The connection ended. Nate dropped the phone and the ring to the desk, bracing his hands on the wood to help him keep control of his anger.
“He didn’t count on me being here,” Gabe said. “We have the advantage.”
“What do we do?” Tessa asked.
“We’re going to do what he asked. I want you to stay here,” he said to Tessa, then turned to Gabe. “We’ll have one of your guys sit with her up here. I want you to come with me.”
“What do you need me to do?” Gabe was at his side in an instant, his years of strategic military experience finally being put to good use.
“I need you to give me your gun.”
* * *
Annie had one hell of a headache.
She’d woken in a dark room, realizing fairly quickly that she was handcuffed to a hotel headboard. The metal cuffs were digging painfully into her wrists, and the movement made her stomach swim with nausea.
Turning her head, she could see the light coming under the doorway. Muffled voices were outside, but she couldn’t tell who it was. She didn’t need to be a detective to decide she was in Jerry’s suite. The room had the same old smell of cigarettes and industrial cleaner, and she could hear children splashing and playing in the courtyard pool she’d noticed outside his window the day before.
She should’ve taken Jerry’s threats more seriously. Somehow she’d believed that if she was out of the tournament and Tessa was safe in police custody, he’d no longer have control over her life. She’d been painfully mistaken.
Now she would pay. She didn’t know how, but Jerry would punish her for her impudence. The idea was frightening, but a part of Annie had accepted this outcome the moment she’d chosen to throw the tournament. She’d retaken control of her life. If this was the price she paid, she only had one regret: that the last thing she ever said to Nate was a lie spoken in anger. He might never know the truth about how she felt.
The voices outside the door grew louder as they came closer. Annie braced herself for their arrival, struggling to sit up and put her back against the headboard. She might not have the use of her hands, but she could move her legs and by God, she’d make sure none of them would ever breed.
When the door opened, Annie could see the outline of two men in the doorway. One was Jerry, she could tell by the bald dome of his head and the slouch of his aged posture. The second was Eddie. The light illuminated the stupid Cowboys jacket he always wore. She’d expected him to be in Atlantic City by now.
“Sleeping Beauty is awake,” Jerry said, flipping on the light and temporarily blinding Annie.
“Now the fun begins.” Eddie’s mouth twisted into an evil grin as he crossed the room. He reached out to touch Annie’s face but jerked away when the cold slime of her spit landed on his cheek.
“You don’t touch me,” she warned, but her bravado was short-lived. Eddie’s hand flew at her face. The impact exploded across her cheek in a fierce wave of pain.
Eddie leaned in, his breath hot and rancid on her face. “Try that again and you and your sister will both regret it.”
“I thought you’d be long gone by now, Eddie. You’ve always been too chicken to do the dirty work yourself.” Annie prepared herself for another slap, but Jerry pulled Eddie back before his fist could fly again.
“We don’t have time for that. Go in the other room,” he demanded and watched Eddie slink out. “You are a hellcat, Annie. I never quite know what to expect from you. Makes me wish I was thirty years younger. You’d be a fun one to break.” He sighed, returning to the doorway. “Instead, I’ll just have to break Nate and let you watch. He should be here soon with the money he owes me.”
“Money?”
“Ten million dollars in exchange for you. That’s more than I would’ve made in the tournament, so I think it’s a fair trade. Enough to get me out of this godforsaken town and afford me the lifestyle I deserve after nearly killing myself for this casino.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure he’ll show up with the money,” Annie said. A part of her prayed he would save her while another hoped her words were true. She didn’t want to be the bait they used to trap him. Even if Nate brought the money, she didn’t believe Jerry would just hand her over and stroll out of the hotel. “I did a pretty good job of pushing him away, thanks to you. We’re getting a divorce. He may not care what you do with me.”
“Oh, he cares, Annie.” Jerry flipped off the light and pulled the door closed behind him. “I’d bet ten million on it.”