Barb Han - Hard Target

“No. Please don’t take me anywhere else. Just let me go. I’ll show up to whatever court date. I won’t disappear. I promise. I have a good job. One that I can’t afford to lose.”

Reed knew desperation. Hell, most drug runners were just as desperate. They’d offer bribes, their women, pretty much anything to manipulate the system.

His sixth sense told him this was different. There was an innocence and purity to her eyes that drew him in. Victim?

He pressed his lips into a frown. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

“Am I under arrest?”

“No.”

“Then I’m free to go?” The flash of hope in her eyes seared his heart.

“I didn’t say that.” With her perfect English, he knew she wasn’t illegal. But what else would she be doing tucked in a crate headed for the States, looking like a punching bag? Human trafficking? She was battered and bruised. If someone was trying to sell her, she’d fought back. But that explanation didn’t exactly add up. Most traffickers didn’t risk damaging the “product.”

The officers moved to another wall on the other side of the crate. Twenty people could’ve been stuffed in there. He hoped like hell they weren’t about to open up the other side and find more in the same shape as her. Seeing a woman beaten up didn’t do good things to Reed. He fisted his hands.

“What happened to you?” Even bruised and dirty, she was pretty damn hot. The tan two-piece she wore stretched taut against full breasts. Reed refocused on her heart-shaped face. Was someone trying to sell her into the sex trade? One look at her curves and long silky legs told him men would pay serious money for her. His protective instincts flared at the thought.

“I was on vacation and was robbed. They stole my passport. Said if I told authorities, they’d find me and kill me. I spent a night in the jungle trying to find my way back to the resort. I walked for an eternity, saw this ship and hopped on board praying no one would follow, find or catch me.”

The bruises on her face and body outlined the fact she wasn’t being honest. He shot her a sideways glance. “What happened to your face?”

“One of the men hit me?” Yeah, she was digging—digging a hole she might not be able to climb out of. It would take more than that to cause the bruising she had.

“I hope I don’t have to remind you it’s not in your best interest to lie to the law.”

Her gaze darted around before settling on him.

“So, the story you’re sticking with is that they jumped you on the beach?”

“No. I went into town.”

“In just your swimsuit?”

A red rash crawled up her neck. Hell, he hadn’t meant to embarrass her. She already seemed uncomfortable as hell in his presence. He had an extra shirt in his vehicle he could give her.

“Oh, right. I, uh, I already said I got lost.”

“Enough to jump inside a random cargo ship and go wherever it took you? Sounds like someone trying to get away from something.” Or someone. Yet another truth that hit him like a sucker punch.

She fixed her gaze on the cement. Was she about to lie again?

“You want to explain what really happened?” he preempted, pulling a notebook and pen from his pocket. She was beautiful. An inappropriate attraction surged through him. He shouldn’t have passed on the offer of sex from Deanna the other night. And yet, the thrill of sex for sex’s sake had never appealed to Reed.

“I’ve been through a lot in the past couple of days. Like I said, I got disoriented or something.” She blinked against the bright sun. “Where am I?”

“Galveston, Texas.”

Relief washed over her desperate expression. “Oh, thank God. That’s perfect. I’m from Plano, a Dallas suburb.”

“I’m familiar with the area. Have family there.” He looked up from his pad. “What are you really doing here?”

“I work for a company called SourceCon. You can call and check. They’ll tell you I’m on vacation. My boss has my itinerary.”

Finally, he was getting somewhere. She was still lying about getting lost in Mexico, and she was a bad liar, too. That was a good sign. Meant she didn’t normally lie her way out of situations. She didn’t have the convictions of a pathological liar. But now he had something to work with. It wouldn’t take much to make a quick call to verify her employment. He could do that for her, at least.

The sound of one of the crate’s other walls smacking the pavement split the air.

“Hey, Campbell,” Pete said.

“Yeah. Right here.”

“You’re gonna want to see this.” He rounded the corner, hoisting an AR-15 in the air. “Looks like your friend here is involved in running guns.”

Reed deadpanned her. “You just bought yourself a ride to Homeland Security.”

Chapter Two

The trouble Emily was in hit with the force of a tsunami. “I’m broke. I’m exhausted. And they promised to hunt me down and kill me if I crossed them.”

A strong hand pulled her to her feet.

“You can lean on me,” he said before turning his head and shouting for someone to bring water.

The agent’s gaze skimmed her face one more time, pausing at her busted lip. His brilliant brown eyes searched for the truth. A thousand butterflies released in her stomach with him so close.

Emily hadn’t seen a mirror, but based on her amount of pain she had to be a total mess. The only good news was that he seemed to be considering what she was saying. Please. Please. Please. Believe me.

Another bottle of water arrived. The agent twisted off the cap and handed it to her. His broad cheekbones and rich timbre set off a sparkler inside her.

The glorious water cooled her still-parched throat. She downed most of the contents, using the leftovers to splash more water on her face. “Thank you.”

Her stomach growled. “Any chance you have a hamburger hidden somewhere?”

He shot her a look full of pity. Something else flashed behind his brown eyes when he said, “We can stop and pick something up on the way.”

“Please don’t turn me in. I can prove I’m American if I can get to my belongings.” She took a step forward, and her knees buckled.

The agent caught her before she hit the ground. “Let’s get something in your stomach first.”

He helped her across the loading dock to his Jeep parked in the lot.

She eased onto the passenger seat.

“You’re welcome to my extra shirt.” He produced a white button-down from the back. “And I have a couple extra bottles of water and a towel.”

A spark of hope lit inside her. Was he going to help? She thanked him for the supplies, pouring the opened bottle of water onto the towel first. The wet cloth felt cool on her skin. She dabbed her face before wiping her neck, chest and arms.

Pulling on the shirt required a little more finesse. She winced as she stretched out her arms. The agent immediately made a move to help. He eased one of her hands in the sleeve, and then the other. She managed the buttons on her own. Taking in a breath, the smell of his shirt reminded her of campfires lit outdoors and clean spring air.

“I have a power bar. Keep a few in a cooler in back for those long stretches of nothingness when I’m patrolling fence.” He held out the wrapped bar and another water.

She took both, placed the water in her lap and tried to steady her hands enough to open the wrapper.

The protein bar tasted better than steak. She drained the water bottle in less than a minute. “I’ve already thanked you, but I’d like to repay you somehow.”

His gaze locked onto hers. “Tell me the truth about what happened to you. I can’t stop these men from hurting other women without information.”

Was he saying what she thought? The men who’d abducted her belonged to a kidnapping ring? Of course they did. She hadn’t even considered it before, she’d been too concerned about her own life, but they seemed practiced and professional. If she could stop them, she had to try.