He stepped closer, that smug grin never leaving his face. “It’s good to see you again, Mia.”
“What am I doing here?” she demanded again, her patience wearing thin.
Carlos leaned in, enjoying the upper hand. “Haven’t you figured it out? I thought you were intelligent. We want your father.”
Mia scoffed. “And you think by kidnapping me, you’ll get him? My father doesn’t care enough about me to give himself up.”
“Don’t underestimate the power of a father’s love for his children,” Carlos countered, his voice dripping with faux concern. “I have five children. I’d die for any one of them.”
Mia smirked. “Then they’re very lucky. My father doesn’t love anyone but himself.”
Carlos smirked back. “We’ll see about that.”
He advanced towards her, his fingers grazing her cheek. She tried to pull away, to avoid the cold, calculated touch, but his grip was ironclad, forcing her to meet his gaze.
“If your father doesn’t respond, he’ll start receiving...pieces of you.”
Mia’s stomach churned, revulsion evident in her gaze. As Carlos’s eyes trailed down her torn dress, taking in every exposed inch of skin, a mixture of fury and vulnerability churned inside her. She hated being looked at like prey.
“It’d be a shame to mutilate such a pretty body,” he mused, his voice filled with sinister promise. “But needs must.”
Before Mia could retort, the door swung open, revealing a figure even more daunting than Carlos. Juan. His presence alone was enough to send shivers down Mia’s spine.
Carlos’s eyes darted to him. “What is it?”
Juan’s dipped his chin briefly. “You’re needed. Urgently.”
Carlos shot Mia a final threatening look. “We’ll have to continue our little talk later.”
“Can’t wait,” Mia said, because she’d be damned if she wasgoing to let him see how scared she was.
“Make sure there are guards outside at all times,” he instructed.
Juan’s gaze, colder and even more calculating than Carlos’s, landed on Mia, making her feel even more exposed. With a curt nod to Carlos, the two men exited the room, leaving Mia in the looming darkness. Determination welled up inside her. Her father would never trade places with her. She knew that. She had to get out—she refused to be Carlos’s pawn in this dangerous game any longer. The leopard inside roared its agreement. They would fight, and they would survive.
Chapter Fifteen
Max
Max awoke, his mind foggy, and he shook his head trying to clear it. The sterile smell of antiseptic hit him first. He was in the hospital. His heart raced. Mia. They’d taken her. His stomach twisted into knots.
Footsteps echoed outside the room then a nurse entered, her face professional.
“You’re awake,” she noted, glancing at his chart.
“Where am I?”
“Baptist Medical Centre. You had surgery. A bullet was removed from your chest. How are you feeling?”
Max gritted his teeth, the pain from the wound a distant concern compared to the thought of his mate in danger.
“Okay,” he bit out. “How long was I out?”
“A little over a day,” she informed him to his horror. “You’ve been in a medically induced coma. You shouldn’t be awake now… The bullet was so close to your heart. You’re very lucky to be alive.”
Max’s shifter genes meant that he healed far more quickly than a human and those genes must have helped him burn off whatever drugs they had given him to keep him asleep.
“The doctor will be here soon,” she continued, her tone gentle but firm. “The police are also waiting. They want to talk to you about the shooting.”
