She didn’t answer. “It seems you were the right one to catch then, weren’t you?” Then she smiled. “If I let you go right now, you’ll hurt me. I told you why I caught you. If you want to negotiate with me, start talking. We can work out a deal.”
Nate choked, glancing from me to Grace and back. His lip twisted in a half-smile. Damn him. Did he think this was funny?
I jerked my gaze to Grace. “If you don’t let me go, I’m going to fuck you up.”
Her gaze locked on mine. A hint of fear flickered in her eyes before she lifted her chin. She was afraid, but pretending she wasn’t. Ooh, I couldn’t wait to get free so I could punish her.
Nate cleared his throat. “Obviously, you’re not injured, Tony, except maybe your pride.” He grabbed Alissa’s hand. “Since you’re the best one to help Grace, we’ll get out of here now and let you two work it out.”
Wait! What? Was he serious?
“You’re just going to leave me here?” I pulled at the handcuffs again. “Nate! Come on, man! Don’t leave me here! Pendejo!”
Alissa glanced at me. “Did you just call him an asshole?”
I glared at her. Yes, I had. If he was going to leave me here, then he was an asshole.
Nate’s lips twitched again. He was unaffected by the insult. I’d taught him a few Spanish swear words over the years, and he knew exactly what I’d just called him.
A hint of sympathy filled Alissa’s eyes. “This is utterly fascinating. I want to hear how she managed to fool the almighty Smuggler.” The sympathy turned to amusement.
I scowled. “This is not funny. She tricked me.”
“How did she trick you?” Alissa asked innocently, but the look in her eyes said she already knew.
I lowered my gaze. This was embarrassing. “She was dressed like a prostitute at the bar. She lured me back here with the promise of great sex, but she drugged me and handcuffed me instead.” Heat crept into my face at the admission.
Nate choked out another laugh. “The Smuggler got fooled by a woman? I figured you two were just playing some kind of sex game. Cop and robber or something.” He smirked.
Alissa was eyeing Grace curiously. “Why were you dressed like a prostitute? You don’t hook up with strangers.”
Grace’s face turned bright red. “It was part of my job. We were working on an undercover prostitution sting earlier, and the chief had me be the decoy. We arrested five johns, and afterwards, I needed to unwind, so I headed to the bar for a drink. And then Tony showed up with two other dregs. I recognized his photo from a wanted poster and realized he was a dreg. So I caught him and now...” She turned and looked me in the eye. “I’m just waiting for you to agree to help me, then I’ll let you go. I promise.”
“You’re a cop?” I sputtered in disbelief. No, no, no! How did this happen? A bounty hunter and a cop? Carajo!
“You do have to let him go,” Alissa said quietly. Then added, “Eventually.”
What? Why eventually? Why not right this very second?
I glared at Alissa. She reddened and looked at Grace. “But give him time to calm down first. He’s a little scary right now.”
“Fuck!” I shouted, pulling at the handcuffs. “Let. Me. Go!”
Nate chuckled again. “This is highly entertaining. As much as I’d like to stay and watch the show, the sun will be up soon, so I need to get back to the maze. Just agree to help her, Tony. You love going out on a mission, so why are you being so damn stubborn? I’m sure she’ll compensate you accordingly.” Then he actually winked at me. What the fuck?
Nate turned to Alissa. “Shall we?”
Alissa hesitated, then sent me an apologetic look. “Yes, let’s let these guys work it out between them.” She glanced at each of us. “Promise you’ll call if you need help with anything. I’m sure the other dregs will offer assistance if you need them.”
I curled my lip in a snarl. That was it, huh? They just assumed I would help this crazy woman? They were just going to leave me here like this?
Nate’s gaze turned serious again as he glanced at Grace. “I want your word that you’ll let him go as soon as you two work out a deal.” His tone brooked no argument.
Grace lifted her chin. “I’m not going to hurt him. I’m not a liar. I’m more than willing to compensate him for helping me. He just needs to let me know what he wants in return.”
Nate smirked, glancing at me once more, then lifted his arm in a wave as he disappeared down the hallway. “Later, man…”
I glared at his retreating back. So much for getting help from him.
“Alissa,” I pleaded, since Nate the Traitor wasn’t helping me.
She paused in the doorway and glanced back at me. “I have no doubt you two will work this out,” she said quietly. “Don’t worry. Grace won’t hurt you. She’s honest and fair.” Then, with a smirk, she turned and left.
I glanced at Grace, who stared at me for all of a half a second before turning and racing after them. “I’ll walk you guys out.”
Alone once again, I breathed in and out deeply, trying to control the fury and the disbelief and the hurt that overwhelmed me. How could Nate just leave me here like this? What if Grace was lying? What if she turned me in and collected the bounty anyway?
Grace obviously wasn’t a prostitute. For some reason, I found a small amount of relief in that. Not that it stopped me from wanting to fuck her. Even in pajamas, no makeup, her hair a wild mess, she was still hot. She was a damn witch. She had to be. Why else did she have so much control over my mind and my body?
Apparently, she was Alissa’s friend. I was a little stunned to learn that. Of all the women I could have gone home with, the one I’d chosen just happened to be Alissa’s friend.
The front door closed.
I waited for Grace to return. Would she cower out and not come back? Would she leave me here for hours?
What did she have planned for me? Seriously? Did she intend bodily harm? Torture?
She appeared in the bedroom doorway, eyeing me warily with those deep green eyes. “Do you agree to help find my girls?”
Just agree, you moron. Then you’ll be free.
“Okay, I’ll help find your kids. But I’m going to want something in return.”
She nodded. “I expected as much. Name it.”
My heartrate kicked up as the promise of freedom loomed closer. I knew exactly what I wanted.
“If I go inside the Sureños compound and free your kids, then I want one entire night with you.”
CHAPTER NINE
Grace
The breath escaped my lungs in a swift rush. Even though I’d expected that, actually hearing it come out of his mouth made it more real.
One night with him wouldn’t be bad—as long as he didn’t try to hurt me. The sexual chemistry between us was phenomenal. I couldn’t deny I was curious to see if it was as hot as I remembered.
I’d never done anything like this before. Honest. But if he had freed Alissa from Vasquez, then certainly he could free Camille and Teresa, too. It would be worth it if I got my girls back. Only a small sacrifice.
My face burned as I slowly lifted my gaze to his. “It’s a deal. But I have a few conditions.”
His gaze turned incredulous. “Conditions? I’m the one who’s going to be risking my life!”
He was right. But I wasn’t backing down. “There are some, um, rules, you have to follow.”
He cocked a black brow. “Rules? I don’t follow anyone’s rules but my own.”
That I could easily imagine. This was a man who didn’t bend easily. I lifted my chin. “You have to agree to my rules, or I’m not letting you go.” So there, you big, gorgeous arse of a man. My rules.
He contemplated me for a long moment with those dark, penetrating eyes. Then he jerked his head in a nod. “Let’s hear your rules.”
“No violence,” I whispered. “And no kinky stuff. I’m not into that.” My cheeks heated. I found myself staring at the dove flying out of the hat on hi
s naked chest to avoid those black eyes.
He grunted softly. “If I risk my life to save your girls, then you’ll take it however I give it to you.”
Was he serious? A mixture of fear and excitement pumped through my veins. Or was he just trying to scare me? Oh feck! What was I getting myself into? What if he hurt me?
You were pretty eager to have his hands on you last night. Why so scared now?
Because now I’ve seen his scary side. And he’s pissed. He could hurt me.
His gaze crawled down my body—deliberately I was certain—then traveled back to mine. Was he trying to scare me? Arsehole. I didn’t scare easily. I could take whatever he dished out. I wasn’t a wimp. But I wasn’t going to let him hurt me, either.
“No,” I repeated, my heart hammering. “No violence. No kink. I know I pretended to be a whore before, but I’m really not. That was for my job only. I’m just a regular girl. I don’t hook up with strangers.”
He snorted. “Regular girl? Regular girls aren’t bounty hunters or cops.”
Okay, he had me there.
“Was it all an act?” he asked softly. “Did you really want me, or was it all pretend?” There was caution in his words, wariness, and a guarded look in his eyes. Was he afraid I didn’t want him?
I was honest by nature. So I told him the truth. “Oh, it was real,” I admitted. “There’s definite chemistry between us. I felt it. I know you felt it. If there wasn’t chemistry, I wouldn’t agree to let you have one night with me. I don’t sleep with men I’m not attracted to. In fact, I’m kind of choosy about who shares my bed. You’re a very attractive guy, Tony.”
He studied me a long moment in silence, contemplating. “Are you really a foster mom? This isn’t some kind of ruse?”
“Yes, I’m really a foster mom.”
“Why?”
“Excuse me?”
“Why are you a foster mom? You’re young. Why tie yourself down with other people’s children? You should be out having fun, living life, partying with other people your age, not stuck at home taking care of someone else’s kids.”
My reasons were more than just a desire to give children a safe place to stay and some stability in their lives. My reasons were also very personal. But I didn’t tell him that. So I just shrugged. “I guess because I have a soft spot for orphans, for children who are unwanted. No child should feel unloved.”
I swear he flinched, but the movement was so miniscule it was nearly imperceptible. Had I imagined it? Something flickered in his eyes. But it was gone so quickly I wasn’t able to decipher what it was.
Silence stretched. I cautiously entered the room and paused beside the bed. His gaze followed me the entire way.
“When did you start fostering orphans?” His gaze was direct as it held mine.
“I didn’t officially become a foster parent until about a year ago, not long after I moved to Eatonton. But I’ve always looked after others.” I paused. “Did Alissa tell you about…” I trailed off, not sure if she would have told the dregs about what had happened to her.
“She mentioned being raped a few years ago. Is that what you’re referring to?”
“Yes.” So she had told them. I was a little surprised, but also proud of her for opening up. If she’d found the strength to talk about what had happened to her, then she’d come a long way in the past few weeks. “I was the one who found her,” I confessed. “She was in a bad way. Blubbering. Nearly comatose. I rushed her to the hospital.” I broke off, not sure if Alissa would want me telling him that.
“You took care of her,” he said matter-of-factly, admiration flaring in his eyes.
I relaxed and lowered myself onto the edge of the bed. “Yes. And we became good friends. It’s so nice to see her happy again. My first impression of Nate is that I like him. He seems pretty cool.”
Tony moved. So swiftly, I barely comprehended what was happening before he twisted his body sideways, hooked his leg around my waist, then tipped me toward him with a swift jerk, his leg tightening around me as I gasped and fell forward, caught off guard. His legs tightened around me, smashing me between his hard thighs. I bucked and squirmed, rearing up and trying to break free, but his legs were too damn strong. They snared me around the waist like a tether, hooking me, keeping me anchored.
I lifted my gaze, staring up at him in stunned disbelief. What the feck? Had he been waiting for me to get closer so he could do that? I really had no one but myself to blame for letting my guard down. I should have stayed far away from the bed. It had never occurred to me that he would—or even could—do that. He was even more flexible than I gave him credit for.
“Now you’re my captive.” His dark gaze snared mine.
I huffed and squirmed again, but it was no use. He smirked, tightening his legs around me. Feck. I tried to ignore the awareness that snaked through me, but it was impossible. My body responded to his closeness, my nipples tightening and heat pooling at my core.
“It’s no fun being a captive, is it?” His voice hardened. “Are you going to let me go now?”
Feck, no! “Do you agree to my rules?” I shot back. I wasn’t freeing him until he agreed. “No violence. No kink. I want your word.”
Our gazes locked. In a battle of wills, I didn’t know who would win. But I wasn’t giving in. I would do my best to outlast him. Eventually, his legs would get tired, right? And then I could squirm free.
“Do you agree to my rules?” I repeated, growing frustrated now. This was not a comfortable position. And it made me way too aware of the hot, hard, sexy male body touching mine, and the unmistakable bulge that was growing in his jeans.
I squeezed my eyes shut and let out a soft groan. This man made me crazy. Yet he filled me with undeniable longing at the same time. How was that even possible? Why did he have to be so sexy? Why did I have to be so attracted to him?
I opened my eyes and met his gaze once again.
Something dark lurked in their depths. “What if I have some rules, too?”
What? He was bargaining some more? “What kind of rules?”
“I do all the touching. You keep your hands off me.”
What? No way. I wasn’t agreeing to that. Tony had one of the hottest bodies I’d ever seen. I had every intention of touching him as much as I could. “Do you have some kind of aversion to human touch or something?”
He gave a swift nod. “I don’t like people touching me.”
Wow. He was serious. That was so…sad. What had made him that way?
“Not even during sex?” I whispered.
Something vulnerable flickered in his eyes, but it was gone so quickly, I wasn’t able to decipher what it was.
“You must be a very lonely guy,” I murmured.
He flinched. Then his gaze hardened. “Do you agree?”
“No.”
Our gazes locked. “Then I guess we’re at a standoff.”
“I guess we are.”
Neither one of us moved. How long could he hold me smashed between his legs like this?
I decided I would just have to wait him out.
Seconds ticked past. Then minutes.
Frustration and discomfort slipped in. “Come on, Tony. Just agree to my rules. The key to the handcuffs is over there on the dresser…” I tilted my head toward the dresser across from the bed where the key sat near the edge. “I obviously can’t get it while I’m smashed between your legs.”
His lip curled up in a smirk. “Sounds like you’ve got a problem.”
I swear the bulge in his pants grew bigger. Heat flushed through me. This man made me insane with desire. My body wanted him, even as my mind argued that he was too dangerous, that I needed to keep my distance.
Then why did you agree to give him one entire night with you? Are you insane?
Good question. Maybe it was because he and I together in bed was inevitable. I couldn’t fight this all-consuming physical attraction. I knew we would eventually wind up between the sheets together. It was ju
st a matter of when. But I wasn’t agreeing to no touching. That wasn’t fair.
The standoff continued another five minutes. Ten.
Tension coiled in his body. His muscles were getting tired.
I waited.
He waited.
Neither one of us gave in.
Then I felt a slight loosening of his thigh muscles.
I jerked down, using all my strength, and wiggled free.
With a gasp of relief, I scrambled away and stumbled to my feet, backing away from the bed.
He glowered at me. “You didn’t agree to my rules.”
“You didn’t agree to mine, either.”
I drew in a deep breath, slowly exhaled. Backing up several more steps until I reached the dresser, I snatched up the key, palming it in my hand.
I was back in control. I would never make the mistake of letting my guard down around him again. He was way too dangerous.
He watched me closely, his gaze intense.
I’d never been so overwhelmed by a man before. So rattled. I needed a few moments away from him to compose myself.
I headed for the door.
“Hey!” he growled out. “Get back here! Let me go!”
“You didn’t agree,” I reminded. “Until you do, I’m not letting you go.”
His angry curses followed after me as I walked out and pulled the door shut behind me.
So there, arsehole. Think on that.
CHAPTER TEN
Tony
I was spitting mad. I squirmed and bucked and pulled at the cuffs, making my wrists bleed with my efforts to escape. Damn her! I couldn’t believe she’d just run out like that.
I was going to kill her. I swear I was.
After I fucked her.
Carajo! I prayed Nate didn’t tell the other dregs about this, or they’d tease me relentlessly. Ryan and Luke in particular would never let me live it down. I could imagine their hilarity, their snickers, their constant teasing…
Embarrassed heat flushed through me. I drew in several deep, calming breaths, then I finally stopped struggling and lay still. Bloodying myself wouldn’t help the situation any. I was just so pissed that she hadn’t freed me. The moment I got free, she was going to learn I wasn’t someone to fuck with. I not only got mad, I got even. I was a vengeful son-of-a-bitch.
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