She hesitated and he jabbed the gun into her back. “Now. You goddamned bitch.” Swallowing bile, she climbed in and Mark slammed the door.
“Buckle up sweetheart. You’re in for a helluva ride,” Vance said, then revved the engine and drove around the resort’s circular drive and away, leaving Mark behind.
Chapter 10
Jacob heard Mark’s name and immediately advanced toward the lobby to find Claire. Clearly, she’d come to her senses. Finally… “I’m counting on you…” her voice cut off… “You’re not leaving without me…”
Fuck. “He’s got her.”
Adrenaline spurred him on. He wanted to rush the bastard, but if she’d stopped… when he heard Mark speak again, he knew she couldn’t get away.
“He’s got a weapon,” he said to Hank as he rounded the corner that led to the main lobby. “She’s going with him. No way she’d endanger anyone else.”
“We don’t veer from our original plan.”
“Affirmative. I’m tailing them now.”
He moved around a group of giggling teenage girls, focusing on his target and Claire. A silver Land Rover pulled in under the resort’s covered valet area. “Got the vehicle in your sight?” He walked toward the sliding glass doors. “Vance’s got to be inside.” No way Riley’d involve another person in his insane pursuit of Claire.
“Agreed.”
Careful to stay away from the entrance’s open mechanism, Jacob skimmed the lobby’s western wall, closing the distance between them. “Can’t see through the blacked-out windows.”
Mark opened the door, and a figure loomed inside.
Jacob’s body tensed and his jaw ached. He heard Mark’s command, and watched her climb into the passenger seat. Mark slammed the door, stepped back, and the Land Rover squealed around the circular driveway.
“He’s on the move.” He heard Vance’s voice and Claire’s sharp intake of breath. He wanted to rush through the doors and nail Mark, but the jerk had a weapon. “I’ll grab Mark as soon as the coast is clear. We can’t tip Riley off or he’ll kill her before we can save her.”
“She’s smart. Already got him talking.”
“Yeah, I know.” He hoped to hell he didn’t hear anything that’d make him lose his shit. Because if the fucking bastard did anything to her—anything—Jacob would kill him without remorse. Jail time or not.
“We’ll rendezvous in the parking lot.”
Mark reentered the resort and made his way toward the Podcast Lab’s hallway. Nothing in his relaxed stride revealed that he’d forced Claire into the Land Rover. Or how he’d put her in the hands of a monster.
He figured the jerk had a lot in common with his dear old dad.
The crowd thinned out and Jacob took the opportunity to close the distance between them until he was within a foot of Mark. He heard Vance ramble on about his sexual needs and how Claire would finally fulfill them and then… nothing…
The signal died.
Heat flushed through his body. He attacked Mark from behind, putting him into a choke hold. “Make one false move and I’ll snap your neck in half.”
Mark struggled to free himself, shouting for help. Security staff surrounded them, but Jacob stopped them from interfering. “Gary Hudson’s wanted for arson and he’s an accomplice in a kidnapping. Sheriff’s on his way here to take him into custody.”
“Go ahead. Arrest me. But I’m still not talking.”
“Do not fuck with me.” Pain ripped through Jacob’s shoulder, but he ignored it, plastering him against the wall next to the open door. “Tell me where he’s taking her or die. Your choice.” He shoved Mark even harder against the wall, squashing the left side of his store-bought face.
“Even if I do, he’ll never surrender,” Mark grunted. “He’ll go down fighting and he’ll take Claire with him.”
“Not on my watch.” Static crackled in his ear. Claire’s faint voice tuned in and out again… a road… pine trees… rocks… then nothing. He bared his teeth and choked Mark harder until he heard the rattle in his throat. “Talk or die.”
More static crackled. Vance’s voice tuned in and out… a door slammed… then nothing again. She could be anywhere and time was running out.
“She destroyed my family.”
“You fucking father did.” He squeezed harder, counting the minutes and miles traveled in the short time Vance had Claire. “Three girls died. Claire spent almost a year in rehab.”
Mark’s muscles went slack and tears formed in his eyes. “He said she led him on… he tried… ”
“She was fourteen years old. He failed his breathalyzer test. Your neighbors reported multiple disturbance of the peace complaints to the local PD long before he attacked Claire. Cops came out for domestic abuse calls.” Jacob loosened his hold to give Mark an opportunity to absorb the truth. “Use your fucking brain and connect the dots.”
Tears rolled down Mark’s cheeks. “I thought he’d… I wanted to make him happy… and proud. He promised we’d be a family again.”
“How the hell can you be a family again if he’s dead?”
“We can’t.”
“Your father’s a narcissistic sociopath.” Jacob choked him harder and punched him in the side with everything he had in him. “He conned you. You’ll pay the penalty.”
Mark sobbed openly. Though Jacob wanted to throttle the bastard, he realized the man had no fight left in him. “If you help me find Claire,” he said. “I’ll put in a good word with the District Attorney. Maybe you won’t lose everything.” Poor jerk had been pushed around a lot as a kid, but his issues weren’t Jacob’s problems to solve.
“You promise?”
“Yes, but you better talk fast.”
Between sobs, Mark gave Jacob his home’s location along with the passwords to shut down his elaborate security system. Then Jacob hauled the poor sucker’s ass over to the security guards with instructions to hold him until the sheriff took him into custody.
He texted Hank the information, then ran through the resort and outside to his SUV. After punching in the coordinates in his GPS, he barreled out of the parking lot and toward the remote mountain road which would take him to Claire.
Vance wouldn’t kill Claire yet. He’d play nasty games with her mind, then he’d do a hell of a lot worse if Jacob didn’t get to her.
“Nice view from here,” Coach Riley said as he rounded another hairpin curve while stroking her thigh all the way to Claire’s groin.
She squeezed her legs together, fear and panic bubbling in her throat. Don’t fight him yet. Talk. Let Jacob know what’s here. She pushed down her revulsion. “I don’t recognize this part of the mountains,” she said through numb lips. “But I can see Eagle Rock from here.” Oh, how she wished she could open the door and jump out, but the bastard had set the child locks while speeding away from the resort.
The Land Rover bumped over the rough gravel and he released her leg to grip the steering wheel with both hands. “Mark bought this property for the stellar views and the inaccessibility. He likes his privacy.”
She stared out the window, holding onto the worry handle as the vehicle continued to jerk and bobble on the road’s rough terrain. The sunny, gorgeous day seemed vicious, scorning her with its majesty, in contrast to the dark, menacing thoughts racing through her mind.
Vance cruised around another winding curve and a gated driveway appeared in the distance. He drove to it, stopped long enough to lower his window and punched the security code into the box situated outside the high stone walls on either side of the metal gate.
The gate swung open and he continued onward through the densely wooded property where sunlight radiated through the tall white pines and onto the forest floor below.
“Mark certainly has an excellent security system,” she said, hoping her wire still worked. “Does the stone wall surround the entire property?”
“Be no point in having half a wall.” Vance shot her a suspicious glance. “You’re awful talkative cons
idering what’s in store for you.”
Black spots floated in front of her eyes. The last thing she wanted to do was think about what he’d do to her once he got her to Mark’s place. “Just trying to take my mind off what you’ve got planned.” Claire stared at the gun in his shoulder holster. She’d run as soon as an opportunity came up.
Oh. It had better arrive soon. Same for Jacob. How in the hell would he get into this hidden complex with all its security measures? She hugged her waist. He’s a trained SEAL. An elite bodyguard force is working with him. He will save me.
The driveway widened as they approached a mountain chalet with two A-frames rising into the sky, an attached four-car garage, and an upper deck wrapped around both sections.
Vance pressed a button on his window visor. “Home sweet home,” he said as one door rose. He drove inside, turned off the engine, reached up, and seconds later the garage door shut. “Couldn’t have brought you here without Mark’s help. He set the whole thing up after you subscribed to his show and sent him fan mail.”
“Why?”
“He came to visit me a prison after his show went viral and made him rich. He thought that’d make me proud of him. I was, but I wanted more. He never did have the balls to stand up for the right thing, including me.”
Her heart slowed to a dull thud. “He was desperate for your approval.” So had she after her father had died. She wanted this horrible man to replace a man who was irreplaceable. And he’d used her grief and sorrow against her.
“Mark came to me to brag about his success and told me you’d subscribed to his show. I expected more from my son and told him so.” Vance slid his hand over to her knee and cupped it. “He believes my story about the crash. Then I convinced him to help me punish you for sending me to jail. Fooling those suckers on the parole board was part of my plan to get out early. When that rolled into play, he followed you to Montana to get ready for this day. He’d lick the shit off my boots if I asked him to.” Vance laughed, running his palm along the inside of her thigh.
A sick feeling bubbled in her throat. “You manipulated him.”
“Damn straight.” He skimmed his fingers over her groin, stroked her and then groped her. “I’ve waited a long time to fuck you, Claire.” He squeezed her to the point of pain. “But I don’t want our first time to be in a car. Too many bad memories about what can go wrong.”
Panic popped along her nerves and she tasted acid. Don’t let him win. Stall him until help gets here. Jacob had to on his way, maybe he was already here. Meanwhile, she’d make it hard for him to get his rocks off no matter the consequences.
“I doubt you’ll enjoy fucking me with blue balls.” She punched him in the nuts.
He screamed. “Bitch.” Vance backhanded her across the face. “You’re lucky I want to fuck your brains out or you’d be dead.”
Her ears rang and pain radiated across her cheeks and temple. She slumped, pretending to pass out from his blow. She’d rely on herself for now. And she’d thank God she let Jacob into her life when he rescued her later.
“Fuck. Stupid bitch.”
The sounds of his seatbelt unbuckling, the child locks clicking and Vance shuffling out of his seat to exit the Land Rover filled her ears. Within moments, he dragged her out of the passenger seat and hefted her over his shoulder.
Her head bounced against his back. She opened her eyes to peer at her surroundings as he carried her up the stairs, then into the chalet across gleaming hard wood floors which seemed to go forever, then into a hallway.
More stairs. This time down.
Grunting, he shifted her on his shoulders, cupping her butt and stroking along the crack in the middle. “Might have to take her this way too,” he murmured.
Nausea churned in her belly. He’d do countless horrible things to her given the chance. She struggled to continue breathing shallowly instead of fighting to escape. Jacob would rescue her long before Vance acted on his twisted desire.
He opened a white paneled door and stepped inside. “I don’t give a damn if she’s passed out cold. I’m going to fuck her anyway.” Vance carried her until he moved to swing her off his shoulders.
Claire closed her eyes, and her heart slowed to a dull beat when he dumped her unceremoniously onto a bed. He positioned her legs and arms into a spread-eagle position.
She heard the clink of chains, then cold metal closed around her wrists and ankles.
Terror clawed all the way up her spine and icy fingers scraped the inside of her throat raw. He was going to rape her now. And she couldn’t escape him. Jacob isn’t coming.
Tears pricked hot behind her eyes. She wanted to scream, but she kept her mouth shut, waiting, unwilling to tip her hand yet.
She heard his zipper and the rustle of his pants. Then his hands were on her, jerking down her zipper and dragging her pants over her hips to her knees to bind her even more. He pinched her nipples through her top and she bit back a whimper, remaining motionless while he crawled on top of her.
“Won’t be the same without you screaming for more, but this is just the beginning, Claire.” He pawed at her panties, shoving them aside while slobbering her mouth with his vile lips and trying to stick his grotesque tongue inside.
Now. She bit down hard, tasted blood and screamed into Vance’s outraged face. “You’re a monster.”
He raised his hand to strike her again, but before he hit her, a shot rang out and he went rigid, blood squirting from his neck onto her.
The rest was a blur of orders, someone dragging Vance’s dead body from hers, and then Jacob’s face came into view… “I knew you’d come,” she said, tears rolling down the sides of her face.
“Someone toss me the keys to these cuffs.”
“Got them,” Hank shouted and threw them.
Jacob caught them. “Claire. God.” His voice cracked as he released her wrists, then set her ankles free. “He almost…” He pulled up her pants and gathered her into his arms, holding her as if he’d never let her go.
She caressed his stubbled jaw and his gleaming blue eyes locked onto hers. “But he didn’t,” Claire said. “And you made sure he’ll never hurt me or anyone else again.”
“We didn’t hear everything, but you gave us time, Claire. The signal…,” his voice broke, his eyes filled. “It faded in and out. If Mark hadn’t broken down and told us where you were… Fuck.” Tears tracked down her handsome SEAL’s face.
Her heart ached for him. Oh, how she loved this man. Her protector, her lover, her equal in every way. “I should never have put myself in this position,” she said. “I’m sorry I didn’t completely trust you.” Members of the Brotherhood Protectors along with the Sheriff and his deputies swarmed the room while emergency personnel rushed in with a gurney.
Someone handed Jacob a towel and he gently wiped the blood which had spilled onto her face and neck and arms. “Don’t apologize. God. Don’t. I know why you had to do it.”
Jacob carried her out and up the stairs where he finally set her down. “I fought you, made it harder, but you were right. You had to risk your neck to stop Vance Riley.” He caressed her cheeks and then rained kisses over them until he reached her mouth, kissing her gently before releasing her lips. “But if I’d lost you, Claire. I’d be half a man. And it’s probably crazy, and way too soon for me to say this, but I love you too much to ever let you risk your neck again. I want you in my life. Always. No matter where we live or what we do.”
Her heart fluttered wildly and warmth radiated throughout her body, making her feel light. “I want be in your life too,” she said.
“You do?” he asked, hope shining in his eyes.
“Of course I do,” she said. “You’re the only man for me, and I want to spend the rest of my life showing you how much I love you.”
“Then why don’t we start now?” He drew her into his arms and lowered his mouth to hers, bringing her right back to where she belonged. With him. Now and forever.
Also by Christine
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br /> Brotherhood Protectors’ Amazon Kindle Worlds
Falling for Her Bodyguard
Hollywood Heartbreakers’ Series
Reforming the Heartbreaker: Ryder & Addison’s Story
Tempting the Heartbreaker: Rafe & Sabrina’s Story
Seducing the Heartbreaker: Jax & Fiona’s Story
Resisting the Heartbreaker: Trevor & Samantha’s Story
Sweetbriar Springs’ Series
The Movie Star’s Red Hot Holiday Fling: Book 1
The Maverick’s Red Hot Reunion: Book 2
The Marine’s Red Hot Homecoming: Book 3
Stand Alone Books
The Tycoon’s Red Hot Marriage Merger
The Marriage Ultimatum
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Acknowledgments
Once again, a huge thank you to Elle James who invited me to be part of her amazing Kindle World THE BROTHERHOOD PROTECTORS. This is by far one of the most fun writing experiences I’ve had to date. Mwah!!
Thanks again to my incredible critique partners, Pam Mantovani and Carmen Falcone. Y’all helped be become a romantic suspense author with your dedication to getting the stories on point!! You make me a better writer with your honesty and support!
Big shout out to my readers! You’re the reason I sit in my chair for hours, alone in a room to write these love stories. This journey is all the sweeter because of you!
As always, hugs to my fabulous family and friends. Y’all keep me sane, bring me chocolate and wine, and joy!! Lots of joy.
About the Author
Christine Glover is the author of sensual, smart, emotionally satisfying contemporary romances. She loves discovering how her determined heroines and super sexy heroes with heart journey toward their own happily ever afters. Her characters are real people from all walks of life who embody classic love stories with a modern twist. She enjoys finding the silly in the serious, making wine out of sour grapes, and giving people giggle fits along with heartfelt hugs. When she's not writing, you can find her traveling the world, cooking gourmet food, and desperately seeking a corkscrew.
Brotherhood Protectors: Falling for Her Temporary Bodyguard (Kindle Worlds Novella) Page 10
