Texas Ransom by Amanda Stevens

Author:Amanda Stevens [Stevens, Amanda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2008-01-08T23:00:00+00:00

SOMEHOW Kendall had managed to doze off. Her eyes snapped open, though, as the door opened with a creak, and she drew herself up, cringing in anticipation of what was to come.

At this point, she had no idea how long she’d been locked up. It seemed like days, but she knew that it had only been a matter of hours. After she’d gotten into the van with Hector Reyes, she’d been driven out of the city to a small, clandestine landing strip used, she imagined, in the drug trade.

She’d been blindfolded, handcuffed and transferred to a private plane that had taken off moments later. She had no idea who else was on board besides the pilot. No one said anything. She tried to calculate the direction and flying time, but the blindfold disoriented her and her fear made it impossible to concentrate.

Finally, they’d landed and she’d been put in the back of a car. A short while later, she’d been shoved into this small, damp room. Only then had the cuffs and blindfold been removed, and she’d been left alone in the dark with only her outstretched hands to guide her around the cramped space.

They’d taken her shoes and the first thing she noticed was the rough texture of the floor. It felt like an old concrete slab that had chipped and cracked over the years. The walls were cinder block, the only furnishing, a single cot placed against one wall.

Earlier, when the light had come on briefly, she’d had a better look and noticed with relief that the room had a sink and toilet behind a tattered curtain. The fixtures were old and worn, but fairly clean.

A camera had been mounted on one of the walls. Kendall had been instructed to look straight up at the lens, to turn her head so that the bruises on her face could be seen. That was when she knew that Graham must have been watching, so that he could see what they’d done to her. That was why she’d refused to do as they asked. She didn’t want him seeing her like this.

The man had struck her again, not because of her refusal, but because they wanted Graham to witness their brutality firsthand. They wanted his imagination to run wild, wanted to shake him up so badly he’d do whatever they asked of him.

And now someone had come back to the room, and Kendall shivered, remembering the way the man earlier had looked at her. She still wore the dress she’d had on at the reception, and she felt exposed and vulnerable. She wished she could cover up, but there were no linens on the cot. Just a thin, worn mattress that had seen only God knew what kind of use.

As the door opened, weak sunlight filtered into the room and Kendall blinked. It was morning. The first day of her captivity.

Her gaze was riveted to the opening, not in anticipation of who would step through, but because the sunshine was like a beacon, a ray of hope.

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