Adrenaline rushed through Kara and her gaze went to the gun on Blake’s nightstand where he’d left it. Training and instinct kicked in and she dove for it, and somehow she managed to keep the sheet at her chest in the process. The cold steel was relief in her hand. It was her control among all these men, and she aimed it at Royce. “No one is calling the feds.”

She felt the room’s attention shift to her a moment before Blake growled, “Are you crazy, Kara? Put the damn gun down.”

“Not a chance.” The mattress shifted with his weight but she didn’t dare look his direction. “Don’t even think about taking the gun, Blake. I’ll drop the sheet and fight you for it. I don’t care who’s watching.” She lifted her chin at Royce, praying she’d successfully held Blake at bay. “We aren’t calling the feds, Royce. You and I both know they will take over the operation and my sister will be a fatality of a bigger investigation. I can’t let that happen.”

Royce snorted. “You’re naked and half my size and you’re telling me what’s going to happen?”

“Law enforcement 101. My bullet trumps your size. And yes. I am. I get that you’re desperate to save Blake from his death wish.”

“Hey,” Blake barked.

“You do have a death wish, Blake,” she said, and continued talking to Royce. “And I get you’ll do anything to protect him, but remember that this is my sister we’re talking about here. I feel the same about her. She isn’t trained like we are. She doesn’t have a chance inside the cartel and I will do anything to protect her. If that means tying your big ass up and feeding you three meals a day like a baby in a chair to control you, until she’s safe, that’s what I’ll do.”

“Kara,” Blake said softly this time, the mattress shifting again with his approach.

“I told you, Blake,” she warned, “I’ll fight you for the gun.”

“Royce is an overbearing ass,” he replied. “But he’s one of the good guys. He won’t leave your sister to be a statistic any more than I will.”

“I won’t,” Royce agreed. “You have my word.”

“And mine,” Luke added.

“And mine,” Kyle said, appearing in the doorway.

“We’ll talk it through, Kara,” Royce added. “We’ll come up with a way to save her. We won’t let her be sacrificed.”