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  huddled there, wrapped in a blanket.

  “Ryder told me you nearly kicked his ass when he walked away from me.”

  Mia looked up to see Kit standing by the couch. She smiled slightly. “I told him he was a dumbass.”

  “Can I sit?” Kit asked.

  Mia shrugged.

  Kit sighed. “Look, I know you don’t like me, and well, I don’t like you much. You’re much too pretty, and Ryder has seen your tits. But I’m sorry for what happened to you.”

  Mia choked back a laugh. “Would it make you feel better to know half the men in this part of Texas have seen my tits?”

  “I’m only letting you in my house because Mac hasn’t seen them,” Kit said dryly.

  Mia relaxed a little. No, she and Kit would never be friends, but she appreciated the other woman’s honesty. And she wasn’t about to tell her that Mac had seen her tits. He’d been in the club when she’d danced before.

  The clicking and clacking of guns, the rustle of vests, the room echoed with the sounds of a dozen men, all readying themselves for action. They talked, planned and muttered.

  Finally they were ready to leave. Jack knelt in front of Mia.

  “I’ll be back soon. We’ll get you out of this, Mia. I swear it.”

  She leaned forward and kissed him hungrily. “Hurry,” she whispered.

  Jack stood back up and stared over at Ryder. “You’re staying with them, right?”

  “Well, I’m not a cop,” Ryder said lazily. “No way I’d leave Kit girl or Mia alone.”

  A look of understanding passed between the two men. Kit hurried over to Mac.

  “Please be careful,” she said in a husky voice. “I don’t want you hurt again.”

  Mac kissed her, his lips roving across Kit’s possessively. “I’ll be fine, baby. You stay here so Ryder can look after you. I’ll be back when I can.”

  Mia watched as they walked out the door. She couldn’t help the shaft of fear that cut through her chest. Jack was going out to fight her battles. She should be with him, not here, letting him do the fighting for her.

  “I’m going to fix us something to eat,” Kit said as the door closed behind the men. “You need to eat something. When was the last time you ate?”

  “I don’t remember,” Mia admitted.

  Kit walked into the kitchen, leaving Mia and Ryder alone in the living room.

  “You okay, little girl?”

  Mia shook her head. “I’m scared. I don’t want anyone hurt because of my mistakes.”

  They sat in silence. Kit brought in a plate of sandwiches and a pitcher of tea. Mia picked at her food, her heart not into eating.

  As they sat in the living room, watching the hours tick by, a knock sounded at the door.

  Ryder stood up. “Kit, you and Mia go into the kitchen and stay there. I’ll see who’s at the door.”

  Mia followed Kit into the kitchen, her pulse hammering at her temples. She went to the sink and ran water in her hands, splashing her face in an attempt to dispel the fear eating at her.

  “I’m not sticking around in here,” Kit muttered. “I don’t know who’s at the door, but I’m not about to let Ryder get himself into trouble.”

  Over a stripper. Kit didn’t need to hear the rest. Kit’s expression pretty much said it all, and Mia couldn’t blame her. She wouldn’t like the man she loved to risk his life for a nobody.

  Mia followed close behind. When they entered the living room, Mia froze. Standing next to Ryder were two cops. Two Buford County cops.

  “Mia Nichols?” one of them asked as they stepped forward.

  Ryder swore. “I told you to stay in the kitchen.”

  “We have a warrant for your arrest, Miss Nichols. Put your hands behind your back and turn around.”

  Mia stared at the two officers in horror. “What are the charges?” she croaked, though she knew. She knew.

  “Drug possession and prostitution,” one of them answered.

  The other walked up to her and grabbed her arm, spinning her around. He twisted one wrist behind her and clamped cuffs on her. Then he bent her other arm and secured her other wrist.

  He began reciting her Miranda rights in a firm voice.

  “Ryder, do something!” Kit cried.

  “No!” Mia spoke up. “Don’t do anything stupid. I’m not worth you getting hurt or killed. Just please, find Jack. Tell him what’s happened.”

  Ryder looked torn between tearing the two officers apart and heeding what Mia had said.

  “You can’t leave Kit here alone, Ryder. You’ll only get arrested. Think,” she pleaded. “My only hope is if you tell Jack what’s happened.”

  Ryder swore long and hard. “Don’t worry, Mia. Kit and I will be down to stay with you.”

  “Stay here,” Mia begged. “Please. You need to be here when Jack gets back. Don’t worry about me, okay?”

  The officers herded her out to a squad car and unceremoniously stuffed her in the back. Her worst fears were coming true. She was going to jail. How would Jack be able to help her now?

  CHAPTER 14

  Mia sat in the corner of the small jail cell, her knees huddled to her chest. They’d printed her, photographed her, read her rights and stuffed her in a cell. Everything by the book. She was arrested on an outstanding warrant for drug possession and a more recent charge of prostitution.

  No matter what happened tonight with Martin, the sheriff or the judge, she was still stuck here in a jail cell, her sins entered in the books. She’d have to pay the piper.

  A sound down the hall alerted her to another presence. She stood up and raced toward the door. Was Jack here? As she pressed herself against the bars, straining to see, her chest tightened in dread. It wasn’t Jack. It was the cop who’d originally arrested her. The one who’d set her up.

  She shrank back, retreating to the back of the cell. The cop— what was his name? Danny? David? Like it mattered. Dickhead was more appropriate.

  “Well, well, well, if it isn’t Mia Nichols.”

  Keys jangled and clinked as he unlocked her cell. Panic and uncertainty swelled in her throat. What was he going to do? There was no one around to stop him, not that they would. The whole fucking department was crooked.

  He swaggered into the cell and shut the door behind him. He leered openly at her as he closed the distance between them.

  “What do you want?” she demanded with more bravado than she felt.

  “If I were you, I’d be nicer to me,” he chided.

  He reached and ran a hand down her cheek. She flinched away. He backhanded her, splitting her lip.

  She raised her hand to her face, shocked by the speed in which he’d struck. Blood shone on her fingers when she pulled her hand away from her throbbing cheek.

  He grabbed her by the front of her neck and hauled her to a standing position. His fingers pressed into her throat, and his breath blew hot over her face.

  “We have some unfinished business, bitch. You always thought you were too good for me. Now you aren’t so high and mighty.”

  With his other hand, he ripped at her neckline, tearing the shirt down the middle. She struggled wildly against him, but his hand tightened around her throat until spots danced in her vision.

  His mouth closed over hers, kissing and thrusting his tongue into her mouth until she gagged. Helpless tears rolled down her cheeks as he ground his pelvis against her belly. She could feel his hard erection and knew if she didn’t do something to stop him, he was going to rape her right here in the cell.

  He shoved her against the wall and held her there with one hand while he ripped at her pants. If he would only let go of her throat.

  Finally he released her neck as he reached down to undo his belt. She gulped in great big breaths, trying to make the dizziness dissipate. She waited, biding her time, enduring his groping, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

  When he pulled out his cock, she struck with all the pent up fury she’d been harboring for six months. Sh
e rammed her knee into his groin, sending him sprawling backward, howling in pain.

  She wasted no time. She leaped on him, grasping his quickly shriveling dick in her hand and twisting for all she was worth. She doubled her free hand into a fist and punched him in the face over and over.

  “Fucking bitch!” he screamed.

  He threw a punch, connecting with her jaw. She fell off him and struggled against the blackness overtaking her. She couldn’t pass out. He’d rape her whether she was awake or not. The bastard was not going to get away with abusing her.

  He leaped on her, grabbing her arms and forcing them over her head. She retaliated by head-butting him in the nose. Blood squirted like a fountain. He let go of one of her hands and grasped his face.

  Then he balled his hand into a fist and punched her in the stomach. All the breath sucked right out of her, leaving her wheezing for breath.

  Sheer determination kept her wits from fleeing. She raked at his face with her nails, then she jabbed him in the eyes as hard as she could.

  He fell off her, clutching his injured face. She rolled away, scrambling to her feet. She heard footsteps pounding down the hallway.

  She glanced up, her hopes fading. It was another cop. Helpless rage rushed through her veins. There was no way she could fight off two of them.

  “What the fuck is going on here?” the cop demanded as he fumbled with the keys to unlock the cell.

  He rushed in, and Mia shrank to the far side of the cell. They may well carry out their plan, but she wouldn’t go down without fighting. She waited, collecting her strength, waiting for the second man to strike.

  “Fucking bitch attacked me,” Dickhead said as he staggered to his feet.

  The second cop looked at him in disgust. “You’re a dumb son of a bitch, Moreland. Things are going to hell in a handbasket. Martin and Drake have been arrested, and you risk everything for a piece of ass.”

  Moreland wiped at the blood still running from his nose and reached down to hike up his jeans. “Fucking bitch needs to be taught a lesson.”

  “Save it,” the other cop said. “I suggest you get the hell out of here and get cleaned up.”

  Moreland shot Mia another look of pure hatred as he started for the cell door. He stopped and pointed a finger back at her. “This isn’t finished, bitch.”

  Mia tensed as the other cop walked over to her and got into her face.

  “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll forget what just happened here.”

  After issuing the threat, he spun around and stalked out of the cell, slamming it shut behind him.

  They disappeared down the hall, and Mia started to shake uncontrollably. She sank down to the floor, holding her face in her hands. Nausea rolled in her stomach, and she crawled over to the corner and retched.

  Afterward, she picked herself up and hobbled over to the small cot. She hurt from head to toe. Gathering her tattered shirt around her quaking body, she squeezed her eyes shut and waited. Waited for Jack. Prayed he’d find her in time.

  Jack stared at Mac, his jaw clenched so tight he thought he’d break his teeth. “What do you mean Mia was arrested?”

  Mac ran a hand through his short hair. “That was Ryder on the phone. Two cops showed up at the house with a warrant for Mia’s arrest. Drug possession and prostitution.”

  “Prostitution? What the fuck?”

  The two stood outside the Clark County Police Station where Martin and Drake had been taken in for questioning. Jack wanted to be the interrogating officer, but Kenny had shoved him out of the building.

  “Goddamn it,” Jack swore. “Where would they take her?”

  “Ryder said they were Buford County so I’m sure they took her to the county lockup.”

  Jack swore again. “We’ve got to get her out of there. I don’t trust those motherfuckers as far as I can throw them.”

  “It’s going to be hard unless Martin or Drake sings loud enough for us to get warrants for the arrests we need. Until then we’ll have a hard time getting a judge to agree to let her go.”

  Jack started for the door of the police station. “Then we better make damn sure they talk. I’m not letting her spend the night in some jail cell.”

  He nearly collided with Kenny at the door.

  “We’ve got what we need. I’ve got arrest warrants being issued for the sheriff, county judge and a few sheriff’s deputies over in Buford County. We’re heading over there now if you want to come.”

  “Mia’s been arrested,” Jack said. “I’m going over to see about her. I want her out. I want the charges dropped. See to it quick. They’re all a bunch of bullshit.”

  “Will do, man. I’ll meet you over there as soon as I can get a judge to sign off.”

  Jack nodded and hurried back to where Mac was still standing. “I need a ride,” he said curtly.

  Mac nodded. “Get in.”

  CHAPTER 15

  As they roared into the parking lot of the Buford County Jail, Jack jumped out of the truck and hit the pavement at a full run. He burst into the front entrance, startling the cop sitting at the desk.

  Jack flashed his badge. “I’m Jack Kincaid with the Texas Rangers. I understand you’re holding Mia Nichols here.”

  Something in the cop’s eyes glinted. He looked a little uneasy before saying, “Sorry, we don’t have a prisoner here by that name.”

  Jack exploded forward, hauling the cop over the desk. “You tell me where she is, or I swear to God, I’ll kill you right here, right now.”

  “Jack, hold up,” Mac said from the door.

  The cop drew his weapon, pointing it at Jack. “Put me down, asshole. I don’t give a fuck who you are. I’ll arrest you for assaulting a police officer.”

  “Shut the fuck up, dirtbag,” Mac growled.

  He walked forward pointing his gun at the Buford County cop. “Drop the weapon. Jack, put him down.”

  Jack threw the cop back across the desk. He landed with a thump in the chair, nearly vaulting it backward.

  “Now,” Mac said, “tell us where Mia Nichols is.”

  “Cell three,” the cop muttered.

  “Give me the fucking keys,” Jack demanded.

  The cop dug into his pocket then tossed a ring of keys in Jack’s direction.

  “You go on back,” Mac said to Jack. “I’ll keep an eye on our friend until Kenny gets here.”

  Jack raced down the hallway, bolting through the door at the end. He passed two cells before stopping at the third. His eyes jerked to the far side where Mia lay curled in a tight ball on the cot. He jammed the keys in the lock and threw open the cell.

  He rushed over to where Mia lay, his heart in his throat.

  “Mia?” he whispered.

  He hesitantly touched her shoulder. A knot formed in his throat when he felt her shaking. He gently turned her over. Fury, hot and raging, washed over him when he caught sight of her bloodied face. Worse, her throat was one big bruise. Some bastard had tried to strangle her.

  Her shirt fell open, a long tear down the middle. A fist-sized bruise covered the right side of her ribs.

  “Oh my God. Mia, honey, are you all right?”