Page 25 of Landon

Her eyes widened, and unspoken fear poured from her.

“Please, Noel. Wear it.”

Her head jerked as she nodded, then moved closer to allow him to fasten it around her neck. As she looked up, their faces were so close that their breaths mingled.

For a moment, Landon forgot the storm raging outside, the mission looming ahead. He found himself caught in the storm of her gaze, a quiet intensity that held him captive. The rain pounded against the windows, the wind howling through the jungle, but inside the vehicle, it felt like they were in their own little world, insulated from the chaos.

Her breathing hitched slightly, her gaze flickering down to his mouth. Without thinking, without weighing the consequences, Landon closed the distance. He tilted his head, capturing her lips in a kiss that was raw and urgent, a hard press of emotion in the face of danger. It wasn’t gentle or refined—it was the kind of kiss shared between two people who might not get another chance.

When he pulled back, Noel’s eyes slowly fluttered open, her expression dazed yet soft. Landon tensed, expecting her to pull away or maybe even lash out. But instead, her lips curved into a faint smile.

“Come back safely,” she whispered.

In the midst of the chaos, deep in the heart of a stormy Jamaican jungle, Landon felt a rare smile tug at his lips. “You can count on it,” he replied, his voice low but resolute.

12

TAD

Tad stared at his trembling hands, fists clenched tightly in his lap. The shaking had started the moment those men pointed a gun at him and Penny on the beach, and it hadn’t stopped since. His chest tightened with a mix of emotions—surprise, anger, but mostly a bone-deep fear that gnawed at his insides.

Whowere they? What did they want?His mind raced with questions, each more terrifying than the last.Was Horticia hurt after she rushed forward to help? What wouldMom do when Horticia told her?His thoughts shifted to his dad, the solid rock in his life. Dad would know what to do. He always did. If anyone could fix this, it was him. Maybe he was already on his way, rallying help to charge into Jamaica and rescue them. He thought of the trip to Jamaica when Mom said they were going to Florida.Why did Mom bring us for a weekend when a storm was coming anyway?

A sharp tug on his arm snapped him back to the present, the man yanking him forward through the dense jungle. Tad stumbled, branches and leaves smacking his face as they pushed deeper into the undergrowth. Every instinct screamed at him to fight, to resist, but his eyes kept darting to Penny. They hadher, too. “Leave her alone!” he’d shouted, his voice cracking with desperation.

The men had only laughed, their grips tightening as they dragged Penny along. Tad was only twelve, but working on the ranch with his dad had made him strong for his age. He’d been proud of his growing muscles, the lean strength he’d built helping out after school and on weekends. But now, in the grip of these men, he felt small and powerless. The cold barrel of a gun pointed at Penny reminded him that strength alone wasn’t enough to protect her.

The jungle seemed to close in around them, the oppressive heat mingling with the rising storm. Every time Tad tried to glance at Penny, the man holding him yanked his arm harder, forcing him to stumble forward. His heart ached, not knowing if she was okay, but he couldn’t risk making things worse for her.

At last, they emerged in a small clearing where an old, battered Jeep waited. Tad’s heart sank further when they shoved him and Penny into the back seat. He didn’t want to be separated from her, so a sliver of relief slid through him when they stayed together. One of the men squeezed into the seat beside them, forcing Tad to shift closer to Penny. He instinctively moved his body between her and the man, a small barrier but one he hoped would make her feel safer.

Another man climbed into the driver’s seat while the one with the gun twisted around from the front passenger seat, the weapon still aimed at them. Penny whimpered softly beside him, and Tad quickly reached for her hand, squeezing it tight.

The Jeep lurched forward, bouncing along the uneven road. Tad’s mind raced again. If it were just him, he might have tried to jump out and run into the jungle, losing himself in the dense foliage until he could find his way back. But he couldn’t leave Penny. Not alone, not vulnerable.

Dad’s words echoed in his head, a steady reminder of what it meant to be strong—not just in body, but in heart.Women can take care of themselves, but a good man will always protect them when they can.

Tad didn’t feel like much of a man, but as he held Penny’s trembling hand, he swore he’d do whatever it took to keep her safe.

After driving over bumpy, potholed dirt roads, they finally stopped outside a group of abandoned, crumbling buildings. The man with the gun simply ordered, “Get out.”

The driver opened Penny’s door, and she hesitated. Tad watched the man start to lean forward, and he quickly nudged his sister. “I’ll go first.” He climbed over her and was immediately hit with the wind whipping around. Turning, he grabbed her cold hands and steadied her as he gently pulled her out of the vehicle. The wind whipped her hair about her tearstained face. He wrapped his arm around her and followed the driver.

“Stay right with me,” he whispered. They were marched into the house, which appeared to be only one room. A door on the far side opened to a small toilet.

“Get upstairs,” someone ordered.

Tad reached down and held Penny’s hand as they walked together to the bottom of the narrow staircase. The space didn’t allow them to walk side by side, but he held her hand as he nudged her to go up first. He tried to keep himself between her and the men. At the top was only one door, and through it, a small, bare room. The window was covered with wood, and the man behind him with the gun laughed.

“Stay here. We’ll make a call for money, and we see how much you’re worth, yeah?”

The door slammed before Tad could say anything, and he realized that if they called their mother, she wouldn’t have the money to pay.

Penny’s thoughts must have followed the same line of thinking. “Tad? Mom can’t pay,” she whispered, her body shaking.

“Mom will call Dad, and he’ll take care of everything.”

“But how long will it take?—”

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