Unplanned, page 4
“Where do we start?” Mattie’s question drew her back to their current dilemma.
“Let’s get through the night without trouble. Then we’ll see what we can do in the morning to find out if the local authorities are involved in a conspiracy. If they are, then we’ll have no choice but to get some help from the US State Department. If they’re not, then we’ll ask the local police for assistance. We know someone is watching us. We need to find out who.”
“How are we going to be able to learn if the local law enforcement are crooked or not? I doubt they’d come out and tell us the truth,” Dana said, afraid if she didn’t calm down she was going to be sick again. This whole situation was a nightmare.
“That’s the tricky part. I’m still working on that. One thing I did learn today. They didn’t want us knowing they’d been mistreating Galen. He told me things were bad, that he hadn’t even been given a chance to shower until we arrived. You could tell he hasn’t been eating either. Why worry about making a good impression if they were planning to kill us?”
Travis had a point if they were dealing with rational people. They needed to find out right away if that was the case before they all ended up dead or in jail on their own trumped-up charges.
“Let’s settle in for the night. You two take the bed.” Travis sat on the chair across the room. “I’ll stay up and make sure nothing happens.” He leaned forward and pulled a .45 out of the back of his pants, then laid it on his stomach and gave it a pat. “I knew buying this once we arrived would come in handy.”
Dana was exhausted yet she worried that before dawn, she’d be in the bathroom and then her friends would know that something was wrong. It wouldn’t take long for them to figure out she was carrying a child and who the daddy was. And she was certain that once Travis learned of his friend’s impending fatherhood, Travis would have to tell him and then she was sure Galen’s hurtful look would return.
Dana shuffled to the bed and sat. She’d never be able to sleep. She might as well be the one staying up to watch for trouble, but she was sure Travis wouldn’t allow that. He was a man, and all men felt they needed to be the protector.
But who the heck protected women from men, especially the good-looking type with magic hands and healthy sperm counts?
* * * *
A painful kick to his leg startled Galen awake. “What the hell,” he cursed, and blinked to focus on the guard standing over him, a sardonic grin plastered on his face.
“Get the hell up, Hall. The chief wants to see you.”
He rubbed at his sore leg, then slid his feet to the floor and rose. Every muscle in his body screamed with pain. He prayed that didn’t mean he was running a fever—that his arm had gotten infected.
The guard slammed his palm into his back and gave him a hefty shove. “Get your ass moving.”
Galen forced himself to walk a straight line despite the weakness weighing on his every step. By the time he’d made it to the second door, he felt as if he’d run a marathon. The guard turned the handle then pushed him through the entrance.
He wanted to haul off and give the guy what he deserved but thought it wise not to. They could easily beat him to death and say he’d tried to escape. No one would question it.
The guard led him to an office where a thin man with dull onyx eyes sat behind a desk. He had to be the chief of police. “Sit.”
Galen gladly plopped into the chair, too tired to remain standing. Once he was down, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to get up again.
“Who are the gringos who came to see you yesterday?”
He looked up at the question. Like he didn’t know the answer to that. He was sure Travis was forced to show the man some type of identification.
“Friends.”
“How did they know you were here?”
Galen squinted, studying the man across from him. He seemed nervous about Travis being in town. But why? What was he hiding that he felt threatened by him?
“Well?” the man prompted.
“I forgot your question.”
The man scowled, then nodded to the guard behind him.
The officer slammed Galen hard in the shoulder blade, almost knocking him out of the chair. All he could do was sit and take the abuse. One wrong move and he’d be lying in a pool of blood. The chief clearly had something going on that was meant to stay secret and if Galen didn’t watch out, his death would be deemed a suicide.
“I called him the night I was arrested,” Galen lied. There was no way to disprove that and it would keep the young boy out of trouble.
“Why’d you come to Guishil?”
“I was just passing through your lovely city. You forced me into staying.”
The man’s lip twitched in anger. “Who were the women with your friend?”
“His girlfriend and her friend.” Galen had no intention of telling the man that Dana had been his lover. Somehow he knew that would put her in danger—if she wasn’t already.
“Are they going to cause problems?”
Galen cleared his throat. “That depends on who set me up.” Galen watched for a reaction to his accusation but the man didn’t even flinch. Either he was good at concealing his feelings or he had nothing to hide.
“I don’t know what you mean, Mr. Hall, but you’d better hope they don’t cause trouble or they’ll be sitting right alongside you in here.”
“Kane is here to see that I don’t get railroaded into a murder I didn’t commit.”
“You were found standing over the dead man holding the murder weapon. How are we railroading you?”
“That story is hard to believe when I don’t recall a thing and I had a huge bump on my head. You could be lying to me about the whole thing.”
The man shrugged. “I can’t help that.”
Galen held his tongue. The more he said, the worse off he’d be. Best to keep his mouth shut and listen. He’d learned long ago that it helped to keep an ear to the ground. That he’d learn a lot by listening. He figured if he kept quiet, he might be able to catch something that could help Travis get him out of this godforsaken place before his captors decided he was too much of a liability and he had a freak accident.
“Do your so-called friends have money or clout?”
Galen knew where the man was going with the question. He thought it best to lie. That way he was less likely to come up missing. “Both.”
The chief’s dark eyes narrowed. He didn’t look pleased by the answer.
Good. The man wasn’t stupid. He’d lost an option—at least for now—to maybe make all of them disappear.
“Take him back to his cell. See that he gets a good meal.” The chief dismissed Galen and picked up a newspaper.
The guard shoved at Galen to get him to rise.
He slowly eased out of the chair and shuffled toward the door, only to be stopped by what the chief said next.
“I expect you to tell your friends you’re being taken care of. If you don’t, you’ll learn all about bad treatment.”
A threat—one he intended to take seriously. Galen could imagine the cruel things that could be done, and if he wanted out of this jail with his manhood untouched and his privates intact, he’d better heed the man’s words.
Chapter Five
Dana raced to the bathroom and dropped to her knees, hugging the toilet until her stomach was empty.
Damn you, Galen Hall.
When the rolling settled, she washed her face, afraid to leave the bathroom. She knew Mattie would have all kinds of questions—ones she wasn’t ready to answer.
A knock at the door gave her a start.
“Are you all right, Dana?”
Dana took a couple of cleansing breaths, then opened the door. The concern on her friend’s face had tears clouding her eyes.
“You okay?”
“I think I ate something bad.” Sure, it was a lie. But this way she wouldn’t have to bring Mattie into her confidence and expect her to keep the secret.
“You poor thing. Can I do anything?”
Mattie’s brow wrinkled with worry. Her friend’s concern intensified Dana’s guilt over lying.
“I’ll be fine in a few hours.” God. Can she hear the assurance in my voice? Maybe she shouldn’t have said anything. Thank goodness Mattie hadn’t caught her slip. Best to move on.
“Where did Travis go?”
“He went to the front desk to call another guide friend of his. He thought we could use some help. The man lives in the area. He might be able to work the system here better than we can.”
“Do you think he’ll be able to get Galen out of jail?” Dana held her breath, hoping Mattie would say yes.
“I don’t know about that, but maybe the locals will be more inclined to talk with him about what happened. Surely someone in town saw or heard something.”
Dana sighed. “I hope you’re right. Did Travis say how close this guy lived?”
“An hour or two south of here. That’s if he’s home. According to Travis, he works most of the time. So cross your fingers he’ll be able to catch him.”
Dana wasn’t sure she’d be the one to ask for luck—not when she’d gotten pregnant the first and only time she’d ever had sex.
The door started to open and Dana jumped back. Relief washed over her when Travis walked in. “He’s on his way. We got lucky. He was getting ready to leave on another trip. He wouldn’t have been back for months.”
“So what do we do for the next few hours?” Mattie asked.
“Go down to the restaurant and have breakfast. I told Hunt where we were staying. We’ll be able to see him when he arrives. He’s not a hard man to spot. He’s larger than life.”
“Larger than life?” Dana repeated, unsure of what he meant.
“He’s tall. Like six-four, two hundred pounds, and not an ounce of fat on him.”
“He works in the same field as you and Galen?” Mattie’s question mirrored Dana’s.
“Yes, though he goes out into the jungle on his own more than with an expedition. He’s a solitary man—likes to be alone a lot.”
Dana forced down acid working its way up her throat. Was she going to be sick again. Please settle down until I’m alone. “Do you think he’ll be able to help us?”
“If anyone should, it’s Hunt. He knows people. Let’s go down to get something to eat. I’ll tell you a little more about the man over coffee.”
“I’ll meet you down there.” Dana looked to Mattie for help. “I need to wash my face.” The smell of food right now would make her sick. She needed to calm her stomach before entering the dining area.
“Dana’s not feeling well. Let’s let her rest a while.” Mattie shoved Travis toward the door.
“All right. But lock up when we leave and don’t let anyone in but us.”
“I won’t, and as soon I feel better, I’ll come down.”
When they’d gone, Dana slumped against the door. How was she going to explain getting sick tomorrow morning—and the morning after that? Mattie would catch on sooner or later and then her secret would come out. She’d hoped for a few more days before she would have to tell her, but with them being in close quarters that would be impossible. When she did tell Mattie, would she be angry for not telling her? After all, this trip was hardly for pleasure. She had to hope her friend would understand.
Dana dragged herself to the bathroom and glanced at her reflection in the mirror. Her skin was as white as the hotel’s sheets and her hair lay limp around her face. No way could she hide her condition much longer—not looking like a stick of chalk.
Two hours later, she stepped into the dining area, her stomach feeling much better after a nap.
Dana glanced around the sparsely filled room and was instantly drawn to the raven-haired man sitting with Travis and Mattie. He was big, but not as she’d pictured him by Travis’s description. His face, with its angled planes, gave him a hawkish air. His skin was deep mocha, clearly from hours spent in the sun and as she got closer, she was surprised by the color of his eyes. They were a unique shade of gray—like polished pewter—even more striking under a pair of long, sooty lashes. So the opposite of Galen, though handsome in his own right.
Dana moved toward their table, his attention drawing to her as she neared. The once-over she received made her feel as if he wore a pair of X-ray glass. Heat rushed to her face and her step faltered.
She gulped and glanced toward Mattie, who rose.
“Are you feeling better?”
Dana nodded, then took the empty seat next to her friend.
The man’s gaze focused intently on her but she ignored his attention. He made her uncomfortable. She wasn’t used to this kind of male ogling.
“So, you’re Galen’s lady?” Hunt asked, his voice deep, a slight Southern accent setting him apart from any other man she’d ever known.
Dana’s gaze flew to his. “No!”
He laughed. “If I were you, I’d deny it too. Galen isn’t much on romancing a woman. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him with one he hadn’t paid to—”
Travis cleared his throat.
Was he trying to say that Galen only slept with whores? God. What had she gotten herself into?
The man shifted in his chair. “Right. Sorry.” He shoved a hand toward her. “Hunt Montgomery.”
Dana clasped his palm. “Dana Rutherford.”
“It’s a pleasure.” He winked, a gesture that made her face warm again.
The man was a charmer—the type to sweep a woman off her feet. Too bad she’d already been swept up, then brushed aside. And now left carrying a child she was sure Galen would probably deny as his.
* * * *
Galen entered the interrogation room and was surprised to see Travis and Hunter Montgomery waiting. He hadn’t seen Hunt for close to two years, though he knew he lived near Guishil. “Damned good to see you, Montgomery.”
“I can’t say the same, Hall. How the hell did you get yourself into this mess?”
Galen couldn’t help but laugh. “I wish I knew. Someone walloped me in the back of the head. I don’t remember a thing.”
“Nothing?”
“Nope.”
Hunt rubbed his unshaven chin. “How about this guy you were supposed to have killed? Did you know him?”
Galen shook his head. “No. The name means nothing to me, and they refuse to show me a picture.”
“I was able to learn that he was the local banker. Just about everyone in town hated him,” Travis said.
“That’s just great.” A man hated by all meant no one would be willing to say much. They wouldn’t want to take a chance of becoming a suspect themselves.
Hunt leaned over the table. “We’ll find out who killed him, Galen. Just keep yourself out of trouble in here. The chief has a reputation for being brutal with prisoners.”
“He and I met. I told him you had money and power, Travis. Don’t say otherwise or I’ll end up hanged in my cell, cause of death, suicide. I think we all know how much I love living.”
Travis grinned from ear to ear. “That’s not a lie any longer, Galen. Thanks to my great-grandfather.”
“You mean the estate in Nova Scotia was more than a rundown hovel?”
“Much more.”
Galen grinned. “Well, slap me around and call me Sally. I couldn’t be happier. Unless it was mine, of course.”
“I hate to cut in, but we need to get you out of here before they think you’re a liability. Now, did the chief say anything that could help us find out who the real killer might be?”
Galen replayed their conversation over in his head. He couldn’t think of anything the man had said that would help. “I don’t think so.”
Hunt nodded. “Okay. Lie low. Do what you’re told. Don’t even open your mouth unless asked a direct question. I know you. Your sarcasm could be the death of you in here if you don’t watch it. By the way, I had the sincere pleasure of meeting Miss Rutherford this morning. Fine-looking woman, I have to say.”
Galen’s gut clenched. Hunt Montgomery could sweet-talk a devout nun into dropping her good habits. Dana was as innocent as a nun. At least she had been until he got his unworthy hands on her, and he didn’t have an ounce of charm. Hunt could have her in his bed in less than an hour under the right circumstances.
The thought made Galen furious. “I don’t think she’s your type.”
“She’s gorgeous. That works for me.”
Galen started to rise, but Travis reached for his shoulder. “Let’s get you out of here, then we can establish who Dana belongs to.”
He scowled at Hunt. “Yeah, and in the meantime, he’s got her between the sheets.”
“I think that’s completely up to Miss Rutherford. Isn’t it, since she said she wasn’t taken?” Hunt smiled.
Travis squeezed Galen’s shoulder. “Look. We need to get started on getting you out of here. Don’t worry about anything else.”
Like Galen would be able to do that now with the image of Hunt Montgomery planted between the legs of the one woman who had messed up his head. Picturing her with Hunt was going to screw with it even more. Jealousy was something he’d never experienced before Dana entered the picture and he sure as hell didn’t like it.
* * * *
Galen was taken back to his cell where he paced the confines like a caged jungle cat while his mate was being wooed by an anaconda.
“Oh, Hunt. More. Give me more,” echoed in his head like a skipping record.
He slammed his fists against the concrete wall until the pain became too much to bear. How was he going to get through the night knowing they were together and that Hunt was twice the man he was? Dana would be putty in his hands and Galen would be left wondering what they could have had if he hadn’t been so afraid to stay in Manu and tell her how he felt.
Now he would never know. She’d fall for Hunt—he was sure of that. Most women did. Any time he and Montgomery had been together, the man had drawn the attention of most women they’d encountered. His size alone made them fall all over him. The old adage about the size of your hands and feet indicating the size of your dick sort of thing. Women were shallow creatures and cared about stuff like that. Then again, he wouldn’t consider himself inadequate—he’d never had any complaints.
