“Ten, nine, eight.”

She gave one final tug.

“Seven. Six.”

“I’m coming.” She used her last five seconds to calm her breathing, then stood up and started toward him. “I feel much better, thank you. It was wonderful, truly. Who knew that a sponge bath could be—”

“What have you got behind your back?”

“Nothing. I’m just tucking in my top—”

She didn’t even get the last word out before he was on her, turning her around and seizing her wrist. He pried open her fist. In it lay the bar of soap.

“I wanted to keep it,” she said meekly. “You may have fewer of these than bandanas.”

Her heart didn’t stop thudding until he finally released her from an incisive stare. “I’m gonna eat,” he said. “You can or not.”

He let go of her hand and moved away. She trailed him, but her mind was on the weapon she’d had to leave wedged between the planks in the wall. In order to relocate it in the darkness, all she had to do was look for the empty water bottle she’d left at eye level on the makeshift ledge.

Her problem was going to be getting to it at all.

Jordie was up to something.

If Shaw hadn’t discerned that the second she came toward him with that chipper smile and babbling monologue, the way she was wolfing down the beanie wienies would have been a dead giveaway. Her conversation was still lively.

“My skin was gritty with dried sweat. Didn’t washing off make you feel better?”

“Nothing like cleanliness.”

“And now this fine cuisine.” She shot him a smile that was almost flirtatious.

Yeah, something was behind her change in mood and batting eyelashes.

She emptied the small can and licked the bowl of her spoon clean. “Want something else?” he asked.

“No thank you.”

He took the can from her, tossing it and his own empty into the trunk before lowering the lid. When he did, the light went out, and so did Jordie’s fake smile.

She looked around with worry. “What happens when we lose all daylight?”

“It’ll get dark.”

“But…we…we can open a car door so we’ll have the dome light. Or keep the trunk open.”

He shook his head. “Too much drain on the battery.”

“I saw one of those big square flashlights in the trunk.”

“For emergency use only.”

“You could—”

“A light can be seen for miles, Jordie.”

“From as far away as the main road? How far is it from here?”

“No light.”

“So we’ll just sit here in the dark all night?”

“You scared of the dark?” When she didn’t answer, he said, “It’s always dark when your eyes are closed.”

“I slept too long today. I won’t be sleepy for hours.”

“Then I guess we’ll have to think up something we can do in the dark. For hours.” He walked to where she sat on the upended crate. “Oh, sorry. Did that sound like another lewd innuendo? Didn’t mean for it to.”

She shot him a sour look.

“Actually, I was thinking we could call Panella back,” he said. “That would kill some time.”

Watching her watch him, he replaced the battery in Mickey’s phone and clicked it on. As the phone booted up, he studied her face in the minimal light of the screen. “What were you doing back there?” Using his chin, he motioned toward the back of the building.

“Taking a sponge bath.”

“What else?”

“I was avoiding the mouse droppings.”

“That’s all?”

“What else could I have been doing?”

“I don’t know, but I don’t like surprises.”

“So you’ve said.”

She was looking straight into his eyes, challenging him. He got to the call memory and pressed his thumb against the screen, then put the phone on speaker.

Panella answered after the first ring. “All right, asshole,” he said in his garbled voice. “Two million.”

Jordie drew in a startled breath. Her lips remained parted. Her eyes seemed to dilate.

Panella was saying, “I’ve already notified an offshore bank that I’ll be making a wire transfer in that amount. After I get indisputable confirmation of the kill, of course.”

“I’ll text you a photograph.”

“No.”

“Didn’t think so,” Shaw said. “So how do I confirm to you she’s dead?”

“I’m making arrangements for that.”

“Um-huh. I’ll bet you are. Like the arrangement for me that you and Mickey had planned.” When Panella didn’t respond, Shaw said, “Not that I mistrust you, Panella, but I’m gonna require a show of your good faith.”

“What would show my good faith?”

“Half up front.”

“Forget it.”

“Half up front, or I take one of those options I outlined to you earlier.”

“Know what would show your good faith? If you’d stop screwing around and get the job done. Now. Before her double-crossing brother gets himself recaptured. It doesn’t have to be fancy. I just want Josh Bennett to know she’s dead. Soon.”

Shaw waited several beats, then said a brusque “I’ll get back to you” and clicked off.

For the entirety of the conversation, he hadn’t broken eye contact with Jordie. After he hung up, ponderous moments passed with neither of them moving, then she took off like a sprinter. He barely managed to grab her shirttail and hold on as he pulled her back. She came around swinging, her fist landing hard on his cheekbone.

“Goddammit!” The pain brought sudden tears to his eyes. He lost his grip on her top, and she got several yards away from him before he lunged after her. He caught her from behind in a bear hug and pinned her arms to her sides.

“Stop it! Listen! You don’t have to die!”

She kept struggling, until she realized the futility of her struggle and what he was saying sank in. Her ponytail swept across his face as she whipped her head around and looked at him over her shoulder. “What?”

“Are you gonna listen? Or act like a madwoman until you force me to shoot you just to get rid of you?” She didn’t say anything but ceased straining to break his hold. Not completely trusting her capitulation, he relaxed the bear hug, but took her arm and pulled her back to the crate. “Sit down.”