Page 22 of Abducted

He stopped in his tracks. Her nose bumped into his shoulder blade. “There’s glass everywhere.” He turned and scooped her up in his arms.

“I can step around it,” she protested. He ignored her and skirted around the glass. When they were safely in the master bedroom—his room—he set her back on her feet. The intruders hadn’t spared his personal space. Clothes scattered the floor, a dresser lay on its side on the floor, and a large chunk had been taken out of the wall. The massive California-king mattress lay flipped over against the far wall.

“Why would they do this?”

He paced around the room, into the master bath and out. His hands balled into tight fists at his sides. “They were looking for the money.”

“Money? What money?”

Thump, thump, thump!

Cal jerked his head up. “Someone’s here.” He pulled her farther into the room, his hands firm on her shoulders. “Stay here and don’t come out until I come and get you.”

Her breath sucked in. She nodded. “Lock the door.”

He shut the door behind him. Her hands shook as she clicked the lock. She backed away from the door, her eyes riveted to the solid steel device.

He had a dead bolt on his bedroom door.

CHAPTER 11

Cal pulled hisGlock out of the waistband of his pants and advanced on the front door.

Thump, thump, thump!

If they had come back hoping to find him, they’d be really fucking sorry. A quick look out the side window revealed Nate and Ethan’s tall forms. He exhaled and swung the door open. “Dammit, I thought you guys were going to call.”

Nate entered first, his height almost equivalent to Cal’s. Ethan was about an inch taller. The three of them had served in recon together, before each had branched out into different careers. Nate preferred the intensity of putting drug dealers and sex traffickers behind bars with the FBI. Ethan, on the other hand, was still figuring out his career choice. He’d been the last of the three of them to leave recon, and had just left the FBI.

“I sent you a text. You didn’t get it? Lana’s face is all over the news.” Dammit. He hadn’t checked his phone since their last bathroom break.

“No, I didn’t. Sonofabitch.”

Ethan whistled. “What the hell happened here? You get in a tussle?”

“No.” Cal shut the door behind them. “We just got here. This was waiting for me.” He spread his arms wide as he led them through the foyer and into the common area.

“Motherfucker,” Nate breathed.

Cal grimaced. He didn’t want to estimate the damage, but the smashed seventy-inch TV screen made him cringe.

“Only possessions, right? It can all be replaced.” Ethan clapped him on the back. Had Cal been a smaller man, the force would have jarred his shoulder. It didn’t. “Good thing you’ve got lots of dough. Don’t worry, bro. I know a great team that can come in and get this place back in order. You won’t even know it happened.”

“Thanks, appreciate it.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“Where is she?” Nate circled around the living room before meeting them back in the kitchen.

“In the bedroom. I was on edge when I heard the door, so I left her back there. Didn’t even occur to me it would be you guys already.”

Ethan grinned. “Have you forgotten how fast we’re used to moving?” The mention of their military days brought a wave of nostalgia. Despite the shitstorm around him, he didn’t miss that life. He saluted Ethan, and headed down the hall to retrieve Lana.

He tapped lightly on the bedroom door, “Lana, you can come out. It’s just Nate and Ethan.” He heard the dead bolt turn, and the door slowly opened. She stood in the doorway, her hair tumbling around her shoulders, her big blue eyes wide and cautious. Her hands fidgeted in front of her. His insides twisted with guilt. He hadn’t meant to scare her.

“It’s okay, honey. I doubt whoever broke in will be back. But still, we’re going to leave soon and check into a hotel.” He reached for her.

She inched closer. Her face was pale, and she trembled beneath his hands. Guilt tightened his gut. God, he wished he could erase that flash of fear on her face. His arms ached to wrap around her, to slow her rapid breathing. But doing so would be playing with fire. She nodded slowly, and her throat bobbed on a swallow. He cursed under his breath. Screw it. He pulled her to his chest, tucking her head beneath his chin.

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