Page 73 of Hidden Attraction

Silence.

Then, slowly, the man dropped the gun.

It hit the ground with a dull thud.

Chase was on him in a second, yanking him back, shoving him to the ground and securing his hands with a zip-tie.

Then, heart pounding, he turned to her.

Alyssa sagged forward, relief washing over her beautiful face.

He caught her in his arms, holding her to him for just a beat longer than necessary.

“Are you hurt?”

“No. Just bruises and scrapes,” she whispered.

He cut her bonds and pulled her against him, feeling the tremors racking her body, but feeling his too. He brushed his lips over her hair. “You’re incredible.”

Then he looked down at the man still breathing heavily on the ground.

“Time to earn your second chance,” Chase growled. “You’re going to get on the dark web. You’re going to help us contact Cypher.”

The man nodded once, still shaking.

Chase hauled him to his feet, grabbed Alyssa’s hand, and led them both out of hell.

They weren’t done yet.

But they were close.

Closer than ever.

* * * * *

Alyssa centered her gaze on Julian’s rugged features—and she couldn’t look away.

He was really here. He found her.

Questions bobbed through her mind, but there was time for them later. She clung to his side, half using him for support. After being tied up, and blood flow to her limbs limited, she felt weak and unsteady. But Julian was unbreakable steel.

His strong arm around her waist anchored her. When the leader of the group who kidnapped her yanked her to her feet and placed a gun to her temple, she thought it was all over.

She was wrong.

It was just starting.

She firmed her legs and stared at the man who had been in charge up until the time when Julian burst in. “Where is your computer?” Her Arabic came out clear.

Julian, catching the note of fury still riding in her tone, turned his head and looked at her. She felt his gaze searing into her and didn’t dare risk looking back at him. The minute she saw concern in his eyes, she might falter.

They couldn’t let go of their chance to capture the man behind everything—and this guy had a direct line to him.

When the leader didn’t immediately respond, Julian raised his arm and aimed his weapon at his chest. “The lady asked you a question. The polite thing is to respond.” His Arabic was harsher, grittier, but each word was executed with precision.

The leader’s expression gave nothing away. “Follow me.”

As soon as he turned his back on them, Julian urged her forward. The man took two slow steps and then broke into a run.

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