Page 55 of The SEAL's Runaway

The loud snick of the central locking echoed in the car. No. She reached for the car door handle, desperate to escape, yanked the handle, but it rattled uselessly.

Six of them, armed, and Caleb was alone.

Caleb took down the man closest to him with a volley of punches and, for an instant, she believed it could play out like a film. Caleb would subdue all six armed men by his wits alone, a hero triumphant against overwhelming odds.

Reality head butted her as a second man threw a sucker punch at Caleb, distracting him long enough for a third to smack the butt of his gun across Caleb’s temple. Caleb crumpled to the ground.

No!

Grace hammered on the glass, screaming till her throat was raw. “Leave him alone! You have me! This is not the deal!”

The driver started the engine. Alex met her panicked gaze. His expression was one of grim satisfaction and a task finally completed.

Grace slumped in her seat, her eyes gritty with exhaustion.

Richard had won.

35

Grace winced as the plastic ties cut deeper into her skin, her hands bound behind her back. The car had slammed to a halt once they were out of sight of Brad’s veterinary clinic, and Alex had wasted no time in grabbing her, securing the ties around her wrists until they bit into her flesh like hungry teeth.

He’d thrown her back into the car with a force that knocked the wind from her lungs, and as they took off at a breakneck speed, she tumbled into the rear footwell. With no seatbelt, she slammed against the unforgiving metal with each hairpin turn, biting back cries. The tang of motor oil flooded her nose while stiff carpet scraped her cheek.

Caleb. Even though she had come willingly, Alex and his men had hurt him. The memory of his body crumpling to the ground was a relentless loop in her head. She scrunched her eyes shut against the hot sting of tears. It was almost more than she could bear.

Breathe, Grace.

Disoriented and hurting, she lost track of time, until the car halted and Alex wrenched her from the vehicle. She stumbled, her knees cracking against the doorsill, and for a moment her vision grayed from the pain that ripped through her.

Bleak understanding dawned as she took in her surroundings. The familiar sight of Aurora Cove’s marina stretched out before her, the boats bobbing in their slips, oblivious spectators to her torment.

Her stomach cramped. Was one of Richard’s ships docked, waiting for her? It was the most logical conclusion, and the thought made her blood run cold.

Alex’s men hustled her down the weathered docks, past sails clinking in the fresh breeze. As they neared the end of the pier, her heart locked. An immense yacht dominated the berth, its polished hull gleaming with obscene opulence. Even without the name Far Horizon emblazoned on its side, she recognized Richard’s flagship. Bile scorched her throat. Despite everything she had done to escape him, somehow Richard had found her, and she was being delivered right back into his clutches.

She fought to steady herself against rising panic. She’d chosen to protect Caleb and his family.But the reality of what lay ahead was terrifying.

Her captors’ hold was viselike as they manhandled her aboard the sleek vessel, their bulky bodies shielding her from curious eyes in the marina.

The door to the captain’s cabin opened. Richard emerged, immaculate in designer sailing gear, his appearance as flawless as it had always been. But the coldness in his eyes, the pinched line of his mouth, spoke of the monster he was.

His smile, devoid of warmth, held a predatory edge that sent a visceral fear coursing through her body. “Grace.”

Alex’s men stepped away, but remained close enough to grab her if she tried to do anything foolish. Grace eyed the dark water slopping against the side of the boat. She’d sink like a stone with her hands tied together. Was that preferable to the fate that awaited her?

Richard circled her, assessing her disheveled state like she was a damaged commodity. Her hair was a mess, her clothes askew. Grace lifted her chin even as panic made her chest constrict. She wouldn’t let him see how scared she was. It was all she had left—her dignity and the knowledge that regardless of the outcome, she’d chosen the right path.

She had tried to do the right thing, even if it had fallen apart in her hands.

“You have led me quite the dance.” Richard leaned in and kissed her on both cheeks. Grace closed her eyes and held her breath to avoid inhaling his cologne, her skin crawling where he had touched her.

“If you’re going to kill me, just get it over and done with.” She forced desperate bravado into her voice. If these were her last hours, she would not grant Richard the satisfaction of seeing her destroyed.

His smile never reached his emotionless eyes. “What makes you think I want you dead?” His tone was light.

She summoned the last shreds of her courage. “You have no other use for me.”

He cocked his head to the side, studying her with the calculated intensity of a falcon eyeing its prey. “Perhaps.” With a casual wave of his hand, he gestured to the marina. “I believe a more private location would be more conducive to our discussion, wouldn’t you agree?”

---