Page 83 of Guarding Bristol

Chapter Thirty-One

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She never should haveleft Bristol with him.

The angry thought kept rolling over and over in Cassie’s mind as she sped north on the soaked, windswept highway, heading for the marina where Bristol had been taken more than half an hour ago.

She kept veering between fury and being scared sick.He’d fucking sworn to her face to protect Bristol, and at the time, given the situation and the DEA involvement, Cassie had felt she’d had no choice but to comply and leave her in his care.And what had he done?Left her alone without protection while she and Tristan were en route to get her at the condo, resulting in Bristol being taken hostage by a contract killer for the cartel running this entire region.

She eased up as little as possible on the accelerator as they neared a steep curve in the wet road, taking it fast enough that Tristan set a hand on the dash to steady himself.But he didn’t say anything as she sped up to exit it.

Smart man.Driving was one of her strongest skills.She knew exactly how far she could push this vehicle in these conditions and maintain control, so she wasn’t letting up an inch.Not when every second counted.

“How far now?”she asked him.

“Just under three miles until the turnoff.”He was texting someone.“Gavin and Decker are a few minutes behind us, and the Sheriff’s Department has been notified.Along with the DEA and Coast Guard.”

“Good.”She and Tristan would be the first ones on scene, and they had no idea what to expect.“Anything else fromhim?”She refused to say his name.Bastard.

“Not that I know of.CPS is in the process of gaining access to security cameras at the marina—” He paused.“They’re saying the footage confirms that Bristol arrived at the marina with the same guy who took her from the condo.Five-ten, early-thirties, brown hair, muscular build.She still had the hood over her head.He took her aboard a boat namedSea Sirenand headed out of the harbor.”

“Then we’re gonna need a boat to go after her.”

“Yeah, on it.”He kept texting.

“No identity on him yet?”

“No.”

“What about the other guy?”

“He’s in pursuit.”

Cassie clenched her jaw.If he got Bristol killed, she would end him even if it meant spending the rest of her life in prison.

The rest of the drive passed in a tense silence, her anxiety mounting as she took the turnoff for the marina and headed toward the water.Was Bristol okay?No, shehadto be.It made no sense for the enforcer to go to the trouble of kidnapping her in broad daylight and dragging her out on a boat in the middle of this storm if he’d just planned to kill her.

He had to be using her as bait.To lurehim.

An evil part of her hopedhegot what he deserved for putting Bristol in this situation.Just as long as her stepsister wasn’t hurt in the process.

She sped down the road that curved toward the water.The marina appeared up ahead, the parking lot mostly empty.Beside her, she felt the change in Tristan.He was on full alert, weapon already in hand, ready to face whatever awaited them.

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