Free Taken by Janet MacDonald Page A

discussing her. From the last bit of their conversation she’d gotten, it sounded as if Caleb and Kaiden both had designs on her. She felt the same way toward them. Both of them had qualities she found attractive, and it was hard to imagine them doing anything to hurt her.
    “We’ll be able to stop running soon,” he said as she saw Caleb returning. Caleb glanced nervously around before he headed from the boat to the car.
    “Come on, it’s all good,” he said, but his voice didn’t sound so sure.
    “All’s forgiven?”Kaiden asked.
    “Sort of…” Caleb replied. He still looked anxious.
    “Sort of? I don’t like the sounds of that.” Kaiden nearly snarled and it made Kitty more than a little on edge.
    “He says it has to be done tonight.” Caleb looked at Kaiden, and both of them gave her a sideways glance.
    “What? Is he crazy?” Kaiden asked, not sounding happy about whatever it was they had to do tonight.
    “We have no other choice right now,” Caleb said as he undid Kitty’s handcuff from the door handle and cuffed it to his wrist.
    He didn’t look at her, and his gaze never made it to her face as they walked from the car. She felt the tension in both of them.
    “Caleb, please tell me what’s going on,” Kitty said softly as they walked toward the boat. Two men came closer.
    “It’ll be okay.” He still wouldn’t look her in the face. Something was wrong.
    “Caleb, I don’t want to go on that boat,” she said as Kaiden’s hand firmly gripped her arm.
    “It’s too late for that, Kitty.” Kaiden steered her in the direction of the two men. Both looked Latino and carried guns in holsters she could plainly see in the light of the full moon.
    Fear seeped into her as she walked up the gangplank and was then immediately frisked by a rough-looking man with lots of scars on his face. They patted down Kaiden and Caleb, taking their guns before they were escorted inside. The three of them were brought before an older Latin-looking gentleman with white hair. He was tall and still very well-built for one who looked to be in his early seventies. He wore a crisp clean white light cotton outfit and smoked a cigar as he sat in an oversized armchair.
    He eyed her from head to toe and then back again. There was something vaguely familiar about him, but Kitty couldn’t quite place it.
    “This is the one?” the older man asked with a rich South American accent.
    “Yeah,” Caleb said.
    “Very nice choice, but why is she handcuffed to you? I thought you said she was here willingly?”
    “She is… It’s just for show,” Kaiden said.
    “Undo her then and come sit and have a drink,” he told them, not taking his gaze off her.
    The boat began to move, and Kitty eyed Caleb as he undid her handcuffs. His jaw line seemed tight and as he stepped away. She noticed the older man carefully watching them.
    “Well, now, little one…what is your name?”
    “Kitty.”
    “You’re kidding, right?” he asked with a light chuckle.
    “No. It’s short for Katarina,” she told him sternly, not seeing the humor in her nickname.
    “It’s beautiful as are you. Please sit.” He gestured to a place near him with a smile playing on his lips.
    “My name is Caesar Lazerath. You must forgive them their poor manners. My sons are a little uncivilized at times.”
    Kitty blinked. This was her abductor’s father.
     

Chapter Nine
     
    Caleb waited for Kitty in the bedroom his father had assigned her. The shower stopped and he closed his eyes. Wearing only a pair of pajama bottoms as he sat on the edge of the double bed, he was nervous. He still hadn’t told her what would happen tonight. He wasn’t sure if she even wanted him. Her body did. He smelled her excitement every time they got close to one another. Yet that didn’t mean Kitty liked him.
    He lifted his head as she walked out of the washroom. She stared at him for a long moment.
    “Caleb, what’s wrong?”
    “We need to talk, Kitty.” He patted a spot