Under Pressure

by Lori Foster

  “I didn’t even know you liked my work.”

  That took him by surprise and he retrenched. Had he expected her to match his loss of control? Not likely. Leese had taught her that winning meant staying calm, staying in control and using what tools you had.

  “I love your work.”

  His sincerity was as scary as his rage. “Thank you.”

  “Since I meant to choke him to death,” he added, “don’t expect me to show remorse.”

  “No,” Cat said. “I don’t.” She expected him to rot in prison.

  In a show of nonchalance, Tesh removed his heavy winter coat, folded it and placed it on the floor behind him. As if there’d been no interruption, he picked up his story again. “I also got an itinerary that told me about the party tonight. Once I verified that it hadn’t changed, I assumed Platt would show. He’s a twisted fuck who enjoys flaunting his power.”

  Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. Cat just stared at him, encouraging him without words to continue talking—giving her time to think.

  “I knew he’d want to rub your nose in it. And if you weren’t there, then of course Platt would have enjoyed tweaking Ms. Silver with what she couldn’t do to him.” He tipped his head. “I assume you confided in her? In your fighter friend?”

  “No,” she immediately denied. If Tesh thought she had, it’d put them at added risk.

  He glanced down at his shoes, a frown in place, then back up to meet her eyes with icy disappointment. “Just this once, I’ll let you slide on lying to me. But you will quickly learn there are consequences to that type of behavior. For your own sake, don’t let it happen again.”

  Cat rolled back her shoulders, doing her best to hide her dread. “Platt wanted me. He’ll kill you when he finds out that you’ve—”

  “Both Platt and Webb are dead.”

  Her knees buckled and she slumped against the wall with sudden, debilitating remorse. “You killed Webb?”

  “Ah, so you do care.” He seemed overjoyed by that, then said, “Not yet, no, but I plan to. Before another day passes, they’ll both be gone.”

  Relief made her limbs even weaker. “I don’t understand. Why?”

  “You see, Platt was too stupid to realize it, but I’m more powerful than he could ever be, because I know things he doesn’t know.”

  Was that possible? She knew Tesh didn’t have Platt’s obscene wealth, but he might exceed him in insanity. “You said his guards work for you?”

  “Some of them. Enough of them.” He gloated. “It took very little persuasion on my part to get the info I needed from the guards there tonight.”

  Cat tried to look impressed. “You’ve covered all your bases.” She took another look around the van, searching for any weapon she might be able to use. “But why hurt Webb?”

  “The backstabbing bastard worked against Platt. Against me.” Tesh ran a hand over his shaved head, rubbed the back of his neck and growled, “Webb was trying to find a way to bury us both.”

  Wait... Webb had worked against them? “But I thought—”

  “I know what you thought.” Indulgent, he shared his cruelest smile. “Poor little Cat. It’s possible Webb would have tried to protect you. But you ran from him.” He took a step closer. “For a while now, I’ve been suspicious of him, and of course, after Platt bragged about the girl he raped—”

  “Georgia Bell.” She had a name, damn it.

  “Yes, whatever.” Tesh softened. “She died quickly, if that makes it easier for you to accept.”

  No, nothing would ever make it easy to accept. “You personally killed her?”

  Confirming that, Tesh inclined his head. “In her sleep. I promise you, Kitten, she never saw it coming.”

  Cat struggled for composure and lost. “You’re a monster.”

  The insult made him laugh. “She came to the island willingly enough, but then fought the senator’s...appetites. She demanded that he change his plans, and when things didn’t go her way the spoiled twit stupidly threatened to report him. No one would have believed her, of course, but the senator always preferred the easiest route.”

  Cat pretended to listen while she thought about Tesh’s revelations. Webb hadn’t been a part of that mess? She’d spent so long condemning him in her head that the sudden switch threw her. “I heard Webb say—”

  “That he’d help, yes. What else could he say? Open defiance would have gotten him murdered on the spot.”

  “By you?”

  Tesh smiled his answer. “In a way, I almost hoped Webb would balk. You would have been mine for the taking, without all this fuss.”

  She absolutely couldn’t think about that, not yet. She’d never be able to keep her head if she did.

  “Unlike Platt,” Tesh continued, “I cover all the bases. I’d had extra eyes on Webb for a while, and bugs in all the rooms of his house.”

  “You had a bug in my house as well.”

  He smiled. “Yes.”

  Going stiff to contain her shudder of revulsion, Cat waited.

  Finally, Tesh continued, “I knew the bastard was searching for a way out. Your father wasn’t above making unseemly connections to better his social standing, but he certainly balked at a little harmless, sexual fun.”

  Harmless? God, how she detested him. At the same time, she worried for Webb. For once, she didn’t object to having him called her father. “I can believe you’ll get to him.” In some ways, Webb had never fit the role of obscene criminal, so he likely wasn’t practiced in the ways of eluding the real cretins. “But Platt? That’s a very different matter.”

  “I have my ways.”

  “Odds are,” she continued, as if he hadn’t spoken with such confidence, “Platt is already planning your demise. There’s nowhere you can hide. Nowhere you can run. He’ll still get you.”

  Brows flattening, Tesh said, “Now you’re just showing your ignorance. Soon you will learn to never underestimate me.” He removed a flash drive from his pocket, holding it between his finger and thumb to show her. “I own every detail of Platt’s life. He can’t do anything to me without exposing himself and he knows it.”

  Trying for a look of awe rather than excitement, Cat widened her eyes. “You have info on the senator? Incriminating stuff?”

  “I have him by the balls, and I have decided to destroy him.” He tucked the small drive back into his pocket.

  Cat refused to believe it could be that easy—not that getting the drive from Tesh and then escaping alive would be anywhere near easy.

  But at least now she saw an opportunity.

  “You have enough information to expose the senator, and you’re carrying it around as if it’s nothing? I’m not stupid, Tesh. No sane man would do that.” A psychotic monster, yes, but Tesh was still cagey.

  His mouth flattened at the insult. “I have another copy.”

  “Saved on your PC?” She snorted. “Seriously, Platt would have already hacked that—”

  Surging toward her, Tesh snarled, “No, damn you. I am not incompetent. I have a safe-deposit box with everything. Photos, details, dates, names, everything.”

  His sudden nearness alarmed her. With every second that they talked, the van took her farther away—from safety, from escape.

  From Leese.

  But at the moment, she couldn’t think of anything else to do. “If you have it in your name, trust me, the senator has already secured it.”

  His control snapped and he grabbed her hair, dragging her against him. “It’s in my mother’s name, goddamn you!” After that outburst, Tesh stood there heaving, his face florid, his body coiled.

  They stared at each other, Cat in bone-deep fear, Tesh in shock at his own savage outburst.

  His chest expanded as he visibly gathered himself. By small degrees he
released her, carefully separating her hair from his fingers and still taking too many strands.

  Her scalp stung from the attack, but she did what she could to keep all expression from her face.

  He didn’t deserve to see her fear.

  Now more composed, Tesh stepped back and brushed his hands over his slacks. With impersonal command, he instructed, “Take off your clothes.”

  What? His mood swings changed lightning fast, making it difficult for her to anticipate.

  The driver glanced in the rearview mirror, not in concern, but lewd curiosity.

  “Don’t worry about him,” Tesh said softly. “He might look, but he won’t touch what is mine.”

  Numb at the idea of being so exposed, Cat shook her head and whispered, “I’m not yours.” She would never be his.

  Pleased to again have the upper hand, Tesh casually unbuckled his belt and slipped it from his pants loops with a quiet hiss. While ignoring her, he wrapped it around his meaty fist. When he finished, the silver buckle gleamed in the shifting light, prominent over his knuckles.

  Cat tried to swallow, but fear left her throat too dry. She didn’t want to be hurt—but she knew she would be.

  In a singsong voice, all the more eerie for its softness, Tesh said, “Our relationship may as well start out right.”

  Again the driver glanced back.

  “We don’t have a relationship.” Cat back-stepped and tripped over the bulky tarps, landing hard on her palms and her butt. As Tesh moved in, she crab-crawled away, but there was nowhere to go. She ended up backed against the rear door, scrunched in a corner against the protruding metal frame. Terror gave strength to her defiance. “We will never have a relationship!”

  “You are so wrong.” He knelt by her, grabbing her ankle when she tried to flinch away. “You belong to me now, my pet, and you will be tamed.” He licked his lips in lewd excitement. “I’m looking forward to it. God, I’ve been looking forward to it forever.”

  “You’re sick,” she snapped, and tried to kick out with her free leg.

  Prepared for that reaction, he dragged her flat and landed one heavy punch to her midsection.

  The hard buckle connected with her ribs and pain exploded. She couldn’t help but cry out as she curled in on herself. Oh God, oh God, oh God.

  “I wish you wouldn’t make me hurt you. But if you do, understand that I won’t hesitate.” Now he gently stroked her hip, adding frightful revulsion to the pain. “Webb was always too lenient with you. For your own good, I won’t be. No, I won’t bruise your pretty face. But your body... Sometimes a few bruises make things more interesting.”

  Carefully, staying in the cowed position, Cat dragged in an uneven breath. That punch had hurt so badly, she wasn’t sure she was brave enough to provoke him toward further violence.

  Then again, she definitely wasn’t brave enough to let him strip her naked.

  “Come now, Kitten.” He stood over her. “Stop hiding from me.”

  Terrified of more retribution, Cat uncurled enough to see him. Tears pricked her eyes and the ache from that strike continued to radiate to every nerve ending.

  Tesh smiled at her. “Good. Now you will get up and you will strip away every single article of your clothing.”

  Each small breath hurt, but Cat didn’t fight him as he took her arm and yanked her upright. Her ribs protested. Had he cracked a few?

  She kept her arms wrapped around herself, her feet braced against the jostling of the van. Glancing up at him, she showed him all the fear he craved.

  His gaze, devoid of sympathy, moved over her features and then down her body. “Webb tried, I’ll give him that. But you were always so goddamned feral.” He loosened his hold and his firm voice softened to a croon. “I will soon have you purring. That’s a promise.”

  She tried a tremulous smile, confusing him, deluding him. He seemed stunned but pleased, already amped up from the violence, his expression raw with lust.

  He yanked her against him.

  Though any movement hurt like hell, Cat reacted by bringing up her knee as hard and fast as she could, striking him in the groin with stunning accuracy.

  Blank shock cleared Tesh’s expression just before he moaned and doubled over.

  For good measure, Cat ignored her own pain and shoved him hard. As he fell to the hard corrugated floor of the van, a guttural groan bubbled from his throat.

  Please, please, please, Cat whispered to herself. She grabbed the latch on the back door. At first it didn’t give, and as the driver cursed and swerved, slowing the van, she tried again, gripping it with all her might.

  She cried out as pain ripped through her bruised midsection, then the door swung open, dragging her out. Her toes barely stayed inside the van and she balanced over the pavement racing beneath her.

  The van kept going, but so what? Better to die from the fall to the road than be tortured to death by Tesh.

  In the distance behind the van, she saw headlights. If she did survive, perhaps the passengers would call for help.

  “Cat, no.” Sounding truly alarmed, Tesh stretched a hand out to her.

  Ignoring him, Cat considered her odds of surviving the fall.

  “Stop, damn you!” Tesh barked.

  Cat thought he spoke to her until he added, “She’ll die!”

  The driver slowed, pulling to the side of the road.

  Knowing it was now or never, Cat jumped toward the piles of snow on the berm. She hit hard and, against her will, her body rolled uncontrollably, tumbling fast.

  Tires screeched.

  Tesh would come after her. God help her, he’d almost sounded horrified by her probable death, which only made him more insane. He wanted to keep her, to sexually torture her, to enslave her as his own—for the rest of her life.

  What kind of life would that be?

  She had to get up. She had to run. Her hands dug into the snow, frozen mud and gravel. Her hip now hurt as bad as her ribs. Panting, she got one knee beneath her—

  “Cat!”

  Terror played tricks on her, because that outraged voice sounded entirely too much like Leese.

  She heard the running footsteps, then the screech of police sirens and finally a gunshot. Without understanding, she cringed, covered her head and—

  “Cat. Baby, it’s okay now. Just be still. Where are you hurt?”

  Her racing heartbeat slowed. That was definitely Leese.

  Peeking up, she found him kneeling by her in the snow. He didn’t wear a coat. He was dressed exactly the same as he had been at the party—meaning...what? That he’d learned of her kidnapping and run after her without a second thought?

  It appeared so. “Leese?” Confusion and hope squeezed her lungs. “How are you here?”

  “I’m so sorry.” He touched her gently, with fear and so much more. “Paramedics are on the way. Just stay still.”

  To hell with that. “I’m okay.” She sat up, gasped in pain and quickly looked around.

  Tesh lay facedown on the ground, the headlights of a police car showing the pool of blood around him. Another officer pulled the driver from the van, already locking his hands behind him.

  It appeared everything had changed in a heartbeat.

  “What hurts?” Leese carefully brushed snow and ice from her hair. “You have to talk to me, honey. Let me know you’re okay.”

  Her heart started thumping. In a whisper, she said, “You have to trust me now, Leese. Please.” When he started to question her, she put her fingers to his mouth. “Trust me.”

  “I do.”

  She flashed him a grateful smile, then, taking him by surprise, launched away and threw herself on Tesh. “Bastard,” she yelled, sounding as hysterical as she could. She pounded on him, grabbed his shirt and yanked. Cops came running, but
before they got to her, she got her hand in his pocket and grabbed the flash drive. No way would she allow Platt to use his influence to buy his way out of this one. Sahara had promised to see it through, and Cat believed her. With the evidence they needed held tight in her fist, she glanced back at Leese.

  “Don’t touch her!” he bellowed, halting the cops in their effort to drag her away.

  Now that she had it, now that she knew Georgia Bell would finally be avenged, all the pain came screaming back and her face crumpled. She shifted to her butt, moaned, and Leese carefully supported her as she stood.

  “My ribs,” she gasped, leaning into him. “And,” she whispered, “a flash drive.”

  Surprise drove his brows high, but when she slipped it into his hand, he took it. Seconds later the EMTs reached her.

  And Leese never left her side.

  * * *

  CAT LOOKED EXHAUSTED by the time they left the hospital. A fiery dawn, filled with promise, edged the sky as Leese drove. He knew Sahara had wanted to be with them, but she was still being grilled by law enforcement.

  Though Cat winced with every small movement, her ribs weren’t broken, just very badly bruised. The attending doctor explained that the pain actually came from the traumatized muscles and cartilage around her ribs. She’d be sore for nearly a month...but she was alive.

  And by God, she was his.

  Leese lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles. If Tesh Coleman wasn’t already dead, Leese would have taken pleasure in killing him.

  “I’m okay,” Cat told him again, her beautiful mouth curled in a small smile. “But I don’t think I’ll be exercising with you for a while.” She hesitated. “I mean...if I’ll even be around—”

  “You’re not going anywhere.” If he had his way, she’d never again be out of his reach. He rubbed his thumb over her soft skin, then returned both hands to the wheel.

  Cat just sighed. “Good. I’m not sure I have the energy anyway.”

  “I’m taking you to my house.” He waited, and when she didn’t object, some of the tension eased from his shoulders. “The agency is under siege by investigators, and they’re starting to spill over to Sahara’s house too. It won’t take us long to get to my place. You can nap on the way if you want.”