Page 197 of Cowboys & Navy SEALs

“Stop, or I’ll shoot,” he ordered.

Her heart sank. This couldn’t be happening!

“Hands up!”

Slowly, she lifted her hands in the air. “What do you want?” Her knees were so wobbly, she could hardly stand.

Terror rattled through her like a freight train as he came towards her.

She shrieked when he grabbed her arm and viciously twisted her around, so that he was behind her. He jabbed the barrel of the gun in her back. “Put your hands together.”

“What?” she cried.

“Make any sudden moves, and you’re dead,” he growled in her ear. “Put your arms together behind you. Now!” he thundered when she didn’t react fast enough. He grabbed her hands. She felt a thin band of plastic around her wrists andheard a zipping sound. He opened the door and thrust her through it.

Her mind raced, trying to figure a way out of this. The urge to live was overwhelming. She didn’t want to die. Not here. Not today.

He pushed her forward across the front porch. A cry of dismay gurgled in her throat when she saw the silver Chevy. She should’ve listened to her instincts that screamed the car was following her. How stupid she’d been to push Maddox away. “Who are you?”

“No talking!” He thrust the gun further into her back. Instinctively, she arched her back trying to relieve the pressure of the gun at her spine.

They went down the steps and to the car. She felt movement and heard a click. The trunk opened.

A new terror seized her as she realized what was happening. “No!” she cried. Adrenaline surged through her as she went nuts, twisting and fighting. He grunted in surprise, dropping the gun. She bolted. Better to be shot running than to be placed in a trunk, only to face who knew what horrors. She made it across the gravel driveway before he yanked her hair and pulled her back. She howled in pain as he grabbed her arms and carried her back to the trunk. She lifted her feet kicking and screaming, fighting him for all she was worth, but she was no match for his strength. He heaved her in the trunk and slammed it shut.

Darkness engulfed her. With that darkness came a sinking despair.

Chapter Seven

Amind-numbing panic throbbed through Addie’s brain, rendering her powerless to act. She tried to remember what she’d learned about being locked in a trunk. Wasn’t there supposed to be some lever in newer models? How was she supposed to pull a lever when she couldn’t use her hands? She strained against the plastic that held her hands, but it was futile. Sweat beaded across her nose as a suffocating heat surged through her. Her lungs were bound with iron. She couldn’t breathe! A prayer for help went through her mind.Please, help me.

She had to be strong. She had to think of her family. Of Maddox. Her last words to him had been spoken in anger. Why did everything have to be so complicated with him?

It occurred to her that the car had not moved. She kicked as hard as she could. “Help!” She heard a muffled pop. She went still, straining her ears as she tried to figure out what was happening. Hope sprang in her chest. Was someone else out there? She jerked into action. “Help!” she screamed. “I’m in the trunk!” She kicked again and again on the side and the top. Maybe she’d imagined the pop. There was probably no one out there except for her attacker. Still, she had to do something!

A lifetime seemed to pass. Addie kicked and screamed until she grew hoarse.

The trunk opened. She sat up, ready to give her attacker the fight of his life. Then she saw his face. “Maddox,” she uttered, a cry wrenching her throat.

“I’m here,” he said, gathering her in his arms.

The sight of Addie bound and stuffed in a trunk had unleashed something dark and primitive inside Maddox, making him want to pummel her attacker to mush. He probably would have, had he not needed to keep the man intact so he could be interrogated. The man in question was tied up, gagged, and stuffed in the closet of the guest bedroom. Right after Maddox rescued Addie, he called Corbin, updating him on the situation. Corbin freaked when Maddox told him about the attack and how close Addie came to being kidnapped. The only thing that kept Corbin from hopping on a plane and heading this way was Maddox’s assurance that from this point forward, he wouldn’t let Addie out of his sight.

Maddox and Corbin then got on a conference call with Sutton. He instructed Maddox to keep the man there until picked up for interrogation. A part of Maddox wanted to conduct his own version of “interrogation,” but Sutton assured him of his foolproof methods of obtaining information. One thing Maddox learned in the SEALs was that it was better to leave the interrogations to the “experts.” He’d never had the stomach for that sort of thing.

Maddox’s main priority was Addie’s safety. Whether she liked it or not, he was stuck to Addie like glue. He thought back to the moment when he rescued her from the trunk. She threwher arms around him and buried her head in his shoulder. Even amidst the terror of the moment, he couldn’t deny that it had felt right having her in his arms. The softness of her springy curls had brushed against his skin, tickling his face. The familiar scent of her light floral perfume mingling with the fresh smell of her shampoo enveloped his senses.Stop it, he commanded himself, balling his fist. He couldn’t let this hang-up on Addie continue.

In retrospect, it was good that he mentioned Felicity at the diner. “A girlfriend” was the very thing needed to put a safe barrier between him and Addie. Things could get confusing right now with emotions running high, but then where would he and Addie be afterwards? The obstacles between them weren’t just going to disappear. He had a dangerous profession, and she was opposed to it, end of story.

Maddox couldn’t allow himself to get close to Addie knowing, that in the end, she’d dump him all over again. He surveyed Addie’s bedroom, annoyance resurging at the sight of the scattered papers, books, and clothing. Someone had done a number on the place. Addie was making a valiant effort to put the place back together, but there was still a ton to do. He bent over and picked up a handful of books, stacking them on the bookshelf above her desk. A smile pulled over his lips when he saw the guitar songbook. Addie was teaching herself how to play. He loved that about Addie—how she was always learning new things. His gut tightened. Her guitar. Had it been damaged? He spotted it in the far corner of the room, intact. He relaxed.

His eye caught on a burgundy book with the word “Journal” embossed in gold lettering across the front. He picked it up. First, he thought he couldn’t dare look at it. No way could he invade Addie’s privacy. He reached for more books, stacking them on the shelf above her desk. Then, he looked at the journal again, noticing a corner of what looked like a picture sticking out the side.

None of your business, Maddox. Keep stacking books! It’s one little peek. What could it hurt?He opened her journal to the picture. His heart came to a screeching halt. The picture was of him and Addie, a selfie taken on the summit of the mountain they’d hiked. They were arm-in-arm, their heads close together. They wore triumphant grins, having reached the top in record time. The sheer joy on their faces caused his heart to clutch. They’d been happy together … so happy. His finger traced Addie’s features. She’d taken the trouble of printing this picture and putting it in her journal. He wasn’t sure what to think about this.

He jumped guiltily when he realized the water in the shower had stopped. Quickly, he tucked the picture back into its place and closed the journal just as the bathroom door opened.

“Hey,” he said, his voice sounding too cheerful in his own ears. Her hair was wet and hanging in ringlets over her shoulders. She’d changed from her dress slacks and blouse into jeans and a t-shirt. Yeah, she looked good in those snug jeans and a form-fitting t-shirt that emphasized her tall, slender figure.

---