Page 50 of Casey's Hero

They nodded, although their expressions never lost their fierceness and their grips remained tight on their captives.

Camila faced Hawk. “You will marry me.” Her chin lifted. “If you continue to refuse, I will have my men kill your friends, one at a time, until you agree. Starting with her.” She pointed her finger at Casey.

Jacob’s pulse leaped. With his men pointing their weapons at her men, and her men pointing at his team, it would be a blood bath should anyone let loose the first round. They had to keep that from happening. No one would win that fight.

He inched closer and spoke loudly. “Camila, you don’t want Hawk. He’s not nearly as manly as I am.” He pounded a fist to his chest. “I’m a decorated war hero. I’ve fought many battles and saved his life on so many occasions I’ve lost count. He’s nothing.”Focus on me, he willed her and her cousins silently as Hank, Reid and the Deltas slipped into the room.

“Why are you talking? You don’t even belong here.” She jerked her head toward him. “Kill him,” she said to her cartel minions.

The men who weren’t employed holding onto the captives turned toward Jacob and his team. Jacob’s team raised their weapons as well.

“I wouldn’t do that,” Jacob said. “If your guys shoot, mine will be forced to return fire. I’ll be the first to aim at you, Camila. Are you ready to die?”

All focus was away from the windows and the patio entrance.

Hank and his team chose that moment to slip through the door and inch closer to Camila’s men.

“Of course, I’m not ready to die. I’m getting married.” She patted her beautifully coifed updo with the veil affixed to the back. “But you forget…I have hisprometida. My men wouldshoot her first. Hawk would not want his fiancée killed,” she smiled at Hawk, “would you,mi amor? So, back to my demands. Hawk will say ‘I do’, or I will kill the other woman first. Then I will kill you,” she said, her finger now pointing at Jacob. “Then I will kill this woman he professes to love. If he truly loves her, and if he cares for his friends, he will agree to marry me.” She nodded to the man holding Casey. “She will go first.”

Jacob met Casey’s gaze. He wanted to go to her, to hold her and protect her from the man who held a knife to her throat. His heart clenched in his chest. He was almost afraid to breathe, lest the man slip and dig the sharp metal blade into her soft skin.

Casey gave him a hint of a nod and shifted her gaze to Kalea. “God, I wish I was in Panama.”

Kalea’s eyes flared. She returned her nod. “Me, too.”

Jacob frowned. Why would Casey say that at a time like this?

While his little wedding planner’s gaze connected with Kalea’s, she cocked her arm and counted silently, moving her lips.Three…Two…One. At the same time, Kalea and Casey jabbed their elbows hard into their captors’ guts, then stomped on their insteps, ducked, twisted and shoved their palms hard at their captors’ noses. Then they grabbed an arm and yanked the men forward fast, twisting their arms around and shoving them up between the men’s shoulder blades.

Everyone in the large room moved at once.

Jacob rushed toward Hawk and his armed captors.

While all attention was on Jacob, Casey and Kalea, Hank and his men moved in from behind. On cue, they swept in and took out the men holding weapons pointed at Jacob and his guys.

Jacob reached the man holding a knife to Hawk’s neck and punched his fist into the man’s kidney. The man loosened his hold. Maddog dove for the man on Hawk’s other side, hitting him like a linebacker going for the quarterback. He knocked himbackward. The man let go of Hawk to save his fall. He hit the floor flat on his back. Maddog pinned him.

Hawk broke free, though his hands were still tied behind his back.

Jacob wrestled with the guy still holding the knife.

Levi and Rex took over for Kalea and Casey.

Shots were fired somewhere in the room.

With his attention on his fight to gain control of the knife, Jacob didn’t have time to figure out where the bullets had gone, or who might be injured. The man refused to let go of the knife.

Tired of wrestling him, Jacob pushed him backward across the floor until he slammed up against a wall. Then he beat the man’s hand into the wall until his hold loosened and he dropped the knife. Once the knife hit the floor, Jacob pulled his hand down, twisted him around by the arm and shoved his face into the wall. Quickly securing his wrists with zip ties, he knocked the man’s feet out from under him and sent him sprawling across the floor. “Move, or I’ll shoot you.”

The man remained on the ground.

Jacob looked around and froze.

Kalea was with Hawk, but Casey was being held at gunpoint by Camila.

“Stop this madness at once!” Camila cried out.

All fighting ceased, and every man looked toward her.

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