Driven by Fire (Fire 2)

“Go back to sleep.”

She dreamed of his hands on her. She dreamed of snakes and rain forests and blood. She dreamed of her baby brother, and the deeper she slept, the more anxious she felt. Something was wrong, something was profoundly wrong, and she didn’t want to wake up. She intended to stay exactly where she was, safe and sound, until Ryder returned, at which time she’d give him holy hell for having taken so long.

Something jabbed her in the back, ripping her from an erotic half sleep, and she froze, unease washing over her. She slowly rolled over to stare into Soledad’s uncompromising face.

“Oh, thank God,” Jenny said, collapsing back on the bed with relief. “It’s just you. We’ve been so worried . . .”

“Do not waste your time. We know why you’ve come here,” Soledad said sharply, none of her usual sweetness visible. “Where’s your lover?”

“He’s not . . .”

Soledad slapped her across the face, the sharp blow a shock so severe that Jenny froze. “Do not lie to me. We had people watching in Puerto Claro. I should have known you weren’t the plaster saint you pretended to be. Tell me where Matthew Ryder has gone, or next time I hit you I will use my gun.”

Jenny pulled herself up to stare at the innocent young girl she’d trusted. She looked years older, with her hair pulled back and the gun in her small, capable hand, and Jenny straightened her shoulders. All right, she’d been a trusting fool. Everyone had told her, and she hadn’t listened. There was no avoiding the truth now. “Unfortunately for you, Ryder’s a lot smarter than I am,” she said bitterly. “He never trusted you. He’s out looking for you and your soap-opera friends right now. You could have just waited for him to come to you.”

“Soap opera friends?” Soledad echoed, confused. “You make no sense.” She rose, gesturing with the gun. “And we didn’t come here for Ryder. We came for you. Get out of the bed.”

There were just the two of them in the room, but Jenny didn’t doubt that Soledad had backup. She scooted across the two beds carefully, still in her shorts and T-shirt, and set her feet on the floor. “What do you want with me?”

“Any number of things, chica,” Soledad said. “Leverage, for one. Plus I imagine your father will pay very well for your safe return, which makes you twice as valuable.”

“I think you overestimate my father’s affection for me. I doubt he’d pay a plugged nickel for my return.”

“A plugged nickel?”

“Nada,” Jenny said. “Nothing, zero, not a red cent. My father and I parted company a long time ago. I despise people who use guns and violence and lies to get what they want.”

“And yet you are in love with Mr. Ryder,” Soledad cooed. “How does that make sense?”

It was like a blow in the stomach. “I’m not in love with anyone, particularly a bully like Ryder,” Jenny protested. “He can go to hell along with the rest of you.”

“Sooner than we will,” Soledad said with a catlike smile. “I intend to see to that.”

Jenny understood the feeling in her stomach now—it was fear. “What has he ever done to you?”

“You were on the boat when it was raided—you saw the bodies. We have a score to settle with Ryder and his friends.” Soledad nudged her with the barrel of the gun. “Where are your shoes?”

“In the kitchen.” If Soledad was alone could she fling that iron frying pan at her head? Was there anyway she could outrun her?

“Do not even think about it,” the woman said, reading her thoughts. “I wouldn’t kill you, but I would hurt you very badly. Too many men put a value on you to waste your life, but that doesn’t mean I can’t hand you over to my men to teach you a lesson. If they get too rough I can always lie and say you’re up in the mountains being held by rebels, though I must admit the loss of revenue would be annoying. Still, it might be worth it.”

“Why do you hate me?” Jenny asked, dazed. “I was trying to help you.”

Soledad’s mouth thinned. “Everything you did got in my way, and you were so determined to help the poor South American girl that I had no chance to escape from you. I couldn’t be sure you had the smartphone, or I would have simply cut your throat, but it’s a good thing I didn’t give in to temptation. I have people who can crack the phone, but they aren’t here and I can’t wait. In the meantime you’ll have to hope some man is willing to pay ransom for you.”

“I can’t think of a single man who would care much about me one way or another.”

“You undervalue yourself. Your father will pay for you—no father ever turns his back on his only daughter. Your brothers are also good for a ransom. And then there’s Ryder.”

“Who doesn’t give a flying fuck about me,” Jenny said bitterly.

Soledad sighed noisily. “You are so very tiresome. Ryder will risk everything to get you back. Which will give us Ryder, who has his own value. No, today will be a very fine day’s work, I think. Come along.” And she stabbed her in the back with the gun, hard.

Jenny swallowed her grunt of pain. “All right,” she said. “But you’ll find out how wrong you are when no one comes to find me.”

“Maybe. But even if he’s already tired of you he still wants the smartphone, and I’m counting on you to help me break into it. Your brother has it so protected that I can’t find anything.”

“Why would you think I’d know anything about it?”