Even from the door, I hear Rourke growl as he turns and steps out into the snow. I hear the lock latch behind him and take a deep breath. It feels strange being alone in this enormous home. I’ve only ever been here with him. Inches away from him. Or with his inches inside of me…
Realizing I’ve never been upstairs, I stroll to the second floor, taking slow sips of my coffee as I explore. There are several more bedrooms, clearly unused but made up. There’s a room filled with books, like an old British manor. And at the end of the hall, there’s a sitting room clearly designed just to look out at the incredible view of the mountain.
Feeling all fuzzy inside, I stretch out on a lounge chair and look out at the snow. It’s everywhere—a beautiful white landscape. Even the treetops are covered. The sky is clear with only a handful of cumulus clouds.
This house is my home now. The thought is hard to process, but it’s true. I belong to Rourke, and this house belongs to him. I think, to make things official, we’ll have to have sex in every single room at least once. I’m sure he won’t have a problem with that.
My mind starts to drift back to our earlier…events,when something out the window catches my eye. Movement.
I squint, but all I see are shapes. Standing up, I move closer to the window, and that’s when the shapes come into focus.Men. Three of them, all in black, and they’re armed. And they’re headed for the house.
He found me.He foundus!
My heartrate skyrockets. I drop my mug and run downstairs as the adrenaline courses through me. My blood burns, and each breath tears through my lungs like acid as I search for my phone.
“What are you thinking!?” I curse at myself. My phone was trashed when I crashed my car. It’s buried under two feet of snow. And even if I had it, I don’t have Rourke’s number.
The sound of the snowmobiles outside grows closer. I turn and see them pull up outside. The three men hop off and race for the back door, moving like a hit squad. Like trained soldiers.
I do the only thing I can think of. I race to the closet and hide. But just as I close the door, I hear the sound of wood splintering, followed by hushed voices. My heart pounds in my chest. The hardwood rumbles beneath me with each step the men make. I hear one going upstairs and another moving into the bedroom. But another is moving this way.
I want to scream, but who will hear me? The only man in the world who could protect me is gone.
The door whips open, and I cry out as I find myself facing down the barrel of a rifle.
“Boss!” a husky voice calls out. “Found the bitch.”
The next thing I know, I’m being pulled out into the living room. I squirm and fight the best I can, but it’s hopeless. These men are much stronger than me. I try to kick out, but someone grabs my ankles. And then, everything goes black as a bag is pulled over my head.
I’m going to die…
12
ROURKE
The chillof the mountain is was nothing compared to the ice that runs through my veins as I step through the door and see the destruction.
The back door has been kicked open, and a pile of snow lies on the floor. Wet boot tracks cover the hardwood, and the closet door is open. Snowmobile tracks lead away from the house. I don’t even have to think to know what happened.
He found her.Damon Vale found Avery, and I wasn’t here to protect her.
My blood scorches through my veins like lava, burning my heart with each pained breath. I let out a primal roar of rage and drive my fist into the wall, shattering a hole in the wood planks.
There’s no sign of her. They took her. She’s gone. I don’t know how they found her, but considering Damon had a mole in the CIA while I was there, I don’t doubt his resources. But the longer I stand here thinking, the farther away they get. I’ve got no choice. I need to find hernow.
Adrenaline has me buzzing as I race upstairs and grab the supplies I have ready for a time like this: the rifle I used for all my jobs when I was with the agency and a pistol thatconceals easily in my waistband. I sprint outside and start up the snowmobile. I gun it, crashing through banks of snow until I’m around the back of the house.
Three sets of tracks. That means any one of them could be waiting for me, camouflaged in the snow with a scope aimed at my head. My eyes scan the mountain as I speed forward. This is no time to be worried about my own safety. It’smy faultthey were able to take Avery. And if anything happens to her, I’ll never forgive myself.
They must have been watching the house…waiting for me to leave. And when they saw me head down to the shop, they made their move.
I come up and over a ridge, and the tracks in front of me split off—two headed east and a single track heading off to the west. They knew I’d come back and find her missing, so they’re trying to trick me. Trying to throw me off. ButI knowDamon Vale. Even if I never caught him, I chased him for years. Blood boiling, I follow the western track.
Most bosses would be sure to bring one of their men with them. Someone expendable. Someone to take fire for them if necessary. But not Damon. Damon’s ego is monumental. He thinks he can take on anybody. That’s how he built his criminal empire. But if he thinks he can handlemeafter kidnapping the love of my life, he’sseriously mistaken.
I follow his trail down the slope, up and over another ridge, and that’s when I see it. A helicopter, all black, its rotors already spinning. And right beside it, two men, restraining a screaming, panicked woman.
Avery.
