Page 68 of Vicious Sabotage

Her knees threatened to buckle as she spotted Colton, Hunter, several ranch hands from the Gracey and a man she’d never seen before but who was definitely military.

Then she let out a cry as Smythe yanked her up against him and shoved the cold steel barrel of a gun into her temple. “Stay back!”

He was going to use her to get away. But did it matter when Carver wasn’t among the men standing?

Hunter lifted his own weapon, aiming it at Smythe. Was this a scare tactic they used in the military? Weren’t they supposed to drop their weapons to ensure that she got out of this alive?

She’d spent her entire life trusting the process, but she wasn’t feeling very patient at the moment.

Another scream bubbled in her throat. She gulped.

“Let her go!” Hunter barked.

Several more weapons clicked as Smythe’s creeps pointed them at the men trying to rescue her. Suddenly, she realized they hadn’t shown up here by coincidence—that panic button brought them running.

The barrel of Smythe’s weapon dug deeper into her flesh, making it feel as if her skull was cracking in two. He yanked on her, dragging her with him backward, toward the exit.

“If you try it, I’ll shoot her. Don’t test me!” Smythe’s vicious words washed over her ear, sickening her.

She met Colton’s gaze, then Hunter’s. The man she didn’t recognize twisted his stare away from her as if he couldn’t stand to see the fear on her face.

“Where’s Wolfe?” Colton’s demand brought more heated words rushing past her ear as Smythe answered.

“Don’t worry. He’ll turn up soon enough.”

Just like the guy from the pond on the Gracey Ranch? The one who went missing and turned up floating in the reeds? She hadn’t seen it for herself, thank god, but she’d heard the rumors, and then Ivy verified the truth of it.

Livia let out a pained whimper.

With a yank, Smythe hauled her out the door and shoved her into a vehicle.

The last thing she remembered was the expression on Colton’s face. His jaw was set with determination.

They would try to rescue her.

Maybe she didn’t want to be rescued.

What was left for her when Carver was gone?

* * * * *

Carver was basically a prisoner of war.

But he was a SEAL. That cancelled the first issue.

After he dropped four bodies on the floor, the final two had overpowered him. Next thing he knew, he was waking up in an empty garage surrounded by mechanics’ tools and the reek of gasoline.

If they’d doused the place and intended to light a match, he was fucked. He couldn’t break his bonds and free himself from the pole they’d chained him to before the whole place went up in flames.

Livia.

Fuck. His throat thickened with emotion. He’d failed her. When he let down his guard and missed checking the back door where their attackers had entered, he failed both of them.

His head throbbed from the pistol blow he’d taken to the temple. But it was nothing compared to the ache in his heart at what had probably happened to Livia.

For long minutes, he drowned in regret. If he’d lost her…

He curled his fists where they were pinned behind his back. Then he lost it, yanking brutally on the chain until it dug into his wrists. The pole support rattled. If he could pull it down, he would. He didn’t even care if it killed him in the process. Without Livia—

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