Fast Burn

“You think?” Ross eyed the grotesque swollen flesh that used to be Terrance’s nose. “Your nostrils damn near touch your ear. Yeah, Sherlock, it’s broken.”

Olsen shook his head. “Figured it was a man. I didn’t think that skinny lady could do all that damage, but Ross wasn’t so sure.”

Ross slowly turned his head to glare at Olsen. “You haven’t yet figured out that she somehow signaled the guy who came for her?”

Olsen looked struck. “Signaled him?”

“How the hell else do you think he found her?”

Andy, too, managed to sit upright. “I didn’t recognize him as one of her bodyguards, but the bastard sure knew how to fight.”

“There wasn’t any fight,” Ross snapped. “He wiped the floor with the two of you.”

“I got taken by surprise with a kick to the face,” Terrance defended. “I don’t remember much after that.”

“And you?” Ross asked Andy. “Your face is so fucked, I barely recognize you.”

With only one eye open, Andy complained, “I don’t remember shit either.” He moved his tongue in his mouth, then spat out a tooth.

Ross gave a disgusted laugh. “So this guy just materialized out of nowhere and started destroying you both?”

Terrance glanced at Andy.

Andy, looking a little alarmed, tried to frown but Ross caught the look.

With throbbing menace, he asked softly, “What did you do?” Fury brought him slowly forward. “Did you touch her?”

“No.” They were both quick to deny.

Then Terrance, maybe seeing a way to deflect the anger off his own head, admitted, “We were talking about her, though, and I guess he overheard.”

Even softer now, Ross asked, “What did you say?”

Holding his ribs, Terrance scooted until he could sit with his back against the side of the van. “I just pointed out how hot she looked in those heels.”

If he hadn’t been so pathetically abused, Ross might’ve hit him again. Yeah, she did look killer-hot in the heels, but they knew his rules.

Sahara Silver was off-limits—and damn it, in his mind, that included fantasizing over her.

After touching the bridge of his nose and wincing, Terrance added, “Dumbass over there was running his mouth, though. I’m guessing that’s why he got the worst of it.”

Andy did look a mess, more deliberately worked over. Not a spot remained on his face that wasn’t bruised, swollen, split or bloody. It was a wonder he could speak at all with his lips so fat. Even his ears were mangled. Given how gingerly he moved, he’d taken plenty of body blows as well.

Ross didn’t care. He didn’t have an ounce of sympathy.

“What were you saying, Andy?”

“Nothing.” He must have thought better of that, and explained, “Same shit as Terrance.”

Ross waited.

As the tension grew, Terrance put his head back and closed his eyes. The other men looked away. Andy shifted—and groaned.

“Jesus H. Christ, Andy. Just spit it out,” Olsen snapped. “You’re making everyone uneasy.”

Sullen, Andy stared at his feet. “I made a joke about gagging her.”

Unaccountable rage gripped Ross. “And?”

“I just said she’d be perfect except for her mouth, and I joked—joked, Ross—about checking on her so I could gag her. I knew she wouldn’t be peacefully sitting down there, waiting like you told her to, and you did warn her what would happen if she didn’t behave. I figured she was up to something, and I guess I was right, wasn’t I? Somehow she called that prick and—”

“Did you actually touch her, Andy? Did you lay a single finger on her? Even get close to her?”

All of the men stared at him, aware that he just might snap if—

Terrance said quickly, “We never even opened the door, Ross. It was just talk, that’s all.”

Gradually, Ross got his shit together. He was making a fool of himself over her, but damn, he’d been studying her for so long, he felt like she belonged to him.

Being with her today, having control of her while also being her protection, had affected him in ways it shouldn’t have.

Means to an end.

That’s what she was, what she had to be. Allowing himself to feel anything else was beyond stupid. It didn’t matter that she was gutsy and fearless, refined despite the circumstances, bold and intelligent... He clamped down on all those wayward thoughts.

Means to an end, goddamn it.

Forcing himself to sound reasonable, Ross said, “She had no way to call anyone from the basement.”

“So she was down there behaving?”

Olsen snorted. “Hell no. She took apart the heater. Parts are missing. I’m guessing she made a weapon.” He grinned, seeing the surprise on Andy’s and Terrance’s faces. “If her boyfriend hadn’t stomped on you, she might’ve done it herself.”

“He’s not her boyfriend,” Ross said, his voice deliberately devoid of inflection. “She doesn’t date, not since Scott went missing.”

“Not a bodyguard, not a boyfriend,” Terrance said. “Then who was he?”

“I don’t know.” That fact really pissed him off. “But I intend to find out.” No, he silently promised her, we’re not done, Sahara. Not by a long shot.

And the next time I get you, I’ll make damn sure you don’t get away.

* * *

BRAND TRIED NOT to look as uncomfortable as he felt standing in Sahara’s grand foyer. Far as he was concerned, it was a terrible idea, never mind that she had a locked gate and a high-tech security system. She shouldn’t be alone, period. But she’d ignored all his arguments, damn it, and the other guys hadn’t been any more successful.

He suspected it was her pride insisting she stay in the house; she wasn’t a woman who’d easily show her fear. He knew it, he understood it, but Jesus, he hated it.

Now, after unsuccessfully trying to convince her to at least bring in the cops, the others had left.