Free The Bargain by Lisa Cardiff Page A

eyes.”
    “Maybe,” I prevaricated as I shook my head. Whether or not this was the last instant I ever touched him or saw his face, I’d never forget him. I wished it weren’t true. Trust me, the thought of five or ten years elapsing and still having wandering thoughts of Ryker—his sensual lips, his sexy grin, and the feel of his warm body pressed against mine—struck an apoplectic fear deep in my already wounded heart.
    He dropped his hand from my body, I whimpered from the loss. “It’s time to do the proof of life live feed.”
    “Do I have to read a script for them?”
    “No. Just answer their questions. Nothing you say will change the outcome,” he said mildly. He opened the double door in front of us and held out his hand. “After you.”

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Eleven
     
     
    I froze mid-step as I entered the room. The only two faces I’d seen since becoming a prisoner were in the room, plus another older man, flanked by two overweight men with machine guns draped over their shoulders.
    “Hattie,” Ryker said, resting the palm of his hand on my back. “You’ve met Caesar, and Javier.”
    So, Javier was the man who had brought me food and escorted me to the bathroom the past week. “Not officially,” I mumbled folding my arms across my chest, glaring daggers at Caesar.
    If Ryker heard me, he didn’t bother acknowledging the comment. “And this,” Ryker pointed to the man sitting behind the desk with graying hair, “is Ignacio Vargas.”
    The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end when my eyes met his. His eyes were black, blank, and devoid of any emotion except maybe hate, but maybe not even that. Looking at him was like staring into the abyss. Ignacio was Ryker’s dad and the head of the Vargas Cartel. As much as I would’ve liked to ignore their connection, meeting him deprived me of the option. Ice crystals formed in my blood. This is what it’s like to look into the eyes of a killer , my mind whispered.
    “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” Ignacio said in perfect but heavily accented English. “I’m sorry we couldn’t chat earlier, but I had other business monopolizing my attention.” Standing up, he turned his attention to Ryker. “We should get started. Senator Deveron is waiting for our call.”
    “We need to discuss how this is going to work,” Ryker declared.
    Ignacio cut him off with an abrupt wave of his hand. “Miss Covington is going to answer a few questions. That’s it, and I’m short on time today. We need to expedite this.”
    “Of course,” Ryker replied as he slipped into the chair at the desk. His hands flew over the computer keyboard for a few minutes. Then, he stood up again and motioned to the chair. “Hattie, take a seat.”
    I didn’t want to see Evan or his dad. I was afraid they would know what I did with Ryker…what I still wanted to do with him. It took all of my self-control not to flee from the room and run as fast and hard as my legs could carry me out of the villa and on the road to freedom. I retreated, taking a few anemic steps back, and one of Ignacio’s guards lifted his gun. Shit. I wouldn’t even make it out the door, much less out of the villa. I buried my shaking hands in the folds of my dress and settled into the chair.
    Ryker squeezed my shoulder, then relocated to a chair across the room. Ignacio quickly took his place behind me.
    “Senator Deveron,” Ignacio said as his image filled the computer screen in front of us. “Miss Covington is alive and well as you can see.” He rested his hands on my shoulders and my breath accelerated to an uncomfortable level. I didn’t want his hands on me. My skin crawled under his fingers, repulsion radiating from every pore.
    “We’d like to ask her a few questions to ascertain her well-being.” Senator Deveron adjusted his monitor, allowing me to see Evan and him. Evan looked pale and exhausted. Dark circles shadowed the skin around his eyes, and heavy stubble