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Miles lifted the gun. “I didn’t want it to come to this, but the blonde is coming with me.”
“No,” Jace said shortly.
“No,” Ayla echoed from behind him.
“Don’t make this harder than it has to be,” Miles said evenly. “You can transfer what you have. I’ll see what I can get from Bryan and you can figure out how to get me the rest. You hit the number I need, I kill Bryan, and you get your girl back. Easy.”
“No.” Jace flared out his shoulders and chest to shelter Ayla. “I’ll get you the money. I’ll get you whatever you need, but you are not taking Ayla.”
“I don’t have time to waste with you,” Miles growled, anger flashing in his formerly calm features. “Ayla. You come with me, or I’ll shoot Jace multiple times in the chest and then you’ll come with me anyway. Hopefully you have a family or friends who can get the money. What’ll it be?”
The words had barely registered in his mind when Ayla leaped away from Jace and toward the door.
“No!” Jace hollered, lunging after her.
Brad appeared in the doorframe, grabbed Ayla, and ripped her from Jace’s grasp. Miles pushed his A.R. into Jace’s abdomen.
Tears streamed down Ayla’s face as she looked at him, trapped in Brad’s ugly arms. Cold sweat trickled down his back and his heart raced so fast he couldn’t catch a full breath. He couldn’t think straight but he had to protect her.
Jace could hardly restrain himself from going ballistic fighting for her. Miles would finish him quickly with the A.R., but how could he let them take her? He couldn’t.
“Please,” he begged. “Name your price. I’ll get it. I’ll transfer it to you. I promise you. You’re in the lending business, so consider it a loan. If I don’t pay, you can come back and kill me. I promise I’ll get whatever number you need. Just let her go.”
“I know you’ll make up what Bryan can’t of the two million, and until then, we’ll keep her as collateral.” Miles nodded to Brad.
The man picked Ayla up and spun.
“Jace!” she screamed, but Brad clamped his hand over her mouth.
Jace prayed hard for help and inspiration. Would Miles shoot him? How could he rescue Ayla if he was dead?
“Don’t even think about following us,” Miles said. “If you don’t pay, I’ll figure out a way to get it out of her. She’s beautiful, but I have no problem putting a bullet in that pretty head of hers and then killing you if you try anything.”
Jace’s stomach flipped over. He’d been around some hardened and crass people when he was racing downhill, but never had he encountered evil like this.
Miles eased the barrel away from his abdomen, backing away slowly. “Just stay in your office, pretty boy, and it won’t get ugly.”
Ugly? If these men took Ayla, it would get more than ugly. Jace would never let that happen. He prayed he wouldn’t die, but all he cared about was saving Ayla.
ChapterThirteen
Ayla couldn’t even get a squeak out with Brad’s hand clamped so tightly around her mouth and his other arm holding her off the ground and against his chest. His hand stunk like pencil lead. That was such a weird thought right now. If he got her to that car and away from Jace, what would they do to her? Her pulse raced.
Terror raced through her as Brad hurried through the quiet lodge. She squirmed, hit her boots against his shins, and then slammed her head back as hard as she could. It hit his chin and probably hurt her head more than it hurt him.
Brad cursed, so maybe it was at least making him mad. Would he kill her or was she worth more to them alive? She’d rather be dead than be with these men.
She kept fighting as Brad reached the exterior door.
She heard a roar of, “Ayla!”
The man froze, and Ayla’s heart raced. Jace?
A loud thump sounded. Cold sweat pricked at her skin. Her heart tried to slam out of her chest. She’d never been so afraid in her life.
Brad whirled with her pinned against him. They both froze as they took in the scene near the office doorway.
Jace was on top of Miles, pummeling the man. Where had Miles’s huge gun gone? Ayla prayed he couldn’t get to it and hurt Jace.
