Page 30 of Forbidden Heat

“Daddy?” My voice cracks.

The phone is snatched away. The hand holding my arm wrenches it, and I cry out just as a gun goes off.

* * *

“Cameron Thorne.”

“Mr. Thorne, my name is Garrett Smith, formerly of the US Marine Corps. I work for a man named Carlo Adamo.”

“Never heard of him.”

“That’s all right, sir; most people haven’t. He’s got his own private investigations and security firm, and most of the employees, as well as Mr. Adamo himself, have seen action. We understand you’re trying to find a young lady who’s been abducted.”

“The Ciccone crime family has her, and I think I know where. It’s a long story.”

“Your friend Mr. Drake gave us the gist of it, sir. We have a team en route to your destination.”

“Wait. Not my location, but my destination?”

“We’re pretty good at this sort of thing, Mr. Thorne, if you don’t mind my saying so. And we do appreciate your urgent interest in getting the young lady back unharmed and ASAP, but if you want to improve her chances … wait for us.”

* * *

I’m curledon the floor in a corner of the room, trying to make myself invisible. I know it’s a corner because after they flung me down here, I explored with my fingertips and found the walls.

They’re talking about me. Low enough that I can’t understand most of what they say, but the occasional phrases I catch make me shake inside.

One of them wants to kill me right now. The other two want to have some fun with me first. I’ve just about made up my mind to fight them, when they come for me, in hopes that they shoot me and make it quick.

If I still had Cam, I’d want to survive. He’d try to save me, and if he couldn’t, he wouldn’t blame me for what they did. But that was the old Cameron, the one I could believe in.

Footsteps come toward me. I shrink back, terrified, but hoping they’ll untie me, if only to have more freedom in what they do to me. That’ll at least give me the chance to end this on my own terms.

Shots ring out, followed by the thud of bodies hitting the floor nearby. A moment later, the room is full of people. They move with uncanny quietness, but the cumulative effect of their presence still registers on my senses.

Strong arms lift me, and then I’m cradled against a broad chest. For an instant a wild hope flares, but just as quickly dies. This man smells clean and masculine, but not like Cam.

“Hang on, doll,” a deep voice says. “We’ve gotta get out of this house before they bring in reinforcements, and then we’ll get you squared away.”

He sounds utterly calm despite the fact that he’s apparently just shot a few people. Somehow his confidence is contagious, and I let myself breathe more deeply while he moves, carrying me easily.

The man lifts me into a vehicle and climbs in beside me. The car takes off, and then my rescuer’s hands are working on the blindfold. When it’s gone, I blink my eyes several times to help the dryness.

It’s dark outside, which means it’s only been a few hours since I was abducted from the SUV. I turn my head to see an enormous man sitting next to me. He’s holding a knife.

I flinch before I can stop myself. “Sorry,” he says. “I was gonna cut your ropes, if that’s okay.”

“Oh, yes. Thank you.” Steeling my nerves, I turn slightly away from him, and the ropes fall away as if they’ve dissolved. That knife must be really sharp.

When I turn back, the knife has disappeared somewhere. “Can I ask your name?” I say.

“I’m Carlo.”

“Thank you, Carlo,” I say. “For saving me.”

“You’re welcome. Your man is gonna be glad to see you.”

My eyes get big. “Cam hired you?”

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