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her throat. Fear for her parents’ safety dried her mouth and she gulped convulsively before she could answer. “He wasn’t inclined to talk so I never got the chance,” she whispered.
    â€œYou were up there a long time. What did you do? Stand there and make cow eyes at him? Don’t tell me you’re still mooning after him. Hah, he wouldn’t touch you with a barge pole now. He’s not about to trust you after that business in Iran.” He gave a harsh laugh. “Hell, maybe that is the way to get to him. A little bit of sex and a whole lot of pillow talk.”
    â€œI am not prostituting myself for you or anyone else,” she managed. Pain sliced through her arm and shoulder. “I’ll find out where the opal is and let you know, but I won’t steal it for you. And I’m sure as hell not sleeping with Morgan to get the answers.”
    â€œHmm, maybe I should let Whitey off his leash and have him visit your mother.”
    Oh God, her mother. Shivers slid up and down her spine at the thought of Whitey going after her mother.
    Gili tightened her jaw and clamped her mouth shut so she wouldn’t beg Jeremy to leave her parents alone. He wasn’t about to listen anyway.
    He gave her arm an extra squeeze and let her go. She sagged against the ticket counter, biting her lip at the fire in her arm. Bile rose in her throat and she dragged in a deep breath to stop herself throwing up.
    â€œYou’ve got a week before I come after you again,” Jeremy said behind her, giving her a sharp prod in the center of her back. “We know where you’re staying. We’ll be in touch. And you keep your mouth shut. You understand?”
    Gili stayed where she was until Jeremy’s footsteps faded away. Then she turned around and slithered down the wall until she was on her knees on the floor. The breath rasped in her throat. When she tried to unhook the bag from her shoulder, her hands shook so badly she dropped it, the contents spraying everywhere.
    Crawling on hands and knees and groaning as the pain in her shoulder intensified, she collected up tissues and lipstick, pens and keys, along with the rest of her belongings, and shoved them back in the bag. All the while tears leaked from her eyes, but she refused to acknowledge them, refused to hand even that small victory to Jeremy.
    â€œTo hell with you, Jeremy. I will not give you the satisfaction.”

Chapter Three
    Gili’s eyes snapped open and she stared around. The dull grey light of an early dawn seeped in through the window of the unfamiliar room.
    What—where am I?
    Hand clutched at the front of her nightie, heart pounding in her chest, she jumped out of bed. One foot tangled in the bed covers and she ended up sprawling half in, half out of the bed, with her butt firmly on the floor.
    It took a moment but then she remembered. When she’d arrived back at the hotel yesterday, security had informed her someone had broken into her room. They were most apologetic—this had never happened to them before—and had provided a new room for the night.
    Gili had jumped at the idea. It didn’t take much brain power to work out who had been in her room. Just Whitey’s way of telling her he really did know where she was staying. Nothing had been taken, but everything had been emptied out of her case, things strewn around the room. Bastard!
    With Whitey’s threat to her folks clear in her mind, Gili kicked out with one foot until she was free of the bedclothes. On hands and knees, she crawled to the bedside table and grabbed the phone.
    It was the work of a few seconds to put through a call to America. Her mother answered on the first ring. “Hey, Mom, how’s it going? How’s Dad?”
    â€œIt’s so good to hear from you. I was worried. I really don’t like you having anything to do with Jeremy Grissom. I wish you hadn’t agreed.”
    â€œIt was the only way to get