddie’s palate. She retched, but it slid back down her throat, burning her esophagus.

Her eyes filled with water, spilling over her cheeks.

She gagged again, but nothing came up. Her shoulders ached and her fingers tingled with loss of blood flow.

She sat in a chair, her hands tied behind her back, and her feet stretched out in front of her.

Her chin rested on her chest, and the muscles in the back of her neck screamed.

A soft buzzing rattled through the chair legs, vibrating her teeth with the familiarity of a dentist’s drill.

She squeezed her eyelids closed. Deep muffled voices carried to her ears.

What the hell had happened? How long had she been out?

With the force of a tidal wave, memories of gloved hands dragging her into a van washed over her.

This wasn’t good. If she was still here, that meant Nate hadn’t found her.

Did he know she was missing? As upset as he was with her, he wouldn’t just drop the case.

Without lifting her head, she took in her surroundings.

Laminate flooring sat beneath her chair, a large oriental rug covering most of it. A huge picture window with the blinds drawn shut took up the wall next to her. Strobe lights flickered beyond it, licking the white slats.

Where were her attackers? She strained her ears again, but the voices were softer than before.

She wiggled her fingers, trying to get blood flow back to them, but they remained numb.

They must have adjusted her hands behind her back while she’d been out, because in the van they’d secured them in front.

Her fingers stretched to the inside of her wrist—they’d changed the restraint to rope instead of the zip-tie.

It wasn’t tight. If she could get the feeling back in her fingers, she might be able to work it off.

But she’d have to straighten up and take some of the weight off her shoulders.

Carefully, she lifted her head. The muscles in her neck tightened like guitar strings.

Her breath sucked in and pain shot through her chest.

Lord, what had they done to her? Her clothes were still intact, offering a sliver of reassurance.