Deep Within Me

Jacob swore.

“You’re not going to be able to find that other woman,” Liz said to Zeke. “She and those kids are going to die because of—”

“No, they’re not,” Zeke interrupted, then spoke to his people. “Keep working on it. Do a search of all the strip joints and gentleman’s clubs in a two-hundred-mile radius of here.”

“That could be hundreds,” Jacob said. “If Carreon drove there. What if he took a private plane or helicopter after he fled his stronghold? He could be in Vegas for all we know.”

“Show the recording to our prisoners,” Zeke said. “They must know where that office is. If they refuse to talk, remind them of what they’re facing when we release them into Carreon’s hands. How he’ll believe they betrayed him.”

Leading Liz from the room, Zeke spoke over his shoulder to his men. “Do whatever you need to in order to get an address.”

“Then what?” Liz asked in the hall.

“We find Carreon and kill him. We save that woman and anyone else he’s threatened.”

Carreon checked his watch against the clock on Ernez’s desk. Fifteen minutes had passed since the transmission with Trinidad playing the role of her life.

“Please do as he says,” she’d cried. “Help me. Please.”

Carreon turned to her.

She watched Ernez wrapping Maria’s body in trash bags, readying it for pick up by another of Carreon’s lieutenants that Ernez had just called. Within hours, the corpse would be in a remote part of the desert. By the time anyone found her, if that were even possible, only bones would remain. The authorities wouldn’t waste a moment on her. They didn’t grieve missing and possibly murdered strippers.

“You were very good,” Carreon said to Trinidad.

She smiled smugly.

Carreon answered with a grin, thinking how nice it would be if she also had a bit of humility to go with her conceit. He sobered. “However, you better hope that Liz believed you.”

His tone and that “however” finally did it. For the first time, Trinidad regarded him as one would a dangerous predator. Unfortunately, it didn’t temper her arrogance. That, he sensed, would come a bit later.

She asked, “Are you going to have Ernez kill me if she doesn’t?”

Carreon shrugged helplessly. “I promised Liz that. I wouldn’t want to disappoint her, now would I?” He glanced at his watch once more. “Better hope she gets with the program. If she doesn’t, you have less than twelve hours to live.”

Chapter Twelve

It was worse than Liz had ever imagined. She’d known Carreon would never give up until he got what he wanted. Even so, she hadn’t allowed herself to consider that he would murder his own people—defenseless women, for God’s sake, and possibly children later—until she and her father returned. How had Carreon even known she was alive? That her father had reanimated her?

Oh my God. He’d watched the tapes from the security cameras in his stronghold. How could she have forgotten about them?

“Liz.” Zeke tightened his grip on her hand, refusing to let her pull away from him.

She had to, leaving him forever. Only by returning to Carreon would she save innocent lives. Who knew how many would die if she didn’t do what that monster demanded? Her belly ached with grief even as crushing rage tore through her. As she had on the night of the battle, Liz considered how she might get close enough to murder Carreon. Stop this insanity.

If that were even possible.

A part of her knew how hopeless it was. Once she returned, he’d imprison her as he had her father, not allowing a moment’s freedom. The only time she’d see him or anyone else would be when he forced her to heal.

“Dammit, Liz.”

She continued to fight Zeke, trying to pull her hand from his as she considered her future.

If Zeke was correct about her condition, she wouldn’t last very long after she healed someone. He and Jacob wouldn’t be around to pour back into her what she’d given them. Her father couldn’t help either. There’d be no further reanimations, because she wasn’t about to allow her father to return to Carreon.

Even if everyone was wrong and she survived a healing, Carreon might torture her on camera to force her father’s hand, to make certain he came back.

Was that what Zeke’s vision had foretold?

“You were backing away from me,” he’d said. “Your cheeks were wet as though you’d been crying. Carreon wouldn’t let you go. Then I saw fire. The kind that destroys a body. I saw a woman’s legs. The flames touched her foot. She didn’t move.”

Was she that woman? Had Carreon or Roberto brutalized her to the point of unconsciousness? Had Zeke’s refusal to let her father return so angered Carreon that he’d actually burned her alive?

The enormity of what might be—what she had to do—overwhelmed Liz and stole all of her fight. She stopped twisting her hand, which forced Zeke to loosen his grip. When he turned to her, Liz sagged against him and whispered, “I love you so much.”

He caressed her.

Jacob stood behind them in the hall. He held back. Extending her arm, Liz invited him closer.

“We’ll get him,” Jacob said. He rested his hand on her shoulder and kissed her cheek, his touch gentle. “We won’t let him harm that woman or anyone else.”

Liz murmured, “He won’t do anything if I go back.”

“No fucking way,” Zeke said. “Jacob and I won’t let you.”

“That’s right,” he said.

Liz rested her forehead on Zeke’s chest, relishing the moment and the little time they had left. “I have to. It’s the only way. If I’m able to heal, that might appease him. It could buy you time to plan your attack and get rid of him for good.”

“I won’t allow it,” Zeke growled. He held her tightly. Rough breaths poured from him as though his anger was at its limit…or he was battling despair. “We’ll figure something out. He won’t win.”

Liz had no strength left to argue. Carreon had already won. All that remained was for her to find a way to leave the stronghold and allow her destiny to play out as it should have from the beginning.

She and Zeke weren’t meant to be together. They’d been born as enemies, not lovers. Being with him had caused nothing but grief for his people and her clan. She recognized that inescapable truth on Isabel’s face.

The older woman had just come into the hall, stopping at what she saw. Her leader and his brother giving solace to a woman who had no right to it.

“Zeke,” Isabel said. “We need to talk.”

Liz felt his body tense.

“Later,” he said, clearly irritated.

“No. Now,” Isabel insisted.

“I’ll take Liz back to your room and make certain she’s safe,” Jacob offered. There was no lust in his voice, merely a desire to help.

Despite Isabel’s presence, Zeke cupped Liz’s face in his large hand and pressed his cheek to hers. “Everything will be all right,” he whispered.

Liz didn’t believe it. She saw Isabel’s expression and recalled what Carreon had threatened.

Zeke followed Isabel to one of the smaller meeting spaces where the women sometimes played cards or