Page 20 of Protected By the SEAL

“And the man stabbed me in the thigh as well for dramatic effect, which hurts like hell.”

She sits back on the bed and slides her trousers down for me to see the injury. Thankfully, using the limited knowledge that Ihave, it doesn’t look too bad, and I have a first-aid kit so I can try and help her as much as possible.

“I said some stuff in the video as well,” Cassie admits as I get to work on her injury. “Some stuff that sounds bad. I thought that it was only going to my dad, so I made a comment about my life being more important than money. I only said it to hurry him up, but with that shit going out to the press, it’s going to tear us apart. My family are screwed. I have a horrible feeling that even my siblings will hate me after this. I can’t see them ever wanting anything to do with me again.”

She hasn’t told me that her brothers and sisters have been basically her world, the people she really counts as family, but I can read between the lines enough to know. “I’m sure they will understand the duress that you were under.”

I reach up once she’s bandaged and stroke her hand in mine. Our eyes lock together, and I can see the emotions overflowing through her. In this moment, I feel an even deeper connection with Cassie than I’ve ever had before. It’s even more powerful than when we were having sex. This confirms what I already knew, that there’s something there between us. Something that we can’t shy away from even if it’s insane. She and I really do have a bond that will last forever.

“We aren’t going to die here, you know,” I tell her boldly, now confident in my own words. “I won’t let it happen.”

“They told me that if my dad doesn’t do what they want, I don’t stand a chance,” she whispers back. “And I don’t know…”

“Your father will pull through for you. Any father would. And honestly, your life being in danger is more urgent than anythingincorrect said in a video or any public image going under. Your lifeisworth more than any money.” I offer her a smile, which she attempts to return but doesn’t quite make it. “Plus, I’m here. I know this isn’t easy because we’re out numbered, but I can kick ass. I was a Navy SEAL, and now I’m in charge of your life. Youwillget out of here alive, I promise you that much.” Still, I’m not entirely convinced that she’s totally on board. “Max will have something for us soon. He knows exactly what is going on, and he won’t abandon us. I promise you, we just need to keep holding on for a little bit longer.”

Eventually, Cassie concedes and pulls me up onto the bed with her. I hold her in my arms and whisper comforting words to her. Sadly, I don’t feel her relaxing for even a second, though. The stress is rolling through her in endless waves, stiffening her body and probably making every bit of the pain deep inside her a million times worse. I want to change that. I would do anything for Cassie right now to help her get through this with ease, but I also can’t make it worse.

“Do you think they’ve done it already?” she asks while pulling her head up to glance at me for a moment. “Sent the video out, I mean. I’m so stressed about it being on the TV. I don’t know how I’ll handle it. It’ll be awful. And sitting here helpless while it’s going out on the airwaves, destroying everything… I hate it. It’s making me feel ill.”

“I’m going to try and contact Max to find out,” I assure her, more confidently than I really feel since I haven’t had a response from my other messages yet. But I can’t exactly just sit around and do nothing. “See if he can stop it from going out.”

“Would he be able to do that?” Hope shines in Cassie’s eyes. I really hate putting it there when I don’t know if I can follow itthrough, but I’ll do my best. “Oh, my God, if he could stop it from going out, then everything would be better.”

“I’ll try, but I can’t guarantee it,” I admit sadly. “But I’ll see if he can at least try and get control of things.”

I don’t feel good as I message Max now. I feel like I’ve given Cassie too much hope that hasn’t panned out as planned today, but I suppose she’s got to understand that while I’m here, I’m pretty much out of control as well. I also pass the message on to Max that Cassie was coerced into saying things that she didn’t mean, which is almost the truth—I mean, she was in a terrible position—in the hope that he will pass that information on to William and the Jones family so they don’t hate her.

“You are amazing,” Cassie gasps once I’m done. “I know that this might not work, but the fact that you’re trying… it’s incredible to me. Thank you so much, Benji. I wouldn’t want to be going through this with anyone else in the world.”

I wasn’t expecting that. She throws me off a little, actually, and I find myself getting choked up. “I would do anything to keep you safe, Cassie,” I tell her thickly. “I don’t want you to be harmed at all, and that’s because I love you.”

Shit, that wasn’t meant to come out. Heat of the moment, stress of the situation or not, that isn’t the sort of thing that you say to someone you barely know. All the air sucks out the room as we stare at one another, wondering what’s next. I probably should try and suck the words back in, but any denial will probably just make things a million times worse. I can’t win here.

“I love you too.” Those words burst from her like she’s been holding them in for far too long. “Oh, Benji. I really do.”

She leaps into my arms once more and kisses me, hard and desperately. There’s some passion there, but a whole lot of desperation as well, a neediness which puts me on edge. I don’t know if this should be happening right now. It’s all so confusing. I mean, I might love her, and she may well feel the same for me as well, but our lives are hanging in the balance and…

Bang!As if to prove my point, the fist gunshot rings out, followed by a whole bunch more.Bang, bang, bang.

Oh, God, here we go again. Cassie leaps off me, knowing that everything is changing all over again, just as I do. Gunshots can’t be good. They can only lead to more disaster, and honestly, I don’t know how much more drama either of us can take.

18

CASSIE

Iwatch in absolute horror as Benji rushes to the motel room door and presses his ear up against it. Everything inside me tenses up, and I feel like I might be about to explode. This might be it, the moment that my father abandons me and I die. Maybe Benji got to his boss too late and there was no controlling the video. It’s out there in the world already.

“Can you hear anything?” I whisper anxiously while twisting my fingers around themselves. “What is it?”

“I don’t know.” Benji shrugs helplessly. “I can’t tell if this is good noise or bad noise. I don’t know if it’s the cops…”

“You think it might be?” I refuse to get my hopes up again. I can’t expect to live after all of this. “Oh, God, could it be?”

I get no answer, which is hardly a surprise since Benji already confessed that he doesn’t know. He has absolutely no idea. He can’t when he’s locked away in here with me. We’re basically in jail, unable to find out anything.

“I think that it might be time for you to contact your family,” Benji tells me gravely in a tone which has my blood running icecold. “I know that all of this might be shrouded in secrecy, but it’s for the best. You all need this.”

I want to ask him if this means we’re going to die, but I’m too afraid. I can’t find a way to open my mouth and to let those words out because I don’t want to hear the answer. Even Benji is on the verge of giving up hope, and it’s only been his positivity to get us this far. Now, with gunshots surrounding us, it’s slipping off him. He won’t be able to get it back.

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