Page 35 of Tempting My Billionaire Master

How had he found me?

As my feet hit the pavement, a myriad of thoughts raced through my head. I had to warn Ethan—he was in danger because of my stupidity, my damned insecurity.

If only I stayed in the bunker with him.

The forest loomed ahead, and I plunged into the darkness, running as if my life depended on it. The dilapidated house hiding the entrance to Ethan’s bunker came into view as the first rays of sunlight touched the ground beneath my feet. My lungs burned as I finally staggered to a stop, bracing my hands on my knees to catch my breath.

A strong arm wrapped around my throat from behind.

Chapter Thirteen

Chloe

The cold steel of the gun pressed into the soft flesh under my ear, sending a chill down my spine. I struggled against his thick, muscular arms, panic rising in my chest, but I was no match for his strength.

“I don’t need to hurt you,” the man growled into my ear and I recognized the voice of Ethan’s scarred bodyguard, “but I won’t hesitate if you stand between me and him.”

Ethan. He was talking about Ethan. Now fear for my own safety was nothing compared to the dread pooling in my stomach at the thought of what this man might do to Ethan.

“Ethan’s not here,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “You’re wasting your time.”

The man snorted, his breath hot against my cheek. “Nice try, sweetheart. But unless you make a habit of wandering the woods at dawn for fun, I’m betting Ethan’s holed up in that old house. Or more likely, in the shelter under it.”

“Even if he was, you’d never get inside.” I dug my heels into the dirt, trying to push him back with my weight, but he didn’t budge. “The place is locked up tight. You don’t have a chance.”

“Who said anything about going inside?” He gave me a rough shake. “Ethan would have the advantage. I’d rather wait out here for him. I’m sure he already knows we’re here.” His grip tightened until it felt like my bones would snap. “Don’t see any cameras, so he must be using motion sensors. It’s only a matter of time before he emerges to play the hero.”

Panic and anger warred inside me. I couldn’t let him get his hands on Ethan. I gritted my teeth and said, “Ethan will never come out.”

The man barked out a harsh laugh. “I worked for Ethan a long time. I know he’s too honorable to sacrifice you for his own safety. He’ll come.”

I fought back tears, cursing myself for leading this madman to Ethan’s doorstep. My thoughts raced, searching for a way out of this mess. I couldn’t let Ethan’s life be ruined because of me. For now I had to keep stalling, keep Ethan safe and figure a way to escape.

“What do you know of honor?” I mocked.

The man’s grip on my arm tightened, his fingernails digging into my skin. “What did you say?”

I winced at the pain but didn’t back down. “I said it’s too bad Ethan’s honor didn’t rub off on you.”

The man went rigid behind me. His voice shook as he said, “What do you know about it? They took my daughter, my little baby girl, and they want Ethan. I’ll give them whatever they ask for, do whatever it takes to get her back. And once I do, I’m going to hunt down each and every one of those bastards who took her from me.” His voice broke on a sob. “Do you understand?”

A cold dread filled my stomach. This man was capable of anything. I almost felt sorry for him.

Suddenly, Ethan emerged from the ruins with his hands held out to show they were empty. Even now, with death staring me in the face, I couldn’t help noticing how dashing he looked in his tailored suit. He walked toward us slowly but confidently, like he didn’t have a care in the world.

“Gordon,” Ethan said in a formal tone, his green eyes locked on the scarred man.

The scarred man responded with equal courtesy. “Mr. Hamilton.”

When Ethan was thirty feet away, Gordon warned, “That’s close enough.”

Ethan froze in place, his hands still held out in a placating gesture. His green eyes flickered to mine for a brief moment. Tears streamed down my face when I dared meet his gaze. “I’m so very sorry,” I choked out.

“Chloe, you don’t have anything to apologize for,” he replied, his voice steady and comforting.

Gordon snorted derisively. “Actually, she does. It’s her fault I found you. The first thing my employers did after the two of you disappeared was to hack her friend’s phone. And after she called last night and told us where she was, all I had to do was hide near the library and wait for her to appear.”

Ethan’s expression remained stoic, but my stomach twisted into knots. The guilt weighed heavily on me, making it difficult to breathe. “Gordon,” Ethan said, his voice firm yet calm. “Let Chloe go. Your business is with me.”

---