Never in her life had she been so humiliated. This wasn’t the same as being kidnapped and tossed into the back of a truck and hauled across state lines. No, that was terror. This, being carted from the main structure ignominiously slung over Seth’s shoulder like she was nothing more than a sack of potatoes was abjectly humiliating. Horrified, frozen, she grew quiet and still the moment she heard the eruption of laughter from the men downstairs. She kept her face turned toward Seth’s back, not wanting anyone to see her red cheeks, her tears, and her misery. She clamped her lips shut as Seth strode out of the building and into the hot sun, his boots crunching on the gravel and sand as he made his way back to the cabin. Once inside, he deposited her gently on the sofa.

Nikki said nothing. Her chest heaved as she blinked back tears, struggling to get her emotions under control. Seth, for his part, turned away to thankfully give her at least the illusion of privacy as he stepped into the kitchen and started a pot of coffee brewing. The man infuriated her! How could he be such an ass one moment and then offer a sweet gesture the next?

She cast a surreptitious glance his way, but he purposely ignored her. God, she had to get the hell away from the Steel Kings. After that interview with their leader, she knew for sure no one trusted her. With the hell did they think she was involved in? Even more concerning, what would happen when Seth and the others found out who she really was and what she was doing with the Jokers?

She couldn’t tell him the truth. She couldn’t! He wouldn’t understand. With his family history, at least the brief part of it that he told her, he wouldn’t understand how devoted she and her sister were to one another. His own sibling rivalry and what had happened with his family would cloud any claim she made that she would do anything for her sister, that she was willing to allow herself to be kidnapped by a Mexican gang, all because she felt so desperate to find her.

Seth said nothing as the coffee brewed, his back to her, hands leaning against the counter. She felt so alone. She couldn’t allow herself to trust him, to tell him the truth, no matter how tempting his body was, how much he called to her. She had to figure this out for herself. But how?

The gurgling of the machine stopped, and the aroma of coffee wafted through the air. She watched him pour coffee into two mugs. He brought her one, setting it down on the table next to the sofa. She didn’t reach for it as he stood, staring at her, sipping his.

“You write gossip articles for an Albuquerque newspaper.”

“It’s not gossip,” she snapped. “It’s for the lifestyle section.” She looked up. “How do you know that?”

He shrugged. “Doesn’t really matter, Nikki. But we talked about it. We could understand you being in danger from the Jokers if you were writing an exposé or something about them, but you’re not. So what do they want with you?”

He had no idea how close to the mark he really was. If she allowed herself to really think about it, Nikki was terrified that her side investigation had been what brought the Jokers to Stacey’s door. She forced any expression of terror or worry from her face. “How the hell should I know?”

He sighed, shaking his head as he sipped his coffee. “Cooperate with me, Nikki, just a little bit. If you do, I can let your family know that you’re all right.”

His words stunned her. At first she felt grateful, but then anger took over. She snapped at him. “Oh, thank you, kind sir,” she sneered. “What the hell is the matter with you? Who do you guys think you are? You have no right to keep me here. In fact, if you don’t let me go, I’ll find a way to escape, and when I do, you can bet your ass that the first place I’m going to go is the police station. I’ll charge you with kidnapping. Don’t think I won’t.”

“Is that what you told the Jokers, too?”

“No!” She shut her mouth. Dammit, she had to start thinking before she spoke, but he just got her so frustrated, so angry. She shook her head, crossed her arms over her chest, and looked everywhere but at him.

“Why did the Jokers take you, Nikki?” He lifted a hand. “Before you tell me it’s because you saw a chop shop, you should know that I don’t believe it. None of us do. So what’s the truth? Who are you to them?”

“I don’t know!” she shouted. “I know you don’t believe me, but I really don’t give a damn. I can’t convince you to believe me, and frankly, I don’t have the energy. So tell me, Seth, what you plan on doing with me? Keeping me here for a day? A week? A month? You tell me because I can guarantee . . . and I’m promising you, that the minute I get a chance to escape, you can bet your sweet ass that I’m going to. And you know why? Because I don’t belong here! You can’t keep me here against my will!”

“You don’t seem to think that you can be a danger to us,” he said softly, sipping more coffee.

That stopped her short. What the hell did he think she could do to them? Twenty or more big guys, many covered in tattoos, and all who swore more than dockyard workers. “What the hell are you talking about?”

You already threatened us by claiming that you’ll go to the police and tell them we kidnapped you—”

Oh. Shit. “If you let me go, I won’t, promise,” she said.

He stared at her for several moments, like he was going to say something, but he simply turned, placed his coffee cup down on the kitchen counter, and left the cabin. Frustrated, growling low in her throat, she stood and stomped toward the door, opening it. He stood on the other side, watching, arms crossed over his chest, an eyebrow raised.

“Going somewhere?”

She slammed the door in his face.

She stared at the door for several moments, wondering why she felt . . . relieved? Impossible. She couldn’t put her finger on the emotions suddenly surging through her. She wanted to tell Seth the truth. If she was completely honest with herself, she would have to admit that she wanted him to help her with her problem. She needed support. She needed . . . could she do this alone? For the first time, doubts assailed her. For the first time she felt like a complete and utter fool. Why did she think that she, single-handedly, she could confront a huge Mexican gang that worked for a cartel?

She didn’t like this feeling of guilt sweeping through her. Didn’t like where that guilt led. Her sister. What would happen to Stacey if she gave up? She couldn’t! To tell Seth the truth or to try to deal with this on her own? Those Jokers back there at the warehouse, where Seth had rescued her, might’ve just killed her right then and there after they had their way with her. There was no guarantee they were even the group that had kidnapped Stacey. Or that any of them would let something slip about her whereabouts. Her Spanish was okay, but she wasn’t fluent, and a lot of them had spoken in dialects that were difficult to understand.

“You’re an idiot,” she mumbled. “A fucking idiot.” Nevertheless, she didn’t know what else to do. The longer she stayed here, the longer she was kept here, the greater the chances that Stacey would slip out of her grasp forever. She had to do something. Tonight. When they least expected it.

She moved to the front window and peeked outside. She didn’t see Seth standing there anymore. He probably figured she was scared out of her wits and wouldn’t try to escape again. But he didn’t know her. He didn’t know what drove her, what filled her with a nauseating desperation, stomach curdling need to escape. Foolish or not, stupid or not, ridiculous or possibly futile, she had to try. She wasn’t about to give up on her sister. And because she wasn’t willing to give up on her sister, she couldn’t give up on herself.

She would have to—

The sound of motorcycles and a vehicle or two revving fast in the night, accompanied by shouting and hoots and hollers broke the stillness of the air. Followed by more, the sound of car doors slamming. More shouts, a man yelling in Spanish, then more laughter.

She moved to the door of the cabin, the light from the living area spilling around her and into the area in front as she stared wide-eyed in dismay at a cluster of motorcycles surrounding a pickup truck. She frowned. That truck . . . No, it couldn’t be the same as the one that brought her here, but as she watched, her mouth growing dry, her eyes wide, she eyed several Steel Kings, Seth among them, reaching into the passenger side of the truck to drag a man out. A yelling, kicking, and violently cursing man. Her stomach jolted and her spine straightened as she recognized him. The bald head, half his left ear missing, the handlebar mustache, but most of all, the tattoo that decorated half of the left side of his shaved skull.