Page 49 of Casey's Hero

Hawk’s team was their only hope for getting out of this situation alive.

The man holding the rifle barked a command.

The guy on the floor released Kalea’s wrist and rolled to his feet with his pistol in his hand.

Kalea stood, squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. When she moved toward Casey, the man she’d hit in the head with the tabletop stepped between the two women. Blood oozed from a break in his skin on top of his head, matting his dark hair.

Kalea had hit him hard enough to bring down a two-ton bull. How could they have known the man had a seriously hard head? He grabbed Kalea’s arm and pushed her through the door.

Casey started after her but was stopped by the man with the rifle. He waved the gun at her, indicating she should move back into the room.

Kalea was being dragged away down a hallway. Casey couldn’t let them take her friend. She had to do something, and quickly.

Her captor had leaned forward, his weapon tipped toward the ground, reaching for the door handle.

Casey dove for the door, slamming it into the man’s face. He yelped, one hand leaving his weapon to clutch his nose. Blood ran through his fingers and dripped onto the floor. His eyes were watering, and he wasn’t concentrating on her.

Casey leaped over him and out of the room. She turned, planted her foot in his backside and shoved hard, sending the man sprawling onto all fours in the room. Then she reached in, snagged the door handle and pulled it closed. The key was still inthe lock. She twisted it and flung it to a corner. It slid behind a large potted plant.

She looked around, frantically searching for her friend. Voices sounded at the end of the hallway. Casey followed the sound. Without a weapon, she wasn’t sure what good she would be, but she had to do something. They’d use Kalea to get Hawk to agree to marry Camila. Once he agreed, in hopes of saving her life, they’d perform the wedding and then kill Kalea anyway.

All Casey could hope to do was provide a distraction to keep things stirred up until the Brotherhood arrived to save their asses.

Please, Jacob. Hurry.

CHAPTER 12

Jacob barreled down the hallway,followed by his team. emerging into the open living area where half a dozen armed men stood guard over his friend, who wore the sleek black tuxedo intended for his marriage to another woman.

Jacob slid to a halt when he realized that not only was Hawk being held at gunpoint, but Kalea stood in front of him with another guard holding a wicked-looking knife pressed to her throat.

Camila stood in the middle of the room, dressed in a long white wedding gown, cut low in the front. She shook a bouquet of blood-red roses at Jacob and his crew. “Get back, or I’ll have my men kill them both.”

“You can’t mean that,” Casey burst into the room. “They’ve done nothing to hurt you.” Two men grabbed her by the arms. She fought to free herself, but they held tight.

“No?” Camila gave a bark of laughter. “You call a broken heart nothing?”

“You don’t love me, Camila,” Hawk said. “You’re in love with the idea of being married. You could care less if it was to me.”

“You’re wrong,” she said, her voice rising to a squeaky screech. “I love you, and you love me. That’s how it’s always been.”

“I don’t love you, Camila,” Hawk said. “You don’t want me to marry you. I could never love you.”

“You’ll marry me to save your preciousprometida.” Camila jerked her head to the side. One of her bodyguards grabbed Kalea by the hair, yanked her head back and pricked her throat with the razor-sharp tip of his knife.

Blood oozed from the wound.

Hawk broke free of the man holding him and lunged toward Kalea. Three men converged on him and dragged him back in place. His face flushed a ruddy red, and his eyes narrowed to slits. “I could never marry a woman who is so desperate she has to threaten a man in order to get him to agree to marry her,” he said, his tone low, carefully enunciated and filled with rage. “Even if you made me say yes, you could never sleep at night. I’d kill you. And I’d take great pleasure in making you hurt.”

Camila’s eyes flashed. “You would not. You’re an honorable man. That’s why I chose you.”

Jacob stepped forward. “You want an honorable man…” He jabbed his thumb at his chest. “I’m an honorable man, a Navy SEAL, and I’m not scheduled to get married tomorrow.” He lifted his chin in challenge. “Why not marry me instead of Hawk?” Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Casey’s brow dip.

Camila scowled. “I am not in love with you. I will marry Hawk. We will bemuy contenta.”

“We won’t bemuyanything,” Hawk said. “What part ofI. Don’t. Love. Youdo you not understand?”

Camila’s scowl switched to a twisted brow. She shook her head and turned back to Hawk. “You will learn to love me. Iam very loveable. Is that not so,mis primos?” She looked at her cousins.

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