HOT SEAL Bride
HOT SEAL Team - Book 4
Lynn Raye Harris
Contents
Preface
About This Book
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Epilogue
Also by Lynn Raye Harris
About the Author
Preface
The HOT SEAL Team
HOT SEAL Bride: Cash & Ella
© 2018 by Lynn Raye Harris
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About This Book
Sold to the highest bidder…
* * *
For the past fourteen years, Princess Antonella Rossi has been a virtual prisoner. She has no friends, no fun, and she’s not allowed to leave her aunt and uncle’s Virginia compound without an escort.
* * *
But today is her wedding day. A rich sheikh has bought her virginity, and with it her freedom. Any hope of independence Ella’s ever cherished will disappear the instant she faces him across the altar. With time running out and the wedding party gathering, Ella seizes the opportunity to run as far and fast as she can.
* * *
Navy SEAL Cash “Money” McQuaid isn’t looking for trouble, but trouble always seems to find him. This time trouble is five foot four and wearing a wedding dress. Rescuing a runaway princess has consequences though, and with his face plastered on the evening news and his career on the line, he realizes there’s only one way out of this mess—he has to marry her!
* * *
It’s a marriage in name only, just until he can clear his name and win Ella the freedom she seeks. But shacking up with a gorgeous virgin isn’t as easy as it seems, especially when the sparks snapping between them are hotter and more dangerous than anything Cash has ever experienced. By the time he realizes it’s too late to resist his virgin bride, an unseen enemy is intent on taking her away from him.
* * *
Cash is gonna need all his skills—and his friends on the Hostile Operations Team—in order to rescue his princess bride and give her the happily-ever-after she deserves.
Chapter 1
She feared she couldn’t go through with it.
Antonella Rossi gazed at herself in the mirror, her wedding veil pinned to the glittering crown on her head. Her eyes glistened with sudden tears. She did not recognize herself. Who was this girl with the ruby-red lips, the smoky eyes, and the winking jewels at her throat?
For fourteen years, she’d lived in the shadows—not because she’d wanted to, but because she’d had to. When her cousins were wearing the latest fashions and getting their hair and makeup done at salons that cost a fortune, she’d been left behind. What was acceptable for her cousins was deemed too extravagant for her.
So she’d holed up in her room, reading books and dreaming of the day when she would be old enough to make her own decisions.
She hadn’t realized that day would never come to pass.
In twenty minutes, she was marrying a complete stranger and jetting off to a foreign land so that her aunt and uncle and cousins could continue to enjoy themselves here in Virginia with their fifty-acre estate, their wine cellars, their racehorses, and their busy social calendar.
Apparently, being the exiled royal family of Capriolo was an expensive job—and they were running out of money.
Ella was the expendable one. For sale to the highest bidder. The sheikh with a penchant for virgins had won out against the other men they’d tried to sell her to. She didn’t know what he’d promised them, but she knew it had to be something akin to the moon.
If only she weren’t a virgin, he wouldn’t have wanted her. He’d have moved on to someone else, and maybe Ella could have had a life of her own choosing someday.
A hard rap at the door made her jump.
“Ella!” her cousin Luciana snapped. “It’s nearly time. Get out here and stop being so spineless.”
“I’ll be out in a minute,” she called. “Fixing my veil.”
“Hurry up then. Sheikh Fahd is getting impatient.”
The name made her shiver. She’d tried not to think of the sheikh too much, but she was soon going to have to face him at the altar. He was more than twice her age—fifties or so—and while he’d been pleasant enough, there was something about him that unnerved her. Perhaps it was the gleam in his eyes when he’d talked about how he would be gentle with her when he bedded her the first time. Or perhaps it was the hooded hawk that a servant carried around behind the sheikh. She felt sorry for the bird and afraid of it at the same time. What kind of man demanded that he be accompanied by a hooded raptor in polite company?
Her stomach twisted. No, she couldn’t do it. She wouldn’t do it. If she did, she’d be like that hawk. Hooded, controlled, a possession to be paraded.
Before she could change her mind, she ripped the crown and veil from her head and set them on the counter. Then she unclasped the jewels and left them too. There was no time to change from the white satin gown with the seed pearls and Swarovski crystals sewn into the bodice. She lifted the heavy skirts adorned with acres of lace and swished toward the exit.
She pressed her ear to the door to listen. Then she opened it carefully and peeked out. The hall was clear. Her cousin had gone back outside to the garden where the ceremony was to take place.
Ella hurried down the hall, her skirts sliding silkily together. There wasn’t a lot of time. She reached the front entrance without running into a soul, thank God. Her heart pounded in her throat as she considered her next move.
Outside lay a long stretch of lawn and tall wrought iron gates that closed off the estate from the road. There would be security guards.
And she was in a wedding gown. Ella frowned. She shot a glance over her shoulder. The house remained empty, but it would not for long. Everyone was in the back garden, beneath the tent set up for the occasion. If she didn’t show up soon, they would come looking for her. She had to go. Now.
She yanked the door open. Rain fell lightly onto the steps. She gathered her skirts and stepped outside. Two valets stood off to the side, intent upon the cars and whatever animated conversation they were having.
She thought of her uncle—of what he would do today with a wedding on the estate. There would be guards at the main gate, checking IDs. She couldn’t go that way.
Unless she drove out. She stood, thinking. Yes, driving was the way to go. If the guards gave her any trouble, she could just keep driving until they got out of the way.
She knew from experience of previous gatherings on the estate that the keys were in each car. All she had to do was choose one on the farthest edge of the parking area and steal it.
Heart in her throat, E
lla made her way down the stairs as the rain picked up. The valets still hadn’t stopped talking as she ducked between a row of cars and crept toward the end. She had to get the last car. A car that faced out. And she had to pray it was not a standard transmission.
When she reached the last car in line, she opened the door and slipped inside. Her skirts were heavy with rain and awkward, but she piled them inside, balling them up beneath her, and locked the doors. The car was a Mercedes.
And there was no key. Simply a button. Her stomach flipped. Now what?
She’d only ever driven golf carts around the estate. But a car couldn’t be much different. Except for this push-button thing.
She pressed it—and nothing happened. She glanced up in a panic as the rain began to beat down on the car. The valets were nowhere to be seen. Ella ripped open the glove compartment and found the car manual. After a few moments, she found what she wanted.
She put her foot on the brake, pressed the pedal, and the car purred to life. Another quick check of the manual and she had the car in gear, easing it out of the line. She spun the wheel toward the gates and pressed the gas.
The car lurched, but she didn’t give up. She found the sweet spot and it rolled smoothly—if slowly—down the drive. The windshield wipers came on automatically, shoving the rain away. She was glad for that.
There were two guards at the gate, but neither of them tried to stop her. The rain was hard enough now that all they must have seen was a car with a woman inside. She eased through the wrought iron gates, her skin clammy with sweat, and came to a stop at the road. She didn’t know which way to go.
A glance in the rearview revealed one of the guards sprinting toward her. Ella panicked and spun the wheel left while pressing the gas. The tires spun and the wheel jerked.
“Please,” she begged. “Please don’t make me go back.”
The tires stopped spinning and the car shot forward. She held on for dear life and prayed she didn’t go into the ditch.
Because if she got caught—if they dragged her back to marry Sheikh Fahd—her life was over.
Chapter 2
“Pussy whipped,” Cash “Money” McQuaid said as he drove down a country road. Rain pounded the windshield of his Mustang GT. The trees swayed in the wind. He hoped the sudden storm passed as quickly as it had arrived.
On the other end of the line, Cody “Cowboy” McCormick snorted. “Dude, call it what you want, but no way in hell am I giving up three days of my life to fish with you when I could be in bed with my lady. No offense.”
“Not offended. I’ll catch all the fish on my own. Don’t need you or Cage to help me.”
The three of them used to take this trip together, but now it was just him. Remy “Cage” Marchand was married and Cowboy was on his way to the altar. Cash shook his head. Dumb fuckers. Not that he didn’t think Christina and Miranda were worthy of his boys—he totally did—but shit happened and people changed. One day it could all go to hell. And then what?
“Thought you were asking Camel on this one.”
Alex “Camel” Kamarov was the team sniper. “Fucker hates fish. Can you believe it?”
Cowboy laughed. “Sorry, man. Next time, okay? Miranda wasn’t supposed to be in town but her assignment was canceled. Can’t refuse a gift like that.”
“Pussy whipped.”
“You can’t piss me off, Money. Have fun. Don’t do anything stupid.”
“Like what? It’s fishing, not fucking.”
“They’ve got bars in the Shenandoahs. And waitresses.”
“Since when do I go barhopping on a fishing trip?”
“You might get bored out there all alone.”
Cash rolled his eyes. “I’m fine, mom. Now go hold Miranda’s purse and ask her if you can have your balls back.”
“One of these days I’m going to enjoy watching you fall for a woman. Then we’ll see who’s pussy whipped.”
“Not happening.”
“Never say never.”
“Yeah, I’m saying it.”
Up ahead, a car sat haphazardly on the side of the road. Another car partially blocked the road in front of it. It was the woman in a wedding gown who drew his eye first. Her wet hair clung to her face as she spun on her heel and started to run. A man sprinted after her, catching her by the waist and throwing her against the car.
Every one of Cash’s hackles leaped to attention. There was something very wrong about the situation. It was more than a bride and groom having an argument on their wedding day. He’d bet his left nut on that.
“Gotta go. Talk to you later.”
He didn’t wait for a reply before punching the button on his steering wheel to end the call. He skidded to a stop and flung the door open as the man advanced on the woman again.
“You guys need help?” he called, reaching for the Glock he’d left on the seat as he unfolded himself from the driver’s side. He tucked it into the Kydex holster wedged against his body as he started toward the couple.
The man spun around. The woman’s gaze jerked to Cash as he advanced. She looked terrified. His protective instincts flared. He’d spent his life removing that hunted look from people’s faces, and he couldn’t ignore it now. Cool rain dripped into his face, soaked through his clothes as he sized up the situation.
“No, we don’t need help,” the man said harshly. “This is none of your business.”
“Aw, man,” Cash drawled as adrenaline pumped into his veins. “Those are just the words to make me think it is my business.” He fixed his gaze on the woman. She looked cold and scared. “Are you okay, ma’am?”
She had dark hair and dark eyes. Her cherry lips parted. The lower one trembled. “No.”
Before Cash could say anything, the man drew a .45. Cash stopped moving. He had the Glock within reach, but he didn’t draw. Not yet.
“I’m not hurting her. I’m taking her back to her wedding.”
Fury boiled inside him. “Looks like she doesn’t want to get married, boss. Maybe you should accept her decision.”
The asshole made a show of the pistol. Cash shook his head. “You don’t want to do that. Not to me.”
“Yeah, I think I do. Get back in your car and keep driving.”
Cash stood for a moment. All he’d wanted was a quiet fishing trip. Not this bullshit. “All right. Think I’ll do just that.”
He climbed inside the Mustang and slammed the door. Then he revved the engine, released the brake, and shot toward the asshole. The man hadn’t been expecting it, so his aim was off. He fired, but the bullet ricocheted off the top of the quarter panel on the passenger side. Cash might’ve eased up a bit if not for that. Dude fucking shot his car, so Cash didn’t stop and the man had to dive out of the way or get flattened.
The Mustang slid to a halt and Cash jumped out. He was on the dude in half a second, disarming him and knocking him out with an uppercut to the jaw. “That’s for ruining my paint, asshole.”
Cash got to his feet with the .45, ejecting the magazine and clearing the chamber before tossing the full mag into the muddy water flowing through the ditch beside the road. He dropped the weapon next to the guy’s head and held out his hand to the woman. She hadn’t moved from where she’d plastered herself against the Mercedes.
“I suggest you come with me. Before this guy wakes up.”
She hesitated for a long moment. And then she seemed to make up her mind. “Yes,” she said, putting her hand in his. Her voice had the barest hint of an accent, but he couldn’t place it.
He escorted her over to the Mustang and opened the door for her. He piled her mud-splattered skirts into the car, surprised at how heavy they were. It was only when he was shifting them around so they’d fit that he realized she was barefooted.
Her eyes met his and something jolted inside him. “Where are your shoes?”
“In the ditch, I think. They’re not important.”
He glanced over. There was no sign of any shoes in the swirling water. He shut t
he door, then went around and got into the driver’s side. Within moments, he’d maneuvered them around the car that blocked the road. He wiped the water from his face and flipped on the heat. Not for him, but for her. Her teeth were chattering and her body shook, vibrating the seat beneath her.
“Where do you want me to take you?”
He could feel her eyes on him and he glanced at her. She was wide-eyed. “I… I don’t know.”
“Family? Friends?” Though maybe they were all at the wedding. Still, they’d have to know it wasn’t going down by now.
She shook her head. “There’s no one.”
“You’re dressed like that and there’s no one?” It was possible, he supposed.
“No.”
“I can take you to the sheriff’s department. They’ll help you get this sorted out. Get you back home.”
“No!” The panic in her voice made him gape at her. She swallowed. “No police. Please.”
Okay, going to have to take this one slow. He pulled in a breath and hit the mental reset button. Nice and easy, Cash. Don’t spook her.
“My name’s Cash. What’s yours?”
She hesitated. “Ella.”
“Okay, Ella. Look, nobody’s going to force you to go back to him. But the police can make sure you get home safely. You can file a restraining order against him. And then you can get back to your life and move on, right?”
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