Chapter 19

It had been a long cold night but Kane hadn’t wasted any of it. He worked at loosening one bolt and then the other. Pulling them completely from the wall was counterproductive. If his captors discovered him lose, they’d likely either shoot him or hammer the darn things back into place. If he pulled himself free, he’d never make it out of the metal door or barred window. No, he needed to outthink this band of men, who threatened his wife and son. So far, they’d fed him, changed the slop bucket, and given him adequate amounts of water. He found this highly unusual for the cartel. The usual mode of torture or persuasion didn’t involve food or water. It came with blows to the body that could be covered by clothes, sleep deprivation, or water torture. One thing, moving and using his muscles to pull at the chains had eased the stiffness from his injuries. Keeping moving even when chained was a priority. Killing each and every one of them his motivation.

A chopper passed overhead and he hoped Jenna had Wolfe or Carter out searching for him. His phone or belt locator should have pinpointed his location hours ago, which made him wonder why nobody had found him. He’d expected a rescue by now… unless they had Jenna. He shook his head in denial. She had Duke and the Beast for protection. Duke was a great early warning signal, and she had the panic room and Wolfe. When the sound of footsteps came from outside the door, he kicked away the brick dust from the wall behind him and leaned against it. If he turned to one side, he could use one hand, but the chains restricted him from using both at the same time.

The lock in the door clicked and the metal door swung open. Two men, one with a carton, the other with an automatic weapon, moved into the room. They didn’t speak to him but, using a broomstick, pushed the carton within reach. Kane could smell coffee and wondered briefly if they planned to lure him into a false sense of security with the food. He waited for them to leave and pulled the carton toward him with his foot. He turned to one side and reached for the one of two to-go cups of coffee. One bag held bagels and cream cheese—Jenna’s favorite—and the other six fresh donuts sprinkled with powdered sugar. He sniffed each item and sipped the coffee and waited. Nothing happened. They hadn’t drugged the food.

He ate everything, drank the coffee, and then stood the four bottles of water in a line within reach and waited. It had been at least forty minutes before the footsteps came again and Mateo stepped into the room. Acting nonchalant, Kane eyed him and the three men with him. He made a mental note of each man’s features. These were the same men all the time. He figured the extent of Mateo’s team was four. They had a chopper, which added another problem. They had the ability to move fast and over vast distances. If they had taken Jenna or Tauri they could take them anywhere and he’d never find them. He waited for Mateo to speak.

“How is your eyesight?” Mateo held out his phone.

A shiver of concern slithered down Kane’s back. It was easy to recognize Tauri’s tear-streaked face. He pushed down a rush of anger so intense it sent a shudder through him, but he said nothing and listened.

“Daddy, this baddy man broke the front door and took me in a chopper. Can you come get me?”

“Your ranch isn’t so safe, is it?” Mateo grinned at him. “I have your son and you have three hours to make a decision. Until then, I won’t touch a hair on his head. I’ve already fed him but that all stops at noon.” He waved his men from the room. “If you don’t agree to my demands, the consequences to your son are out of my hands. I have a man who is highly skilled in keeping a person alive during torture. He can’t wait to start on Tauri.”

The sound of Tauri’s name on this animal’s tongue sent bile rushing up Kane’s throat, but he remained emotionless. Allowing the enemy to get the upper hand was a mistake he’d never make. Anger smoldered into a volcano of destruction and he welcomed it. He’d use it to protect his son and strike so fast their weapons would be useless. Oh, how he’d make them pay for touching his family. Breathing in through his nose and out slowly through his mouth, not one muscle twitched. This man was a fool to reveal his intentions to him and he could use that knowledge to his advantage. They had underestimated him and now it was time to make his own plans. The moment they produced Tauri it would be game on.