Edge of Surrender Read Free

considerations as he jotted down the address on a scrap of paper. “You think she’s over there?”
    â€œIf she’s alive—”
    â€œShe’s alive.” He refused to believe anything else.
    â€œThen I sure as hell hope she’s over there, because we’ve got shit in the way of other leads. I’d like to find her before the feds go charging in like storm troopers. You better get your ass up here.”
    Ryan slipped from the hotel room the same way he’d come in—like smoke. “I’m on my way.”

TWO
----
    E mma awoke in a haze. Everything was dim, fuzzy. And she had to concentrate to open her eyes.
    She blinked into the darkness. It was the same as before. Her head throbbed. Her limbs felt impossibly heavy. And the floor beneath her was cold and hard.
    She lifted her head and winced. She tried to shift positions, but her hands wouldn’t move, and she remembered they were bound together. With duct tape, she recalled, rubbing her wrists across her face. She had a strip of tape over her mouth, too.
    The memories flooded back, along with a cold splash of fear. She’d been standing beside the rental car when someone jabbed a gun into her side and forced her into an SUV. She should have run. She should have kicked and screamed and howled, but she’d been paralyzed with terror, and now it was too late. The man who’d grabbed her had been huge and strong, and the flat look in his eyes had put a chill in Emma’s heart.
    Those dark, utterly flat eyes were the last thing she remembered before the prick of the needle.
    She shifted on the floor now, flinching as her sore arm pressed against the concrete. Her head was sore, too. And her neck. And the steady drip-drip of water nearby was making her brain hurt. She’d been listening to it for what seemed like hours.
    What time was it? The drugs had made her lose track. It could have been hours or days.
    A fresh wave of fear washed over her, and she tried to sit up. Wherever she was, she’d been here too long. What did they want with her?
    Emma’s chest tightened. She couldn’t breathe. She sucked in air through her nose, but it wasn’t enough, and the darkness around her started to spin. She closed her eyes and tipped her head back, thunking it against the wall.
    Don’t be scared. I’ve got you.
    Ryan’s voice in her head made her dizzy with relief. But it was in her head. He wasn’t here.
    Tears burned her eyes. Ryan had betrayed her trust. He’d gone behind her back and secretly contacted her father after she’d specifically asked him not to, after he’d promised.
    His actions still stung. He’d been arrogant and meddlesome and infuriating, but she couldn’t focus on any of that now. She needed to calm down and make a plan. She forced a breath into her lungs and tried to organize her thoughts.
    What did she know?
    She was in a dark, damp room that smelled of mold and sweat and urine. She wasn’t the first person to be held here. The realization came with its own set of worries, but Emma shoved them aside.
    Earlier, she’d heard footsteps. And then a door had creaked open and someone had shone a flashlight in her eyes. She’d pretended to be unconscious, and the footsteps had retreated.
    But she couldn’t pretend forever.
    She had to come up with a plan. She had to get out of here. If Ryan were here, he’d find a way out in no time. He was trained to deal with anything, to overcome impossible odds. She’d seen him do it.
    Come on, Emma.
    His voice was in her head again, and again she forced the tears away. Tears wouldn’t help her. She had to think .
    She brought her bound hands to her face again and pressed them against her cheek. Definitely duct tape. Two of her fingers peeked out of the bindings. She touched her fingertips to the strip of tape covering her mouth and managed to find the corner. She pinched it and tugged. Her skin