Page 10 of Tempted by a SEAL

The man seated beside her had his gaze on a laughing group of young women nearby. There was an empty barstool with a drink beside him, so his buddy or girlfriend was probably on his or her way back. And she was perfectly content to be left alone.

“Gin and tonic, please,” she said to the bartender.

“Coming right up.”

The woman flipped her white cloth over her shoulder and moved toward the bottles of spirits, laughing with a couple of young men seated at the bar as she made Emma’s drink. As Emma warily scanned the crowd.

A moment later, she released a breath she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding, allowing her backpack to rest between her feet on the stool’s perch. Her shoulders and neck were tight with tension, and she absentmindedly brushed her hair back over her shoulders.

Tried to relax.

To think of a plan.

Visiting friends in London was out of the question—there was no need to draw any of them into danger. Not until she had this whole thing sorted.

Maybe she should just ring the police and ask them to meet her here. Tell them her flat was ransacked and she’d been too scared to return.

But it’s not like they’d just swing by the pub to take her statement—not unless there was an actual emergency. She should’ve turned over the papers to the authorities the moment she’d landed in Heathrow yesterday—rid herself of the situation altogether.

Now someone was literally hunting her down—there was no chance it was merely a coincidence her flat had been torn apart. Not within twenty-four hours since she’d returned. Not with the information she had.

A gin and tonic suddenly appeared before her, and Emma realized she’d been so lost in thought she hadn’t even noticed the bartender’s return. She took a sip, realizing she needed to be more aware of her surroundings. Careful with who she spoke to.

It probably wasn’t even safe sitting here for long.

She needed to move. Make sure she handed over the information through the proper channels—found someone who’d believe the documents she’d accidentally discovered.

She couldn’t let her guard down for even a moment.

Lifting her gaze, her stomach flipped as she saw the man she’d run into earlier heading in her direction.

***

Hunter strode across the pub, fists clenched, watching as the two men sat down at a table not far from him, completely unaware of his presence.

Jesus fucking Christ.

He felt his phone vibrating in the pocket of his pants but ignored it, his gaze trained on the two men.

If those two assholes had turned over an innocent woman for cash, he’d fucking read them the riot act himself. Forget following his chain of command and calling in the Brits to make an arrest—he’d end them himself, consequences be damned.

Just as soon as he determined the missing woman’s location.

His blood boiled at the thought of an innocent woman being held captive. It was bad enough that his SEAL team had just tracked down the Senator’s daughter—luckily, she’d been unharmed, but a Western woman being held hostage in the Middle East wouldn’t usually be so lucky. Maybe the latest victim wasn’t American, but that didn’t mean she’d be safe from those bastards—rape, torture. Other unspeakable acts.

His jaw clenched as his mind raced through varying scenarios.

The fact that the pub was filling up worked to his advantage. He side-stepped a couple walking up to the bar and surreptitiously planted a receiver on the back of one of the men’s chairs and he strode by.

He’d be able to hear every damn word they said.

After Hunter collected the details he needed from the men’s conversation, namely confirmation they’d been involved with the kidnapping of the missing archeologist, he and Mason would be on a flight back to the States.

Maybe even sent back out on an op to retrieve her.

It would just fucking kill him to leave those assholes here, untouched.

He had no idea what his next assignment would be though.

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