Page 25 of Guarded By the SEAL

“Did he know that Jake was involved?” I whisper back. “Did he let me marry him?”

“I don’t know,” Dad admits. “I would like to think not, but I don’t know anything anymore.”

I have no idea what to say to this. It makes me anxious to the core. I’m not sure how I’m supposed to feel, but it’s really just numbness. I don’t feel anything. The end is coming, and I feel nothing.

“Well, you didn’t know, did you, Dad?” He shakes his head, not even surprised that I have to ask him this. “No, I know you wouldn’t do that to me. Which is why we both need to try and get out of here. We can’t let Nathan win. Is he even here anymore? Or did he just drop me off to Jake and go?”

I want to crumble and fall apart here. I don’t even know if Jake has seen me yet, but just knowing that I’m under his control once more is awful. But I need to keep my head strong for Dad.He’s falling apart, blaming himself, and I don’t want that to happen. Not if we’re going to get out of here.

“Okay, Dad, we can’t get too upset about this at the moment,” I tell him strongly. “We need to find a way out of here. There has to be some way out of here. We just need to… to seek it out.”

“Jake has us locked in here,” he replies, clearly very dejected. “I have looked for every way out and there isn’t one. I’m pretty sure that victims have been kept here for a very long time. They are very experienced in this, so I don’t think there’s a way out of here. I don’t know what we’re going to do to keep you safe.”

I’m not getting deflated here. I won’t give up. I’m going to keep on fighting until we’re safe. There is too much hanging on here, too much to fight off. I just can’t let Jake win and sell me. I can’t.

“Dad, don’t be like that,” I growl as I fight off my ties. Not that I’m being very successful in it because they have got me really tightly locked away. “Don’t give up. We’re going to get out of here.” I suck in a breath, trying to steady myself before I suggest the last thing I want to. “Maybe we should get Jake in here. I might be able to talk to him and make things alright. I mean, we’re married, aren’t we?”

“Are you joking?” Dad gasps. “You don’t want to wind him up. You obviously haven’t seen the evil side to him, have you? He has hidden it from you. Well, trust me, you don’t want to see it. Look at what he’s done to me. I don’t think you want to end up like this. You aren’t the first woman he has attacked, I’m sure.”

That’s probably true. I don’t want to think about the terrible things that my husband has done to other people, but it could have been anything. And that could all be waiting for me. I dowant to get him in here to try and sort things out, but at the same time, I don’t want to ever see him again…

“What was that?” Dad suddenly gasps, shaking me from my thoughts. “Did you hear that noise?”

“I don’t know.” I strain my ears. “Yeah, maybe. What do you think is going on?”

Dad shrugs his shoulders helplessly, but I can see the sheer terror in his eyes. “I don’t know, but it can’t be good. Nothing can be good in this place.”

Those words feel ominous and dangerously close to the truth. It does seem like something is going to happen here and now. Whatever the plans are, we’re about to find out.

20

HARRY

This warehouse gives me a creepy feel. I don’t even need to check because there is just an icy cold sensation around it. It feels evil, like a place where terrible crimes are committed. I’ve been to dreadful places in my career. You can’t be a Navy SEAL and not face evil, but this is something else.

“Time to go,” I whisper to myself as I curl my fist around my gun. “Time to face this already.”

I touch the chip in my arm, knowing that I would never attempt this alone if it weren’t for Petra. I wouldn’t dive headfirst into the lion’s den and risk my life. It’s just stupid. There is being brave and being dumb. But I can’t wait for Max or the cops to get here, especially without knowing that I’m definitely correct. So, I need to check out this warehouse and make sure this is the place. After that… well, I don’t know.

I step closer, my blood running colder the nearer I get. I’ve never felt like this before and it’s unnerving. I can’t get my head straight to focus clinically on this. My emotions are getting in the way.

“Who the fuck are you?” A shadow steps out from behind the door. I can’t see who it is, what this person looks like, but their aura is enough. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing out here? It isn’t exactly the sort of place where you might just stumble here by mistake, is it? So, what are you up to?”

“I want Petra.” There is no point in beating around the bush. “I know she’s here. Where is she?”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about here, mate,” the voice replies, still from the shadows. I guess whoever it is doesn’t want me to see their face. “There isn’t anyone here you want.”

“Petra is here.” I know it even more now. She’s definitely here or this man would deny it in some kind of convincing way. “I know she is, and I want to see her. I am not here to play games, do you hear me?”

All of a sudden, my sharp ears hear footsteps behind me. I swish around just as a man jumps on top of me. Then another, and possibly even a third one. I don’t know. I can’t see, but I can feel attacks coming from every angle. Punches, kicks, stomps… the gun is slipping away as well. My one piece of protection, they are taking it from me. However hard my fingers try to grip onto it, I can’t make that happen. This attack has shocked me, and with three all going at me with no care what they do to me, I can’t win.

Knowing that the best thing I can do is act defeated, I slump as if they have me. Knocked me out, maybe. That way, they will stop attacking and we’ll see what’s going to happen next.

“Get him inside,” someone hisses. “The boss is going to want to meet this man as soon as possible.”

They try to work out who I am as they drag me inside, but they’re too dumb to have any real idea. I’m glad that I can pick up everyword, though, because it gives me something of an advantage. I know that we’re headed inside the warehouse to meet the Mob boss, and I can also be certain that Petra is inside.

“Ah, and here he is.” I snap my eyes open at the commanding voice I assume is attached to the boss. I find myself staring at an angry, evil looking man. Someone who I think could be in charge of an organized crime group. “The fucking hero. The absolute man of the hour, come to save a little slut.” He lets out such a nasty laugh, which makes me want to smack him in his stupid face. The only reason I don’t is that I know these goons around me have weapons and I don’t anymore. “You really think she is worth losing your life over? Hmm? Ruining your life? You don’t even know her.”

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