Chapter Three
“You don’t need these,” Erika said, when he cuffed her hands again after opening the car door.
Emanuel lifted his eyebrow and shot her a smile filled with amusement. Okay, so maybe he couldn’t trust her yet—not when she had tried to jump out of the idling car less than an hour ago. Not when he’d handcuffed her to the steering wheel at the gas station, and she honked the horn like crazy. Sadly, honking was commonplace in Brazil, and no one made a big deal. No one came to her rescue.
She stepped on the unpaved road. Ever since her arrival she’d noticed the beautiful, chaotic Manaus filled with life, traffic jams, and people. Then, as they exited the capital and drove through various towns, the scenery changed. A blend of raw and primitive countryside took over. Even though she didn’t see water, she could feel the proximity to a river. Bugs buzzed on the tips of the knee-length grass, and the road became unpaved, with fewer and fewer people driving trucks or hitchhiking.
Emanuel tugged at her cuffs and locked the car. Then he slid the backpack over one shoulder and gestured with his head in the direction away from the road. The sun shone brightly, almost blinding her. Although the repellent helped her cause, the buzz of mosquitos continued stubbornly around them. Grass swooshed as she stepped on it. “Are you going to kill me and bury me somewhere?” she asked and only wished this was a joke.
“We have to work on trust, don’t we?”
“Yes. I say let’s do one of those practical exercises where you fall and I’m supposed to catch you. I just need one shot.”
Emanuel laughed, the sound hearty and infectious. Still…manly. Powerful. “You’re quite the entertainer, Erika. I’ll pass on that test for now.”
“If you ever change your mind, I’m one captivity away.” She wished she could run from him, but she had no idea where she was. She spoke nada in Portuguese. How the hell would she find a way out?
“Home sweet home,” he said, pointing at a small white house with a red roof that came into view.
Erika blinked. A small dirt path led to the place, which had no one around. A couple of metal chairs occupied what had once been a decent porch. She raised her gaze to the sky and found no power lines in sight. Goodness. She’d watched scary movies before, but this was… Her stomach clenched. She could joke all she wanted, but reality hit her like a punching bag. She was in serious danger.
“I know this isn’t much for the daughter of a real estate giant, but it’s just what we need.”
He nudged her elbow, and she quivered. God. She hated when he touched her unexpectedly. Not because Emanuel was repulsive, though he should be. Every time his fingers brushed with hers accidentally, or he palmed the small of her back to set the pace, she had to deal with a conflicting state of awareness. Some inconvenient emotions that had no place in her current conundrum.
What I need is to wake up from this nightmare. What happened back home? Her father certainly had to be aware of her kidnapping at this point. Was he worried? Silas Lancaster wasn’t the most touchy-feely guy, but he would worry about her. After all, besides work, she was all he had, too. “I want my phone call.”
He unlocked the door, opened it, and gestured for her to enter. “Welcome to your castle, princesa.”
The little hairs on her nape stood on end.
She stepped into the shack. A couple of old-fashioned rugs covered parts of the cement-stained floor. The living room consisted of two chairs, a round coffee table, and a TV. A generator stood against the closed window. “There’s no electricity?”
“Not in this area.”
Shit. “What’s there?” She pointed at the threshold. There was no door, but she could tell by the arch that it led to another room.
A spark hit his eyes. “The bedroom.”
The bedroom. “I’m not staying long enough to have my own bedroom.” The thread of apprehension zapping down her spine reminded her she had no control over what would happen.
He plopped the backpack on the floor and fished his cell from his pocket. “That’s what we’re about to find out.”
He dialed a number. “If you tell him where we are, I’ll cut the connection, and we’ll hike to the next town over. Trust me, you don’t want to hurt your pretty feet.”
Jerk. She cleared her throat. “Okay.”
He leaned closer to her, and she sucked in a breath, inhaling his delicious scent. Whew. Focus, Erika. “I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to cuff you to the chair and restrain you for a little bit.”
Restrain her? What exactly did he mean, like gagging? Her hands trembled in response, and the cuffs clanked against each other. The annoying noise quaked her insides. “What? Excuse me?”
He grabbed a roll of duct tape from his backpack. “I don’t want you to shout anything to your father as I speak to him first.”
Panic filled her. She shook her head violently. “I won’t. I swear,” she said, and meant it. The fluorescent light from a hospital room flickered in her mind, and she closed her eyes as if it happened again.
He scratched his chin and looked up to the ceiling. Then his gaze returned to her. “Relax, this is a special fiberglass tape. I promise I’ll put it on for a couple of minutes max. It won’t hurt.”
“Please, don’t cover my mouth,” she said, her voice wavering. Didn’t she read somewhere that potential victims gave away personal info to keep serial killers from pulling the trigger? She reached for his hand and squeezed it. Her cuffs dangled, the sound of metal on metal echoing in her ears. “I… I had my stomach pumped before, and I had tubes down my throat. I hate not having the ability to speak. It reminds me of that day.”
He tilted his head to the side, probably digesting her confession and deciding if she’d lied or had told him the truth. She parted her lips but hesitated. Why would he believe her? Her pulse raced madly. When she’d been younger, she’d pretended to overdose on dieting pills to get her father’s attention.
The intensity of his stare made her straighten her shoulders. What would she say if he asked her why she’d been pumped? Damn it. She’d already bared a weakness. No way would she give him further ammunition.
For a moment, the contours of his striking face softened, and a powerful energy passed between them. She glanced down at her hand, and she realized it still squeezed his.
She withdrew with an apologetic smile, although she had no idea why she was sorry. Shaking her head, she continued, “I’ll stay put.”
“You win this one. Don’t disappoint me, princesa. The quicker we solve this situation, the sooner you will be able to go home, back to your life.”
How could she argue with his pragmatism? “Sounds good to me.”
He sat next to her, his index finger clasping the chain. She focused on his long, dark olive fingers sliding over his iPhone. He put the phone on speaker. After a ring or two, she heard her father’s voice. “Hello.”
How did Emanuel get Dad’s personal cell phone? He must have been truly invested in this—and he didn’t seem like the kind of guy who would go all in unless he believed in the cause. Which was crazy, of course. A saint her father was not, but he wouldn’t have anything to do with those horrendous allegations. His career meant everything to him, but he would never gamble with people’s lives.
“Mr. Lancaster, I’ve got something you want.”
“What?”
“Your daughter.”
Silence. She could hear her father drawing a breath, and a thump on his desk. “Who the hell is this? When I put my hands on you—”
“Nothing will happen. This is merely an exchange. You give me back Raul and your daughter will be returned to the United States immediately,” Emanuel said, his tone resolute.
More silence.
Her heart thumped, and she glanced down at the phone. What would happen if she shouted I’m in the Amazon? Emanuel would probably disconnect the call, decreasing her chances of getting out of there quicker. She bit the inside of her cheek. Control turned out to be much like good health: you didn’t appreciate it until you’d lost it.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” her father finally said.
“The engineer who went missing three weeks ago. Did you bribe him? Did someone off him? Unless he shows up, you’re not seeing Erika again,” Emanuel said.
This is getting out of hand. Now he’s accusing my father of killing this Raul guy. She chewed on her lower lip. Hard. Half of her expected her father to be outraged with the preposterous insinuation. Then she remembered her father never lost his cool.
Her father grunted. “I have nothing to do with what happened to that conniving man.”
“Then what exactly happened, Silas?” Emanuel asked.
She clamped her lips shut.
“I…I don’t know. You mentioned he went missing. He abandoned the project after it went belly up and took off like a coward. I’ve got nothing to offer you. And even if I did, how can I be sure you have my daughter and she’s alive and well?” Her father asked, and there was a pang of concern in his voice.
Her heart thumped against her ribcage. Damn it. He was worried. She could tell. And in the depths of her mind, she wondered, for a second, if he thought she was still that same teenager desperate to get his attention. Would he believe Emanuel?
She rubbed her palms together.
Emanuel nodded at her, encouraging her to speak.
She stared at Emanuel. His eyes glinted. “Dad, I’m here.”
“Erika? Are you okay? Where are you?”
“I’m good. I—”
Swiftly, Emanuel clicked the speaker option off, and put the phone to his ear. “I’ll give you one week to bring me Raul if you want to see your daughter again.”
…
Emanuel slid his phone in his pocket. “Got you the hint you needed.”
Erika shifted on the chair. “Excuse me?”
He rolled his eyes. What other proof did she want? If she was so virtuous as she pretended to be, she should suspect by now her father was involved in Raul’s disappearance. “C’mon… He called him conniving and talked about what happened to him.”
“After you mentioned Raul had been kidnapped.” She let out a breath. “Besides, maybe he didn’t like him. Maybe this Raul person is a lying bastard. How can we know for sure? Just because you don’t like someone doesn’t mean you’re going to kill that person.”
“Oh trust me, I can relate.” He ran his fingers through his hair. He didn’t like her one bit, especially when she dared to defend her sleazy father with such passion. Yet, common sense didn’t stop him from wondering what she would be like between the sheets. Was she agreeable and submissive? Ardent and loud? Hmmm. Maybe a mix of both. “You don’t know your father well, do you? You were closer to your mother.”
The vein in her neck pulsed. She looked away, drew in a breath, restless. He stood up, hands on his belt. His work wasn’t just to make her father believe he wouldn’t see her again if he didn’t admit to kidnapping Raul. Emanuel had to show Erika the naked truth about her father. Perhaps she knew it already, but lived in denial. Or she was completely fine with it and acted like she was this righteous individual.
She shot him a disdainful glance. “You don’t know a thing about my relationship with my father.”
“I know he always meddled with your relationships. He gave money to that idiot personal trainer to leave you. You got hurt. And then he introduced you to my brother Bruno in the hope of you marrying him for business purposes, but you had a change of heart.”
“Randall didn’t leave me for money. He loved me but needed some space. Told me something about finding himself,” she said in a small voice.
“He found himself in the new BMW he bought. I’ve done my research, Erika. If you want, I can show you a picture of him riding it in New York City.”
Her facial expression tightened, and tears formed in the corners of her eyes. Shit. He’d been so focused on keeping it real he didn’t calculate the collateral—that, instead of becoming mad at her dad, she’d feel embarrassed. Humiliated.
“For what it’s worth, he’s an imbecile for doing that, Erika. You deserve much more.”
She dipped her head and lifted her hand as much as she could to wipe the tears from her eyes. An odd sense of protectiveness washed over him, and his fingers itched to soothe her. The unfamiliar image of him giving her a hug and stroking her hair formed in his mind.
“How do I even know you’re telling me the truth? My father always wanted what was best for me in his own way. He introduced me to Bruno to mend my broken heart, and of course I knew he wanted to unite his wealth to Bruno’s. I’m not an idiot. Now, to think he would go that far and pay someone off?” She shook her head. “That can’t be true.”
He bent and leaned in front of her. “Then why are you crying, princesa?”
She glanced down, a side of her he was getting to know better: the one that didn’t admit defeat. Proud. Resilient. Something stirred inside him, something other than his cock. He turned her face to him and stared into those gorgeous chestnut eyes. With his index fingers, he wiped the tears from her cheeks. Perhaps it was just his impression, but had she leaned into his hand? Or did he press it against her flesh, wanting to prolong the contact? Damn it. Merda.
None of it made sense. He couldn’t get emotionally entangled with Erika or anyone. He’d watched his two older brothers and knew how much work a relationship entailed. How could he continue his work, his mission, if he had the responsibility of a wife and kids?
Not to mention…she was his enemy’s daughter, and he had to hand her back on a silver platter when Silas folded.
She cleared her throat. “I need…to shower. I’m dirty and sticky.”
“I’ll arrange it for you. Come.” He offered her his hand, helping her stand up. He had visited the place a couple weeks in advance and ensured it had all they needed: privacy, remoteness, and a working generator.
He gestured for the bathroom, and she entered.
“I need privacy,” she said. “And free hands would be best.”
He’d already checked the small bathroom. There was no window, so she could not escape. “There’s a change of clothes for you inside the cabinet.” He pointed. “Also fresh towels and toiletries.”
“A captor who thinks ahead. Nice.”
He reached into his pocket, grabbed the key, and released her cuffs. “Fifteen minutes.”
“Thank you,” she said, and closed the door behind her. Within seconds he heard the shower turn on and the sound of water splashing against the plastic shower stall. Shit. The image of her naked body under the shower as water slid down her delicious body invaded his mind like a bad dream.
Emanuel shook his head. That’s what he got for spending a long time without a woman. He locked the bathroom door from the outside, an idea that had occurred to him when he inspected the place. Quickly, he dashed to the front door and locked it, then checked to guarantee a small back door behind the kitchen offered no chance for her to flee, either. The windows offered iron bars bolted in typical fashion to keep burglars away.
He rummaged in his backpack where his real cell phone buzzed, not the untraceable one he’d used to call Silas. Ten text messages. He scrolled through them. Even though he’d told his assistant in his Rio office he’d be out of the country and off the grid for a while, she still insisted on asking him questions. And Addie…shit.
He read the message from his sister-in-law. Where have you been? Is everything okay?
He clasped the phone. Addie and her passion had ignited his own need to give back and help others. Suddenly, he had found a new purpose like he’d been recently converted to a new religion. Wouldn’t this be a great way of paying back for all the crimes he committed as a child? As a teen? Didn’t matter if he wanted to help put food on the table at the time. Wrong was wrong.
He’d given not just his money but time to help ostracized Brazilian Indians. He’d helped them by buying land and transferring some people from overcrowded reserves. He’d brought a doctor to hard-to-get locations, as long as the tribe agreed, to treat members with chronic diseases. He’d hired agriculture specialists to make their soil more favorable to growth.
Ignoring Addie would be worse. Damn, the woman never stopped until she found out whatever information she wanted. He sighed. I’m taking care of some stuff. I’ll call when I get a chance.
He crossed the living room. Time to deal with his other problem.