Marley bedded down that night in the middle of the wolf den. She hadn’t realized it, but Mack had set any easy pace for the two of them. Hunter led the way at such a maddening pace, she didn’t think an Olympic runner could hope to keep up.

What she wouldn’t give for a foot massage and a hot bath. Her feet throbbed, so much so that she was too scared to take off her boots to survey the damage. The balls of her feet felt like raw hamburger meat, and she was sure her blisters had multiplied. Add on to that the aching of her back, which felt strained in places she hadn’t realized could ache.

The one thing she could be thankful for was the amount of dirt that had accumulated from the constant sweat drenching her body. That thin veil would help repel the giant insects crawling around on the ground.

At that thought, Marley found herself edging closer to the men for protection. She had no desire to wake up with a cockroach on her cheek. She’d choose their veiled distrust and simmering hostility over a giant cockroach in her hair any day of the year.

Of course, Mack had taken the first round of watch. She was surrounded by warriors, but she felt completely alone. She missed the haven of Mack’s big arms and warm body. When he was wrapped around her, she felt protected and safe and loved. His team made her feel protected and safe from any attack, but more in the way an igloo protected the Eskimos. They provided cold sturdy walls but little else.

Marley lay on her back, staring up at the thick canopy of trees overhead, the leaves twined together so thickly she could barely make out the stars. Mack’s team had shared their last MRE’s with her and they’d eaten in silence. They hadn’t made a fire tonight, not wanting to risk another attack by the locals.

It made her realize how much Mack had risked to make her comfortable the night before.

Mack. She’d almost told him the truth before his men found them. Before they interrogated her. Now, she was back to feeling lost. Caught in a role she’d never intended to take.

She slipped onto her side and curled up into a ball, seeking warmth that wasn’t forthcoming. What should she do? She would do anything to protect Maddie, who was her life, but every single cell in her body also screamed for her to protect Mack. If she led the men into the trap, and that’s the only thing that this could be, she was leading them straight into an ambush. Their abilities were beyond impressive, but if they walked into that situation without any warning, most of them, maybe all of them, would die.

Of course, Ramsey and this guy Mankel would no doubt kill her, too. She was a liability, which meant she’d die with the others.

Something she was totally okay with doing. She’d willingly give up her life for her daughter, no hesitation whatsoever. But could she sacrifice all these honorable men too? These warriors who’d so proudly fought and sacrificed for their country? How could she choose between her daughter’s life and these men?

Merc was married, if she went through with Ramsey’s plan, she’d leave his wife a widow. And put his wife through the same pain she’d experienced after her husband’s unexpected death.

At least the coordinates given to her had been in a logical trajectory. They would be headed that way with or without her input. She still had time to figure out a plan before they reached the ambush. And Ramsey was tracking their movements, he would know the minute they altered course, putting Maddie’s life in danger.

Marley opened her eyes and quickly surveyed the men around her. Hoyt and Jared Crowe lay in front of her, their backs facing her. Hunter was near her head, Ranger was at her feet, and the rest of the men completed the circle behind her. Marley held as still as she could, listening to the sound of their even breathing.

She knew it was stupid, but in this moment she needed to see that picture of Maddie more than anything else in the world. Slower than a caterpillar with one leg, she inched her hand down her leg, searching in the inky blackness for the pocket holding her cell phone. She hit the Velcro holding it shut and gave an inward groan. If she ripped that open right now, she might as well blow on a horn. The only sounds were a steady buzzing swarm of insects and the occasional cry of a mystery animal. Marley yanked her hand back up to her chest and balled it into a fist, fingernails digging into her palm.

She could tell Mack everything . . . that was still an option. But she couldn’t do it here, in front of his men. They already mistrusted her; they’d sure attack her as soon as they heard the story. Proof or not, they might interpret the messages as a way for her to cover her ass instead of the truth. But Mack believed her. He trusted her.

If she could just get him alone . . . maybe he’d understand.

Yes, you have to find him. You have to tell him.

She couldn’t live with herself if she didn’t tell the truth. Besides, Mack was smart and he was vicious—if anyone could help rescue her daughter, rescue all of them, it would be him.

Marley got to her feet and slowly turned, looking for the widest gap between the soldiers to make her exit. It was between Hunter and Hoyt—great. She had gotten a definite I hate you vibe from Hunter. She sure as hell didn’t want to venture anywhere near him, but she didn’t have a choice. If she was going to talk to Mack alone, she’d have to cross that manmade obstacle course on her own two feet.

Rising up on her toes, ignoring the screaming agony of the pressure of her body weight on her blisters, Marley crept forward. She only got one foot past the perimeter of Hunter’s feet when she felt a sudden shift in the atmosphere.

“And where are you sneaking off to?” Hunter said in a low voice that held absolutely no hint of sleep in it. The bastard had been awake the whole time, probably expecting her to try to run off or make a move.

“I want to talk to Mack.” Not that it’s any of your business.

“Then you can wait on him to come back.” Hunter shifted and closed his eyes, dismissing her.

Butthead. Did he really think she had to listen to him? “I don’t want to wait on Mack to come back. I’m going to find him.” Marley took another step and then another, heart racing with dread, but Hunter didn’t make another sound.

Suddenly, before she could even register that the man had moved, Hunter’s hand wrapped around her ankle in a gentle yet firm grip. “You cannot go out there alone. Reason number one, I don’t trust you. Reason number two, for some reason I can’t figure out, Mack cares about you. Either way, I’m not letting you out of my sight until he comes back.”

Marley tried to jerk her foot free, but his grip didn’t give a centimeter. Dammit. If she weren’t so reasonable, she’d put the boot right in his face. “Then take me to him.”

She could practically feel Hunter smirking in the night. “What’s so important that it can’t wait?”

Oh crap, she hadn’t thought that far in advance. What was so important? Shit—she should’ve told him she needed to pee. Men were always squeamish when it came to a woman’s bodily functions.

Except these men, of course. Hunter would probably insist on standing right beside her while she completed the whole process.

Only one other excuse came to mind. Something that might make Hunter uneasy enough to just let her go—that or take her to Mack.

“Well, since you are so damn nosy—” Marley crossed her arms and made sure to put extra attitude in her voice, “—I can’t sleep without him. Besides, he hasn’t given me a good night kiss.”

There was a brief pause.

“I don’t think so, Princess. Mack Grey hasn’t been with a woman in years. He can manage one night without you. Whatever fairy tale you’ve dreamed up is dead wrong. Mack lives and dies by the team.”

Marley bent over and grabbed Hunter’s fingers, trying to peel them off her skin. “That was before me, asshole.”

Maybe this guy really did need a boot in the face. How could he be so callous? How could he not realize that Mack was a human being with wants and needs?

Hunter didn’t loosen his grip in the least. Shit, shit, shit. If she hadn’t stopped cussing after Maddie was born, she’d say the words out loud instead of just in her head. Maybe if she stomped on his arm with her leg.

A deep sigh filled the air. Marley froze, her fingers levered beneath the tips of Hunter’s—which hadn’t budged even a little.

“Let her go, man. If she is lying, you really think she’ll make it very far in this jungle in the middle of the night all alone? And if she’s telling the truth, Mack probably does want her by his side. We saw how protective he was of her,” Riser said, his voice light but strong enough to carry.

God bless that man. She’d have to give him a hug after everything was said and done. Other than Mack, he was the only one on her side.

“Riser—” Hunter threatened.

“Let her go. I’ll follow her if it makes you feel better, to make sure she gets to Mack safe and sound.”

With a low growl, Hunter released her ankle and Marley had to resist the urge to shake out her leg. She did the most prudent thing instead and thanked Riser before beating a hasty retreat toward the edge of the woods.

“He went the other way, darlin’,” Riser’s voice grated. Marley did an about-face, this time circling around the group of men so as not to get trapped again. She made it about three feet into the woods before she allowed herself to breathe again. Needing to release the adrenaline pounding through her veins, she found the nearest tree she could find and collapsed against it, hands on her knees, panting for air. As if the close proximity to her pocket triggered something in her brain, Marley peeled open her pocket and fumbled for her phone.

Remember Maddie. You’re doing this for Maddie. Mack can save her. She swiped the screen and unlocked it. She just needed to see her baby’s face and then she’d turn her life over to Mack’s strong capable hands. The first thing that popped up was the last text message, Ramsey’s terrible words threatening her even now. Marley gulped, the bile rising in her throat at the thought of any harm coming to her daughter.

Mack would know what to do. He always knew what to do.

“I should have known.”

Marley choked to see Mack’s brutal visage lit up by the light from her phone, his features stark.

“Mack—”

He snatched the phone from her hand and scanned the screen. His lip curled and she felt any hint of warmth drain from her body. “I was coming to tell you—”

“Shut up. Don’t open your lying mouth again.”

“But—”

“Shut your mouth!” Mack roared.

Marley instinctively cowered, her hands trembling. Oh God, she had to make him listen. She had to make him hear the truth. “Please, Mack, please listen to me.”

Mack turned the phone around, grabbed the back of her neck, and shoved the screen within an inch of her face. “This message tells me everything I need to know. You were lying to me the whole fucking time. I believed you. I…” Disgust dripped from his every word. His intense gray eyes were nearly black in the darkness.

Marley felt her hope for the future crumble. “It’s not how it looks. I don’t work for him.”

Fingers loosened the tight hold on her neck and he flung her away, violence radiating from his pores. He gave her his back, shoulders heaving with harsh breaths ripping through the night air.

He wouldn’t believe her. She wasn’t sure she would believe her either. She’d stayed silent for too long, and the most plausible reason was that she had worked for Mankel the whole time.

This man who never trusted anyone had opened up to her and she’d betrayed him. Completely betrayed him. Oh, God.

But she couldn’t give up, not now. Not ever. She had to make him believe her.

Marley threw herself at his knees, clasping her hands around his legs. Mack tried to shake her off, but she wouldn’t let go. She would never let go. “Mack, he’s got Maddie in his crosshairs. He said I had to lead you to that location or he’d kill her. You have to believe me.”

Mack glared down at her, his lips curled in the same snarl as before. “You know, I really thought you loved your daughter. But no mother would use her child as an excuse. I bet you don’t even have a daughter.”