Hard Core (Onyx Group)

by Jennifer Lowery

  She needed her friends, her career. The life she was meant to live. Without him she would no longer be obligated to stay here. Approaching her about it would be difficult. Alana refused to talk about his disease, but maybe it was time they had a talk.

  He drew in a deep breath, closed the door to his hut and headed toward Alana’s. This time she would listen. It was his last dying wish. He hated to play that card, but she left him no choice.

  Her hut was quiet. In case she was asleep, he quietly opened the door and poked his head in. Only to find it empty.

  Of course she wasn’t sleeping. She never slept. Within minutes, he was in a panic. No one had seen her since last night. Not even Leya, Alana’s closest friend. As far as everyone knew she’d gone to bed after she finished working.

  So where was she? She never left camp without telling someone first. Not even when she visited her favorite swim hole.

  Seemed the last man to have seen her had disappeared into the jungle and would probably never be seen again. Cristian had been angry when he left and Joseph had a feeling that if he didn’t want to be found, he wouldn’t be.

  So where was his daughter, and what did Cristian have to do with her disappearance?

  * * * *

  He was a damn fool. Slade pushed his way through the jungle.

  At his camp, he dug his pack out of its hiding place, slung it over his back and trekked toward the opposite side of the island. The physical pain punished him for his actions and reminded him who he was and why he was here. Not to discover what made a pretty red-haired doctor cry silently in her sleep.

  He wouldn’t care.

  He would eliminate Gavin Ross and get the hell off this island. Go to his cabin in the Rockies. Or maybe to his penthouse. A busy city with all its lights and activity sounded damn good right now. Anything besides the jungle.

  Now he had even more reason to hate the jungle. It would only serve as a reminder that he’d done the unthinkable and let down his guard. Never mind the fact he’d told Alana he was a mercenary.

  It wouldn’t happen again. He was never going back to that camp and he’d never see Alana again.

  Focused now, Slade headed for Ross’s.

  * * * *

  Alana sank onto the bed, too stunned to panic. This couldn’t be happening. Why change things now? What was so important he needed her here early?

  Did she really want to know?

  A sob rose in her throat. She would never see her father again. Gavin had stolen her goodbye and she hated him for it. Hated this entire situation. Never had she felt so lost and hopeless. There was no way out. Gavin made sure of that. She’d seen the devastation he could, and would, cause if she defied him. What choice did she have but to agree to his terms? It was the only way to keep her family safe. She owed them that for all they’d done for her and her father. As long as she obeyed his orders and conformed, he would spare the tribe.

  With no authorities on the island, she had no one to turn to, no one to help. She was in this alone.

  Letting the tears fall freely, she curled up on the bed until misery overtook her.

  She pulled the blankets over her head to avoid the sunlight that shone through the windows. It was a new day, but she didn’t feel any better. Worse, but never better. Her tears had dried up in the night but the pain remained along with a deep ache in her soul, like the one she’d felt after her mother was murdered in a liquor store robbery.

  Gavin hadn’t visited her again. Her tears were gone and in their place emptiness, a void never to be filled. She’d lost everything that ever mattered to her. It began with her mother and ended with her father and the people who had taken her in and treated her like family. She wanted more than anything to be with them. Away from here. Away from this debilitating emptiness.

  But she would never see them again. These four walls were now her home, her family.

  She drew her knees up tighter and curled into a fetal ball, wanting to disappear inside herself.

  But Gavin wouldn’t let that happen. The lock turned and the door opened. She didn’t have to look to know it was him. He’d said he’d give her the night to grieve; he’d done that. Time to submit.

  His footsteps crossed the carpet to her side. He didn’t sit on the bed, but she could feel his gaze on her. His displeasure was palpable. “You haven’t moved from this position, have you? Come, darling, up you go.”

  The blankets were torn from her and she didn’t try to grab them.

  He touched her shoulder and she flinched.

  “Let me help you. It’s a new day. A new beginning for us. Let’s get you cleaned up. I hate seeing you like this.”

  He lifted her out of bed and set her on her feet in front of him.

  “Look at me.” The order was given softly, but with menace. He would have his way.

  She slowly lifted her eyes to meet his.

  He stiffened, his jaw tightening. “I don’t like this,” he repeated. “Where is the fire in your eyes you had when you first came to see me?”

  She said nothing, just stared at him.

  His eyes darkened and he gripped her elbow. “You will snap out of this. This is your life now, so you may as well accept it. Now, in the shower, clean yourself up. We have a busy day ahead of us.”

  When she didn’t move, he scowled and propelled her toward the bathroom. With jerky movements he turned on the shower and grabbed a towel.

  “Get in.”

  Alana didn’t move.

  With a vicious curse, he roughly undressed her and threw her clothes aside as if they were diseased. Her eyes landed on the shirt and pants, the last remaining items from her past life. A life she would never know again.

  He had to physically place her in the stall. She heard him curse through the glass door. The hot water pulsed over her body. Alana just stood there and let it pour over her, staring at the wall, seeing all she had lost. Her mother, her career, her father and family. The faces of those she so dearly cared about. All gone because of this monster.

  Rage, hot and wild, built inside her. It started as an ember and quickly ignited into flame. Fury, like she’d never known, replaced pain. It hurt, but in a different way. It made her want to lash out. To fight back.

  It made her want him dead.

  She looked at Gavin through the glass, watched a slow smile spread across his face, and knew she would never rest until he paid for what he’d made her do.

  “There’s that fire,” he said softly. “I knew you had it in you. Enjoy your shower, my darling. Brunch is in one hour. Don’t be late.”

  This time he didn’t lock the door.

  Where would she go? If she returned to her tribe, Gavin would slaughter them the same as he had the other tribe that had lived on the island.

  Strung out, she reached for the soap. She’d grieved. Now she had to survive. And find a way out of this before it was too late.

  An hour later a servant escorted her to the dining room, a large, extravagant room, with a table set for a king. It sat twenty people. Completely ridiculous, since she and Gavin were the only two people eating.

  The closet in her room had been full of clothes, everything from scrubs to designer jeans and dresses. All in her size. She’d chosen a blue gown, knowing he’d expect her to dress appropriately. Why he’d included scrubs in the mix made no sense. There was no hospital on the island, so why would she need hospital attire?

  He rose when she entered, his green eyes sliding over her. “Very nice,” he murmured, pulling out her chair so she could sit.

  Alana reached for her napkin and spread it over her lap. There had been a time she’d lived this lifestyle and it hadn’t left her. She still remembered which fork was for salad.

  “You’re looking better,” Gavin commented, returning to his seat. “I’m pleased. We have business to discuss.”

  “Business?” she repeated, picking up her water glass and taking a sip.

  “Not at the dinner table. Let’s enjoy our first meal together
. I hope you’re hungry. The chef has prepared a fine brunch.”

  If she ate anything, she would bring it back up, but she only smiled tightly. How could he be so blase after kidnapping her from her home and breaking their deal? Did he have no heart?

  That angered her even more, driving her rage into the next level. Her fingers curled around the serrated knife beside her plate.

  The door to the kitchen opened and three men walked in carrying silver trays and a tureen. It smelled heavenly, but her stomach roiled. She shouldn’t be here. Shouldn’t be doing this.

  She relaxed her hand so it rested flat on the white tablecloth. The clock on the wall read one o’clock. She’d slept more than twenty-four hours. Yet, she felt like a zombie, running on empty.

  They ate in silence. She managed to eat a couple bites and immediately felt sick, so she pushed the food around her plate instead. Gavin had no trouble finishing his. Disgusting pig.

  Afterward, he insisted on taking her on a tour of the house and grounds. Once outside, Alana drew in a full breath, taking in the familiar jungle air. It only reminded her of everything she’d lost and made her long to be back where she’d been before Gavin Ross. Not before coming to the island, she would never regret that. She felt more comfortable here than in Boston with her promising career and her friends. Maybe because these people were simpler, not vain. They would never stab her in the back for fame or fortune.

  As they walked across the manicured lawn, she couldn’t help but feel someone watched her. Not the guards posted in every corner. This was different, made the hairs on the back of her neck bristle.

  She looked around, searching the jungle for signs of…what? Ghosts? Then, feeling foolish, she said, “Can we go in now? I’m a bit tired.”

  Obliging, Gavin turned them around.

  Alana cast a last glance over her shoulder, seeing nothing except green fauna. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was out there. Watching.

  * * * *

  A hand landed on her shoulder, jolting Alana awake with a scream. She opened her eyes to see Gavin standing over her bed, the lamp lighting the room with a soft yellow glow.

  “I’m up.” Rotations at the hospital during her internship had trained her to power nap, then wake alert and oriented on demand. Sitting upright, she rubbed her gritty eyes. What she’d been doing couldn’t be classified as sleep. More like a nightmare.

  “What is it?” A glance at the bedside clock told her it was midnight.

  “Come. It’s time.”

  “Time for what?” She climbed out of bed. She had put on a pair of surgery scrubs to sleep in, since Gavin only provided her with flimsy lingerie for nightgowns. She’d never worn that kind of thing and she wouldn’t start now. Scrubs were much more comfortable.

  “You didn’t like the nightgowns I ordered especially for you?” Gavin asked, his eyes running over her.

  “No.”

  “But they were so expensive. Supposedly very sensual against the skin.”

  Alana resisted a shudder and pinned him with a hard stare. “They aren’t my style. Why did you wake me?”

  “We’ll work on that. Come with me, darling.” He crooked his arm for her and she accepted, walking with him out of the room.

  He led her downstairs, through the kitchen to a small hallway that led to the garage. Instead of going outside, they went through another door to a darkened set of stairs. Gavin clicked a light on and preceded her to the bottom.

  “We’re a bit off schedule.” He motioned her into a small, sectioned room that should have been a basement. It reminded her of a waiting room in a doctor’s office with its matching loveseat and chairs, tables with magazines. Two men lounged in the chairs, staring at her, measuring her. For what? Did she really want to know?

  Uncertain and wary, she remained at Gavin’s side.

  “Ignore them.” Gavin guided her through the door into another room. “They are simply waiting for their items.”

  “Items?”

  Two guards stood sentry outside the next door. Gavin nodded to them before he pushed open the steel door and allowed her to go first into the brightly lit room. The metallic scents of blood and antiseptic overpowered her. She took a step backward and covered her nose with her hand.

  “What is this?” she asked, looking around the white-walled, cement-floored room. Metal shelves lined the walls, filled with equipment and instruments used in a hospital setting.

  She had spent many, many hours in a surgical room just like it.

  Except this one had bloodstains on the floor around the drain and smeared on the walls. This room was much cruder than any she’d ever worked in.

  Her eyes landed on the terrified man strapped to a gurney in the middle of the room. A piece of duct tape covered his mouth. Blood dried on his hairline. Sheer terror widened his brown eyes as he watched them and his tanned skin held a gray pallor. Not a native to this area. A tourist?

  “What is this?” Alana repeated, glancing uncertainly at Gavin.

  “This, darling, is the reason I brought you here. This is our future.”

  “What are you talking about? Who is that man? Why is he strapped naked to a gurney?”

  “Who he is makes no difference. Why he is here is the important part. He, my darling, has something I need. Something you are going to get for me.”

  Dread slid down her spine. “And what is that?” Did she really want the answer?

  Gavin smiled. “His kidneys, liver, and pancreas.”

  The door behind them opened and two men, natives of the area, judging by their dark skin and eyes, walked in. They too wore scrubs, shoe and head covers, masks, and surgical gloves. In their hands were small, blue coolers.

  To transport the organs, Alana thought with an edge of panic. “No.” She shook her head. Gavin had brought her here not because he wanted a wife, but a surgeon to harvest organs.

  “Now, darling.” Gavin sent her a warning look. “I know this is a shock, but time is of the essence. I’m sure you’ll learn your way around quickly. All of this should be very familiar to you.”

  Not even close. Did he really think she would agree to this? It went against every oath she’d ever taken. It went against her moral code. She hadn’t become a doctor to harvest organs. She’d become a doctor to save people, not murder them.

  “I won’t do this,” she said. “Let that man go.”

  One of the men scoffed behind his mask and Gavin’s face filled with fury. He grabbed her by the arm and dragged her from the room. Once they were in the hallway and the door closed, his hand connected painfully with her cheek. It caught her completely by surprise and sent her reeling into the wall.

  She covered her throbbing cheek and glared at Gavin. The two guards didn’t even glance their way. She would get no help from them.

  “You will never disobey me again,” Gavin hissed. “Not when we’re alone and certainly not in front of my men. Do you understand me?”

  Alana nodded. She’d better not anger him more.

  “Now, you have a job to do. You have no choice. You will go back in there, dress for surgery, and remove the donor’s organs. Pedro and Diego will assist you and handle the organs once they are removed. Do you understand?”

  Donor. She was certain this man hadn’t donated his organs. She’d seen the panic in his eyes.

  “Yes, I understand,” Alana said woodenly. How on earth did she get out of this?

  “Good. Now go. I’ll be watching through the window.”

  Alana shimmied past him and into the room, ignoring the smirks of the two guards as she went in. Gavin stopped her at the door.

  “Oh, and Alana? If you try to escape or disagree to do this, I will be forced to deal the same fate to your precious tribe as I did the other. So don’t disappoint me.”

  And there it was. The reason he knew she would do his bidding. He was using her family to blackmail her and she had no choice but to obey.

  With a heavy heart, Alana entered the room an
d prayed she would be forgiven for what she had to do.

  * * * *

  Alana held a trembling gloved hand over the chest of her patient. She’d donned gown, mask, shoe and head covers to protect herself, and familiarized herself with the minimal equipment Gavin provided. What he hadn’t provided was anesthetic. Her patient would be awake when she cut into his body. It was inhumane. When she’d questioned Gavin about it, he told her to get on with it, without compassion for the man who fought for his life on the table.

  Fighting his bonds did the man no good. The straps held him tight, limiting movement, and the gag prevented his screams. Alana knew if he could, he would beg for his life.

  She held her hand over his chest and watched it tremble. Her hands had never shaken during a procedure. She’d written her own ticket because of her steady hands.

  A tear slid out of the corner of her eye, and was absorbed into her mask. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered, praying for a miracle that would get her out of this situation. Gavin had the upper hand and there was no way out. She didn’t know this man, but that didn’t make this any easier.

  She wasn’t sure she could do it.

  The scent of urine filled the air and another tear fell. He’d wet himself. The body’s natural response to fear. He’d seen the scalpel, knew what she was about to do.

  At that moment her hatred for Gavin Ross consumed her, making her hand shake even more. No one deserved this fate. Not this man and not any other man. How many other innocent people had been murdered in this room for their organs? The blood stains on the floor and walls were answer enough.

  But if she didn’t do this, there would be more bloodshed. Could this be justified? One for the good of many? Did this man deserve to die in order to save the lives of her family?

  Tears streamed down her face as she looked up at the window where Gavin watched. He returned her gaze with a hard one of his own. No turning back. She was in this until the end, with no way out. He’d made sure of that. Her father’s face and those of her tribe reflected in his eyes and she turned away, the weight of what she was forced to do heavy on her shoulders.

  “Forgive me.” She lowered the scalpel.