AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He and the dark-haired man faced off, Luke apparently determined to protect her even when the fight was stacked against him. If her father had one hired man out here, he undoubtedly had several more inside—with Jen.
“Luke!” Panic crept into her voice, and Luke’s gaze swept her way and then back.
“Yakim.” Clive Brennan spoke to the dark-haired man quietly, but there was no mistaking the absolute authority in his voice.
Yakim backed off immediately. “Sorry, Mr. Brennan.”
Clive’s charcoal-gray eyes locked on Luke’s face. “It appears my daughter has been hurt. Bring her inside. My granddaughter will want to know she’s all right.”
Luke’s gaze darted from her father’s stony visage to the open doorway. “You son of a bitch. Touch that little girl and I’ll kill you.”
Surprise flickered in her father’s eyes at Luke’s threat, but no other emotions made it to his passive features. “We can debate the merits of that once my daughter has been made comfortable. A priority—don’t you agree?” He was the picture of patience as he waited for Luke to arrive at the same conclusion.
When Luke finally dropped down beside her, his jaw was set in a hard line, and barely restrained anger reddened his face. Sally, unable to reconcile her father caring if she was comfortable with the man who was soon going to kill her, took hope from his strange assertions. The faintest of smiles, meant to reassure Luke, fell sadly short.
“How ya doin’, babe?” Luke’s answering grin was a poor imitation of the real thing.
“I think the bleeding stopped.”
Luke stood and leaned over her. “Put your arm around my neck.” As soon as she complied, he raised her until he could slide one arm beneath her thighs and scoop her up. He waited until Clive shoved the door wide and followed him inside.
Sally blinked rapidly to get her eyes accustomed to the absence of sunlight. The blinds and curtains were drawn inside the cabin. When the shadows started to take shape, she counted four more unfamiliar men, in addition to Yakim, scattered at intervals throughout the large open area that comprised the kitchen, family room and lobby for the Mathias family and their business. There were no guns in evidence, unless you counted the bulges under their jackets, and there was no denying who had control of the room. Luke’s SEAL buddies lined a couch to Sally’s right, all tense and angry—just like Luke.
Straight ahead, Daniel, Ellen and Bridgett sat at the kitchen table. Bridgett colored, seemingly oblivious to what was going on around her. Jen, sitting at the table with her back to the door, swung around at their entrance, her gaze narrowing in on the offending fragment that protruded grotesquely from Sally’s leg.
“Mom? Are you okay?” Jen pushed away from her chair and sprinted toward her mother.
“Put me down, Luke. I don’t want to scare Jen.” She whispered the words in his ear.
Luke acquiesced instantly, keeping a firm hand on Sally’s waist. She winced slightly when she tested her leg, but she caught Jen in a careful hug.
“Are you all right, sweetheart? They didn’t hurt you, did they?” Sally stepped back and looked her daughter over.
“No. They were real nice—except they said we had to stay inside until you got here.” Jen lowered her voice. “Travis was real mad about that.” Jen glanced toward the three men on the couch.
Sally’s lips pressed firmly together as resolve settled over her mind. “Well, now that I’m here, maybe they’ll let you all leave.” She met Luke’s gaze as a warning glint darkened his expression.
“Don’t even go there,” he said. “I’m not leaving your side. Hold on to me. Let’s get you on the couch.”
His three friends scattered as Sally, Luke and Jen approached.
“MacGyver. Need you over here.” Luke helped Sally lie back on the arm of the couch and stretch both legs on the cushions.
“What the hell happened?” Matt bent over her knee to assess the damage.
“I won the race.” She offered the explanation with a slight shrug. From the corner of her eye, she observed her father as he moved to the table, where Daniel and Ellen sat with Bridgett. Sally tensed. She’d seen her father kill before and had long since given up on the idea he possessed an ounce of compassion. Were Jen, Luke and all her new friends going to die because of her? Clive could have shot her on sight. Why hadn’t he? What did he mean when he spoke of making her comfortable as though it were a priority for him? Her breath stopped as he reached into his inside breast pocket…and started again when he drew out a thick envelope, which he laid on the table in front of Ellen. Words passed between the three of them before Clive nodded, turned and joined his men, speaking in hushed tones.
“How’s it look?” Impatience edged Luke’s question as he pressed Matt for a prognosis.
“Piece of cake. We can fix this. Might need a couple of stitches. Don’t want to mar those gorgeous legs.” Matt winked at her.
Luke slapped him hard in the gut. “Just keep your mind on your work, buddy.”
Sally caught Luke’s gaze. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking? Why fix me up so he can kill me later? That’s why he’s here, isn’t it? We should be trying to make a deal to get everyone else out of here. I know you don’t want to hear it, Luke, but someone has to take care of Jen.You. You have to take care of Jen for me.”
Clive strode toward her as his men started to herd the others outside. Sally’s heart rate kicked up as she watched Ellen and Bridgett walk out hand in hand. She pinned Clive with a heated glare. “What are you doing? Those people haven’t doneanythingto you? Do whatever you want to me, but let them go.”
Luke turned and stepped in front of her. “You’ll have to go through me, Brennan.”
