Worth the Risk: (A Contemporary Bad Boy Romance)

by Weston Parker

  "Well," the big man said after pocketing her things, "you've got a little time ahead of you before the big boss shows up. I suggest you take this time to plan how you're going to beg for your lives. I can't see the rich guy wanting to leave any loose ends around, and I'm pretty good at making things look accidental. Like I told you, Ranger, if he offers, take the money and promise to be quiet."

  "Fuck you."

  "You kiss your lady with that dirty mouth?" the big man asked, laughing. He pointed at Dani, and a nasty leer spread across his wormy lips. "I know what I'd do if I had her all tied up in front of me like that. Or I should say, what I will do if the boss man allows it. Hell, I guess what he don't know won't hurt him."

  "I will kill you," Caleb snarled then, coming to his knees and then his feet. He rushed at the big man, but the guard was quick. He had the barrel of the shotgun pressed to Caleb's chest before he could reach the other man.

  "Sit down," the guard ordered, pushing against Caleb's chest with the gun. Caleb pushed back, and suddenly Dani realized that he wasn't backing down.

  "Caleb," she cried. "Stop! This isn't the time for that. He's just trying to rile you up. Please stop!"

  It took a minute, but her words finally penetrated his haze. With a growl, he spun around and resumed his seat beside her.

  "Nicely done, frog lady," the big man said, tipping an imaginary hat her way and bowing at the waist, then turning and marching back into the larger chamber.

  She hated him. He clearly got off on toying with other people's lives. But this was no time to let emotion rule them. She had to calm Caleb down. As the guard resumed his seat, she scooted closer to the ranger, close enough to lean her shoulder against his.

  "It's okay," she said softly, trying to slow his heavy breathing. "It'll be fine." She hoped the empty words would soothe him, but instead, he turned, his eyes burning into hers.

  "No, it's not okay. It won't be fine. You heard the man. They're going to kill us." His voice was harsh, but his tone wasn't. "And it's all my fault."

  "No--" she said, but he interrupted her.

  "Yes, it is. You followed me here, and now you're sentenced to death. Why, Dani?" His voice broke as he asked, "Why did you follow me? Why didn't you go for help?"

  Dani felt tears well up in her eyes, and she tried to blink them away. "I didn't know where they'd taken you. And the battery on my phone was dead. I figured by the time I plugged in, they'd have taken you somewhere else, some where we couldn't track you. And I thought that if the authorities descended on the park and tipped them off, we might never find you again. I had to locate you before I could call in reinforcements."

  Caleb closed his eyes and exhaled heavily. "You're crazy, you know that?" He opened his eyes, and she was amazed by the depth of feeling she saw there. He smiled, and she couldn't help laughing.

  "Believe me, I don't feel very smart right now. But it seemed like the best idea at the time."

  Both of them laughed, their sound echoing off the cave walls, and she felt a little like she was laughing at the devil in the darkness. It revived her spirit and galvanized her to action. "Look, we need to figure out some way of getting out, or at least of getting word to the outside world. I think these guys are serious."

  Caleb barked out another short laugh. "That's an understatement. The big guy looks like he tortures people for fun."

  Dani wanted to agree but decided to focus on the task at hand instead of dwelling on their possible fate. "How many guys do they have around here?"

  "Not sure," Caleb replied. "I've seen at least four, but there's probably more. Another one seems to pop up around every corner."

  "So the likelihood of escape is minimal."

  "I'd say," he said with a nod toward the gun and the guard holding it.

  "So the only other option is to get word to the authorities."

  "How are we gonna do that?" he asked. "Have you been training your specimens as carrier frogs?"

  "I wish." She rolled her eyes, then got serious once again. "We've got to get to a phone or a computer."

  "They took my phone. If I can get it back, I can text Masterson our approximate coordinates, as well as send some pictures I took of their operations."

  "So where's your phone?"

  "I don't know. I was unconscious when they brought me in, and by the time I woke up, they'd already taken my phone, my knife, and everything else in my pockets."

  "Shit," she said with a grimace. "We have to assume it's out there somewhere." She'd lowered her voice, realizing at last that if they were to formulate a plan, it would probably be best if the guard couldn't hear it.

  "Yeah, either one of the men has it, or they've put it up somewhere." Caleb was as quiet as she and he bent over now to talk softly into her ear. "But how do you propose we get past this guy and his gun?"

  "Well, if we can get the shotgun away from him, we've got a chance. And I've got a little surprise for them hidden in my pants."

  "What?" he said too loudly, her words confusing him. "Are you sure it's appropriate to talk about sex, considering the situation?"

  "Not that!" she protested. "The surprise is in the holster on my leg. Remember?"

  "Yes," he said, seeming to realize she was talking about her .22. "But we can't do anything if we're stuck here with our hands tied behind our backs."

  "Indeed." She considered their bindings. "I've got an idea though. Follow my lead. Scoot forward."

  Caleb didn't hesitate. He began scooting forward, drawing the guard's gaze, his bored expression still thankfully intact. Dani got up on her knees and started to shuffle behind him.

  "Hey," the guard barked finally, "knock it off."

  "He's injured," Dani protested, whispering in Caleb's ear, "Help me out."

  "Ahhh, my head hurts!" he said at her prompting.

  "No messing around," the guard ordered gruffly.

  "I'm just looking at his head wound if that's okay with you. He could have a concussion, or even have a seizure."

  "And I should care because...?"

  Anger burst inside her like a firework, and she growled at the guard in a huff. "If the ranger dies before your boss gets here, he might not like it. It's not like I can do anything about it, but the least you can do is let me look at it. I am a biologist, after all."

  Dani didn't know what being a biologist had to do with looking at a head wound, but it seemed like maybe the guard bought it.

  "Fine, but no funny business."

  "Oh yeah, a brain injury is real hilarious," she shot back at him.

  "Brain injury?" Caleb said, a touch of genuine anxiety in his voice.

  "I just said that to convince him," she whispered in his ear. "Besides, your brain is already injured. If anything, they probably knocked some sense into you."

  She heard his soft chuckle, and it sent warm vibrations through her chest. "The light in here is terrible!" she grumbled, making a big show of squinting at his wound. "Stand up and move forward so I can see a little bit better."

  Caleb stood, and Dani came to her feet behind him, keeping an eye on the guard. He watched them closely but didn't move. "Bend back a little," Dani ordered, then whispered frantically in the ranger's ear. "I need you to make yourself as big as possible. The widest shape you can pull off without looking suspicious. You need to make me invisible for a minute."

  Caleb nodded almost imperceptibly and bowed out his arms as much as possible. He groaned, attempting to make it appear that he was stretching his sore muscles. As quickly as possible Dani crouched behind him, contorting herself so that she could step through her bound arms and bring them around to her front. While Janna had been an evangelist for Crossfit, Dani's first love was yoga, and right now she was thankful for hours spent on the mat, increasing her flexibility.

  Although her wrists were tied with the zip tie, her hands still retained limited functionality. She bent and grabbed the small handgun from its holster beneath her pants. Gun firmly in hand she checked to make sure it was loaded
, then clicked the safety off, coughing to cover any noise it might make.

  "Okay, work with me now," Dani whispered to Caleb. "I've got to get behind him before he notices." She then raised her voice so that the guard could hear once again. "Oh no, this is bad!"

  "What is it?" Caleb asked, the fear in his voice sounding genuine.

  "It looks like you've got a major occipital occlusion here."

  "And that's bad?"

  "Real bad," she said, wrenching up the anxiety in her voice. "There's something we can do about it, but I need my hands."

  "Not gonna happen," the guard said without hesitation.

  "Then he might die!"

  "He's probably gonna die anyway," the guard replied with an unconcerned shrug.

  "You can't be sure of that! What if your boss decides to let us live? I'm a pretty important scientist, you know. I could do a lot of good for your boss if he keeps us around. And who better to have on his side than the sole ranger in charge of this park? Once I convince him of that fact, the next thing I'll do is let him know how you were willing to let the ranger die."

  "Fine!" the guard sighed with frustration and got to his feet. "But I ain't gonna untie you."

  "That's okay," she said, "I can tell you what to do."

  "As long as I can do it one-handed," the guard added, "because I ain't putting down my gun."

  "Yeah, yeah, whatever," Dani said, sliding around to Caleb's side as the guard drew up behind his back. She wanted to make sure he didn't notice that her hands were now on the wrong side and holding a weapon.

  Thankfully the guard's attention was fully focused on the bloody back of Caleb's head. "What do I do?" he asked, sliding his shotgun to his left hand while making ready his right. Dani slid up behind him and pressed her gun into his back.

  "You drop the gun. Right now. Or so help me God I'll shoot you."

  The guard tensed but didn't move. "With what?" he asked, keeping his cool.

  "With the gun, I'm shoving into your back right now." She cocked the gun, satisfied at the dry click of the round sliding into the chamber. He stiffened, proving he'd heard it too.

  The guard still didn't move, however, so she pressed harder on the gun until she was sure it was digging into his back painfully. "I said drop it. Right now."

  The guard sighed and let the gun tumble from his hands. Dani kicked it away. "Caleb," she said, and the ranger turned to face them. "Look in his pockets and see if you can find a knife to cut these bonds. And see if he's got your cell phone."

  The ranger positioned himself awkwardly so that he could empty the man's pockets. Because his hands were still bound, he had to turn his back to him and slide up against him while he searched. Dani kept the gun firmly in place between his shoulder blades. "Found something," Caleb said.

  She watched as the ranger carefully opened the short knife and sawed at his zip tie. Finally, his hands were free. He wasted no time, grabbing the shotgun and carrying it back over by the guard.

  Dani's eyes widened when she saw him bring the stock up and bash it into the back of the guard's head. The man tumbled forward without a cry and lay there, unconscious.

  Caleb set down the shotgun and quickly cut through her restraints. He removed the pistol from her hands so he could gently rub her wrists, scowling down at the red lines that circled them.

  "You're amazing," he whispered, and she blushed at his praise.

  Dani looked up at him, at the intensity of his eyes, at the blood that had trickled down his neck and soaked his shirt, at the pain in his features. It was overwhelming, the emotion she felt for him. Without hesitation, she placed her hands on his shoulders and jumped up, sliding her legs around his waist and pressing her lips to his.

  The handsome ranger brought his strong arms around her back and down to cup her bottom. He met her kiss for kiss, his tongue demanding entry to her mouth, blazing a trail past her lips and between her teeth to meet hers in a delightfully erotic dance. The kiss seemed to last forever, but crazy enough, she wanted more.

  Caleb pulled his head away, muttering, "Damn woman." He looked like he wanted to go on holding her, but with a sigh he let her slide back down to the floor. "No time," he said, indicating the guard before him.

  Dani watched as the ranger picked up the guard and settled him into his chair. The man's head lolled until Caleb managed to prop it up well enough. He slid the knit cap around to cover the wound at the back of his neck and then said, "Good enough. Let's go find my phone."

  Dani nodded, readying her handgun as he brought up the shotgun. They crept from the smaller chamber back into the central area, prepared for anything.

  Chapter 14

  Caleb led the way back into the larger chamber, sliding with his back against the wall and edging around the corner to make sure the coast was clear. He couldn't see anyone nearby, so he motioned for Dani to follow him.

  He marveled at the sudden reversal of their luck. Not luck, he corrected himself. She did this. That tiny remarkable woman managed to outsmart our captors and get us free.

  She was astonishing, incredible. More than any man could ever hope for. But now it was up to him to keep her safe.

  Danielle had done her part; now he had to do his.

  They stuck to the shadows, and soon Caleb led them to a set of cluttered tables. He dug through the varied contents on their surfaces while Dani kept watch. Although they could both hear voices and other noises from different parts of the cave, no one was within eyesight.

  "It's not here," he said finally, trying to hide his frustration.

  "I saw another table across the chamber," Dani said, pointing off to their right, past the lights illuminating the mining area. "Let's check there."

  Caleb nodded, and they went back to creeping along. It seemed an eternity before they reached the other table, but their cautious movements had yet to attract any attention. Caleb scanned the surface, moving around pieces of equipment, but there was no sign of his cell phone. "Fuck!" he cursed, wanting to bang his fists against the useless junk.

  "Not there?" she asked, then frowned when he shook his head. "Well, when they took my phone, I saw the big guy shove it in his pocket. Do you think he's got yours too?"

  "I don't know, but I don't know where else it could be."

  Dani nodded, resignation settling into her fine features. "We need to find him then. If we can corner him alone, we should be able to get it from him."

  "If he has it," Caleb warned, but he had no better plan.

  "Let's do it," he said and began leading her toward the voices. They stayed deep in the shadows as they approached their captors, and Caleb was glad to hear the gruff tone of the one called Chief. The man's disgusting words from earlier ran through his mind, and he swore to himself that he would show the pig who was really in charge.

  Caleb signaled for Dani to crouch beside him behind a portion of rock as they listened. It sounded like the Chief was getting a report from one of his men.

  "The shipment is set for tomorrow morning. The conveyances are ready, and we'll have men stationed at intervals along the river to ensure that they stay on course."

  "Excellent," the Chief replied. "I'm sure our employer will be quite happy with the news."

  Caleb took a risk and leaned around the rock outcropping that blocked them from sight. He caught sight of the big man in profile and his companion, who was now taking orders from his boss.

  The Chief was settled into a canvas chair, his feet propped up on a cooler. He had a magazine in his lap and was only paying partial attention to the presence of the other man. When he finished talking his lackey headed out, and Caleb pulled himself back, putting a tense arm across Dani's chest to keep them both in the shadows.

  The lackey passed by without noticing, and Caleb finally let go of the breath he didn't even realize he was holding.

  "It's now or never," he whispered to Dani, knowing that they wouldn't get a better chance of catching the Chief alone. "It's going to be near impossible to sneak
up on him, so we'd better just go in quickly brandishing our guns and hope he doesn't put up a struggle."

  Dani nodded, and Caleb marveled at her strength and courage. He did see a healthy dose of fear crowding her dark eyes, so he gave her a quick kiss. With a smile, he motioned her forward, and they leapt from their hiding place and rushed toward the seated man.

  The Chief didn't even bother to look up from his magazine until they were almost on top of him. His eyes widened in surprise, but a smile soon followed. "Get your hands up and then don't move," Caleb ordered, pointing the shotgun at his adversary's wide chest.

  "And if I do move?" the man asked, not willing to follow orders right away.

  "Well, then you make one hell of a big target." Caleb cocked the shotgun and secretly wished the man would give him a reason to use it. Although he did not like guns, he realized their use could sometimes be justified.

  Especially in situations that involved sociopathic pieces of shit like this guy.

  The big man gave a hoarse laugh and finally raised his hands. Caleb motioned with his shotgun for Dani to empty the man's pockets.

  "Ooh, this could be fun," the bastard said, moving so that her hands fumbled onto his crotch.

  "Knock it off," Caleb growled, his finger itching to tighten on the trigger.

  "Ignore him," Dani said, pulling several items from his pockets. The man seemed to have more things than could generally be found in an old lady's purse, and Dani piled them in his lap while she searched for Caleb's phone. "Got it!" she yelled in triumph at last and held out his cell to him.

  "Good. I want you to send the last two pictures I took to Brice Masterson, then text him that we are being held prisoners in the caves about three miles downstream from the southern split of the Alsea. Tell him to bring reinforcements."

  Dani nodded and began working her thumbs furiously. She found the pictures, then added the text and sent them off to Masterson. "Shit!" she shouted. Her outburst prompted another husky laugh from the big man, and Caleb felt a twinge of fear.

  "What is it?"

  "There isn't enough signal in here!"

  Caleb took a deep breath, considering the situation. "We've got to get closer to the entrance."