Page 82 of Tormented Hearts

His eyes hardened to cold steel, and for a second she thought he might hit her. Instead he pulled out a phone. “Doesn’t matter. I’ve got the last known location of our men—before you got them killed. You can find it from there.”

Her stomach dropped. How am I getting out of this? How, how, how?

She willed her mind to unscramble so she could think clearly. She had more clarity back in Africa with a lion turning on her guide than she did now.

Think, think, think!

What would her father do?

That question quieted her mind for a brief second. As far as she knew, he’d never gotten into this depth of trouble. The worst he ever experienced was a big loss in numbers when the market turned sour.

And he’d sent her into this place seeking more of their family’s fortune, but at what cost?

Her life, probably.

Hawk’s almost ended because of her, and when he came looking for her—and he would—he would put himself in the line of fire all over again. Her kidnapper was willing to drop countless bodies in order to get what he felt was owed him.

They landed a short while later, and the moment she stepped out, her mind raced to Hawk.

Would she ever see him again?

The thought of him finding her dead here sent a deep ache through her body. She couldn’t let McCrae best her. If that meant leading him to the mine, she would do it.

The wind from the chopper whipped the trees, and her hair flew into her eyes. She brushed it away and stumbled getting out of the chopper.

McCrae’s fingers dug into her elbow again. He dragged her away from the rotors. “Which way?” he barked.

She looked around, trying to get her bearings. But they’d hiked so far, seen so much of the mountain, that everything looked the same to her.

She shook her head. “I don’t know. I need to walk around until I see something familiar.”

His eyes narrowed at her. “You better not be trying to trick me, you rich little bitch.”

She drew up to her full height and tossed her hair off her face.

He stared at her for another minute and then his grip on her arm loosened.

Holding her head high, she walked forward. The familiar feel of the earth under her boots made her ache for the man who’d become so much to her.

Protector.

Friend.

Companion.

Soul mate.

Love of her life.

She was going to get back to him.

They wandered around the forest for too many minutes to track. Then she spotted a tree. The hanging branch stuck out to her because Hawk had held it up for her to duck beneath.

His eyes had burned down at her, and her body stirred at that look.

She pointed. “That tree. We turn at that tree. We’re not far.”

McCrae made a deep grunting noise that could be satisfaction or something else. For all she knew, the Neanderthal only knew a few words.