Page 89 of Billionaire Unreachable: Wyatt

“It’s safer for us to covertly take her back,” Cooper mused. “If anyone tries to intercept, she’ll end up dead. This lunatic is a loose cannon.”

“Wyatt!” Marshall called as I started to exit the meeting room.

“Yeah,” I said impatiently, not bothering to turn around.

“Keep a straight head, and don’t kill this asshole. I know you’re going to want to take his head off, but it’s not worth your future with Shelby. Get in, get your woman, and get the hell out. I’ll have the feds there by the time you get her out to arrest this piece of shit.”

“She’s my entire fucking life now,” I admitted in a graveled voice. “I’m going to do whatever I have to do to make sure she gets out of this alive.”

“Understood,” he replied. “But deadly force is a last resort. Shelby is your priority.”

“Damn right she is,” I growled as I headed for the door.

Shelby

Iwoke up feeling dazed and confused.

What the hell…?

Pain exploded from what felt like every location on my body.

I was struggling for air, and it hurt just to take in a breath.

I forced myself to calm down, and breathe shorter and shallower.

The room was dark, and when I tried to move to a more comfortable position, I didn’t get far.

I jerked at the bindings around my wrists and ankles that appeared to have me anchored to a bed.

Memories started to flash in my brain like brief clips of what had happened.

Kidnapped…

The off-grid cabin…

Ted…

Everything fell into place slowly until I could remember the whole ordeal.

I’d been in the barn with the horses at Kaleb’s home when Ted had taken me by surprise from behind. He’d shoved something into my mouth so I couldn’t scream. He’d then held a gun to my head, telling me if I tried anything stupid, he’d blow my head off.

His eyes had been wild and devoid of emotion, nothing like the man I’d known at The Friendly Kitchen, and I’d believed every threat he’d made.

The bastard had quickly bound my wrists and ankles when we got to the truck. He’d immediately dumped my cell phone. Hadn’t Wyatt told me that would happen if I was abducted?

I held back a pain-induced groan, wishing I’d listened to Wyatt’s instincts. They were obviously a lot better than mine.

Ted had pulled the gag from my mouth after twenty minutes or so of driving, but nothing I’d said to him had seemed to sink in.

Any hope I’d had of eventually reasoning with him had disappeared the first time he’d punched me in the truck for trying to make him listen to me.

So, I’d listened to him, and every word he’d uttered like a madman had made my skin crawl.

I wasn’t his first kidnapping, and the other two women he’d captured were dead.

He’d also been responsible for the death of his wife and kids because he’d chased them down like a maniac until his wife had panicked and crashed her vehicle.

In his twisted mind, he wanted revenge because his wife had been trying to leave Ted’s abuse, and because I looked like her, he’d focused his wrath on me.

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