Bile rose up Ashley’s throat at just the sound of Brice’s voice, but hearing him call her Aurora again sent a wave of anger through her system. She looked behind her, then around the wide-open space, and finally settled her gaze on Brice.

“My name is Ashley. I am not your puppet anymore.”

Brice narrowed his dark gaze and he gave her that smile she hated and feared because it meant pain. “I see you’ve forgotten all I’ve taught you. We’ll have to begin your lessons again. We’ll start with scrubbing that man off you and getting you something more appropriate to wear.” His eyes traveled over her simple tunic sweater and jeans to her black snow boots.

“Run, Ashley. Get out of here,” Beck ordered.

She wanted to, but found she needed to stand her ground and claim her life back from this man. To do so, she needed to outsmart and outmaneuver him.

She turned to the dark-haired man standing off to the side wearing an expensive suit, his dark eyes on Beck. He exuded confidence and control. His eyes held the promise of death for Beck. He wanted his revenge.

She hoped to appeal to him on another level.

“I don’t believe we’ve met,” she addressed the man. “I’m Ashley Swan.”

The man stood a bit taller, though she was taller than him, and addressed her in the same polite tone she’d used to introduce herself. “Señor Guzman, Señorita Swan.”

“Please, call me Ashley.” He nodded to acknowledge this. “How much is he paying you for me?”

Her blunt question made the man’s eyes widen with surprise and maybe admiration for her boldness.

Beck swore. “Ashley, don’t.”

Guzman nodded toward the white-haired man holding Beck. He immediately punched Beck in the side, sending him to his knees, bent over with pain.

Guzman turned back to her. “Two million is what Trigger cost me. Mr. Mooney has agreed to pay the debt to have you back.”

She cocked her head and studied him. “I take it you’re not inclined to abide by what I wish.”

“While I love pleasing beautiful women such as yourself, in this case, Trigger has wronged both of us and needs to pay. He killed my cousin Marco and his fiancée, Paula.”

Ashley glanced at Beck. He stared down Guzman, not giving the man one ounce of his fear or regret for what he’d done in the line of duty.

Ashley tried again. “You’re a businessman, Señor Guzman. A good one, or you wouldn’t be so successful in the enterprise you’ve built. I wish to make you a proposition.”

“Beautiful women proposition me all the time.” He smiled and laughed.

The seven men around them laughed with him.

Brice’s mouth pulled into a tight line and his eyes promised her she’d pay for not cowing to his will. That if she tried to offer herself to Guzman he’d kill her. She already envisioned the punishment she’d endure after he did exactly what he’d promised and scrubbed her raw for allowing another man to touch her. She didn’t want to know how bad things would get after that, but her body echoed with the fear and pain she remembered all too well.

“I’ll pay you two million to let me go and one million to give me Beck. I can have the money transferred to you as soon as possible.”

“Aurora, shut your mouth.”

She ignored Brice, but couldn’t help glancing at Beck, who stared at her dumbfounded. He didn’t see that one coming, but what was she supposed to do? She couldn’t fight her way out of this, but she could buy her way out. And his.

“You are right, Brice. She is a woman worth keeping.”

Brice puffed up with pride.

She rolled her eyes. “This is business, Señor Guzman. Do we have a deal?”

“I must say, I never expected this. I like you. In your movies, you play women who have a vulnerability about them but are strong. Powerful. I see that in you now. But I’m sorry. I have made my deal and I am a man of my word. As you said, it’s business.”

“I implore you, Señor Guzman, please reconsider. He will kill me.”

“A great loss. Perhaps you will find some of that strength and save yourself.”

“That is what I am trying to do while I make you an even richer man,” she snapped.

Guzman simply smiled and turned to Brice. “Complete the transfer, or I will take her up on her offer.”

Brice pulled his cell phone from his pocket. “Look at that, cell service and Wi-Fi.” The sneer he sent Ashley only made the fury building in her gut flare.

“We aren’t savages,” Guzman teased. The man had a sense of humor despite the fact that he planned to execute Beck.

She needed to get him out of here. She needed to get Brice’s phone and call for help. The white-haired man had taken Beck’s. Hers was still in her purse in Beck’s truck. He’d told her to keep it on her at all times. She should have listened.

“The money should be in your account.” Brice held up his phone so Guzman could verify he’d entered the right amount and account information.

Satisfied, Guzman walked to her, took her hand, and kissed her knuckles. “I enjoyed meeting you.”

She smiled sweetly. “I’ll enjoy seeing you behind bars.”

He laughed at her boldness and dropped her hand. “You should leave with Brice so you don’t have to see what I am going to do to your lover.”

Terror squeezed her heart. She couldn’t even think of a future without Beck.

With six men spread around them and Brice closing in on her, she ran past Guzman and launched herself into Beck, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding him tight as she kneeled between his knees. The tears came, but she didn’t fall apart. She pressed her lips to his ear. “Tell me what to do.” She’d run out of ideas.

Beck kissed her neck, then turned his face into her ear. “Go now. When you have a chance, take that knife and use it. Do whatever you have to do, then you run. Promise me you’ll get away from here.”

Brice hooked his hands under her arms and ripped her away from Beck, tossing her sideways, so she slid on the concrete floor and knocked her head.

“Take what you came for,” Guzman ordered. “Our business is done. I have other matters to attend to.”

Brice came after her again.

Beck rose to his feet and ran for Brice, knocking his shoulder into Brice’s side and sending him to the floor ten feet away from her. “Leave her alone.”

The white-haired man held Beck back from going after Brice again.

“All you’re doing is making things worse for her,” Brice warned.

Beck’s gaze shifted to her. His eyes held the frustration, rage, and resignation she felt building inside her. He struggled against the man holding him back. “Don’t you fucking touch her.”

Brice pulled her up from the ground. Her back pressed to his chest, his hips against her bottom. He rubbed himself against her, his hand sliding up her side, over her breast, and up to her neck. He wrapped his fingers around her throat and squeezed, cutting off her air.

“Let her go,” Beck ordered.

She didn’t panic. He’d held her like this a hundred times. She’d let him, knowing fighting only meant more pain. But this time she didn’t stand passive. She pulled the knife from her pants, flicked open the blade, and with her gaze locked with Beck’s, she held it in her fist and plunged it into Brice’s thigh.

Brice screamed, released her neck, and made a grab for the knife. She pulled it out, turned, and shoved him backward.

She didn’t exactly know what happened next, but one of Guzman’s men dropped two feet behind her, blood spreading across his back. The white-haired man held Beck in front of him, a shield against the unseen threat.

King. He had to be the one shooting. Another man fell.

DEA agents in black head-to-toe gear, guns drawn, yelling, “DEA! Hands up,” rushed into the building.

The white-haired man shoved Beck to the ground and made a run for the produce truck with another man. She ran to Beck and used the knife to cut the rope binding his hands. Almost through the rope, someone grabbed her from behind and pulled her back. She turned and plunged the knife into Brice’s chest.

He bellowed and fell back, taking her down with him. She landed on top of him and lost her grip on the knife as blood seeped out of the wound, covered her fingers, and made them slide free.

Brice’s eyes went wide and filled with pain, then narrowed with rage. “You bitch. You’ll pay for that. I’ll teach you a lesson you won’t forget.”

“Never again.” She kneed him in the nuts and struggled to get up and out of his grasp.

In the chaos, Guzman snagged her wrist and dragged her away from Brice, and Beck, who got caught up taking one of Guzman’s men down. Her last glimpse of Beck before Guzman dragged her outside was of him with his knee jammed into the guy’s spine as he pinned the guy’s hands behind his back.

Guzman dragged her toward the plane at a dead run. Ten feet from the open door and being taken hostage by a drug dealer, she tugged hard on her arm, hurting her shoulder, but effectively stopping Guzman from dragging her one more step toward the plane and God knows how long living as his hostage until he ransomed her, or did even more terrible things to her.

He pulled her forward two more steps before she planted her feet and leaned away, stopping him again. “Come. Now. Or you will be shot.”

The familiar tingle went up her spine and danced over her skin. She felt Beck behind her.

“You’re going to be shot.” She stepped to the side. A split second later, Guzman’s head snapped back with the impact of the bullet that hit him between the eyes and exploded out the back of his head. He dropped dead at her feet.