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consider what such a revelation would do to you."
    He wondered how much of this was Jasmine's gift of persuasion. She had all the answers, doling out what he wanted to hear. But his gut jabbed at him, casting doubt on her portrayal of Charboneau as a concerned father with only his best interests at heart.
    "So, you think he stayed away, out of concern for me?" He tilted his head and focused his gaze on the woman standing before him. "Don't you think that's a stretch, even by your twisted standards?"
    "Please. Do not judge him. Not without Nicky being able to defend himself. And without your help, he won't be alive long enough to do so. Please, I need you."
    Despite his cynical nature, he wanted to believe her. But the reality of his situation was simple. He could only discover the truth about Charboneau on his own. He would have to risk his future to uncover his past. Would he regret the decision he was about to make?
    "What do you want from me?"
    "What the hell do you want, damn it?" Nicholas yelled.
    His voice resounded off the walls of the cavern, an inky black and boundless expanse. Some kind of cave. Plunged in total darkness, he wasn't sure anyone heard him. And he hated being ignored.
    "You don't know who you're dealing with!"
    Anger tempered his voice, but the thick dank air muffled his usual thunder. If he didn't conserve his strength, he'd lose his ability to speak at all. Stale air mixed with an indefinable rotten smell, making it hard to breathe. He fought the urge to take a full breath, afraid the foul air would damage his lungs.
    Plop. Tink. Tink. The incessant, mind-numbing noise.
    The walls seeped dampness and secreted a pungent mineral odor.
    "I can pay for my freedom!" he shouted. Swallowing hard, he found no relief for his parched throat. "You can deal with me!"
    No answer. Only a mocking echo. And he didn't like what he heard. At some point desperation tainted his tone, undermining any prospect of influence over the men holding him hostage.
    Who was he kidding?
    How in the hell could he command respect from his captors? His hands and face felt caked with layers of filth. It clung to his skin, bonded by a scummy sheen of sweat. His body reeked of it . . .and worse. He couldn't escape the stench from his own urine and other bodily necessities. The foul odor hung heavy in the stagnant air, despite his best efforts. Even though he had been repulsed by the squalor, other creatures scurrying in the darkness rallied to it like greedy vultures. Flies and gnats buzzed, growing in number by the day. So far, he'd kept the rats at bay when he stayed awake, making any real sleep impossible.
    This can't be happening. Not to me. Yet with each passing hour, doubt crept into his mind like an affliction.
    Nicholas gripped the metal bars of his cell. Set solidly in stone, the barrier appeared escape-proof. He had given up hope of wrenching the blockade free. Yet the feel of the solid object in his hands reinforced his sense of equilibrium in the dark. It gave him something to cling to. His shoulders slack, he leaned his forehead against the bars and allowed defeat to inch closer in the dark. Cool metal next to his skin gave some measure of relief from the suffocating heat that now ebbed and flowed in this hellhole.
    But at other times a chilling vapor swept through the emptiness, settling deep within his bones. What remained of his clothing did not provide any relief against such an onslaught. He would brace his hands upon the stony barrier and find a hole to squat, fending off hypothermia as best he could until the sweltering heat returned.
    Now, all he could think about was—
    "Water. I need . . ." He stared into a sea of black, allowing his voice to fade to a whisper, ". . . water." Nicholas closed his eyes, bone weary.
    The bastards kept him guessing, supplying food and water on an irregular basis. A cruel game. Only the distant crunch of footsteps and a faint flicker of a light warned him of their approach. At first he