Full Exposure

The thugs turned and walked toward the boat, and Ariana reached for Dante’s hands. “Are they returning to the yacht and leaving us here to die?”

“Not if I can stop them.” He squeezed her fingers, then let go to continue his fight for freedom. “You watch them while I concentrate on escape.”

The Greek leaned into the boat and scooped out Dante’s leather coat. The Russian snatched it away. The Greek gestured and said something, and then they began to argue in their tangled English.

Ariana understood enough to grasp the conversational gist.

“Nyet!” The stocky Russian clutched the coat.

The Greek punctuated his diatribe with a vehement hand gesture.

Dante looked up from his urgent task. “Che?”

Ariana grimaced. “Abandonment suddenly doesn’t look so bad.” Dante had said the men weren’t armed with guns, but if the Greek still had his knife, he could cut their throats…She bit her lip. And while she was scaring herself with what-ifs, they were losing valuable seconds. “The Greek just said, ‘Do as we were told and leave it. No evidence.’”

Dante swore vilely in Italian and redoubled his effort. He shifted, felt behind him. “I scraped my knuckles on a jagged rock. With time, I can cut myself loose.”

Down the beach, the Greek acerbically reminded the Russian he could buy fifty coats with the price Megaera was paying them. Though the Russian couldn’t immediately agree without losing face, the debate cooled.

“Time is in very short supply.”

“Then you will have to stall. Distract them.”

“How? I doubt they’ll be interested in my rendition of the Iliad.”

His broad shoulders bunched as he vigorously scraped his ropes. He quirked a glossy brow. “There is one thing that interests all men, bella.”

“You can’t be serious.”

Admiration flashed briefly in his eyes. “Sei bellissima, Ariana.”

Amazement curled through her. Most beautiful. She shook her head. “Say I get their attention…and then you can’t break free.” She shuddered. “I really don’t want to go there.”

“My solemn oath, I will not fail you. Once my word is given, I follow through. No matter the cost.”

That could be good. Or very bad.

It all depended on the man.

“Trust me, Ariana.”

Trust him. She rested her forehead on her bent knees.

“We have no recourse,” Dante hissed. “If you want to survive, you must do it.”

She straightened and saw the Greek and Russian shaking hands. Whether they’d agreed to a fast end for her and Dante or a slow one, she didn’t want to know.

Not only were they out of time…they were out of options.

She scooted away from Dante to keep the men from noticing what he was doing while she played seductress.

“Hey…you guys.” She forced down her revulsion and attempted a come-hither look. Both men ignored her.

She glanced back at Dante. Muscles corded in his tanned arms and strong neck as he waged his war with his bindings.

Their glances locked, and resolve glinted in his eyes. His wrenching movements had to hurt—a lot—but his set features didn’t reveal pain. Her own effort in the hold of the ship had scalded her arms like liquid fire, and it hadn’t been nearly as ferocious.

She could fight as hard for their survival. Ariana scrabbled to her feet and attempted an enticing stroll. “You aren’t leaving, are you?”

Almost in slow motion, the thugs turned to stare at her.

She tilted her head. “I’m cold. And my arms hurt. If you untie me, I’d be really grateful. We could…um…maybe reach an agreement? Just please don’t abandon me here.”

Their eyes fired with greedy anticipation. The Greek’s lips curled in a sly grin. Dante’s coat slid from the Russian’s fingers, and his nostrils flared. A wolf on the scent of prey.

Ariana’s pulse lurched into triple time and she bit the inside of her cheek to keep from screaming as the men began to stalk her.

CHAPTER THREE

ARIANA’S HEART THRASHED. Why had she agreed to this terrible idea? With no time to weigh her choices, she’d listened to her intuition…and sided with Dante over dying.

As the men reached her, she backed up several steps. “I’m really uncomfortable. Can you untie me?”

Suspicion creased the Russian’s swarthy face. “Why should we?”

“Uh…because if my hands aren’t free—” her fingernails dug into her clammy palms “—it will spoil my…fun.”

The Greek’s slimy smile made her want to throw up. “Not necessary for you to be having fun.”

“Da.” The Russian nodded. “Only for us.”

Oh, suddenly the pigs were in agreement?

“If I’m not having as much fun, neither will you.” Just talking about it gave her the urge to throw up. The Russian’s cruel mouth twisted hungrily, and she forged ahead. “It’ll be worth it, I promise.”

Before they could dwell on that awful scenario, she threw down the gauntlet. “Are you afraid to untie me? Scared of a girl?” She deliberately swept each opponent with a scornful gaze. She needed them tearing at each other’s throats again. “Which one of you is a real man?”

She may as well have pushed the button marked predictable. Both spat denials, and then hurtled into confrontation. The wary Greek was against untying her, while the machismo Russian insisted he could handle her.

She shot a covert glance down the beach. Darkness hid Dante’s progress, but he was still seated. Not good.

The thugs switched from haggling over whether to untie her to who should have her first. Ariana fought the impulse to flee into the night. Running might buy her three minutes, tops.

Dante, hurry!

The Russian’s dubious control snapped, and he shoved her backward onto the sand. Agony speared her bound arms and she screamed.

He crawled on top of her. For nightmare moments, pain and horror paralyzed her. She’d never been in a fight. She was bound. Helpless.