The sheet of scratch paper was nowhere to be found, and another glance at the clock warned her she was running out of time.

  Panic bubbled up from her stomach and into her chest, tightening around her lungs like a too-small corset. She couldn’t go alone to meet her sister’s kidnappers. She wasn’t brave enough for that. Besides, hadn’t the words in her vision said she was supposed to “go with them”?

  She had to stay calm. Had to think clearly.

  What mattered now was, if they hadn’t already located Leah, someone still needed to be at the Farmers’ Market in…

  Another look at the clock.

  Only thirty minutes until she was supposed to be at the most important appointment of her life. If Jesse wasn’t coming back, that left only one alternative. Her vision had told her she must be strong enough to do this.

  She picked up the telephone and punched the speed dial.

  “Front desk, this is Cindy. How may I assist you?” The cheery feminine voice did nothing to alleviate Destiny’s dark mood.

  “This is suite two-oh-two. Can you tell me how long it would take to get a taxi out here and then get into town?”

  Just to be on the safe side. If Jesse and Robert didn’t show up in the next few minutes, she’d need to be prepared, and the best way to do that was to check out all her options.

  “A taxi?” the young woman parroted. “We have a courtesy car that can take you into town.”

  Perfect! “Who do I need to talk with to arrange that?”

  “I’d be happy to handle that for you. When will you be wanting to go?”

  Another glance at the clock. She couldn’t afford to wait any longer. She was out of time.

  “Now, please.”

  “Umm…” The voice on the other end of the line suddenly didn’t sound so cheery. “Normally we request that our guests give us advance notice so we can have a driver available. I’m not sure we have anyone here right now. Hold, please.”

  “I don’t have time to…” But it was too late. The canned music playing in her ear told her holding was exactly what she was going to do.

  After what seemed like an hour, though the blue numbers assured her it was less than two minutes, the music stopped.

  “Miss? I’m really sorry, but the driver and the car are already out with another guest.”

  “Look. Cindy. It’s extremely important that I get into town right away. I have an appointment that I just can’t miss. Can we call a taxi?”

  “Well…”

  The girl’s habit of dragging out her words was starting to seriously irritate Destiny.

  “I suppose we could. Oh! Wait a second. Hold, please.”

  The music was back before Destiny could protest. Someone really should have a chat with this Cindy about the etiquette of putting someone on hold.

  “Sorry to keep you holding. We don’t normally do this, but the lady who runs our gift shop is closing up early today and getting ready to head into town. She says she’d be more than happy to drop you wherever you need to go, if you’re ready now.”

  No time to dash off a note telling Jesse and Robert where she’d gone. They should know anyway. No time to debate how stupid it might be for her to go to this appointment by herself. It didn’t matter. The email had said it was her sister’s last chance and her vision had shown her she must be there. No matter how frightened she might feel, she wasn’t willing to risk Leah’s life to protect herself.

  “I’ll be right down.”

  Destiny hung up the phone and grabbed her purse, heading out the door.

  She’d have to remember to tell Jesse to leave this Cindy a great tip.

  Glancing at the elevator, she immediately rejected the idea, remembering how slow it had been on her way up to the room. Instead she hit the stairs, arriving in the lobby out of breath but in record time.

  The perky young blonde at the front desk, apparently Cindy, looked up and smiled as she approached. “You must be the lady headed into town. Miriam has gone to get her car. She’s parked out in the employee lot, so it’ll be just a minute or two.”

  “Thanks. I really do appreciate your coming up with a way to help me out so quickly.” Even if it hadn’t felt quick at the time.

  The girl grinned again. “Not a problem. I’m just so sorry Mr. Coryell didn’t tell us you’d be needing the car when he and the other gentleman left. We could have had it all set up.”

  What had she called Jesse?

  “I think you might be mistaken. The company that reserved the suite for us is Coryell Enterprises, not Jesse. He probably used a company card to sign in.”

  The girl looked confused for a moment before shaking her head. “No… I checked him in myself. I’m always so good at names.” She turned to open a small card file, thumbing through recipe-sized sheets of paper. “Yes. Here it is. See?” She handed the card to Destiny. “He signed it himself.”

  As if she moved in slow motion, Destiny took the card, scanning the lines of information.

  Jesse J. Coryell, home address on Adams Street in Denver, Colorado. And there at the bottom, his signature.

  Shocked, she handed the card back.

  Why hadn’t he told her?

  “There’s Miriam now, in the green car out front. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

  Destiny shook her head and made her way out to the waiting car, sliding into the front seat with a mumbled “Thank you” to the driver, a cheerful lady who looked to be at least eighty-five if she were a day.

  “Where shall I drop you, dear?” The woman smiled and waited expectantly as Destiny struggled to gather her thoughts.

  “The Farmers’ Market off Eighty-nine-A. Do you know where that is?”

  “I sure do. I go there every Saturday morning with my granddaughters. The oldest one—her name is Celia—she loves to…”

  Destiny lost track of the conversation as they drove. Fortunately Miriam proved to be one of those happy talkers who didn’t need any response to keep them going, carrying on about all her grandchildren and what their favorite activities were.

  Destiny had never even thought to ask Jesse’s last name. How could she have been so stupid? So careless? She’d slept with the man, for God’s sake. Without even knowing who he was. Without even knowing his last name.

  Jesse Coryell. The man is Coryell Enterprises. No wonder he hadn’t said anything about what the company would charge her. Maybe he’d just assumed she’d be working off her bill in his bed.

  Her face heated at the idea.

  Miriam interrupted her own story to chuckle. “We’re almost to the market, dear. If you’re getting too warm, feel free to roll down the window. I save the air conditioner for the really hot days.”

  “I’m fine, thank you.”

  She was hardly fine. She felt as if her whole world had been shaken like a snow globe and tossed to the ground to shatter.

  Damn. All the winks, all the grins, all the reassuring touches. She’d been completely taken in by them. Jesse wasn’t just good-looking. He was good-looking and rich. The worst possible combination in the world.

  Good-looking, rich, and gone.

  And she hadn’t been any better at resisting that tantalizing combination than her mother had been at resisting her father.

  Karma. It had to be karma biting her in the butt for all the awful things she’d ever thought or said about her mother’s stupid choices in men.

  What if he hadn’t called or shown up in time for this meeting on purpose? He had what he wanted. She’d seen to that this morning, throwing herself at him like some cheap streetwalker.

  Her vision had warned that she’d have to face this alone.

  Her heart raced, her head pounded, and she found herself struggling to catch her next breath, fighting an impending full-fledged panic attack.

  Reason tried to rear its head and she scrambled to hang on to it. A man like Jesse would hardly spend all that time and money to fly her across the country just to sleep with her. Her, for crying out loud. There was probably a very good reason he hadn’t come back or called the room.

  But what was it? If he hadn’t willingly deserted her, had something happened to him? It wouldn’t be the first time someone had left her through no fault of their own.

  She felt too weak to fight off the what-ifs this time. Too numb. Neither reason nor logic controlled her emotions at the moment. Too much of her past had returned to haunt her in the last couple of days. Too many issues she’d refused to deal with her whole adult life had stepped out front and center, demanding her attention. Her emotions were too raw for her to rationalize her way out of this emotional pit.

  Her battle was lost to the black despair.

  Either he was dead or he’d dumped her at that stupid resort. The facts were he hadn’t called and he hadn’t come back. And worst of all, he hadn’t been honest with her.

  Regardless of the reason, once again she was on her own. Alone.

  “Here we are, dear. Are you sure you’re all right?”

  Destiny nodded and forced a smile for Miriam’s benefit. “Yes, thank you. Just a little headache. Do you happen to know what time it is?”

  The woman lifted the watch she wore pinned to her blouse. “Five twenty-five. I hope I got you here in time.”

  “You did. Thank you so much.”

  Destiny hopped out of the car and threaded her way through the people on the sidewalk. She’d made it, with five minutes to spare.

  Her emotions in turmoil, she entered the Farmers’ Market and hurried past the fresh vegetables and fruits on display, scanning the faces around her. There was no one there who looked even remotely like the Nuadian she expected.

  Her steps slowed to a halt as she realized she had no idea what came next. The vision hadn’t shown her what to do, only that she had to be here.

  Panic slammed her full force, bringing with it the threat of tears.

  Be strong, strong, strong. Her father’s caution rang in the back of her mind, beating in time to the throbbing in her temples.

  Okay, so she was here alone and she didn’t have a clue what she needed to do next to save her sister.

  It didn’t matter. She was supposed to be here. She could do this. She didn’t need Jesse. She didn’t. It wasn’t like she’d really cared about him or anything. Not like she’d actually let herself fall in love with him. Not someone she hardly knew. Not any man. Not ever.

  She wasn’t that stupid. Was she?

  Who was she kidding? She’d been beyond stupid. She’d been gullible. And now she was in a situation way over her head.

  The threat of tears turned to reality and she dug in her pockets, hunting a tissue. Instead she found the missing paper with Jesse’s number scribbled on it.

  The little scrap of paper felt like a lifeboat to reality. He wouldn’t have given this to her if he’d intended to abandon her. So where was he?

  Only one way to find out.

  Praying no one would notice the crazy lady crying in public, she headed to the far end of the market area searching for a public telephone. If she kept her head down and didn’t make eye contact with anyone, chances were no one would notice her.

  “Ms. Noble?”

  Destiny looked up with a start as a hand lightly brushed her shoulder. “Yes?”

  She didn’t recognize the man who spoke, or the one who accompanied him, but thankfully, neither of them looked at all like the Fae she had seen so far.

  “You’ll need to come with us.”

  “Are you the police?” Both men wore nondescript black suits and dark sunglasses, hiding whatever their eyes might tell her. Had Jesse changed his mind and confided in the local authorities after all?

  “It’s not safe to speak here.”

  The second man moved closer, one of his hands now on her lower back, urging her forward, through the throng of shoppers rushing to make their choices as the market prepared to close.

  “Where are we going?”

  “We’re taking you to your sister.” The two men crowded closer, pushing her toward the street.

  They must be the police, though something didn’t feel right about them. She just couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was that bothered her.

  On the sidewalk, they directed her toward a large black sedan parked at curbside that looked more like a limo than a police car.

  Slowing her steps, she looked from one to the other of the men flanking her. “Wait a minute. I want to see your badges before we go any farther.”

  Rather than answer, the two men closed in, boxing her in between them. Ahead, the driver’s door of the car opened and a man stepped out. A tall man with long blond hair.

  Now that she knew what to look for, she had no doubt this man was Fae.

  A shot of fear surged through her and she attempted to run, but the men on either side of her grabbed her arms, shoving her forward as one clamped a hand over her mouth. She pulled against their hold, to no avail. Neither man loosened his grip.

  She twisted against one of the men and the top of her head dislodged his sunglasses. They hit the pavement and crunched under his feet without his seeming to notice. When she looked into his eyes, it was as if he had no expression there at all. Completely blank.

  No Jesse to save her this time, but there were plenty of other people everywhere, although no one had yet seemed to notice her dilemma. All she needed to do was create a scene. Surely someone would come to her aid.

  Before she could act, the Fae waiting beside the car spoke up, his words quiet, clearly just for her benefit. Though his eyes were hidden behind dark glasses that matched those of the other men, the sickly sweet tone he used sent shivers down her spine.

  “Ah, Ms. Noble, at last. I’d caution against any resistance, my dear. If you have any intention of seeing your sister alive, you’ll allow these gentlemen to assist you into the backseat. Quietly.”

  He stepped to the back of the car and opened the passenger door, sweeping an arm out in invitation.

  With a shock, she heard her father’s words from the vision ringing in her mind.

  “You must go with them if Leah’s to have any hope. Only in that way will you find her.”

  The first of her two captors slid into the backseat and Destiny followed without word.

  She had no choice.

  It was what she was supposed to do. What her father had told her to do in her vision. For Leah.

  Chapter 17

  “What the hell are you doing over there?”

  Jesse had watched for the last five minutes as Robbie sat propped against the large red boulders, the fingers of one hand moving rapidly in the air while he pumped his elbow up and down.

  “I’m playing the pipes in my imagination. Taking myself to another place while we wait out the boredom here. I’m more of an action man, you ken? I’ve never learned to like the sit-and-wait part of this job.”

  Jesse shook his head and snuck another look around the rock they hid behind.

  In the drop-off below them sat the black sedan they’d followed, obviously waiting for something.

  Or someone?

  It was whatever they waited for that interested Jesse. What the hell could they possibly be planning out here in the freaking-hot middle of nowhere?

  He and Robert had hiked in to this location, leaving their vehicle hidden about half a mile away. Sound traveled out here and bringing the SUV any closer could have given their location away. Stealth and surprise were about all they had on their side at the moment.

  Through his field glasses, he could clearly see Dermond Tyren in the driver’s spot, his seat pushed back. Less clearly, he could just make out two figures in the backseat.

  Leah and the redhead.

  They’d determined right away that there was too much open ground around the car for them to hope for any kind of a successful surprise attack. A frontal assault on the auto would either result in harm to the girl or, more likely, Dermond burning rubber and leaving them in his dust.

  So they waited. Waited to see what the people holding Leah had planned next.

  “I suppose I may have mentioned once or twice before I’m no much a man for the desert heat.” Robbie wiped sweat from his forehead without opening his eyes.

  “Once or twice.” Jesse couldn’t say he was all that fond of it, either. He’d much rather be on that sweet little spread he’d bought for himself in the highlands of Scotland. “You’ll have to remember your discomfort when we finally get to chat with our friends down there.”

  “Oh, I’m no likely to forget it. I think of it each time I take a peek at that bastard with my fine friend here.” He patted the rifle with scope lying across his legs. “And then I think on the poor wee lassie they’re holding in that auto with them. Oh, I’ll have plenty on my mind when we finally get to chat with the lot of them.”

  They both would. This wasn’t the sort of experience even the most mature sixteen-year-old would get over easily. The Nuadians holding Leah needed to pay for what they’d done.

  Too bad Dermond hadn’t gotten out of the car to give Robert and his “friend” a clear shot. They couldn’t risk the chance of bulletproof glass. That would only warn the Fae they were here.

  “Though sitting down there in that car with the air conditioning on is certainly a much better way to spend a day in this heat, beautiful though this place may be.”

  Jesse agreed. Maybe they’d get lucky and the cocky Nuadian would run out of gas.

  “Or back in that fancy hotel Peter arranged for us. Destiny, at least, is nicely cooled while she waits.”

  Goddammit! Destiny.

  Jesse grabbed Robbie’s arm, scowling at the man’s watch.

  “Fuck!” Five minutes to six. Staking out the sedan below, he’d totally forgotten about calling Destiny.

  He grabbed for his phone as Robbie looked at the watch and chuckled.

  “Uh-oh. Yer arse end up now, are you no? You forgot to check in. The lass is no going to be so happy with you, my friend.”

  Not happy? She was going to be royally pissed.