Faceless Enemy

Pine Valley 2

Faceless Enemy Chase Matthews dropped everything to move home and take care of his family after his parents died in a tragic car accident. He never thought he would hear from his old life again until he gets a call from his former commanding officer asking for his help to guard his daughter. Kerri MacGregor didn't have the life that most girls had growing up. While other girls were playing with dolls and learning to wear makeup, she was learning how to shoot guns and wearing camouflage. She never thought escaping a kidnapping would bring her face-to-face with the man that she has had a crush on since she was fourteen. Chase realizes that Kerri is not the gangly teenager that he first met, and sparks begin to fly between them. Unfortunately, the kidnapper is still out there and wants revenge, and he needs Kerri to get it. Genre: Contemporary, Romantic Suspense Length: 38,926 words

FACELESS ENEMY Pine Valley 2

Keyonna Davis

EROTIC ROMANCE

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

ABOUT THE E-BOOK YOU HAVE PURCHASED: Your non-refundable purchase of this e-book allows you to only ONE LEGAL copy for your own personal reading on your own personal computer or device. You do not have resell or distribution rights without the prior written permission of both the publisher and the copyright owner of this book. This book cannot be copied in any format, sold, or otherwise transferred from your computer to another through upload to a file sharing peer to peer program, for free or for a fee, or as a prize in any contest. Such action is illegal and in violation of the U.S. Copyright Law. Distribution of this e-book, in whole or in part, online, offline, in print or in any way or any other method currently known or yet to be invented, is forbidden. If you do not want this book anymore, you must delete it from your computer. WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. If you find a Siren-BookStrand e-book being sold or shared illegally, please let us know at [email protected]

A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK IMPRINT: Erotic Romance

FACELESS ENEMY Copyright © 2012 by Keyonna Davis E-book ISBN: 1-61926-430-7 First E-book Publication: April 2012 Cover design by Jinger Heaston All cover art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers Dear Readers, If you have purchased this copy of Faceless Enemy by Keyonna Davis from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book. The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment. This is Keyonna Davis’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Davis’s right to earn a living from her work. Amanda Hilton, Publisher www.SirenPublishing.com www.BookStrand.com

DEDICATION This book is dedicated to my son. Without his countless hours of playing a certain video game, I would never have had the inspiration for this book.

FACELESS ENEMY Pine Valley 2 KEYONNA DAVIS Copyright © 2012

Prologue How many days had it been since she was locked in this damp basement? Kerri couldn’t remember. There were no windows in the basement to tell time by, and she had no watch or her beloved cell phone. The only reason she could see was because of one small, bare bulb lit over the steps that led to what she guessed was the first floor of a house. It seemed like she had been down here forever, but she really didn’t know. All she did know was that she was cold, hungry, and scared out of her mind. She had been that way since she was shoved up against her car leaving the mall and had a cloth with a foul smell held to her mouth and nose. When she woke up she was in this basement lying on a cot, naked, and covered with a thin sheet. She had the worst headache and a very dry mouth. There was a plastic cup with water sitting on the small table next to the cot, but Kerri was too scared to drink it. She was terrified that it could be poisoned, and she was not about to find out. Kerri sat up on the cot and had to fight off dizziness and nausea. She saw spots and had to blink several times to clear her vision. Once she was sure that she wasn’t going to pass out, she was able to explore as much as a person could in an open basement and found no way of escaping or her clothes. The door at the top of the stairs was locked,

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and it was the only exit that she could see. She went to the small bathroom located under the steps that had only a toilet and a sink in it. After letting the water in the sink run until it turned clear, she quickly gulped the cool water down until she couldn’t drink anymore and went back to her cot, listening to her stomach growl. Kerri felt like she hadn’t eaten in days, but it could have been only hours as far as she could tell. Kerri cursed her stubborn, independent streak. She was twentyfour, and she decided that she needed to move out on her own. She wanted to make a name for herself and know that she accomplished something on her own and not because of who her dad was. She loved her dad with all her heart, but she felt the need to be on her own and live without his “eyes” as she called his bodyguards constantly watching her. Why did I not listen to dad and accept the bodyguard that he insisted I have? The sound of footsteps overhead and the basement door opening snapped Kerri out of her thoughts. She tried to remember the exact position she had been in when she woke up and imitated it. She tried to be as still as possible and not flinch when she felt a hand on her forehead. Barely cracking her eyes and looking through lashes, she could see that whoever had kidnapped her was male from the body size and muscles. Whoever it was dressed in all black, including black gloves and a ski mask. The only thing she could see was his eyes, and they seemed to be as black as tar. She had never seen eyes as lifeless as those and never wanted to again. Her kidnapper sat on the side of the cot, and Kerri tried her best to remain still. Her dad made sure she was trained in self-defense by the best ex-military guys when she learned to lose her bodyguards as a teenager, so she was not worried about what this guy would do to her. She just had to wait for the right time to make her move, and she could escape this idiot. “I know you are awake so you might as well stop pretending.” Damn, so much for the element of surprise, Kerri thought and opened her eyes to look at her kidnapper full-on. “You know you will

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never get away with this don’t you? My dad will find you, and he will make you pay for taking me.” Daniel MacGregor owned MacGregor Inc., one of the best security companies in the world. They did everything from security systems for homes and businesses to bodyguard services for the rich and famous. They also did services that the public did not know about. The main breadwinner of MacGregor Inc. was the many government contracts they held. The easiest way to describe what they did was to say they were in the mercenary business. No, MacGregor Inc. did not do contract killing. They mainly specialized in protecting foreign dignitaries and rescuing political kidnap victims. For any mission that the government wanted pulled off in secret or did not want certain countries to know the U.S. was involved in, they came to her dad. Her dad didn’t run a Fortune 500 company specializing in search and rescue for nothing. If anyone could rescue her, it would be him. Her kidnapper just laughed. “No, your father will be the one paying if he ever wants to see you alive again.” Why did his voice sound so familiar? Kerri tried to place the voice and the strange eyes, but came up with a blank. Up close she could see that his eyes weren’t really black but midnight blue. You would think you would remember if you had ever seen eyes like that before, she told herself. Kerri watched as the guy stood and began pacing the room. “The way I see it, dear ole dad will pay just about anything to have his precious little girl returned unharmed. How much do you think I should ask for? Ten? Twenty million?” Now it was Kerri’s turn to laugh. “You can’t be serious. If you know my dad so much, then you know that he has never paid a ransom, and he has no plans of starting. Now I suggest you let me go if you value your life. That is probably the best offer you are ever going to get.” “Shut up! He will pay, or I will give you back to him piece by

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piece. He will live the rest of his life not knowing when he will receive the next piece of you.” Wow, this guy has really lost it, Kerri thought. Can somebody say psycho? The crazy gleam in his eyes told her it was time to be truly scared now, and she knew she needed to get away from this guy as quick as possible. From the look in his eyes, she had no doubt that he meant every word he said and would have no problem carrying out his threats. As Kerri watched her kidnapper pace the floor, she slowed her breathing and cleared her mind so the she could come up with a plan. She knew that she couldn’t depend on her dad to rescue her in time, so she had to take matters into her own hands. She thought back to all the things her dad taught her. Okay, step one, assess the situation. She could hear her dad’s voice in her head. Always be aware of your surroundings. Entrance and exit points, potential weapons that you can you use, and what can be used against you. Well, Kerri thought, the only exit was at the top of the stairs, so that narrowed down her choices considerably. The only potential weapons she had were a thin sheet and the bare bulb hanging from the ceiling. Oh, and the lid off the back of the toilet. Kerri tried to remain calm as a plan began to form. She could hear her dad’s voice in her head again. Remain calm. The only thing panic will do is get you killed. Keep your head clear and follow through with what you plan. Don’t second-guess because even the slightest hesitation could mean the difference between life and death. That seemed like a harsh lesson to teach a twelve-year-old girl at the time, but Kerri was truly grateful now to have those lessons drilled into her head. Ever since her mother died when she was six, it had just been her and her dad. He was very protective of her, and although he constantly surrounded her with bodyguards, he also taught her how to fight and protect herself. It looked like she was about to test those skills. She had to just bide her time and wait for the right moment to

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put her plan into action. If—no, when—she made it out of this situation, she would never doubt her father’s need for security again. Kerri didn’t notice her kidnapper leave until she heard the door at the top of the steps slam. Damn. She had to pay more attention and focus if she was going to be able to do this. Okay, no more daydreaming. The next time the psycho came in, she would make her escape. Now that she had a plan, there was no use in waiting around for him to decide she was not worth the effort and fulfill his promise of chopping her up into tiny pieces. She would take the first opportunity she could to get away from him.

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Chapter 1 Loading the last bale of hay in the barn, Chase Matthews couldn’t be happier that he was done working for the day. He was tired and aching all over. Some days it seemed that working his parents’ ranch—well now his and his brothers and sister’s ranch—was harder than his days in the military and Special Forces had ever been. He could never remember being this tired before. Thank goodness he had the weekend off. Ever since his parents died, and he’d moved back home to take care of things, Chase had worked nonstop. This was going to be the first weekend he’d had off in almost two years, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. The nightmares and flashbacks were back, and he was hoping that a little rest and relaxation would help him push them back into the dark corner of his mind where they belonged. Evidently, his family was starting to notice his lack of sleep and grouchiness because they were all eager to pick up the slack and run the ranch for the weekend while he was gone. Now all Chase had to do was shower and grab his bag that was already packed thanks to help from his sister, Ali, and sister-in-law, Cane. The two were almost inseparable since Cane joined the family a little over six months ago. Cane decided that it was her mission to make Chase and his little brother, Riley, “as happy as she was” by finding them someone special. She would have felt the need to find someone for Ali if she wasn’t so young, but at seventeen, Ali was the only one that didn’t suffer the constant comments and hints. His brother, Duncan, and brother-in-law, Logan thought it was amusing, but they were so in love that he doubted there was anything that Cane could do that wouldn’t amuse them. It all just made Chase’s

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teeth ache from clenching his jaws so hard. At thirty-two years old, and after all the violence and horrors that he had seen throughout his military career, Chase was happy to be alone. He had his family, and he had his land. As far as he was concerned, that was all he needed. He needed a wife like he needed a hole in the head. After all that Cane went through in her past, though, he just didn’t have the heart to tell her to stop with the matchmaking. He would just spend the weekend in Carlton, which was about sixty miles away. There he would lounge around the hotel room, maybe catch a movie, and just relax. Chase hoped that, by the time he returned home, he would have the nightmares back under control. It was the best plan he could come up with. Walking into the house, Chase heard grunting coming from the kitchen. Running in that direction, he came around the corner to see Cane standing on the tips of her toes trying to reach a serving platter on the top shelf of a cabinet. “You know, you could have asked someone to get that down for you,” Chase said, laughing. “It’s not funny. I used to be able to reach that. Now I can’t do anything with this belly in the way. This morning I couldn’t even get out of bed. I just flopped around like a beached whale until Duncan and Logan came to check on me. Duncan had to grab my legs while Logan pulled my arms just to get me up.” Chase tried his best not to laugh but couldn’t stop the small smile. At almost seven months pregnant, Cane was sporting a pretty huge belly. It was slightly bigger than normal because she was carrying twins. After being told that she would probably never have children because of what her psycho ex did to her, Cane was speechless when she found out that she was not only pregnant but with twins. Chase couldn’t be happier for her and his brother and Logan. They deserved each other. “I feel like a blimp. My ankles and fingers are swollen, and I have nonstop gas, and don’t even get me started on how many times a day I

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have to pee. The next time your brother and Logan even think of coming near me again, I may just have to castrate the both of them,” Cane said as she turned to stir something in a pot. Okay, way too much information for me. Chase snuck away before Cane could turn back around. After showering and eating dinner with his family, Chase loaded his truck and hit the road. It was around five in the evening, and if all went well, he would make it to Carlton around six fifteen. In a little over an hour, he would be able to finally relax. **** After two days of waiting, Kerri finally heard the lock turn in the door at the top of the steps. The grating noise of metal rubbing against metal, after what felt like an eternity of silence, nearly had her jumping from her hiding space under the steps. She heard her kidnapper flip the light switch a couple of times before he finally gave up, realizing that the lights were not coming on. All Kerri needed for him to do was come down a few more steps, and she would be able to make her escape. Trying her best not to second-guess herself, Kerri slowed her breathing and listened for the sounds of his footsteps. One, two, three…she counted in her head. Come on, just two more steps. “Kerri, you should know that this is not going to work. You have no way of getting out of here, so you might as well give up. Don’t make it any harder on yourself.” Was that laughter that she heard in his voice? That bastard is laughing at me. Well, we will see who will be laughing in about ten minutes when I kick your ass. Silently talking to herself, Kerri almost missed the sounds of his next steps. Just as her kidnapper lifted his foot to take the next step, she yanked at the sheet she had tied across the stairs, causing the man to fall down the last six. Not giving him time to get up, Kerri ran out of her hiding place and quickly lifted the heavy toilet lid over her head and swung it down, hitting the man.

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Because of the dark, she couldn’t be sure of where she was hitting her kidnapper or if she was causing any damage. She swung several more times just to make sure he wasn’t getting back up. Not hearing any movement or breathing coming from the man, Kerri threw the toilet lid down and quickly untied the sheet from the steps. Wrapping it around her, toga-style, she felt her way to the stairs and reached under the bottom step to grab the lightbulb she had hidden there. Figuring the toilet lid would be too heavy to carry if she had to run, she realized the bare bulb that she had carefully broken would make a pretty good weapon. When Kerri made it to the top of the stairs, she paused with her hand on the doorknob. What if someone else was in on the kidnapping and in the house also? Listening through the door, she didn’t hear anything, so she slowly eased the door open. After being in the dark so long, the bright daylight that filtered through the door blinded Kerri and caused tears to well up in her eyes. Blinking the tears away, she was able to focus and saw that she was in some sort of old rundown house. The kitchen that she was currently standing in seemed to come straight out of the sixties or seventies with moss-green appliances and yellow countertops. The wallpaper seemed to have lost its design years ago due to fading from the sun, and was curling at the edges and peeling in most spots. The dust on the floors and countertops was about two inches thick and let Kerri know that no one had lived in this house for a long time. Was this the reason her kidnapper had brought her here? Did he know that not only had time forgotten this house, but people had forgotten it as well? Snapping herself out of observations that she could only contribute to lack of food and sleep, Kerri noticed the back door and ran toward it. Grabbing the knob, she yanked but nothing happened. Then she noticed that it had been nailed shut. Just as she turned to find another way out, she heard a groan and sluggish footsteps on the stairs. Trying not to panic, Kerri knew that she was about to run out of time to make her escape. She laid the lightbulb that she realized she

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was still carrying down on the counter and grabbed an old wooden chair that sat at the kitchen table. Lifting the chair, she swung it at the small window above the sink, smashing the glass. Just as she was about to grab the bulb and climb on the counter, the basement door swung open to reveal her kidnapper and, from the look in his eyes, he was in pain and looking to make her pay for trying to escape him. Not waiting any longer, Kerri turned and dove through the window. Standing, she winced at the pain traveling down her leg and looked down to see that the stark white sheet she had wrapped herself in was quickly becoming stained with blood. Knowing that she didn’t have time to see what damage she had done diving through the window, she dashed in the direction of the woods in front of her. Running barefoot did not help, but Kerri had no choice. Her feet felt like they were being run through a meat grinder as she felt every sharp poke and jab from the leaves and sticks on the ground. It felt like she had been running for hours, and she was quickly becoming tired and out of breath. Not once did she slow down or look behind her as another one of her dad’s life lessons played through her head. If you ever find yourself in a situation that you know you can’t win, run, and don’t stop until you get to safety. No one will judge you or consider you a coward for being smart and knowing when to fight your battles and when to give up. Always playing it smart is what will keep you alive to fight another day. Kerri knew this was one of those moments to play it smart and run. She knew that she didn’t have a chance against her kidnapper, especially now. She could feel herself getting weaker as she ran and knew it was due to the cut on her leg. She had to get to safety soon because she was losing blood way too fast, and passing out in the woods was not part of the plan, nor was being captured again. Kerri leaned against a tree and took a few deep breaths. She squeezed her eyes closed to fight off the dark spots that were flashing before her eyes and listened. She could hear sticks snapping and leaves

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crunching from the direction that she had just come from and knew that her kidnapper was coming. She didn’t think her heart could beat any faster, but it seemed like it tripled in speed when she also heard the unmistakable sound of vehicles on a highway a short distance in the direction she was going. Taking off at full speed, Kerri’s only thought was making it to the highway before her kidnapper caught up with her. She noticed that it was getting harder and harder to breathe, but she didn’t care. She knew that if she made it to the road, she would be safe. She didn’t stop once she reached the edge of the woods. She continued running the last twenty feet to the road and directly in the path of an oncoming car. The last thing she remembered was hearing tires squeal and then looking up at a clear blue sky as everything faded to black. **** Two days later The smell was the first thing that Kerri noticed when she regained consciousness. She hated hospitals. The smell of antiseptic and sick people was what she hated the most. All the memories of her kidnapping ordeal came flooding back. Was she still drugged? Did her kidnapper catch her again? She panicked when she tried to open her eyes and couldn’t. Evidently, she whimpered or made some sort of noise because she felt a hand grip hers, and she heard her dad’s voice. “Shh, baby, it’s all right. You’re safe now.” Safe. Kerri didn’t need her dad to tell her she was safe. All she needed to hear was his voice, and she immediately relaxed. Her dad was here, and he wouldn’t let anything happen to her. Still gripping his hand, she drifted back into darkness. ****

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Chase took a deep breath and slowly released it as he drove toward home. This weekend wasn’t as relaxing as he’d thought it would be. Something was wrong, and he couldn’t figure out what it was. The back of his neck was tingling, and from past experience he knew that was not a good sign. He’d always had a sixth sense about danger, but his years in the military honed those skills, and he learned to trust them. Those skills had saved not only his life, but the lives of his team members on several occasions. The last time Chase had this feeling was when his parents had died in a car accident. Being halfway around the world on a mission, he didn’t find out until three days later, but he knew something bad had happened before ever finding out. He came home to find his baby sister fighting for her life, and his two younger brothers and Logan barely handling it. That was the day Chase walked away from MacGregor Inc. and combat without looking back and took over taking care of his family. Now it was happening all over again. He had called home several times over the weekend to check on his family, but not wanting to frighten them, he pretended to be checking on the ranch and how things were going. Everything seemed okay, but Chase couldn’t shake the feeling that something big was about to happen and it involved him. The ringing of a phone snapped Chase out of thoughts about the past. He was so caught up in his memories that he didn’t realize that it wasn’t his cell ringing until he picked it up to answer it. Swearing, he threw the phone on the passenger seat and pulled over to the side of the road. He hated being right sometimes. The sound of his satellite phone ringing under his seat only meant one thing. The situation was critical. Quickly grabbing the phone, he answered. “This is Chase,” he said. “Chase, we have a situation, and I need your help,” said Daniel MacGregor, his former commanding officer. If his former CO was asking for help, then the situation was

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beyond critical because Daniel “Bulldog” MacGregor didn’t ask for help from anyone. He didn’t need to. He was just that good. Without hesitation, Chase answered, “When and where?”

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Chapter 2 Just walking through the sliding glass doors of the hospital brought up all kinds of unwanted memories for Chase. He’d hated hospitals ever since his sister had been forced to spend a few months in one. Just being in one reminded him of how his parents died and how he almost lost Ali. Forcing back the memories, Chase bypassed the elevator and took the stairs to the fourth floor. He was curious to find out what the hell was going on and why he was meeting his CO in a hospital of all places. Rounding the corner, he spotted the man in question leaning against a wall with his head back and eyes closed. He looked like he was out of it, but Chase knew that Daniel was aware of exactly what was going on around him. As Chase began to move toward him, Daniel opened his eyes and stared in his direction. Damn, the man looks like shit. Something very bad must have happened for his CO to look like this. “Sir, I got here as soon as I could. Want to tell me what’s going on?” Rubbing his hands over his face, Daniel sighed. “I need your help, Chase. My daughter is in there,” he said as he pointed to the room door directly across the hallway. “Some bastard thought he could get to me by kidnapping her. She was taken from a mall parking lot five days ago and turned up here two days ago with cuts and bruises and her leg sliced open from hip to knee.” “Damn, how did she get here?” Chase asked. “Not sure.” Daniel sighed. “She nicked her femoral artery and lost a lot of blood. They have been keeping her sedated so that she doesn’t move the leg. All she has done is open her eyes a few times. All I

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know is that she somehow escaped and ran. A woman passing by says that she ran out of the woods directly in front of her car. She was barely able to stop in time to keep from running Kerri over.” Chase frowned and began pacing the hallway. He knew they had all made enemies from their many missions, but this was going too far. This guy was crazy if he messed with a man’s family and actually expected to get away with it. He hadn’t seen Kerri since she was about fourteen, but still, he considered Daniel family, and that included her as well. “Give me all the details on where she was found and came out of the woods, and I will start backtracking and see if I can find anything on this guy.” Daniel’s face hardened. “No, whoever this bastard is, he came after my family, so I will be the one to take him down. I called you here for another reason.” Before Daniel could tell Chase the reason, a high-pitched scream came from the door that held Kerri. Without thinking, Chase removed his gun from his back and burst into the room. Going on instinct and knowing that Daniel had his back, Chase quickly scanned the room and bathroom. Yelling “Clear,” he set the safety back on his gun and turned to watch as Daniel leaned over the bed to hug Kerri. He could hear him murmuring to her, but couldn’t tell what he was saying over her panicked breathing. Hearing the door swinging open again had Chase pointing the business end of his gun at a very frightened nurse. Damn, keep it together. Lowering the weapon but keeping it ready, he watched as the nurse checked all of Kerri’s vitals with trembling hands. Once she was done and had asked Kerri a few questions, she shot Chase a nervous look and left the room as fast as she could. He knew he probably just scared ten years off the nurse’s life, but he couldn’t worry about that now. Chase turned his attention back to Daniel and his daughter and sucked in a deep breath as he was met with the biggest, lightest-brown eyes that he had ever seen. Kerri wasn’t the little fourteen-year-old

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girl with braces and frizzy, blonde hair and light-brown eyes too big for her face that he remembered. She was gorgeous. Even with the dark circles and scratches all over her face, she was stunning. Her face was rounded with high cheekbones and the longest eyelashes that he had ever seen. She had a mouth made for kissing, lips plump and pink. Chase found himself licking his lips as he stared at them and was shocked when he saw Kerri’s hot, pink tongue dart out to trace her bottom lip. He snapped his eyes up and saw that she watching him with a dazed expression. That look alone not only made him want to lay her back and be inside her within thirty seconds flat, but it made him want to protect her. It made him want to keep the world away from her in order to keep her safe. He didn’t know why he was feeling this way about someone that he hadn’t seen in years, but Chase never fought his instincts, and he wasn’t about to start today. All thoughts of staying single and needing his space went right out the window. Kerri MacGregor was his, his to cherish, and his to protect. She didn’t know it yet, but once she healed and the threat to her was eliminated, he would damn well make sure she did. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed his CO watching him with narrowed eyes, and Chase realized that he was going to have to make sure Daniel knew it as well. **** Wow. Kerri was stiff and sore from head to toe. Her feet felt like someone had used a cheese shredder on them, and the pain in her leg was damn near unbearable, but that didn’t stop her from noticing the huge, gorgeous man standing at the foot of her bed. Chase Matthews was still as handsome today as the first day she’d met him. He was eight years older than her, but that didn’t stop her from having a few fantasies about him over the years. As far as she knew, her father hadn’t kept contact with his old team members, so what was he doing here now? And why was he staring at her like that? Feeling a hand

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grip hers, she looked up to see her father staring at Chase, and he didn’t look happy. “Daddy, what’s going on?” Her father relaxed his grip on her hand and smiled. “Hey, pumpkin,” he said as he leaned down to kiss her forehead. “I’m glad you are finally awake. You gave me quite a scare over the past few days.” Kerri didn’t hold back the tears that started to leak out of the corner of her eyes when she looked up at her dad. “I’m so sorry, Dad. I should have listened to you, and none of this would have happened.” “Shh, enough of that now, baby,” her dad whispered as he gently rocked her. “You’re safe now, and I won’t let anything else happen to you. I promise I will catch whoever did this to you and make him pay.” Keri knew it wasn’t an idle threat that her father had just made. She knew that he would stop at nothing to catch the man who took her, and when he caught him, her dad would make what she suffered feel like a day at the spa compared to what he would do to her kidnapper. Kerri knew that her father had a dark side, but she loved him anyway, and she knew that he took her safety seriously and would stop at nothing to protect her. “Pumpkin, I need to know what happened so that I can get started trying to find this guy. Do you feel like talking?” Not really. But she was a MacGregor, though, and no way in hell did they show weakness. She definitely wasn’t going to look like a coward in front of Chase “OMG would you look at that body” Matthews. Breathing through the pain and nausea, she told her dad everything she remembered from the time she was kidnapped up until she ran out of the woods in front of an oncoming car. The whole time she told her story, she could feel Chase’s eyes staring a hole into the side of her head. Instead of it making her feel uncomfortable, she could feel warmth flooding her, starting from her toes and racing up her body to her face. Hell of a time to be aroused. As much pain as

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she was in, arousal should have been impossible, but it seemed her body had a mind of its own. She glanced over at Chase to see if he noticed, and saw his eyes narrow and his jaw flex like he was gritting his teeth. Yeah, he noticed, and damned if that didn’t make her blush even harder. “Kerri, what’s wrong? Do you want me to get the nurse in here to give you something for the pain?” Looking back up at her father, she could see the concern on his face. He thought she was flushed because she was in pain. If he only knew that it was because of the huge man standing at the foot of her bed and the very grown-up thoughts that she was having about him, he would probably blow a gasket. “I’m okay, Daddy, just exhausted, that’s all. I don’t want to go back to sleep, though, so maybe you can see if they have something mild for the pain, please?” “Okay, pumpkin. Just wait right there, and I will go get the nurse,” Daniel said with a huge grin on his face. “Ha ha, Dad, really funny. Where am I going to go?” Joking was her dad’s way of trying to make her feel better and lighten the situation. Her dad may have been a serious man when it came to his business, but he knew how to have fun, too. Taking a deep breath, she watched the door close behind him and turned to face the man standing at the foot of her bed. “Um…hi, Chase.” Feeling herself blush again, Kerri looked away. What was wrong with her? She had never been afraid to talk to guys before. Why was she so nervous now? Yeah, Chase was hot with those bright-green eyes and all those muscles, but that never stopped her before. Maybe it was the way he looked at her. She felt like he could see through her right to where she kept her secrets hidden. Tired of lying down, Keri tried to sit up but groaned and fell back as the pain in her leg flared. She looked up, panting, as she felt hands grip her shoulders and lift her into a sitting position. She was amazed that someone with hands so big could be as gentle as he was. Kerri cleared

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her throat and told Chase thank-you. He grunted and took his position back up at the foot of the bed. Uncomfortable with the silence, Kerri felt the need to talk. “I don’t suppose you know what is wrong with me and how soon I can get out of here, do you?” Chase nodded. “From what your father said, you have a deep cut on your leg that nicked your femoral artery, not to mention other cuts and bruises, and the fact that you have barely any skin left on the bottom of your feet. They have been keeping you sedated so that your leg can heal without you moving it. As far as when you can get out of here, I’m not sure about that. If I had my way, it would be as soon as possible.” Chase spoke in a no nonsense kind of way, but the deep, growly sound of his voice sent chills down her spine. “Sexy” was the only word Kerri could come up with. The man was too sexy for his own good. Where was her dad with those pills? If he didn’t come back soon, Kerri was going to jump this man, injured leg and all. “So…” Kerri paused, trying to think of a way to say what she wanted to say without seeming like she was a total bitch. Screw it, she thought. She was never known for holding back, so she just came right out and asked, “Why are you here? Are you my new bodyguard? I know now after what happened that my dad will never let me go anywhere alone again. Not that I blame him. I should have listened to him all those times that he insisted that I have someone with me for protection, but I was too stubborn. I just wanted a little freedom and privacy, you know? I wanted to be like normal people for once and be oblivious to the real dangers out there. That’s kind of hard to do when you have some huge, armed guy following you around. I just want you to know that I won’t fight you on this. I know when to admit I’ve made a mistake, and not accepting my dad’s bodyguard was the biggest mistake of my life.” Taking a deep breath to keep from rambling any further, Kerri laid her head back against the pillow. She hated to admit that she really

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didn’t mind having a bodyguard after what happened. And if Chase was going to guard her then that was a plus in her book, but she had to be strong and show no weaknesses because that could be used against her. She had no doubts that her dad would do everything he could to find the man who took her. She had to be strong for him so that he wouldn’t worry about her, and he could focus on finding the psycho. She hoped he found her kidnapper soon because the thought of him still being out there and after her was truly scary. Kerri shivered as a chill ran across her spine. Something told her that she would see her kidnapper again. He would stop at nothing to hurt her because he knew that she was the only way he could hurt her dad. Eyeing Chase as he stood at the foot of the bed with his huge arms crossed like a silent warrior told Kerri that this time, her kidnapper would have his work cut out for him. **** Justin Rawson couldn’t believe he let her escape. He was supposed to be better than that. Although she was trained by the best, one tiny woman should have been no match for him. He couldn’t afford to be weak. He had to track the spoiled princess down again because she was the only way of making Daniel MacGregor pay. After years of watching and waiting, he knew that the infamous “Bulldog” MacGregor had only one weakness, and he let her slip through his fingers. Not again. He wouldn’t waste a second opportunity to get his revenge. He hated Daniel and blamed him for what happened to him. Because of him, Justin couldn’t find a job. He only knew how to do one thing and that was blow stuff up. That was the only job he had ever done since he’d turned eighteen and enlisted. For twenty years, he was damn near the best in demolitions. He could assemble and detonate bombs with just about anything. That all went to hell four years ago when he did a job for Daniel that went bad. Justin should have trusted his instincts and checked the equipment he

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was provided, but it was a last-minute job, and he didn’t have time to be as thorough as he would have liked. If he could go back in time, that would be the second thing about that night that he would change. The first would have been ever trusting Daniel. Wiping the blood that was matted in his hair where the bitch had busted his head open, Justin stared at the right side of his face that was horribly disfigured. So he was burned badly and had lost his hearing on that side. Big deal. Did that stop him from being able to do his job? No, he didn’t think so. All Justin felt he needed was the use of his hands and eyes, and they were still perfect. Unfortunately, that was not how Daniel MacGregor saw it. He informed Justin that he needed all his soldiers at 100 percent because of the work that they did. He needed everyone to be able to watch each other’s backs, and Justin was no longer able to do that without compromising everyone’s safety. Yeah, he offered Justin a position in the company behind a desk, but he couldn’t take it. He was a demolitions expert and a field operative. That was where he belonged. He didn’t belong stuck behind some desk in a stuffy suit while everyone else around him got to go out and have all the fun. After eight years of risking his life for MacGregor Inc., Daniel MacGregor took away the one thing in the world that he ever loved. Now Justin would show him how it felt. Once he tracked down the spoiled brat again, he would make Daniel pay. Tracking her down would be easy, judging by the trail of blood that ended at the road. Kerri would need a hospital and fast. There was only one hospital within a fifty-mile radius, so that narrowed his starting point down considerably. Justin needed to make sure he didn’t run into Daniel, who he had no doubt would rush to the hospital the minute he heard his daughter was there. He also had no doubt that Daniel would post guards around the hospital. Trying to take her after Daniel arrived would be too risky. No, if her father beat him to the hospital, then Justin would have to wait until things calmed down before trying again, and that just wasn’t going to happen. He

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knew that Daniel would never make the same mistake twice, so his only chance to get Kerri back was to get to the hospital as soon as possible. This time she won’t escape, and Daniel will pay for what he did to me. **** Chase watched as Kerri’s eyes slowly drifted shut. He knew that she was exhausted and in pain, so he just stood there and let her talk until she dozed off. It wasn’t like he could get a word in anyway. She brought a smile to his face. She was like a tiny battery. Even suffering from exhaustion and blood loss and in enough pain that would have had bigger men crying, she just ignored it and went on talking a mile a minute like nothing was wrong with her. There would be no stopping her once she was 100 percent healthy. He couldn’t wait. He wanted her in his bed and under him. He wanted to channel her hyperness into sex where they would go for hours, only stopping to refuel so they could go again. The thought had him reaching down to adjust the bulge in his crotch just as he heard the room door begin to open. Chase gripped his gun and stepped between the bed and door, watching until he saw the nurse and Daniel walk in. As the nurse went over to the bed to check Kerri’s vitals, Chase followed Daniel to the corner. “I knew I made the right decision in calling you to protect my daughter,” Daniel said. “Based on the fact that you just placed your body between her and the door when I came in, I know you will keep her safe until I get done hunting this bastard down.” “Thank you, sir,” Chase said. “I will protect her with my life, but I can’t do that from here.” “Whatever you need, let me know, and it’s done.” Chase sighed in relief. He wanted Kerri at his home, not only so he could protect her, but for purely selfish reasons as well. If Daniel knew what Chase had planned for his daughter once she was well

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enough, Chase would be dead before his body hit the floor. He had to get Kerri out to his ranch, and he had to get her to fall in love with him before Daniel found her kidnapper. Daniel was a sucker when it came to his daughter and would stop at nothing to make her happy, so if she said she was in love with Chase, then Daniel wouldn’t kill him. “I need you to pull whatever strings you have and get them to release Kerri into my care today. This hospital is the first place this guy is going to look, so she needs to be gone before he gets here. I want to take her to my ranch where I have state-of-the-art security, some of which my family doesn’t even know of. I will be able to monitor any movements on my land twenty-four-seven.” Chase expected the man to argue about moving Kerri while she was still recovering, but all the man said was “Done” and then left the room. He knew Daniel was eager to get out there and find the man who had done this, but he wouldn’t leave until he knew his daughter was safe. Ten minutes later, Daniel walked back into the room followed by the doctor who handed Chase a piece of paper. It was a list of everything he needed and instructions on how to care for Kerri. He listened to the doc as he explained what to do and what not to and what signs of infection to look for. Chase listened carefully because he refused to let anything happen to Kerri on his watch. Once the doctor went over everything several times, he pulled a syringe out and walked over to Kerri. Chase watched as his CO rubbed her head and leaned down to whisper something in her ear. Daniel stood and nodded to the doctor who injected whatever was in the syringe into Kerri’s arm. Daniel then turned to him. “Okay, Chase, the doctor just gave Kerri something that is going to make her sleep for about eight hours so that she is not in pain during transport. I have a private jet waiting on the runway to take off as soon as you are on it and an escort waiting downstairs to drive you. I had money transferred into your account to get her some clothes and whatever else she needs. I don’t know if this guy has access to her account info, so I don’t want her

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using it. Keep her safe, and I will be back for her as soon as possible.” Damn, this guy never ceases to amaze me. He got all that done in just ten minutes? Wow, if I didn’t know and trust this man, I would be truly frightened of him. Chase almost felt sorry for the man that kidnapped Kerri. Almost. Walking over to Kerri, he tucked her in the thin hospital sheet and gently lifted her in his arms. She fit perfectly. Chase watched as her hazel eyes opened and looked at him then closed as she seemed to curl into him and relax. He felt like she was burrowing into his skin, and he loved the feeling. She trusted him to keep her safe, and damn if that didn’t make him feel ten feet tall. Now he knew how Duncan and Logan felt when they held Cane in their arms. Holding her with care, he followed Daniel out of the hospital and into the waiting car. Once on the private plane, Chase placed Kerri on the bed in the back and tucked the blankets around her. He didn’t want to leave her but had a few phone calls to make. Making sure she was comfortable, Chase left the door cracked and took a seat. He called his brother Duncan first, since he was the sheriff of Pine Valley, to let him know they could possibly have trouble headed their way. He let Duncan know the situation and gave him the list of all the medical supplies he needed. Duncan didn’t ask questions and agreed to have everything ready when Chase arrived. That’s what he loved about his family. They stuck together no matter what. When one had a problem, they all worked together to find a solution or to help out to make the situation a little easier to deal with. The next call he made was to Ali. He asked her to set the office up as a guest bedroom for Kerri and for her and Cane to go shopping for whatever a female would need. He knew Ali and Cane would enjoy this task, and judging by the excitement in Ali’s voice and Cane’s squeals in the background, he wasn’t wrong. They also promised to have everything ready when he got there. With that taken care of, Chase put away his cell phone and used his satellite phone to make the one call that he never thought he would have to make once he walked away. He called the two

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members of his old team whom he trusted with his life. He knew they would be together, so he only needed to call one of them. Gavin and Angel had been best friends since kindergarten and did everything together, including sharing women. They were the reason that Chase wasn’t surprised when Duncan and Logan did the same thing. He recognized the bond that they shared because he had already seen it before in his team members. Chase thought over the missions they went on and the downtime the three of them shared while he waited for one of them to answer. “Chase, my man! We were just talking about you. You remember that mission we went on in Tijuana and you met that chick in the bar who really was a ma—” Chase cut Gavin off before he could get started. “Not now, Gavin. I need your help. I need you and Angel here as soon as possible. I will explain everything once you get here.” “We’re on our way.” “I’m flying home as well, and I am carrying precious cargo. I will meet you at the airport in four hours.” Chase didn’t wait for a response before hanging up. He didn’t need one from the guys to know that they would be there waiting for him, and they would already have the area cleared and secure before he arrived. They didn’t even know the threat or what he was carrying, but they knew security and were excellent at their jobs. Once they arrived in Pine Valley, Kerri would be safe. He already considered her his, and that meant he would protect her with his life.

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Chapter 3 Kerri felt like she was floating between reality and sleep. She tried to make herself wake up and open her eyes but couldn’t. Damn, those must be some good drugs. She tried to turn over and get more comfortable, but arms that felt like steel gripped her tight. Something was wrong. Kerri realized that she wasn’t floating. She was being carried by someone. The more she struggled, the tighter the grip of whoever was carrying her became. Just as she began to panic, she heard Chase’s voice. “Easy, little bit. I’ve got you, and I’m taking you to a secure location, so settle down before you hurt yourself.” Calm washed over Kerri instantly, and she relaxed in Chase’s huge arms. She snuggled into his chest and breathed in his clean masculine scent. She could tell Chase didn’t wear cologne, but he still smelled damn good. His warmth went a long way in settling Kerri. Unfortunately the pain in her leg kept her from going back to sleep. The pain was almost unbearable, but Kerri hated the way the medicine made her feel and didn’t want to take anymore. She was strong and could suffer through the pain because she had no intentions of taking anymore medicine or going back into a drug-induced sleep. Kerri opened her eyes when she felt Chase’s chest rumble as he began talking to someone. “The area is secure, and we are ready for transport,” she heard one of the men say. “Holy shit, Chase. Is that the CO’s daughter?” the other one yelled. She tried to turn her head to see who was talking but Chase

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wouldn’t let her budge. At this point she really didn’t care who he was talking to or what was being said. She just wanted the pain in her leg to stop. Deep breathing wasn’t working. The pain was excruciating and becoming worse. Chills swept over Kerri as the cool night air blew across the sweat covering her body. As the nausea caused the bile in her stomach to rise, Kerri realized that she wasn’t being strong or tough. She was being just plain stupid by not letting Chase know that she was in pain so that he could give her medicine. Maybe he had something for pain that wouldn’t knock her out. Just take the edge off. She lifted her eyes to his only to see that he was staring at her with those intense green eyes. “Damn it, Kerri. Why didn’t you tell me that you were hurting?” Kerri tried to smile but she knew it wasn’t pretty. “I don’t want to go back to sleep.” Her voice was weak, and the trembling in her body caused her teeth to chatter together. She tried to hold her head up so that she could see his face, but darkness crept into the edges of her vision as the pain became too extreme, so she laid her head against his chest. The last thing she heard before she passed out was a deep rumbling in Chase’s chest. Did he just growl at me? Too tired and weak to care, Kerri welcomed oblivion. **** Stubborn women. Chase had enough to deal with between his sister, Ali, and his sister-in-law, Cane. Now he had to deal with another one. Looking down at the tiny woman in his arms, barely hitting five foot three, Chase admired her. She was strong. He couldn’t believe she lasted as long as she did with the pain. He had seen men twice her size cry and beg for drugs with less injuries than she had. He knew she was in extreme pain when he felt her tremble and looked down to see the sweat coating her forehead and top lip. When she opened her eyes and looked at him, the shine of tears in

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them had nearly brought him to his knees. He couldn’t stand to see her hurting. Thank goodness she passed out because she was getting meds regardless of whether she wanted them or not. At least this way he wouldn’t have to fight her on the issue. Ignoring the questions coming from Gavin and Angel, Chase carried Kerri over to his truck. Trusting his former team members to have secured it, he opened the back door and laid her across the seat. Once he had her positioned so that there was no strain on her injured leg, he pulled out a syringe that the doctor gave him and quickly injected her. He hated going against her wishes by giving her the medicine, but she needed it. Tomorrow, once she was settled at his house, he would start giving her something milder just to take the edge off. With one last check to make sure she was comfortable and that her raw feet were cushioned, Chase turned to address his old team members. “I will explain fully when we get to my home, but just know that she was kidnapped and held for three days before she somehow escaped on her own and ended up in the hospital.” Gavin opened his mouth to say something, but Chase held up his hand. “Wait, it gets better. Whoever this guy is that took her wanted to use her against her father, and he is still out there. Needless to say, our CO is not happy about that and is out for blood.” “I take it he wants Kerri tucked away safe so that this guy can’t go after her again?” Angel, the quiet one of the two, asked. “Yeah, that’s where I come in and why I called the two of you. I’m not taking any chances with her safety, and I want you two to be my eyes and ears while she is here. I have the feeling that this guy is no amateur, and if he is somehow able to track her here, then that puts my whole family at risk.” “Of course you know we got your back, man.” Gavin grinned as he patted Chase on the back. Gavin was the playful of the two and liked to play pranks on people, while Angel was the silent, watchful type. Chase often

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wondered why the two were so close when they were complete opposites, but it somehow worked for them. “Well let’s get out of here then,” Chase said while moving to the driver’s side of his truck. “I want Kerri out of the open as soon as possible.” Chase waited for Angel and Gavin to pull out behind him before starting for home. They had about a thirty-minute drive ahead of them, and Chase planned to use every bit of that to detail everything he needed to do to keep his family safe. They had been through enough in the past few years, with his parents dying in a car crash that almost killed his baby sister and Cane being abducted and almost killed by her ex-boyfriend. Chase just hoped that he wasn’t bringing more danger to their doorstep. **** Justin had driven by the hospital several times over the past day and a half and didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. He knew Kerri would head for the nearest hospital due to blood loss. This was the only hospital in the area, so this was definitely where she would be. He knew this place would be crawling with security if Daniel MacGregor was already here. The man would stop at nothing to keep his daughter from being taken again. Justin had to get to her before her father did because he had no doubt that she would be placed under more security than the president once Daniel arrived. Finding a parking space as close to the building and exit as possible, Justin grabbed a clipboard, a vase of roses, and a balloon bouquet and walked to the entrance. Walking over to the desk, he watched as the nurse’s eyes widened at the flowers and balloons she saw him carrying. Making a show of looking down at his clipboard and pretending to read a name, Justin smiled at the nurse. “Hello, gorgeous. I have a delivery here for a Miss Kerri MacGregor. Can you tell me what room she is in?”

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The nurse giggled and blushed at the “gorgeous” comment, and Justin mentally patted himself on the back. Flirting seemed to be the way to go to get what he wanted out of this woman. “I’m sorry, sir, but I can only give that information out to the family. I can take the flowers and deliver them myself if you would like.” Reaching over, Justin stroked the back of the nurse’s hand with his finger and read her name tag. “Normally, Rhonda, I wouldn't have a problem with that, but this is a special delivery, and I have to have a signature or my boss is going to kill me. You probably know all about that, don’t you?” He gave her his brightest smile, keeping the scarred side of his face turned away from her while still running his fingertips over the back of her hand. After another giggle, Nurse Rhonda pressed a few buttons on her keyboard. “I’m sorry, sir, it looks like you just missed her. She checked out about three hours ago.” Damn. Now what? “Thank you for your help, honey. Maybe you can give the balloons to some other patients, but I insist you keep the roses for yourself.” After kissing the back of the nurse’s hand, Justin quickly left the building. Hopefully by giving the roses to the nurse, she wouldn’t rat him out if someone came questioning who he was. Either Kerri’s injuries weren’t as bad as he thought, or she had already been moved into hiding. Either way, Justin was going to have his work cut out for him to find her again. The first step was figuring out who Daniel trusted to keep his daughter safe. He needed Kerri because without her his plan would fall apart. She was the key to bringing Daniel MacGregor down. Nothing was going to stop Justin from getting his revenge. **** When Chase arrived home, he found his entire family waiting for

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him on the front porch with concerned looks on their faces. He knew he had some explaining to do, but his first priority was to get Kerri somewhere comfortable. He carried Kerri in the house and straight to the room that had a connecting door to his bedroom. His room used to be his parents’, and the connecting room was once a nursery but was converted into an office for his dad when all the kids got old enough for their own rooms. Chase was impressed with what he saw. In just a few hours, Cane and Ali had completely transformed the office into a bedroom every woman would love to have. The focal point was a queen-size bed in the center of the room with what looked like a hundred pillows piled on it. Chase shoved the pillows off with one arm while he cradled Kerri to his chest with the other. Once he had the bed clear, he gently laid her on it and positioned her so that she was comfortable. He tucked a pillow under her injured leg to elevate it and keep the swelling down. Brushing the hair out of her face and giving her one last look, Chase pulled the door closed and walked out of the room. When Chase arrived in the kitchen, he found his family all sitting around the kitchen table, drinking coffee and talking. Gavin and Angel were both leaning against the counter with intense looks on their faces. Turning in the directions of their stares, he saw that they were watching Ali. His sister was sitting at the table staring back at the two men with a look of awe on her face. Great, one more thing for me to worry about. Chase recognized the look on Ali’s face, and if he wasn’t mistaken, it was the same look he’d had on his face when he walked into the hospital room and laid eyes on Kerri. The difference between him and his baby sister was that he was old enough to have that look on his face. Yeah, Ali would be eighteen in another few months, but she was still his baby sister, and this was a situation that he was going to have to monitor. Chase cleared his throat and turned the focus of the room toward him. “I know you all are wondering what is going on. The woman lying in the room back there is our former commanding officer’s

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daughter.” Chase waved his hand between him, Gavin, and Angel. “She was abducted a few days ago by a man whose intention was to use her against her father. We don’t know who the guy is or what his grudge against our CO is, but he disappeared after Kerri got away. Her father is out hunting for the man now. So my job is to keep Kerri safe until her kidnapper is captured.” He pointed to his team members. “This Gavin and Angel. I called them in for extra protection. I’m not expecting any trouble here, but I’m not taking any chances. I trust them with my life and yours, so if you have any problems and I am not around, you can go to either one of them.” Gavin and Angel nodded but stayed quiet. “You guys can go on with your lives as usual. Just keep your eyes and ears open for anything strange in town.” Once Chase was finished with his explanation, he walked over and grabbed a beer out of the refrigerator. Opening the cap, he swallowed half the bottle in one gulp. Damn, I needed that. He turned back around to see Cane and Ali gone, probably to check on Keri and make sure she was comfortable. His brothers were still sitting at the table, watching him. Duncan spoke first. “Okay, now that they’re gone, what is the real threat?” Chase sighed. He should have known his brothers would see through his everything is okay, don’t worry attitude. “The only thing I can tell you is that my gut tells me that this is not over. This guy is smart. He has to be to have gotten to Kerri in the first place. He isn’t going to give up on using her against her father. That’s the reason why I called Gavin and Angel in.” “So what should we do?” Riley asked. “Gavin and Angel will be staying here and helping out. Riley, I need you to be on bodyguard detail again if you can. I want you with Ali until this is over.” Riley nodded. Chase loved his family. There was no whining, and no moaning or complaining. They just got things done.

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“Duncan and Logan, I would prefer it if you kept Cane here. With her being pregnant, I don’t want anything unnecessary to happen to her.” Duncan and Logan looked at each other as if they were silently communicating and both nodded. “Done. Now that we have trained a new deputy, we both can take turns staying with her. She will be upset, but we know how to handle that,” Logan said with a grin. Chase shook his head as he watched his brothers all leave the room. “Come on,” he told his team members, “let me show you to your room.” He led Gavin and Angel down the hall to Logan’s old room. Now that Logan, Cane, and Duncan were all married, they all shared Duncan’s room. He watched as they threw their bags on the beds and surveyed the room. “Get some rest, and we will work out a security schedule in the morning.” The two nodded, and Chase turned to leave. “Oh,” he said, stopping, “one more thing. She is seventeen, and she is my baby sister.” Chase didn’t give them time to respond, but he did see the huge lecherous grins on their faces as he walked out of the room. He knew they wouldn’t harm his sister or touch a hair on her head while she was underage. Smiling, Chase decided to check on Kerri one last time before he got some rest himself. So much for a nice, relaxing vacation.

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Chapter 4 A loud, obnoxious noise brought Kerri out of a deep sleep. What the hell is that? She cracked her eyes open and looked around the bright room. She followed the noise until she got to Chase sitting at the foot of the bed in a chair. He had his feet propped up on the bed and his head thrown back, snoring. Damn, the man is loud. He could give a lawnmower a run for its money. She slapped a hand over her mouth to keep the laugh in. Poor guy. He didn’t look comfortable at all. Kerri wondered if he’d slept in the chair the whole night. If he had, he was probably going to be as sore as she was when he woke up. She laid there and assessed her body. She was sore from head to toe, and the bottoms of her feet were still tender. Her leg was still throbbing, but the pain was tolerable at the moment. Unfortunately, Kerri had to use the bathroom really bad. She hated waking Chase, but there was no way she was going to make it on her own. It took several tries for her to reach a sitting position in the bed. By the time she was up, she was out of breath and sweating. Her father told her she had lost a lot of blood, but she didn’t realize how much until now. The simple act of sitting up left her as weak as a kitten. After catching her breath, Kerri looked up, only to find Chase staring at her. She cleared her throat. “Hi,” she said with a little wave. “I’m sorry I woke you, but I really have to use the restroom.” She didn’t even have to ask Chase to help her. He just threw the blanket back and scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bathroom on the other side of the room. I could get used to this. The thought flew right out of Kerri’s head when Chase sat her on the counter and lifted her hospital gown. She grabbed his wrist to stop

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him when he began tugging on the waistline of her panties. “What are you doing?” she squeaked. Chase cleared his throat a couple of times but wouldn’t look her in the eyes. She could feel the tension in his arms where she gripped his wrists and knew that he was just as uncomfortable as she was. “I’m helping you. You can’t stand on your feet yet.” His voice was hoarse. “I would get my sister to help you, but she can’t lift you.” Keri released her grip on him and shook her head. “No, it’s okay. You just caught me off guard.” She didn’t move as Chase gently lifted her and pulled her panties down to her knees. He lifted her off the counter and sat her on the toilet and walked out of the bathroom, all without looking at her or saying a word. Kerri smiled as she did her business. Who would have thought she could embarrass a big strong man like Chase. Surprisingly, Kerri wasn’t embarrassed as she should have been. She noticed that Chase left the door cracked, and once she was finished, she called out to him. He came in and efficiently slid her panties back into place and sat her on the counter again. “I would really like to brush my teeth if you have an extra toothbrush.” Still not saying anything, Chase began to rummage through drawers, looking for the toothbrush. Kerri frowned. He can’t still be embarrassed. What’s his problem? Trailing her eyes down his body, Kerri realized the problem. He was aroused, and judging by the huge lump in his sweats, Chase was big from head to toe. She reached up to wipe her chin as she continued to stare at Chase’s crotch. Damn, I wonder if I’m drooling. Chase hadn’t had time to shave, and the shadow of his beard growing in made him even sexier, if that was even possible. What would the scratch of his beard feel like against her breast or inner thighs? When she ran her tongue across her bottom lip, she heard Chase groan. That caught her attention, and Kerri snapped her eyes up to his. Chase’s green eyes had darkened, and she could feel the lust pouring off him. His voice was deep and raspy

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when he spoke. “If you don’t quit looking at me like that, little bit, I can’t be held responsible for what I might do.” Now it was Kerri’s turn to blush. She was embarrassed that he caught her staring. It made her feel good that he wanted her because she definitely wanted him. Maybe once she was back to 100 percent— hell she would even take ninety—then she would take him up on his offer. Clearing her throat, she pointed to the toothbrush in his hand. “Is that for me?” Chase held the toothbrush out to her and waited while she awkwardly leaned over the sink and brushed her teeth. When she was finished, he lifted her off the counter and began to carry her out of the room. Kerri glanced over at the huge whirlpool bath in the corner and sighed. A bath would be lovely, but with her leg and stitches, Kerri knew that was impossible. Hopefully she would have enough strength to clean herself up soon because the sponge bath she had in the hospital was not going to be enough. Once Chase had her positioned on the bed and pillows stuffed comfortably behind her back, Kerri had a chance to look around the room. Obviously she wasn’t in the hospital anymore. Where was she? It said something about the meds that she was on that her surroundings were not the first thing she noticed when she woke up. Okay, no more drugs for me. She glanced over at Chase, who had taken his seat back in the chair at the foot of the bed. He looked slightly more comfortable, and Kerri attributed that to the fact that they were out of the bathroom and she was covered up. Clearing her throat, she asked, “Where am I?” “You are in my home. Your dad asked me to guard you, and I couldn’t do that safely in the hospital, so I brought you here.” “Where exactly is here?” “I live in a small town in Oregon called Pine Valley. My ranch is on the outskirts of town.”

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“Ranch? You mean with cows and chickens and stuff?” Kerri said a little too loudly. She was in shock. This man didn’t meet her image of a cowboy. He was too big. She imagined ranchers as tall, slim men in dirty jeans and cowboy boots. Chase was nothing like that, sitting here in his bare feet in sweats and a T-shirt. Although, I bet Chase would look great in a pair of tight, dirty jeans and boots and nothing else. Kerri smiled at the thought. Was it wishful thinking on her part? Or had Chase been honest in the bathroom when he said he didn’t think he could control himself? He struck her as a man who only spoke the truth. What would happen if he really did lose control? She imagined that it would probably result in the best night of her life. Kerri was so lost in thoughts and fantasies of Chase that she didn’t hear him call her name until he barked it out. From the worried look on his face, it seemed like he had been trying to get her attention for several moments. “Are you okay, Kerri? You looked flushed. Are you in pain?” The concern on Chase’s face made her feel bad. Here she was imagining all the dirty things they could do to each other, and he was worried about her. Deciding to be honest with him since he was honest with her in the bathroom, Kerri answered, “I’m okay. I’m not hurting that much, just really sore. I was flushed because of what you said about owning a ranch. I was imagining you as a sexy cowboy.” She felt her cheeks heat up at the admission but couldn’t look away. The lust shining in Chase’s eyes held her captive. She had always had a small crush on him, but this was different. She wasn’t some gangly teen. She was a grown woman now. Kerri didn’t move when Chase stood and came to sit next to her on the bed. She held perfectly still when he lifted his hand and caressed her cheek. His hand was so big that it covered the entire side of her face. She shivered, not because she was cold or frightened, but because his one touch sent tingles throughout her entire body. Chase leaned in to kiss her but stopped before his lips touched

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hers. Kerri whimpered and leaned in the last inch to meet his lips. Just as her lips touched his, Chase pulled away and stood between her and the door. Shocked at the abrupt loss, Kerri stared blankly at his back. Evidently she had been too caught up in the “almost kiss” that she didn’t hear the knock on the door. Obviously Chase did, because a second later the door eased open. Kerri saw his shoulders relax when he recognized whoever was there. He turned to her and smiled. “I will give you some privacy to get cleaned up.” With that he turned and walked out of the room, only stopping to kiss the girl standing at the door on the cheek. The girl was beautiful. She had long, black, curly hair and the same beautiful green eyes that Chase had. She was obviously related to him in some kind of way, but Kerri didn’t know how. She didn’t know anything about Chase’s personal life or family. The girl walked over and sat on the bed in the same spot Chase had just left and reached over to grab Kerri’s hand. “I recognize that look on your face,” she said, smiling. “For some reason, the Matthews men have that effect on women.” Unsure of what to say, Kerri just blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “Um…who are you?” “Oh, sorry, I’m just not used to seeing my brother with that look on his face, and then I came in and saw the same look on yours. I just couldn’t be happier.” Who is this chick? Why would Chase leave me alone with her? She obviously has some sort of mental issues. “Sorry, I’m doing it again aren’t I?” The girl squeezed Kerri’s hand and began shaking it. “I’m Alice, but everyone calls me Ali. I’m Chase’s sister. You will meet the rest of the family once we get you cleaned up and dressed. We would have met last night when you arrived, but you were knocked out. Probably the pain medicine.” Ali shook her head as if she were answering her own statement and went into the bathroom. Kerri could hear water running, and Ali came back out carrying a large bowl in one hand and a bar of soap in

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the other. She sat everything on the nightstand and leaned over to remove the sheet covering her. Kerri was too busy eyeing the steam coming off the water in the bowl to care about the invasion of privacy. Oh, how good would it feel to sink into that hot water right now? Hearing Ali laugh, Kerri focused her attention back on her. Ali was still giggling. “I see how you are looking at that water, and speaking from experience, I know exactly how you feel. Unfortunately for you, doctor’s orders say that you can’t get that leg wet, so a sponge bath will have to do for now. Once we are finished, I will change the bandage for you.” “Thank you.” Kerri felt tears of gratitude. “I don’t care if it is just a sponge bath right now. I just want to feel clean.” No other words were spoken as Ali helped Chase get cleaned up. Kerri didn’t let the fact that Ali said she was speaking from experience slip past her, but she let it slide. Maybe later, once she got to know the girl, she would ask what she meant. Once she was clean and mostly dressed, in a tank and brand-new panties that someone was thoughtful enough to buy, Kerri leaned back against the headboard. She was out of breath and tired. The blood loss had left her weak, but Kerri wouldn’t have changed a thing she did to escape. “Okay,” Ali spoke, “let’s get your leg cleaned up now and a fresh bandage then we can go get some breakfast and meet the rest of the family.” Kerri winced a couple of times as she helped Ali remove the soiled bandage. She grimaced when she saw the long, jagged scar running from her hip to her knee. “Wow, I really did a number on myself,” she said out loud. “You did this to yourself?” Ali looked shocked. “Yeah, I jumped out a window to escape my kidnapper. I thought I knocked all the glass out, but evidently I missed a piece,” Kerri said, smiling. Ali laughed. “Yeah, I would say you missed a pretty big piece.”

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The scar was angry-looking, red, and puffy. Her leg was still swollen, judging by the way the stitches pulled in certain places. The doctors did a good job sewing her back up, but Kerri knew she would always have the scar as a reminder of what happened. She was okay with that because it would also be a reminder to never let her guard down again. Once she was bandaged, Ali helped her pull on a pair of sweats. They fit but were too long, so Ali rolled the legs up a couple of times. Once she was finished, she patted Kerri’s leg and gave her a look of sympathy. “Don’t worry about the scar. It doesn’t determine who you are. Plus”—she winked—“I know for a fact that Chase won’t care one bit.” “Oh, I wasn’t worried about that, but what do you mean you know for a fact that Chase won’t care? Does this have anything to do with what you said earlier about speaking from experience?” Kerri told herself to mind her own business, but Ali was so open and honest that it made Kerri want to know everything about her. She could see innocence in Ali that made her want to not only be her friend but to protect her as well. Ali stood from the bed and smiled. She turned and grabbed the hem of her shirt and lifted it. Kerri gasped when she saw the jagged scar going down the right side of her back from shoulder to hip. The scar was discolored, but Kerri could tell she had received it a while ago. That meant that Ali had to have been almost a child when it happened. Kerri immediately became angry. Who would hurt someone like this? She hoped that whoever did it was either dead or in jail. “Who did this to you?” She tried but failed to keep the anger out of her voice. Ali laughed. “Calm down, Kerri. No one did this to me. I got it in a car accident a few years ago.” Kerri let her anger go and settled back against the bed.

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“If you think my scar is bad, maybe I shouldn’t tell you about Cane’s.” “Who is Cane?” Ali settled back on the bed. “If you are going to be here a while, then there are a few things you should know about our family. “Cane is married to my brother, Duncan, and his best friend, Logan.” Kerri couldn’t keep the shock off her face. “Two men? Wow, I can barely handle one.” Ali giggled. “I’m glad you aren’t disgusted. A lot of the women in town are, and they give Cane a hard time, but she doesn’t care. She loves Duncan and Logan. They are about seven months pregnant with twins.” Kerri loved babies. I wonder if Chase loves kids. Whoa, where did that thought come from. Slow down. You only shared one “almost kiss” with him. No reason to be thinking about having babies with the man. “I bet the women in town are just jealous. What woman wouldn’t want to have two men? Wait,” she said, narrowing her eyes to look at Ali. “Should we even be talking about this? How old are you?” Ali giggled again, and Keri was beginning to suspect that it was something she did all the time. “I am seventeen. I will be eighteen in a couple months, but don’t worry. I haven’t lived some sheltered life. Believe me. Growing up, having all the girls in town falling all over my three brothers and Logan, I had to hear everything they did. If it wasn’t girls bragging on what a good time they had, it was girls coming to me for advice on what they should do to land one of them. Plus, I run the diner in town, and I hear all kinds of crazy conversations there.” Kerri stared at Ali in awe. The girl was young, but she was very mature for her age. Kerri liked her a lot. “Okay,” she said when her stomach growled loudly. “I think I am ready for some breakfast, but how am I going to get there?” “One moment,” Ali said as she stood from the bed. She opened the door, and Kerri heard her laugh. She looked to see what was so

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funny and saw Chase leaning against the opposite wall, waiting on them. Kerri wondered how long he had been standing there. Ali turned to wave at her and went on out the door. **** Damn, how long does it take one tiny woman to get ready? Chase waited impatiently outside of the guest room while Ali helped Kerri get cleaned up and fresh clothes on. He had seen the look on her face when she glanced at the tub as he carried her out of the bathroom. He knew that she wanted a bath and was grateful to Ali for helping her. Helping her to the bathroom and pulling her panties down was enough to test a man’s control. That had been one of the hardest experiences of his life. Who knew that could be used as a form of torture? Chase had been to war and seen enough combat to make a grown man never want to leave his room again, and none of it affected him. Yet one small woman nearly brought him to his knees when he sat her on that counter and removed her panties. The door finally opened, and Ali waved him in. Kerri was lounging on the bed in a tank and sweats, but damn did she look good. From the smile she had spread across her face, he could tell that she was feeling better. He was glad. He hated seeing her in pain. “Hey, little bit. I see you are feeling better. How is the pain?” “The pain is nothing I can’t handle. Maybe a few aspirin after I eat something and I will be okay. I don’t want anything stronger than that.” Chase nodded and went to lift her. “Okay, let’s get you to the kitchen then so you can eat. Breakfast should just about be ready.” Lifting Kerri against him, Chase couldn’t help but be affected. The cold shower he had just taken turned out to have been pointless because he was rock hard again just like that. Kerri belonged in his arms. She fit perfectly. Her body heat seemed to sink into him, and damned if she didn’t smell good. He felt Kerri sigh and relax against

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him as he began to carry her down the hall. He felt her stiff nipples against his chest and knew immediately that she wasn’t wearing a bra. Barely holding back a groan, Chase made it to the kitchen and sat Kerri in one of the chairs at the table. He pulled out the chair next to her and sat down. He gently lifted her injured leg and placed it in his lap. Aware of the quietness of the kitchen, Chase looked up and found eight sets of amused eyes, including Kerri’s, watching him. He didn’t care. He just needed to be touching her. Clearing his throat, he pointed toward Kerri. “This is Kerri MacGregor. She ran into a little problem and is going to be staying here for a little while until the threat to her has passed.” Chase introduced Kerri to his family until he got to Gavin and Angel. He noticed the recognition in her eyes when he got to his team members and wondered just how involved she was in her father’s company. “From the looks of it, you already know my old team members, Gavin and Angel. I brought them in as extra protection since we don’t know what we are up against.” Kerri nodded but didn’t say anything. Getting the introductions out of the way, the family dug into breakfast and talked about plans for the day. He loved the fact that they treated Kerri, Gavin, and Angel like members of the family and included them in the conversations. Kerri fit right in with them. She laughed with Cane and Ali like they were old friends. Chase realized that Kerri was a strong woman. Not once had she complained about pain or being uprooted from her home and forced into hiding. She was kidnapped and held hostage yet here she was in his home, laughing and talking like nothing ever happened. Damn if it didn’t turn him on. He caught her looking around and wondered what she thought of his home. Chase loved it himself and hoped that she loved it, too, because if he had his way, she wouldn’t be leaving. He had to laugh at himself. It seemed like just yesterday he was preaching bachelorhood. He swore he wanted to be single. Now look at me, he thought. He was sitting there, hoping a woman he just met would want to stay with him forever.

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Yeah, it was crazy, but it felt right, and he always went with his instinct. Once breakfast was finished and the table cleared, Chase kept Kerri sitting. His family had all left for the day, leaving Chase there with Kerri, Gavin, and Angel. “Okay, we need to make a plan,” Chase began. “My gut tells me this isn’t over. This guy wants something, and Kerri is the key to him getting it, so I don’t expect him to go away easily.” He looked over at Kerri. “I know you have gone over this before, but we need you to tell us everything that happened from the beginning.” Chase held his hand up to stop the protest she was about to make. “Like I said, we need to hear it again. Now that you aren’t on any more pain meds and are thinking with a clear head, you might remember something vital to finding out who this guy is.” Chase listened as Kerri retold her ordeal from beginning to end. It was the same story she told in the hospital. “Come on, Kerri, think. There has to be something that you aren’t remembering that can help us find this guy.” “I have told you everything.” Kerri growled, obviously getting frustrated. Hell, he was frustrated too. He wanted her out of danger. “All I know is that this guy has some kind of grudge against my dad. He didn’t come right out and say it, but the way he talked about my dad was like he knew him. This wasn’t just some guy out for an easy buck. His voice was almost familiar, like I have heard it before, but I can’t figure out where. The only thing I can tell you is that his eyes were lifeless. They were so dark, they were almost black. I would recognize them immediately if I ever saw them again.” Kerri shivered and leaned back in her seat. Chase could tell she was more affected by the memories of what happened to her than she let on. “Okay, here is the plan.” Chase stood and began pacing the kitchen. He always thought better when he was moving around. “Gavin and Angel, I want you to be my eyes and ears in town since I will be staying here with Kerri. I don’t want anyone in town to know

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she is here, period. Duncan and Logan made that mistake with Cane and led her ex right to her. I won’t take that chance. The best place to watch what goes on around here is the diner, which is perfect because you can help Riley guard Ali while you are there.” Chase ignored the look that passed between the two when he mentioned his sister’s name. “Duncan and Logan will be keeping an eye on Cane, and Riley can take care of himself when he isn’t helping out at the diner. While we are all here, we will work out a schedule. I want someone on guard around the clock.” Chase looked over and saw that Kerri was fading fast. She looked like she was about to fall out of her chair. He stood and lifted her in his arms and glanced back at Gavin and Angel. “Let me get Kerri back to bed, and then we can finish this.” He didn’t wait for a response as he carried Kerri back to bed. Once he had her comfortable, he sat down next to her. “Get some rest, little bit. Once you wake up, if you feel better, I will show you around.” He watched Kerri smile and close her eyes. Once she was breathing deeply and evenly, Chase leaned over and placed a soft kiss on her lips. They were still sweet from the syrup she’d had at breakfast. He couldn’t wait until she was better. He had plans of taking that kiss a whole lot further.

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Chapter 5 Three days later Chase found Kerri sitting on the couch with her leg propped up on a pillow. “Hey there, little bit. How did you get in here?” He loved the way her eyes lit up when he came in the room. After being out on the ranch all day, it felt good to come home and have someone waiting on him. “I had Riley bring me in here when I woke up from my nap. I just couldn’t stay in bed another second.” Kerri sighed. Chase knew she was tired from blood loss and pain, but he didn’t like the sadness he heard in Kerri’s voice. He knew that being inactive was going to get to her eventually, but he didn’t want her to get depressed. He needed to find a way to cheer her up and fast. He grimaced when he went to sit on the couch and stood again. “I stink. I’m going to take a quick shower, and then I will come back and watch a movie with you till dinner is ready.” Kerri moaned and closed her eyes. “You just don’t know what I would give to be able to take a long hot shower or bath right now. I feel like I have layers of dirt and grime on me.” Chase smiled. That’s it. I know what will cheer her up. Without responding, he turned and left the room. He took the shortest shower in history and threw on a pair of old sweats. He didn’t bother putting on a shirt because it would just get wet with what he had in mind. He gathered all the supplies that he needed and then went to get Kerri. She was still on the couch where he left her, just staring out the window. Hopefully she would go along with his plan because he

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didn’t think he could stand to see the sad look on her face any longer. He lifted her without saying a word and carried her down the hallway to the bathroom. Once in the bathroom he sat her on the counter in the same spot he always sat her in when he helped her use the restroom. “What are you doing, Chase?” Kerri asked. Oh God. This is going to be torture. Swallowing around the lump in his throat, Chase answered hoarsely, “I’m going to help you get a bath. Hopefully that will make you feel better. Since my sister can’t lift you, and I refuse to let one of the guys see you naked, you’re stuck with me.” He expected Kerri to argue, but she gave him a wide grin instead. “At this point I don’t care who gives me the bath. I’m just excited to be able to take one. How are we going to do this? I thought I couldn’t get my leg wet.” Chase held up a box of plastic wrap. “According to your doctor’s instructions, we just need to keep your bandage clean and dry. Since it is time to change it anyway, I figured we could wrap your leg in the plastic wrap and tape it really good. Once you are out of the bath I will clean it and change the bandage. I won’t lie though. Your raw feet are probably going to burn like hell when they hit the hot water.” Kerri squealed and threw her arms around his neck. “I don’t care. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Chase.” Kerri didn’t waste any time removing her clothes. Her modesty seemed to fly out the window with the prospect of an actual bath. Chase tried to keep everything as professional as possible, but he couldn’t stop the bulge growing in his pants with each piece of clothing that came off. He had been walking around with a permanent erection since Kerri got here. He had all intentions of offering her a towel to wrap up in, but if she wasn’t complaining, then neither was he. Just like over the past few days, he had to help her get her pants and panties off, and just like all the other times, he went rock hard when he revealed the tiny patch of trimmed curls between her legs. Chase turned away before he embarrassed himself by coming in his

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pants. He tried to focus on wrapping her leg, but that meant he had to spread her thighs, giving him a glimpse of her hot, pink core. She was bandaged pretty much from hip to knee, so he started wrapping at her knee and went up. When he got to the juncture of her thigh and hip, his knuckles brushed her pussy each time he wrapped the inner part of her thigh. He held his breath when she jumped. He was trying his best not to cause her pain, but the plastic had to be tight. Looking up, he saw that there was no pain on her face. He could see that he wasn’t the only one affected by what he was doing. Kerri’s clit was swollen, and she was becoming wetter by the minute. Trying his best to ignore her heavy breathing, he finished what he was doing and taped the plastic in place. “There now, that should hold until we finish with the bath.” Chase had already run the water for the bath and made sure the temp was perfect, so he lifted Kerri and carried her over to the tub. He gently lowered her into the water to make sure it wasn’t too hot for her. Her breath hissed, and her teeth clenched when her feet hit the water, but she made no other protest as he continued lowering her. He laughed when she sighed and laid her head back against the side. “I know you would probably like some bubbles or whatever other crap you women like to put in your water, but I didn’t think it was a good idea with your leg. I didn’t want to get anything on it.” “That’s okay,” Kerri said without opening her eyes, “the water feels great without it. I feel like I haven’t bathed in years instead of almost two weeks. I’ll tell you this, I will never take bathing or showering for granted again.” Chase responded to her with a grunt. He couldn’t think enough to put words together. He was too busy looking at Kerri’s body. He took advantage to look while she had her eyes closed. With nothing but clear water in the tub, he had a great view of everything. Her breasts were the perfect size for him, not too big or small. A perfect handful. He didn’t need any more than that. They were topped with small pink nipples that, at the moment, were standing straight out and flushed

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from the hot water. He trailed his eyes down to her stomach. He had a thing for belly buttons, and Kerri’s was damn sexy. He wouldn’t mind playing in it with his tongue. He went on down to her legs. For someone so short, her legs looked like they went on for miles. They were slender and toned. Even her feet were sexy despite the raw skin on the bottom. They were small and dainty. He wanted to see her in high heels with bright-red toenail polish on and nothing else. Chase trailed his eyes back up her legs and stopped when he got to the V of her thighs. Her legs were slightly parted in the water, and he could see her tiny clit peeking out. “Like what you see?” Chase snapped his eyes back up to Kerri. She had a crooked grin on her face, but didn’t seem to mad at him for staring. Deciding to tell the truth, he said, “You have to be one of the sexiest women I have ever seen. I can think of all kinds of things I want to do with this sexy body of yours.” Kerri blushed, and he grinned. For a woman that acted so bold, she was shy underneath. He liked that. Kerri reached out to grab the soap, but Chase caught her hand and took it from her. “Let me help,” he said in a husky voice. He needed an excuse to touch her, and it was as good as any. He grabbed one of those puffy mesh balls and rubbed it with the soap. Once he worked up some lather, he started with her shoulders, gently rubbing. She leaned forward, and he worked the soap over her back. Her breathy little moans were playing hell on his control. Once he was finished washing her back, he came around the front and washed her chest. He took his time washing her breasts, lingering over each nipple. Kerri was no longer trying to hide her moans. She was sexy as hell with her head thrown back and her eyes closed. She had her mouth slightly open and was breathing hard. Each time he rubbed a nipple, she arched her back, pushing her breast further into his hands.

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“You are so damn sexy, Kerri. I have wanted to touch you since I walked into that hospital room and saw you lying in the bed. Even though you were bandaged and covered from head to toe in bruises, I still thought you were the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.” Chase ran his hand down her stomach, leaving a trail of bubbles. “Do you want me to stop?” Kerri reached out and grabbed his wrist before he could move his hand. “No. Please don’t stop.” Her eyes were glassy from pleasure, and Chase made a vow at that moment to try his best to keep that look on her face. He tossed the sponge he was using in the water. He wanted nothing between his hand and Kerri’s body. He ran his fingers through the blonde hair between her legs. When she parted her legs, Chase moved down even further and gently circled Kerri’s clit with his finger. She bucked, and water sloshed over the side of the tub. “Easy now,” he told her, “we don’t want to injure your leg, so you have to stay still, or I will stop.” He took one hand and placed it just below the knee of her injured leg to keep it from moving. Once he was satisfied that she wouldn’t hurt herself again, he turned his attention back to what he was doing. Picking up where he left off, he circled her clit again. She was slick even in the water, and he could feel the heat pouring off her. He loved the sounds that she was making. He circled her hole with a finger before slipping it in. Kerri was tight, almost too tight even though he only had one finger in. He couldn’t wait to feel her wrapped around his cock. It pleased him a great deal to know that she more than likely hadn’t had many sexual partners. He had a feeling her father and her bodyguards had something to do with scaring off most of the guys, and he wasn’t complaining. She was his now, and if he had his way, he was going to be the only one to have her again. Chase felt her muscles relax around his finger, and he began to move. Kerri tried to move with him but couldn’t go anywhere with him holding her down. He thrust his finger in and out slowly while

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rubbing her clit with his thumb. He caught his breath, shocked when Kerri screamed, and her passage began to flutter around his finger, squeezing him tight. He had never made a woman come that fast and knew he had a cocky smile on his face. He loved a responsive woman, and this one was perfect for him. When he tried to remove his finger, Kerri’s muscles tightened as if they didn’t want to let him go. “Next time that is going to be my cock that you are holding onto like that,” he said with a smug grin. Kerri was relaxed against the side of the tub when he looked up. Her cheeks were flushed, and she had a small smile on her face. She looked like she was ready for a nap, and Chase knew that she was still weak from her injuries. Ignoring his aching cock and balls, he stood and helped Kerri up. He quickly rinsed the soap off with the handheld showerhead and lifted her out of the tub. Kerri leaned heavily against him while he dried her. She was practically asleep on her feet. Not bothering to dress her, he laid her on the bed and worked to take the plastic wrap and tape off her leg. He cleaned her wound and was happy to see that most of the swelling had gone down, although it was still an angry-looking red color. He rubbed the antibiotic cream on that the doctor prescribed and put a clean bandage on it. Satisfied with his work, he covered Kerri with a blanket and kissed her forehead. Chase left the room and headed straight for an ice-cold shower. After shivering in the shower for about ten minutes with no results, Chase realized that he was going to have to take matters into his own hands, literally. He soaped his hand up and began to rub it up and down his shaft. He knew it wouldn’t take much for him to come because it seemed like he had been hard for ages. After a few more strokes, he felt the familiar tingling at the base of his spine signaling his release. He continued stroking with one hand while reaching down with the other to gently tug on his balls. Chase pictured Kerri laid out for him like a buffet in the tub. She looked beautiful when she was aroused. The way she came around his finger with only the barest of touches almost had him coming in his pants right there on the side of

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the tub. She was so responsive, and he wanted more. He wanted to ram his cock into her and feel her squeeze him tight when she came. That thought set off his orgasm. Chase had to place one hand on the shower wall to keep from falling when his knees went weak. He watched as jets of pearly fluid landed on the bottom of the shower and circled the drain. When Chase felt his strength return, he quickly washed himself and got dressed. He needed to check security before helping Riley make dinner. **** Dinner was great. Kerri was impressed that Chase and Riley cooked so well. Ali had explained that their mom had taught all the boys and her how to cook when they were smaller. Now, they all took turns cooking and cleaning the kitchen. Kerri also liked how Chase’s family was so close to each other. She’d never had that growing up with just her and her dad and loved how they all felt comfortable enough to tease and joke with each other. She could tell that it was all in good fun but knew that if anyone else outside of their circle teased, they would all be ready to jump in and protect. This was what Kerri wanted. She didn’t want to go through life looking over her shoulder anymore. She had been given nothing but time to think over the last three days, and she spent it contemplating her life. There is nothing like being kidnapped to put your priorities into perspective, she thought. Kerri came to the conclusion that she wanted what Chase had. Although she was only twenty-four and was still considered too young, she was ready to settle down. She decided that she no longer wanted to continue training to run her father’s company in the future. For as long as she could remember, her father had been grooming her to take over MacGregor Inc. At first, it was what she wanted, too. Kerri even went to college and majored in business for the single purpose of running the company. It was what her father wanted, and it was what she had wanted as well. Now, Chase was her future. She

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would rather stay at home and be surrounded by friends and family and hear the laughter of her children in the house. Kerri was aware that there was an eight-year age difference between her and Chase, but she didn’t care. She wanted all these things and preferred to have them with him. If it didn’t work out between them, then she would still find happiness with someone. In order to find happiness and peace, Kerri was going to have to take matters into her own hands. Just sitting around waiting wasn’t working, and she wasn’t used to letting someone else handle her problems. She had a feeling that this guy was out there right now trying to find a way to get her back. Maybe if she made it easier for him then he would make his move sooner rather than later, and they could end this. Kerri felt her spirits lift as she began to form a plan in her mind. She was falling hard for Chase and knew that they couldn’t move forward with their relationship with this threat hanging over her head. She hoped that Chase felt the same way about her. Judging from what happened earlier in the bathroom, she had a good feeling that he did. Any man that would forgo his own pleasure in order to make sure she got hers had to care about her at least a little, right? That being said, Kerri knew that she had her work cut out for her. The hardest part of her plan was going to be convincing Chase to go along with it. She knew that it was going to take a lot of smooth talking on her part to change his mind. The waiting around and being on constant alert was getting to him and his team. Kerri was going to use that to her advantage to try and persuade them to agree with her. Her first priority was getting back on her feet. She needed to stop letting the guys carry her around and ask Chase if he had any crutches. Once she was back on her feet, then she would present him with her plan. The way she figured it, she had a few days to make everything perfect. **** The crutches sucked and seemed to make Kerri a lot sorer. Who

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knew armpits could hurt? But she wasn’t complaining. She was able to get around without having to be carried by one of the guys, and that went a long way in helping her get her confidence back. She took the time over the past few days while Chase wasn’t around to start putting weight on her bad leg. She knew she was going against doctor’s orders and it was too soon, but having never been one to wait around for things to happen, Kerri pushed herself to get better. She had to. She had too many people worried about her, and her safety was her responsibility, not theirs. She couldn’t stand the fact that her father was out there right now hunting down this faceless enemy alone. By now the guy had to know her dad was after him. What if he turned on her dad? What if her dad got hurt because his mind was on her instead of his mission? Kerri couldn’t let that happen. That was why she had to get better, and her plan had to work. Chase had been great over the past few days. He was very attentive to her needs, and Kerri couldn’t help but to feel special in his arms. She wanted the man like she wanted her next breath, but other than a few kisses and touches here and there he seemed to be keeping his distance. Maybe he felt the same as her about their relationship not being able to move forward until the threat was over. Kerri hoped that was all there was to it because she wanted more of what happened during her bath. She’d only had a small taste of the big man’s passion and wondered what he would be like in bed if he unleashed it all. She may not survive it. As it was, her panties were wet now, and she was only imagining. The day before, Kerri had been able to get out of the house for the first time since she had arrived. Chase made her promise to try not to move on her own even though she had been using the crutches for a few days. At that point, Kerri would have agreed to anything just to be able to get some fresh air. Chase had carried her out and placed her on the back of a four-wheeler. He climbed on in front, and Kerri wrapped her arms around his waist. She leaned her head against his back and breathed in his clean scent. There was something about his

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smell that seemed to soothe her. That, combined with the fresh air, went a long way in making her feel calm for the first time since she was leaving the mall. That seemed like decades ago, and Kerri was a different person now. Before, she knew the dangers out in the world, but she never had to face any. All she had to go by were the stories her father told her and the details of the missions she helped him plan. Now she no longer cared about having the latest clothes or the most up-to-date cell phone. She realized that she had been young and naive and went about trying to assert her freedom and independence in the wrong way. Now she would take any bodyguard her dad wanted to give her and not complain, but she had a feeling that Chase was all she needed by her side. Chase showed her the entire ranch. Kerri could tell that he went a little slow and went out of his way to avoid bumps to make the ride easier for her. He showed her some of his favorite spots in the woods where he went to escape and relax. She was mesmerized by the sights and beauty that surrounded her. They had been riding for a while when Chase drove into a clearing. The tree line surrounded it in a half circle and ended at a rock wall. The wall had a small waterfall flowing off of it, landing into a small pond. The pond was surprisingly crystal clear, and when she asked Chase about it, he told her it was that way because it was fed by a natural underground spring. The clearing floor was covered by thousands of wildflowers in all colors. The place was magical. “Wow, Chase, I’m at a loss for words. This place is beautiful.” Chase nodded his head and smiled. “I figured you would like this place. This is where I come to get away when I feel like the walls are closing in on me. You can’t help but to relax when you are here.” Kerri wiped the tears from her eyes. She was honored that he would share his private, special place with her. Chase lifted her off of the four-wheeler and carried her over to a blanket covered with food that he had set up next to the pond. She hadn’t even noticed the blanket when she was busy admiring the view.

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“You set all of this up for me?” she asked him. “Yeah, like I said, I know what it is like to feel like the walls are closing in on you. I could tell by the look in your eyes that you were getting to that point and figured you could use a break. Only my family knows about this spot, and it’s still on our land, so I figured that it was secure enough to bring you. Don’t worry though, I have Gavin and Angel out there guarding us. They are good enough that even I don’t know where they are, but they’re out there, so you can relax and enjoy yourself.” Kerri thought the mood was ruined just a little by the fact that they were out there watching, but she wasn’t complaining. They ate the food and talked. She told Chase stories of her childhood, and he told her of his. They laughed and lounged on the blanket for what felt like hours. Chase was comfortable to be around, and Kerri loved it. She could be herself with him and not have to worry about if she said too much. He knew about her training and wasn’t intimidated by it. A few of the guys she dated hated the fact that, although she wasn’t necessarily stronger than them, she could still overpower them in a fight. Chase wasn’t one of those guys, and Kerri was grateful. All too soon the sun began to set, and Kerri knew that it was time to go back. She didn’t want to go back to the real world and wished they could stay there forever. Chase carried her back to the fourwheeler and placed her in the seat, but didn’t take his arms from around her. “I see the look on your face, little bit. Don’t worry. I will bring you back here again. When your leg is better, we can actually swim in the pond and just lay out all day doing nothing.” Kerri opened her mouth to respond, but he didn’t give her time. He pressed his lips to hers and took advantage of her open mouth by invading it with his tongue. Kerri closed her lips and sucked on it, drawing a moan from him. They battled for control of the kiss, but Chase eventually won and deepened it. He traced every inch of her

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mouth and drew back when they both needed to breathe again. Kerri was panting for breath as she watched him with a wicked grin on his face. He reached down to adjust himself and grimaced. “If we don’t stop now, Gavin and Angel are going to get a very erotic show.” Kerri blushed. She had forgotten all about the guys in the woods watching them. She wasn’t sure if it was Chase or the place that caused her to forget. Looking over at Chase, she had to give him all the credit. Chase grimaced again and climbed on. “It’s going to be a very uncomfortable ride back.” Keri squirmed in the seat. Didn’t she know it. He may have had to ride with an erection, but she had to ride home with wet panties, and that was no fun either. That little time that they spent in the clearing was one of the best days that Kerri had in a long time. She hoped that they would be able to go back soon and be able to enjoy themselves without any guards watching or threats hanging over them.

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Chapter 6 Limping into the barn a few days later, Kerri took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the sudden darkness. She could hear murmurs and rhythmic thumping coming from the back and turned in that direction. When she rounded the corner, she could see Chase with his back to her, shoveling hay and manure out of one of the stalls. He had music playing in the background and was singing the words along with the song. Damn he looks good. His shirt that he had obviously removed at some point was hanging out of the waistband of his jeans, and sweat was glistening on his back and chest. The sweat should have turned her off, but if anything, it turned her on even more because it seemed to enhance all of his muscles. Kerri could feel her panties getting damp at the thought of running her tongue along his body and tracing every curve. Squeezing her legs tighter, she had to stop from reaching down to rub herself as she broke off a moan. It didn’t help that Chase hadn’t touched her since the day in the clearing. She could tell he wanted her by the way he got hard whenever she was around, but he never did anything about it. Kerri wasn’t sure why but refused to worry about that right now. She had more important things to focus on. She had been here for two and a half weeks and was about to go out of her mind with boredom. Sure, she had Cane and Ali to keep her company, but it wasn’t the same. She wanted to be able to come and go as she pleased and not feel like a prisoner. If Chase even knew she was standing in the barn now without an escort, he would probably have a fit, but Kerri couldn’t take it anymore. I am a MacGregor damn it, she thought, giving herself a mental pep talk. MacGregors didn’t hide. They didn’t

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cower behind someone and let someone else handle the problem, and she wasn’t about to be the first one to start. She would make Chase listen to reason. He would see that her plan to draw out her kidnapper and end this nightmare would work. By the time she was done convincing him, he would be willing to help with the plan so his life could get back to normal as well. Kerri took a deep breath and straightened her spine as she walked over and grabbed Chase’s shoulder. She couldn’t even begin to describe what happened next. When the room stopped spinning, she realized that she was on her back, staring up at the wooded beams of the barn ceiling. A huge hand was wrapped around her neck and she couldn’t breathe. **** Feeling someone grab him from behind, Chase reacted with years of ingrained instinct. His family knew to make their presence known before they got to him and to never grab him from behind, so that left only one thought— enemy. Flipping the person over his shoulder and slamming them to the ground left the wrist twisted at an odd angle and gave him the opportunity to choke the life out of his enemy. Hazel eyes swimming with tears caused him to freeze. He knew those eyes. He had a seen those eyes for almost three weeks now, and they had kept him rock hard for most of that time. “Oh God, Kerri! I could have killed you,” Chase said as he released her neck with one hand and her arm with the other. He didn’t realize that he had lifted her off the ground and was hugging her until he felt the tremble go through her body. He could hear her gasping for breath and felt like shit, knowing that after everything that happened to her recently, he was the cause of more distress in her life. He knew that she resented being taken away from her dad and placed out here in the middle of nowhere. But never in his life did he mean to cause her harm or pain. He had caused enough of

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that and would die happy if he never had to do it again. Anger quickly replaced the guilt when he realized what she almost caused him to do. Grabbing her by the shoulders, he pushed her away so that he could see her face. “What were you thinking,” he roared, trying not to let her tears affect him. “Are you crazy, Kerri? You never sneak up behind someone like that again. I could have killed you.” I could have killed you. I could have killed you. He couldn’t get the thought out of his head. Chase was supposed to be protecting her from danger. Instead, he was the one threatening her with his own bare hands. Suddenly, Chase couldn’t resist her. He needed to make sure she was okay. He needed to know that she was safe even if it was from him. He couldn’t let her go, and he could no more stop what he was about to do than he could stop time. He tried to give her time to heal, but that time was suddenly up. Letting go of her shoulders, he grabbed both sides of her face and slammed his lips down on hers. The kiss was brutal and dominant, and he didn’t care. He nipped her bottom lip until she opened and let him plunge his tongue into her mouth. Once inside he didn’t let up his assault, he traced every inch of her mouth with his tongue, marking her as his. Only when he heard her moan and felt her arms gripping the back of his neck did Chase ease up on the kiss. He pulled back, licking her lips, and felt her respond as her tongue followed his into his mouth. She tentatively traced his tongue with hers, causing him to release his own moan of pleasure. He couldn’t hold himself back any longer. Snatching the button open on her jeans, he shoved them down her hips along with her panties and ran his fingers along her folds. “Oh, fuck. You are so wet already, Kerri. I don’t think I can hold back.” “Don’t.” It was the only sound he heard as all his senses seemed to migrate toward his cock as it swelled even harder. He managed to get his jeans open and somehow get Kerri’s jeans and shoes off as he wrapped her legs around his waist.

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“It’s going to be fast,” he murmured as he leaned her back against the barn wall and slammed into her. He stilled as her wet heat gripped him like a glove. Her pussy was so tight and wet that he knew he would never last long. I am going to have to make it up to her another time, he thought as he began to move. Chase eased out until only the head of his cock was left, and surged back in. He did it several times as he listened to Kerri’s very vocal moans and felt her nails clawing his back, sending tingles down his spine. He knew he was close to coming and wanted Kerri to go over the edge with him. Reaching down, he used two fingers to circle and slightly pinch her swollen clit until he felt the tremors in her pussy start to massage his cock. “Come for me, Kerri.” He panted. “I’m not going to last much longer.” With that, he began to surge into her faster and harder and heard her yell out as her body convulsed around him. Her orgasm was strong, causing her to squeeze him tight. That set off a chain reaction, starting at his spine and traveling down to his balls, causing them to swell as his orgasm hit. Chase gritted his teeth to keep from yelling as he emptied himself deep inside Kerri. Panting, he rested his forehead against hers as he took in deep breaths of air. He felt like all his energy went out the tip of his cock when he came inside her. He’d never had an orgasm as strong as that, and he definitely wanted to do it again. Judging by the way Kerri hung limply in his arms, Chase could tell he wasn’t the only one affected. Chase continued using the barn wall for support until he was sure that his legs could hold them both up then he carried Kerri over to an empty stall and laid her down on the fresh hay. His semihard cock, still inside her, immediately perked back up when Kerri moaned, and he felt her clench tight around him. Chase tucked his arms under her shoulders and rested on his elbows so that he wouldn’t put his full weight on Kerri. Making sure that her legs were locked behind his back, he slowly withdrew from her pussy, feeling a mixture of his cum and her moisture flow from her. This turned Chase on more than he could have ever imagined. Unfortunately, it also caused all

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thoughts of making slow, tender love to Kerri fly right out of his head. He slammed back into her as he lowered his head and took one of her hard nipples between his teeth. He gently tugged on the tight bud as he set a fast pace of pumping in and out of Kerri. He made sure that he ground his pelvis against her clit on each thrust. Judging by the loud cries that he was hearing, Kerri was enjoying the pace he set just as much as he was. The fluttering in Kerri’s pussy signaled her coming orgasm. Chase surged into her one last time and ground his hips against her. He clamped his mouth down over hers and swallowed her screams as they came together. **** Wow! Kerri’s mind seemed to have turned into mush because that was all she could come up with. When she set out for the barn to talk some sense into Chase, she never thought she would end up being nearly choked to death then punished for it by being fucked senseless. If that was his idea of teaching her a lesson, then she would have to be bad more often. Her leg protested the excitement, but the pain was well worth the pleasure she received and hoped to have again real soon. Kerri giggled when she looked over at Chase. He had dropped next to her with his jeans still around his ankles. Sweat covered his skin and his cock, which seemed to always be hard, rested against his thigh. Even in this state he was the sexiest man she had ever seen. Chase cracked his eye open and squinted at her. “What’s so funny, little bit?” Kerri giggled again. “I don’t even know why I’m laughing. I just know that was the best sex I have ever had. I guess I am just happy.” She rolled over on her side and stroked his jaw. “I’m happy here with you, Chase. I really am. Of course I am bored out of my mind being stuck in the house all day, but I know that it’s just temporary. I really like your family, and I like you a lot.” She didn’t tell him that she had grown to love his family and was falling in love with him. It was too

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soon for that. “I really like you, too, Kerri. I love my family to death, but these past few weeks having you here have meant a lot to me. I know you’re here because you are still in danger, but I like having you around. I like being able to sit next to you on the couch and hold you while we watch TV. I have never had a woman spend the night in my bed. I want that with you, Kerri. I want to spend all night just holding you and wake up with you in my arms.” Chase finished his statement by kissing her. His words affected her deeply, and she threw everything she had into kissing him back. He wanted her, and she wanted him. They made each other happy, and that was all that mattered in Kerri’s opinion. She tried to lift her leg to throw it over his hip, but the pain caused her to yell out instead. Chase was immediately up and pulling his jeans back up. Kerri groaned at the loss but knew that playtime was over. “I’m sorry I was so rough with you, little bit. I tried my best to wait until you were healed, but I just couldn’t stop myself,” Chase said as he helped her slide her panties and jeans on. “It’s okay. Nothing that a couple of pain pills won’t fix.” She lost her smile as Chase eyed her neck, and she could see the guilt in his eyes. There was no doubt that she was already bruising from his tight grip. “Hey, it’s not your fault. I should have never come up behind you like that. My dad has warned me about that before, but I guess I wasn’t thinking.” She grabbed his hand and squeezed. Chase didn’t look too convinced, so Kerri played the damsel-indistress card. “My leg is really hurting. Do you think maybe you could carry me back to the house? I think I need a shower and to lie down for a bit.” Kerri had to hide her grin when he lifted her and practically ran back to the house while grunting about her leaving her crutches behind. In the bathroom, Kerri stripped slowly. Her muscles and leg protested every movement. She was paying for having sex in the barn,

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but she would do it again in a heartbeat. This was the second time that she was able to go to the bathroom and shower alone since the bottom of her feet had healed, but if she was honest with herself, she missed having Chase with her. It’s official. I am going crazy. What person wants their privacy invaded in the bathroom? It seems I do. Kerri shook her head and got in the shower. The hot water felt great on her skin, and she was determined to enjoy every second of it. After going over a week with only sponge baths, she would never take bathing for granted again. Kerri’s leg felt a lot better after the shower, so she decided to skip the meds and just lie in the bed for a while. It seemed like she had just closed her eyes when she heard whispering and laughing. She cracked her eyes open and looked at Ali and Cane sitting on each side of her bed. “What is it about the people in this family watching others sleep?” she grumbled. “Wake up, sleepyhead. We have something to tell you,” Ali said, practically bouncing. Ali was a little too excited, and Kerri wondered what they were going to say. She sat up and scooted back against the headboard. “What’s going on, guys?” Cane spoke first. “Well, it seems as though my husbands are letting me out on parole for the night.” Ali doubled over laughing. “She threatened bodily harm if they didn’t back off.” Kerri laughed and looked over at Cane to see her blushing. “Anyway,” Cane continued, “I get to have a night out, and I pulled some strings to have you included.” “What? Are you serious?” Kerri was too afraid to get her hopes up. She had been begging Chase to take her off the ranch for a while now, and he refused every time. There was no way he was allowing her to go now. “What’s the catch? This is way too good to be true.” Cane shrugged her shoulders before speaking again. “Well, the

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guys get to have a night out as well at the same place we are going. They will still be guarding us, but they will just be doing it from across the room. They aren’t allowed to bother us until we are ready to leave. That’s the best deal I could come up with, so take it or leave it.” “Are you crazy? I will take it.” Kerri leaned over and hugged Cane as much as she could with her belly being in the way. “Thank you. You have no idea what this means to me.” Between Ali and Cane, they were able to piece together an outfit for Kerri, and they helped each other get ready. Kerri tried to think of when she’d had this much fun and really couldn’t think of a time. She really liked it here. She liked Chase’s family. None of them had any ulterior motives, and she could let her guard down around them. She didn’t have to worry about her family name or if they were just trying to get close to her to use her against her father. It felt good to relax, and Kerri decided that she needed to do it more often. She just had to come up with a way to tell her dad that. When Kerri was dressed, she limped into the kitchen where the men were waiting and came to a screeching halt. Damn, look at that. Chase and all his brothers and Gavin and Angel were already dressed and having a beer. They all looked good, but her eyes zeroed in on Chase. He looked good enough to eat. Kerri tried to swallow, but her mouth had gone dry. Chase was wearing a pair of black dress pants that hugged his ass and thighs nicely. He had a royal-blue buttondown shirt on that was opened at the top to reveal a black T-shirt on underneath. Up until now, Kerri had only seen him in jeans and sweats or fatigue pants and T-shirts. He definitely cleaned up well. The one word that came to mind was “sexy.” As if he could sense her thoughts, Chase winked at her and turned one corner of his mouth up into a knowing grin. It just made Kerri think of what happened earlier in the barn. She could feel the familiar heat and moisture invading her panties. If it wasn’t for the damn limp she still had, she would march right over there and tell him what he

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could do with those lips. Unfortunately she still had it, and she had to admit that her leg was still sore from earlier. Plus, she was not going to miss the chance to get out of the house and have some fun. She was going to have fun and relax even if she had to do it while under armed guard. She had no doubt that every man in the room was “carrying” except for Riley. Kerri had the feeling that he was more of a lover than a fighter, but from what she had learned about him over the past couple weeks, he would have no problem defending his family. Chase came over and stood in front of her. “Damn, little bit. If I hadn’t already agreed to this night out, I would have you in my bed on your back in about two seconds flat. You look damn sexy.” Kerri smiled and rubbed his chest. She didn’t think the skinny jeans and sparkly blouse that she was wearing were spectacular, but she was presentable. “Great minds must think alike because I was just thinking the same about you.” She leaned up on the tips of her toes but she still couldn’t reach his lips, so she kissed his chest instead. “As much as I would enjoy another roll in the hay, literally, I am really looking forward to going out tonight.” Chase nodded, but some of the heat went out of his eyes. Kerri had a feeling that he was not 100 percent on board with tonight. She knew that if he had his way, she would be locked in a closet somewhere until this whole situation was over. “Listen, the only reason I agreed to this is because I’ll be there with you, and I know you can take care of yourself. Just don’t go anywhere alone, and don’t do anything crazy. If anything happens tonight, let me and my team handle it.” He held his hand up to stop the argument that she was about to make. Kerri could see how hard this was for him, so she closed her mouth and nodded. She would do whatever was necessary to stay safe, and she knew she was taking a risk by going out tonight, but she needed a break. She needed to have fun and not worry about her dad, her kidnapper, and her relationship with Chase for just a little while.

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Once tonight was over she would find a way to tell Chase about her plan. Chase narrowed his eyes at her when he didn’t receive an argument, and nodded as if he came to a decision about something. Kerri saw what that was when he pulled a small pistol tucked inside an ankle holster from behind his back. “Although I want you to let us handle everything, I would still feel better if you had a way to defend yourself.” Kerri knew that Chase was only trying to keep her safe, but the fact that he was willing to give her a gun made her realize that she was no longer falling in love with Chase Matthews, but 100 percent completely in love with him. The only way to describe it was that he just “got” her. He was macho in his own right and very protective, but he was willing to give her room to breathe and grow. She felt safe in his big, strong arms, but he recognized the fact that she didn’t need to be coddled and could defend herself if she needed to. It seemed stupid to realize all of this because a man was handing her a gun, but she couldn’t stop the rush of feelings if she tried. Kerri had a lot of thinking to do about her future and a phone call to her dad to make, but not tonight. Tonight was about fun. Kerri took the gun from Chase and strapped it around her ankle. It was a tight fit, but she got the jeans she was wearing pulled down over it. Hopefully she wouldn’t need the gun because the jeans were going to hinder her from getting to it fast if she had to. **** Daniel MacGregor was not a man to be messed with, and he was pissed at himself for allowing someone to threaten what was his. For years everyone told him that he only had one weakness, but he didn’t see it that way. Kerri would never be seen as a weakness in his eyes. She was his pride and joy. She was the one thing in his life that made him happy to get out of bed in the mornings. The sun rose and set with her. After all the destruction, corruption, and pain he had

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witnessed, she made him believe that there was a little bit of goodness in the world. She was the reason he fought to make the world a safer place to live in. If it wasn’t for her, he would have gotten out of the business a long time ago. He had been thinking of giving it up before all of this happened anyway, and now he was definitely considering it. He should have been out in the field looking for the man who had the nerve to try and use his daughter against him. Instead he was here behind his desk, poring over security log-ins, trying to find out who stole from him. Someone breached security last night and stole data on all his active and retired employees. That info could be dangerous if it got into the wrong hands, and he had to get it back. He protected his employees and their privacy, but at the moment he just didn’t seem to care about the situation. He just wanted the threat to his daughter gone. He had almost caught the guy at the hospital when he tried to get in to see Kerri. By the time the nurse alerted him that someone was trying to deliver her flowers, the guy was already gone. From the description the nurse gave, it matched what little Kerri saw of her kidnapper. He had no doubt the guy was trying to get her back. Kerri was leverage, and whoever this guy was, he felt he needed to get back at Daniel for something. He’d made a lot of enemies over the years, so it was anyone’s guess as to why this man wanted revenge. Daniel just knew that the guy would never get it. Kerri had the best security possible other than him right now. No one other than he and Chase knew where she was. Daniel froze. Son of a bitch! He knew exactly why the data was stolen. If someone knew what to look for, they could find out where Kerri was hidden. All they had to do was figure out who he trusted the most. And they had at least an eight-hour head start. It took all of his power not to run out of the building and hop the first plane to Kerri. He never made rash decisions, and he couldn’t start now. Kerri’s life depended on him staying calm and focused. He needed to find out who his enemy was and study him. Opening another file, Daniel took the thirteen names that were logged in at the time of the breach and

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cross-referenced them with the list of employees. Only one name raised a red flag. Justin Rawson was no longer an employee of MacGregor Inc. and had not been for over three years. The question was whose head was going to roll for not disabling his security access. Daniel remembered every employee that ever worked for him, and he definitely remembered Justin. His gut told him not to hire Justin, but he went against it at the time. That lapse in judgment was coming back to bite him on the ass. Daniel went about pulling every file he had on Justin Rawson. He wanted to know every move the man made for the past three years. Daniel had felt guilty about Justin at one point because he was injured on a job that went wrong. The job was a setup to get to him, but Justin was the one caught in the crossfire. He offered Justin an admin and training position so that he could stay on with the company, but the man refused. Justin had informed him that he no longer wanted to be there if he couldn’t go back out into the field. With his injuries, there was no way Daniel could put him back out there. He would have been a danger to himself and his team members. He knew Justin was upset that he let him go, but he never thought it would come to this. Now Daniel had no sympathy for him. Justin crossed a line when he took Kerri. There was no coming back for him. He touched what was most precious to Daniel, and now it was time for him to pay. Daniel studied all the files and went about setting a trap for Justin Rawson. **** Justin was over the moon. He couldn’t believe the answer to his problem was that simple. He had been frustrated when he couldn’t find Kerri. She had disappeared without a trace. He needed a miracle to find her, and now he had it. Sure, he could go directly after Daniel, but he wanted him to suffer. He wanted to make him pay. Daniel took the most important thing away from him which was his job, so he was going to return the favor by taking out Kerri.

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It was pure luck and desperation that made him try to log into the MacGregor Inc. system. He knew that Daniel had Kerri hidden with someone he trusted, and he was more than likely an employee. The problem was he needed access to files that held the information on current and former employees and their locations. Justin’s heart almost stopped when his login actually worked. Wow, someone dropped the ball on this one. Justin laughed. This was too good to be true. He got in and out, getting what he needed as quickly as possible. He had no doubt that Daniel would be alerted to the security breach soon, so he needed to find a place to hide out while he went over the files. He had a feeling he knew the one person Daniel trusted more than anyone. If he was correct, then these files just made his job a whole lot easier. He just needed to get there and come up with a plan. She was not escaping him this time, and he would finally bring Daniel down. He had no problems with anyone else, but if they stood in his way, then he would bring them down, too. The first step to finding Kerri was to go through the files and figure out who Daniel trusted the most. He separated all the files into two folders, those who just worked for the man and those in his top circle. The pattern became clear once Justin was done. The “Top Circle” folder contained all the men that worked closely under Daniel. There were only seven men in the folder and Justin knew that Kerri would be with one of these men. He studied them all, but only one name kept popping out to him. Chase Matthews. Justin worked with the man only once, but he saw him often. He was Daniel’s number two guy and seemed to make just as many decisions as Daniel. He even saw Daniel defer to Chase on a few occasions when in the planning process. He read some more of Chase’s file and saw that the only reason he left the company was because his parents died, so he was still in good standings with Daniel. He looked at Chase’s lastknown residence and smiled. This was it. The location was perfect for hiding someone. The small town was remote and not a popular

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destination. If no one paid attention, Kerri would blend right into his family and no one would be the wiser. Justin cleared the screen and quickly removed the hard drive from the computer. These files could prove to be very handy in the future, so he decided to keep them safe. He set about packing for his trip. He let Kerri escape him once, but not again.

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Chapter 7 The bar that the guys took them to was about thirty minutes from the ranch. Kerri would have never spotted it sitting back off into the woods if she had been alone. She was sure that not a lot of people knew about this place and, judging from the crowd, she was right. She loved it. This was her type of place, a place that had character, was off the beaten path, and was only known about through word of mouth. Kerri followed Cane and Ali over to a table in the corner that was already occupied by a young redhead. “Kerri, this is Jessica. Jessica, this is Kerri,” Cane said, introducing them as she slid into her seat. So this is the infamous Jessica that I keep hearing so much about. During one of her many conversations with Cane, Kerri learned about Riley’s crush on the redheaded librarian. He was head over heels in love with the woman. Kerri could certainly see why Riley was so attracted to her. Jessica was gorgeous, with her long red hair and aqua eyes. The waitress came by, and Kerri ordered the biggest margarita they had with a shot of tequila on the side. Kerri wondered if Ali was even going to be allowed into the bar at her age, but Chase informed her that the owner was a friend and would allow it for him. She felt sorry for Cane and Ali because they could only order juice or soda, but she had no such restrictions and planned to make the most of her night. She turned from the waitress to find Cane, Ali, and Jessica all staring at her with open mouths. “What?” she asked, feeling a little self-conscious. “Where do you plan to put all of that?” Jessica asked.

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Kerri laughed. “Don’t worry, it will take me all night to drink that, and I doubt if I could finish all of it. I would probably have to be carried out of here if I did.” The waitress returned with their drinks and sat what looked like a fishbowl down in front of Kerri. Her eyes bugged at the size of the drink. Ali giggled. “You should see the look on your face right now.” “Now I know why you guys were staring at me like I was crazy earlier. This thing is freaking huge!” Kerri took a sip and moaned, “Oh man I needed that.” She took a few more sips before she slid the glass away and asked, “So ladies, what do you what to talk about?” “I have an idea,” Cane said as she adjusted in her chair. “Why don’t you tell us what is going on between you and Chase.” “You get straight to the point,” Kerri said, smiling to show that she wasn’t angry that her privacy was being invaded. She had been warned by Chase that Cane was playing matchmaker. Cane felt that everyone should be as happy as she and her husbands were and had made it her mission to get the last two Matthews men hitched. “Well, I think I am in love with him, but don’t say anything to him because I haven’t told him yet. I want to wait until all this trouble is behind us before I do.” Cane clapped and bounced in her seat like a seven-year-old girl. “Oh, this is so good. I’m so happy for you and Chase, and I can tell that he is head over heels for you, too.” Kerri blushed. If Chase felt a fraction of what she felt for him, it would make Kerri’s day. They all sat and talked and filled Kerri in on everyone’s stories. She’d already heard Ali’s but was shocked to hear about what happened to Cane about eight months back. She was glad that Cane had moved on with her life and found love. Kerri also found out that Jessica was a secret erotic romance writer. With her pure, innocent looks, Kerri would have never guessed that about her. From what she observed, Jessica was quiet and reserved. She sat back and listened to the conversations, only joining in when she was asked a direct

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question. It’s always the quiet ones that you have to watch out for, Kerri thought. She was fascinated by Jessica and saw her watching Riley throughout the night. She didn’t want to get into Jessica’s business, but Kerri just had to ask, “You do know that he is just as into you as you are into him, right?” Conversation at the table immediately stopped, and she watched the blush creep up Jessica’s neck into her face. Jessica sighed. “I just get so nervous when he is around. I get tongue-tied and don’t know what to say. Usually I just end up making a fool of myself.” Kerri looked over at Cane and Ali to see if they were all on the same page. Being housebound with these two women for so long, she felt that she knew what they were thinking. It seemed they were going to have to help this relationship along. They all three nodded at each other as if silently communicating. Ali spoke first. “Okay, here is what you are going to have to do. You order a few drinks, and we all make sure that it looks like you drank all of them. When it is time to go home, we will say that we don’t think you should go alone and need an escort. Of course Riley will volunteer in a heartbeat, but the only downside is that if things do turn out good, you won’t be getting any tonight. He will be a perfect gentleman and not take advantage of you while he thinks you are drunk. It will give you the chance though to tell him exactly how you feel, though, and if you make a fool of yourself, then you can wake up in the morning and pretend to not remember it ever happening.” Everyone at the table turned to stare at Ali in shock. Who knew sweet, innocent Ali had such a devious mind? By the time they coached Jessica on what to do, the alcohol had begun to affect Kerri. It always swept through her system in stages. First, it relaxed her. After that, her limbs began to tingle as the alcohol spread through her system. For some reason, this caused horniness. Kerri didn’t know why, but alcohol was like an aphrodisiac to her. She knew that if she continued to drink that she would eventually pass

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out. Her small size made it almost impossible for the liquor to leave her system fast enough, so she made a point of never making it to this stage. Right now, Kerri was at the horniness stage, and that was her cue to stop drinking. Unfortunately, dirty thoughts of Chase invaded her mind. She had been catching glimpses of him off and on all night and, true to his word, he hadn’t bothered her once. He left her at the front door with a kiss when they had arrived, and walked away. Now, she wanted him. She wondered if they could sneak off somewhere and mess around. Her panties were growing wetter and wetter the more she thought about it. **** Chase watched Kerri ease from the chair that she had been sitting in all night. Her limp was more pronounced from the effects of the alcohol, but her walk was still damn sexy to Chase. He had been watching her all night, and not being able to talk to her or touch her was torture. He made her a promise not to bother her for the evening, and he was trying his best to stick to it. Now it looked like he was going to get a reprieve. Kerri made it to him and walked straight into his arms. “Hey, little bit, you having fun?” “I was, but now I need a restroom break and was wondering if you would come with me since I’m not supposed to go alone.” Chase narrowed his eyes, trying to determine just how much alcohol Kerri had consumed. He hadn’t seen her order anything besides that first drink, but that looked like it had been enough for about five people. Her skin was flushed, and she had a small amount of perspiration dotting her upper lip. He was about to refuse her request and suggest they call it a night, but Kerri took the decision out of his hands by squeezing his erection. Chase groaned as he lifted Kerri and practically ran to the bathroom. He chose the women’s room because he figured it would be a lot

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cleaner than the men’s. Chase sat Kerri on the counter and wrapped her legs around his waist. He leaned down and kissed her until they were both desperate for air. “Damn, Kerri, I can’t seem to get enough of you,” he said as he ground his pelvis into hers. Kerri whimpered and lifted her hips, grinding herself against him. Her moans got louder the faster she moved until she let out a wail and shuddered against him. Chase was amazed at how responsive she was. It didn’t take but a little pressure to set her off every time. He stepped back and shook his head, trying to get control of himself. If he kept this up, he was going to come in his pants like some teenage boy. “We can’t do this here, Kerri. I made myself a promise that the next time I took you, it would be in a bed where I could take my time and make love to you properly. I’m not going to do that in some public bathroom.” He expected Kerri to protest, but she was leaning back against the mirror, sound asleep. Chuckling, Chase picked her up and left the room. He went over to her table and let the other girls know that it was time to call it a night, but the other guys had beat him to it. Riley was already headed to the door, guiding Jessica with his hand on her back. Jessica turned at the door and winked back at Ali and Cane who started giggling nonstop. Chase looked over at Duncan and Logan who both shrugged. Obviously they were just as clueless as him about what was going on. Angel and Gavin had gone on ahead to check the vehicles. Once they checked out, Angel gave the “all clear” signal, and Chase climbed in the back of the SUV, cradling Kerri in his lap. She let out a soft snore and curled into his chest. She felt right in his arms, and he became convinced more than ever that he had to convince her to stay with him when this was all over. He wanted peace in his life, and Kerri was just the person to give it to him. Something about her soothed his soul and proved that there was still goodness in the world despite all of the horrors that he had seen.

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When they arrived home, Chase refused to put Kerri back into the guest room. He wanted her with him, so he carried her to his room instead. He quickly stripped them both and placed her in the middle of the bed. He climbed in behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer. He sighed and the word “content” popped in his head just as he dozed off to sleep. **** Kerri wasn’t sure what woke her from sleep. She lay there, blinking up at the ceiling, trying to get her eyes to adjust. Where am I? The room was unfamiliar to her. A muffled moan drew her attention to the man lying next to her. Chase’s room. That sound was what had woken her up. Chase was obviously having a bad dream, judging by the moans getting louder. Kerri placed her hand on his back to wake him up but quickly withdrew it when Chase began to lash out. She scrambled out of bed as fast as her injured leg would let her and backed into a corner. She wasn’t scared of Chase but knew that he was very dangerous at the moment. Her dad had explained it to her one time, telling her that the nightmares were more like flashbacks than dreams. They seemed so real that a person could see someone trying to wake them as a threat and hurt them before they realized what they were doing. Kerri knew that she needed to let Chase wake up on his own, but the whimpers and moans coming from the big guy nearly broke her heart. She softly called his name a few times until his body stiffened, and he sat straight up in bed. Kerri knew the exact moment he came out of the dream because the glazed look cleared from his eyes, and he reached out for her. When he realized that she wasn’t next to him, he scanned the room until his eyes locked onto her standing in the corner. “Oh shit, Kerri. I’m so sorry. Did I hurt you?” When she shook her head no, Chase turned his back and sat on the side of the bed. His shoulders slumped, and he held his head in his

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hands. Kerri couldn’t stand to see him this way and crossed the room to kneel in front of him. It wasn’t easy getting her leg to bend far enough so that she could rest on her knees, but she made it work. She placed her hand under Chase’s chin and lifted until he looked at her. “Hey, you didn’t hurt me. I recognized the signs and got out of the bed before anything happened. No harm, no foul.” Chase still had the look of guilt on his face, and Kerri wanted it gone. She wanted to take his mind off of everything, so she placed her hand against his chest and pushed him back. Chase didn’t budge but grabbed her hand instead. “What are you doing, Kerri?” “Shh, just lay back. You have been taking excellent care of me. Now let me do the same for you. Just trust me.” Kerri pushed again, and this time Chase lay back. It made her feel good that he trusted her because if he didn’t, there was no way she would have been able to push him to the bed. It was a good thing that Chase was already naked because it made what she was about to do a whole lot easier. Kerri lifted his cock from where it rested against his thigh. Even at half-mast it was impressive. Even though they’d had sex a few times, she had gotten only quick glimpses of it. Now she took the time to study it closely. His cock was truly a work of art, from the large, purple-mushroomed cap, to the thick shaft. Kerri gripped him and squeezed a little, causing Chase to moan and buck his hips. He grew impossibly larger, and Kerri was unable to wrap her fingers all the way around him. It’s a wonder he even fit inside me. Taking a deep breath, Kerri leaned over and wrapped her lips around the head of his cock. She sucked as she swiped her tongue over the crown, focusing on the small slit. Chase groaned again, and Kerri noticed that his fists were balled in the sheets on each side of him. She took more of him into her mouth, still gripping the base of his shaft with her hand, and began to set a rhythm of sucking and stroking until she felt Chase’s thigh tremble under her other hand. She removed the hand at the base of his penis and tapped his leg to let him

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know that it was okay for him to move. That seemed to be the signal that Chase was waiting for because he quickly thrust both hands into her hair and surged into her mouth. Kerri felt him hit the back of her throat and relaxed her muscles so that she could take him deeper. It was a tight fit, but she managed without gagging. She held still and breathed through each stroke, letting him have control. He may not have had control over his dreams, but with this he did. Kerri knew exactly when Chase was about to come because his rhythm began to falter. He was breathing harshly and chanting her name over and over in the same rhythm as his strokes. His breath hitched, and he groaned loudly just as he yanked his cock out of her mouth. She felt the first spurts of semen hit her cheek and the rest dot her chin and neck. Chase lay back on the bed, panting. He still had his hands wrapped in her hair, and Kerri was willing to give him all the time he needed to recover. Once his breath returned to normal, Chase rose up and gripped her under her arms. He lifted her from the floor, and Kerri was grateful because her thigh was protesting loudly. She didn’t let Chase know that she was hurting because she didn’t want to see any more guilt on his face. She had taken his mind off his nightmare, and that had been the goal. Chase placed her on the bed and went to the bathroom. He came back a few seconds later with a warm rag that he used to clean her face and neck. Kerri heard the wet rag splat against the floor and guessed that Chase had thrown it toward the bathroom. He climbed into bed, kissing her, and no words were spoken because none were needed. Chase knew what she had just done for him and why. He also knew that she wasn’t expecting him to return the favor. She curled into his side and drifted back off to sleep.

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Chapter 8 “Hi, Dad.” Kerri smiled into the phone. It had been over two weeks since she last talked to him, and it was good to hear her dad’s voice. “Hi, pumpkin. How are you feeling?” “I feel great. My leg is healing. It is still a little sore, though. Other than that I am doing okay. How are you, Dad? How is the search going?” Kerri could hear her dad breathing deeply. That meant that he was collecting his thoughts so that he didn’t make a mistake and tell her too much. Kerri hated that. How did he expect her to run the company if he still wasn’t willing to tell her everything? She knew that it wasn’t about trust. It was about her dad still coddling her. He wanted her sheltered from his world, but he wanted her to walk right alongside of him in it. “Dad, tell me what’s going on.” Her dad knew her just like she knew him. He knew that she wasn’t going to let it go, so he blew out a breath. “I think I know who took you. I’m close to catching him, so this should all be over soon.” Kerri knew that there was more but decided to let it pass. She knew her father would do what needed to be done. Instead, Kerri focused on her reason for calling him. When Kerri woke up that morning next to Chase in bed, it felt right. Her world felt like it finally made sense. This was where she belonged and wanted to stay. Her place was here in Chase’s arms. Hopefully he felt the same way, but she would worry about that when the time came to tell him how she felt. She hadn’t wanted to leave

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Chase alone in bed, but there was a phone call she needed to make, and she wanted privacy. She grabbed the secure satellite phone that Chase had showed her and went out on the back patio. Now, after hearing her dad’s voice, her confidence was leaving her. She had to tell him before she chickened out. She cleared her throat. “Dad, there is something I need to tell you. Before you get upset, I just want you to listen and let me finish what I have to say.” Immediately her dad responded, “What is it, Kerri. You know you can tell me anything.” “I don’t want to run the company for you. Honestly, I’m not sure I ever did. I realized that it’s just not me. I want to settle down and have a family. I want lots of kids and a husband, and I want to be home to raise them. Being out here with Chase and his family made me realize that this is what I want.” Daniel was quiet for a long time, and Kerri waited patiently for him to respond. “I’m sorry, pumpkin, if you felt like I pushed you into this. I only wanted what’s best for you. That is why I already decided that I wasn’t going to turn the company over to you. I want out as well, so I’m selling it. Having you used against me is something that I never want to go through again. Maybe I can settle down as well and help you raise my grandkids.” Kerri didn’t know what to say. She was ready to argue her point, but her dad had stopped the argument in its tracks. He already decided to sell the company. He wanted out as well. Okay, well let’s see if we can’t make it two for two. “Thank you, Dad, for understanding about the company. I’m glad that you are getting out as well because I worry about you, too. It’s time you settled down and found someone to love. Mom wouldn’t have wanted you to be alone all this time. She would have wanted you to find someone to make you happy. She would have wanted that for both of us, and I have found someone that makes me truly happy.” Kerri couldn’t stand the silence on the other end of the phone so

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she blurted out, “I’m in love with him, Dad.” “And by ‘him’, you mean Chase?” She tried to listen to his voice to see if she heard anger, but all she heard was genuine curiosity so she continued, “Yes, Dad. I am in love with Chase. I haven’t told him yet, and I’m not sure how he feels about me, but I have to take a chance. I love him, and this is where I want to be if he will have me.” “I can’t say I’m surprised. I think you have had a place in your heart for Chase since you were a little girl. You were in awe when you first met him.” Kerri sucked in a breath. “You knew about that?” “Of course I did.” Daniel laughed. “I pay attention to everything. Don’t worry about Chase either. I saw the way he was watching you in the hospital and how protective of you he was. Trust me, he feels the same way. And if he doesn’t, then I will just have to come out there and make him feel it.” Kerri laughed even though she had tears streaming down her face. “Listen, pumpkin, I love you, and I want you to be happy. You couldn’t have picked a better man to share your life with, and I am happy for you.” She loved Chase, and her dad had just given her his blessing to be with him. She was on the verge of getting everything she always wanted. “Thank you, Dad. You have no idea how happy you have made me.” “Trust me, honey, I know. I need you to do me a favor, though. I need you to stay close to Chase in the next few days. This should all be over soon, but I need to know that you are protected so that I can focus on catching this guy. Promise me.” Kerri knew that there was a lot her dad wasn’t saying, and if she took the time to read between the lines then she could probably figure it out, but she didn’t want to. For once she agreed with her dad. She would stay close to Chase and let her dad handle the situation. Soon it would all be over, and they could start living a normal life.

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“I promise, Dad. Just be safe.” They said their good-byes, and Kerri hung up. She breathed a sigh of relief. The phone call had gone way better than she expected, and she was ecstatic. She had no idea that her dad wanted out of the company just like she did. Maybe they should have had this talk a whole lot sooner. A sound behind her drove Kerri from her thoughts, and she turned to see Chase leaning against the door. “How long have you been standing there, Chase?” Instead of responding, Chase stalked over to her and held her by the shoulders. He was so close that Kerri had to lean her head way back to see his face. He had a neutral expression on his face, so she couldn’t tell what mood he was in. “Chase, what’s wrong?” “Did you mean it?” he asked. Did I mean it? What in the world is going on? Chase shook her shoulders to get her to focus back on him. “Did you mean what you just said to your dad?” The lightbulb finally went off for Kerri, and she looked into Chase’s eyes. She saw hope shining in them and smiled. “Yes, Chase, I meant every word. I’m not sure how much you heard, so I will say it again. I love you, Chase Matthews. According to my dad I have been in love with you since I first laid eyes on you. Either way, I love you. If you will have me, I am willing to spend the rest of my life with you.” Chase’s lips crashing down on hers was the only response she got from him. She was lifted, and she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist as he laid her on the lounge chair that she had just vacated. The only thing that she was wearing was one of Chase’s T-shirts that she had slipped on when she got out of bed, and that was easily shoved up to her neck. Kerri used her feet to push Chase’s sleep pants down under his butt. That was as far as she needed them. She grabbed his cock and pressed the tip to her entrance. With one swift rock of his hips, Chase surged inside of her until she felt the hair surrounding his

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cock tickle the lips of her pussy. Chase pulled out and surged back in and set a nonstop pace. Kerri could feel her muscles tightening, signaling that she was about to come. Chase’s husky voice in her ear telling her that he loved her, too, was what sent her over the edge into one of the strongest orgasms that she’d ever had. Kerri’s vision became spotted, and she thought she was going to pass out as she felt Chase emptying himself inside her. She laughed, too happy to hold it in, and hugged Chase tightly. Kerri hoped since it was still early in the morning that the rest of the family was still asleep because she and Chase were lying exposed for anyone to walk by and see them. The thought of them getting caught by the rest of Chase’s family never crossed her mind when he pushed her down on the lounge chair a few minutes ago. That was what the man did to her. He made her lose her mind at the slightest touch from him. Kerri didn’t care because she loved Chase, and now she knew he felt that same about her. “If I was an insecure man, I would be offended by your laughter after we just got done having sex. What’s so funny, little bit?” “I was just thinking to myself that the bed is so overrated.” Chase laughed, too, at the joke. Smiling up at him, Kerri whispered, “Say it again. Saying it during sex for the first time doesn’t count.” **** Chase knew what Kerri wanted, but he was so happy that he wanted to tease her a little. “I think I have said it before, but I will say it again. That was the best sex I have ever had.” “That’s not it, and you know it. Tell me what I want to hear.” Chase ran his finger down the length of Kerri’s stomach, not stopping until he reached her clit. He circled it a few times until he heard her breath catch. “Well if you must know, you have the sexiest little…”

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He didn’t get to finish the statement because Kerri slapped her hand over his mouth. He could see that she was trying to hold back her laugh, and if it was possible, he fell even more in love with her. He loved that he could tease and have fun with her. For years his life had been nothing but serious, from the military, to his parents dying, to him taking over as head of the family and holding things together. This was what he craved, the teasing, the fun, and the relaxation that came with Kerri. He nipped the palm of her hand and then licked the spot to soothe it and leaned down until their noses almost touched. “I love you, Kerri, and I am falling in love with you more and more every day. You have no idea how it made me feel to hear you talking to your dad about me. I want the same things as you. I want you here with me and to grow old together.” Chase finished the statement by kissing the tip of Kerri’s nose. He used both thumbs to dry the tears leaking out of her eyes. He stood up and lifted her in his arms and carried her back to his bedroom where he placed her in the center of the bed. “You look good in my bed, and I plan to keep you here for a long time.” Kerri patted the bed next to her. “Let’s see what’s so special about sex in a bed.” Chase laughed but stripped his clothes off and climbed in. He had a feeling that he would do anything Kerri asked. He needed to check in with his CO, but all that could wait. Right now he planned on showing his woman just how much he loved her. A few hours later after a long hot shower, they dressed and went to get some breakfast. Everyone was up and in the kitchen. Chase looked around at his family and smiled. Mom and Dad would have loved this. His mom would have been ecstatic that she had grandbabies on the way and that the family was growing. He missed them, but he knew that he was doing the best he could to do what they would have wanted, and that was to not let this family fall apart. Duncan and Logan had Cane and the twins. He knew Riley was in

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love with someone, but he wouldn’t talk about it. If Chase wasn’t mistaken, then it was Jessica, the cute little librarian in town. He heard Cane and Riley whispering about her all the time. He hoped everything turned out okay for Riley. He saw the way Ali watched Gavin and Angel and the way they hovered over her. He knew Gavin and Angel had a special relationship, and the fact that they seemed to include Ali into it told him they were goners as well. Surprisingly, Chase wasn’t bothered by that. He trusted Gavin and Angel with his life and knew that they would protect Ali with theirs and would never attempt a relationship with her until she was of age and ready, so his sister couldn’t have picked any better in his book. They both also fit in well with the rest of his family. Chase looked over at Kerri laughing and talking with Ali and Cane. She fit in with his family as well, and he couldn’t have been prouder. Riley walked over and slapped him on the back. “Hey, big bro.” He followed Chase’s eyes over to Kerri. “You’ve done well for yourself. Mom would have really liked her.” Chase nodded, blinking back tears. “I know. I was just thinking the same thing. She would have loved all of this.” Nothing else was said as everyone sat down to eat breakfast. He needed to talk to Daniel and come up with a plan to catch this guy. He was tired of his family being in danger and wanted them safe. Waiting around for this guy to make a move was no longer an option. Once breakfast was over, Chase left Kerri with Ali and Cane, reliving their night out. He took his satellite phone out to the barn and checked on the animals while he made his phone call. Daniel picked up on the first ring. “Tell me you got something, because this waiting around is killing me.” “Well hello to you, Chase. How is my daughter?” Chase could hear the strain in Daniel’s voice. Something was going on, and he needed to know what it was. “Kerri is doing great. I took her out last night to blow off some

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steam, but she is restless. We all are. I’m not used to sitting around, waiting for stuff to happen. I’m used to making it happen.” “I understand, but I just need a couple more days. I have a plan.” “So I’m guessing you know who this guy is and why he took Kerri.” Chase said that as a statement and not a question. He knew it wouldn’t take Daniel long to figure out where the threat was coming from. “Yeah, I know who it is. You remember Justin Rawson? It seems that he has a grudge against me for not letting him back out into the field after his accident. He blames me for the explosion and wants revenge.” Chase remembered Justin. He was there the day they walked into a trap, the explosion injuring the man. He knew Justin wanted back out into the field, but with his injuries it wouldn’t have been safe for anyone. Chase knew Daniel felt guilty about Justin because that trap had been meant for him. “This should all be over in a few days. I just have to track him now,” Daniel said. There was something in his CO’s voice that let Chase know that he wasn’t telling him the whole story. Something else was going on, but he trusted Daniel and knew that he wouldn’t put his daughter in any danger. He would let it be for now and not question Daniel. They conversed for a few minutes more and then got off the phone, but not before a warning from Daniel. “Chase, if you hurt her, I will hunt you down next.” He didn’t give Chase time to respond before hanging up, but Chase knew that the statement was truth. Daniel really would hunt anyone down that hurt his daughter, and Chase expected nothing less from him. The feeling in the pit of Chase’s stomach told him that things were about to get ugly really fast. Daniel wanted to protect his family, but Chase also had a family to protect. It was time he came up with a few plans of his own and the first was showing Kerri the panic room.

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He had a feeling that the fight was coming to them, and when that happened, he wanted Kerri as far away from it as possible. The panic room would be the safest place for her, and the only people that knew about it were his family.

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Chapter 9 Kerri was content snuggled up close to Chase. The movie wasn’t really scary, but she would take any opportunity to get close to him. She just wanted to be able to smell him and feel his warmth. She felt safe when she was with Chase and realized that it was hard to remember what her life was like before the big man came into it. She looked over at Cane to see her lying with her head in Duncan’s lap and her feet in Logan’s. Duncan was rubbing her very-pregnant belly while Logan rubbed her feet and legs. Kerri bet they didn’t even realize they were doing it, touching just seemed to come naturally to them. She wanted what Cane and her husbands had. She wanted the house, family, and kids running around. She wanted it all, and she wanted it with Chase. Her heart belonged to the man sitting beside her. Kerri was jolted from her thoughts when a loud, wailing noise interrupted the silence. Chase was already on his feet and hauling her off the couch. She looked over to see Cane’s husbands doing the same. “Perimeter alarm,” Chase shouted. Kerri knew what that meant. Chase had explained to her the day he showed her around that he had a state-of-the-art security system. The alarm wouldn’t go off unless there was an intruder. He had the system calibrated so that the animals wouldn’t set it off. “Too many false alarms would make me drop my guard, and that wouldn’t be a good thing,” he had told her. “Kerri,” Chase said, grabbing her by the shoulders, “I need you to take Cane and get into the safe room. Angel and Gavin are still at the

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diner with Ali and are too far away to help, so I’m going to have to take Logan and Duncan with me. I want you to seal yourselves in, and don’t open the door for anyone but me. I will give you the “all clear” signal when it is safe to come out.” Kerri nodded, moving fast to grab Cane’s hand. She knew hesitation could mean the difference between life and death, but she stopped to look back at Chase. She wanted to tell him how she couldn’t live without him but knew now wasn’t the right time. He needed his mind on whatever was happening outside. She smiled at him when he mouthed the word “go,” winking at her, and helped Cane down the hall toward the safe room. Kerri led Cane to Chase’s room and into his closet. At the back was a small electronic keypad. Kerri put in the six-digit code that Chase had given her and watched as the entire back wall of the closet quietly slid open. There was a set of steps leading down into darkness. Kerri looked around and rubbed her hands along the inside walls but couldn’t find a light switch. “Maybe it’s at the bottom,” she murmured. When Chase had showed her the room earlier, he never actually opened the door. He just pointed out the keypad in the back of the closet and gave her the code. At the time, she was so shocked that he actually had a panic room that she never thought to ask him about the layout. Now, at the prospect of going into what looked like a dark hole, she wished she had asked more questions or at least taken a tour. “Can you make it down the steps in the dark?” she asked Cane. “Yeah, I can make it,” Cane answered, sounding a little too breathless. Kerri nodded. “I will go first, and if you fall, at least I can cushion it a little bit.” She got a laugh out of Cane, and that’s what she wanted. She was trying to lighten the situation because Cane didn’t look so good. She was pale and sweating. She was panting so hard that Kerri thought she was going to hyperventilate. Chase had told her the details of Cane’s

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kidnapping by her ex-boyfriend, and Kerri hoped that she wasn’t having flashbacks. Kerri felt a sigh of relief when she stepped down onto the first step and the lights flickered on. Quickly closing the door behind them, she helped Cane down to the bottom and gasped when she saw the room. Some safe room. The room spanned the entire length and width of the house above. There was a living area, full working bathroom, a sleeping area with two full-size beds, a fully stocked kitchen, and what looked like a command center over in the far corner. She bet someone could stay comfortably down here for a long time. She led Cane to one of the sofas and helped her get settled. “Are you okay? Do you need anything?” Kerri asked her. “I’m okay. Just tired from all the excitement I guess. I just need to sit here for a minute and get my breath back.” Kerri nodded and began to pace the room. She knew Chase knew how to take care of himself, but she was worried, and sitting around waiting wasn’t her style. She went over to the command center and booted up the eight monitors. If she couldn’t be out there with him, then she could help him by at least trying to track the intruder on the monitors. Kerri had no doubt that the intruder was her kidnapper. Her gut had been telling her all day that something big was about to happen. This would end tonight, and they could all get on with their lives. She could start hers with Chase. She looked at all the screens until she found Chase crouched down behind a tree. What is he doing? She didn’t see Logan or Duncan with him, so she searched for them on the other screens. She found each one on a different screen doing the same as Chase. She recognized what they were doing. They were setting a trap. It was a move she’d watched her dad teach many times. She searched the other monitors to see if her kidnapper was falling for the trap, but she couldn’t find him anywhere. There was no way she thought this was a false alarm. It was him, and he had to be somewhere. Kerri didn’t get a chance to search again because she heard Cane moan. Ignoring the twinge of pain in her leg, she ran back

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over to the couch to see Cane doubled over, holding her stomach. “Cane, what’s wrong?” “I think I’m having contractions,” Cane groaned through clenched teeth. “Oh no, this isn’t happening. You can’t be having the babies now. It’s too soon, and now is definitely not a good time.” “I hate to break it to you, Kerri, but the babies are coming, and they are coming soon. I have been having pains all day, but I thought they were false alarms. My due date is not for another four weeks.” Cane pointed down and Kerri followed her finger to a huge wet spot on the floor. “My water broke right before you walked back over here, so they are coming now. Maybe they want to see what all the action is about.” Kerri laughed but could feel panic setting in. It was just her luck that the one time she got locked in a room with a pregnant woman, she would decide to go into labor. Think, think, think. Kerri paced while she tried to come up with a way out of the situation they were in. She could hear Cane huffing and puffing in the background and tuned it out. She needed a plan. Logan and Duncan needed to be here with Cane, but that would leave Chase alone out there. She could help him. She may not have seen combat like him, but she had the same training. She just had to figure out the best way to help. Bait! That’s it! It was her original plan that she had the day she went to the barn to tell Chase. She never got around to telling him the plan because they ended up making love in the barn twice. She would use herself as bait. The kidnapper wanted her, so she would let him have her. It would draw him out of hiding and out into the open where they could take him down and end this nightmare. Kerri took a deep breath, feeling more confident now that she had a plan. She helped Cane over to one of the beds and got her settled. Luckily, Cane was wearing a loose dress, so she didn’t have to change her clothes. Once that was done, she ran back over to the command center and found Logan and Duncan on the monitors. They

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were still in the same position. She zoomed the monitors in and smiled when she saw what she was looking for. They were wearing communication devices around their necks and ears just as she hoped. Chase didn’t do anything half-assed. Kerri searched the desk for a way to communicate with them. When she found what she was looking for, she pushed the button and leaned into the microphone. “Logan, Duncan, I need you in here now. Cane is in labor, and her water just broke. The babies are coming fast.” Releasing the button, Kerri looked back up at the monitors. All three were in the same spots, but Chase had his hand at his throat, which meant he was talking. Kerri released the breath that she had been holding when Logan and Duncan both moved from their positions and began making their way back toward the house. Okay, phase one taken care of. Help is on the way for Cane. Now time for the next step. Kerri knew there was no way Chase would build this room and not stock it with weapons. She just had to find them. Standing in the center of the room, Kerri slowly turned in a circle, scanning the room. “If I was Chase, where would I hide the weapons?” she murmured to herself. She eyed the living area and notice that one of the sofas was different from the other sofa and two matching chairs. She ran over to it and lifted the cushion. Sure enough, there was a handle in the center. She pulled, and the base of the sofa popped open like a lid. Inside was every weapon that you could think of, including a rocket launcher. Damn! Chase must be planning for World War III. Kerri grabbed a knife and tucked it in her boot. She grabbed another small knife and sheath and strapped it to her wrist under her shirtsleeve. For her plan to work, these weapons couldn’t be found. She picked out a pistol, checked to make sure it was loaded, and tucked it into the waistband of her jeans. Finally, she took a fully automatic assault rifle with a full clip and slung it over her shoulder. Once she closed the lid

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and set the cushions back on the sofa, she looked up and found Cane watching her. She walked over to the bed and sat down. She picked up Cane’s hand and tried not to wince when she squeezed hers a little too hard during a contraction. “Your husbands are on their way. They will take good care of you.” Cane nodded as she panted through another contraction. “I can’t leave Chase out there by himself when they get here. I have to help him.” “I understand.” Cane smiled. “You love him. I would do the same if it were my men out there.” Before Kerri could respond, the door at the top of the stairs slid open and both Logan and Duncan came running down. They both rushed to Cane’s side, asking questions and running their hands over her. Kerri used that as her cue to slip out while they were distracted. At the top of the stairs, she sealed the door to the safe room and made her way outside. She wished she had time to let Chase know of her plan, but she had a feeling he would strongly disapprove. He would probably try to stop her, and that could cause both of them to get hurt. She had to do this on her own. She had all intentions of ending this tonight. Once outside, Kerri slowly crept toward the barn. She wanted to make her presence known, so she didn’t try to hide her footsteps. She stayed out in the open so she could easily be seen. This guy wanted to use her to hurt her dad, so she hoped he needed her alive in order to do that. Hopefully that would give Chase enough time to get in position and take him out. Duncan and Logan should have realized she was gone by now and contacted Chase. She had no doubt that he was on his way to her right now. The kidnapper just had to get to her before he did, or her plan wouldn’t work. Movement to her right made her pause. She scanned the trees and the barn but didn’t see anything. She didn’t know if it was Chase or her kidnapper. Keep calm. Don’t deviate from the plan, and be ready for anything. She could hear her dad’s voice in her head giving her the courage to go on. She walked toward the entrance to the barn and

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stepped in. Kerri froze when she felt the barrel of a gun press against her temple. **** I’m going to kill her! Chase saw red as he ran back toward the house to stop Kerri. What the hell was she thinking? He knew what she was trying to do. He knew that all the waiting around was getting to her, but using herself as bait was just crazy. When he caught up with her, she would be lucky if she could sit for at least a week once he was done with her. He ran until he got to the tree line just behind the barn and crouched down. He couldn’t see Kerri anywhere, but he knew she was out there. His gut was also telling him that she wasn’t alone. Whoever set off the perimeter alarms was still out there, and they weren’t friendly. Chase leaned silently against the tree, trying to control his breathing. He couldn’t let Kerri distract him. He had to put her out of his mind so he could get the job done. He had no choice but to follow along with whatever Kerri’s plan was now. Twigs snapping in the distance alerted Chase that someone was close-by. He crouched lower in the trees when he saw movement in front of the barn. It was Kerri, and she was completely out in the open. Chase’s pulse began to race. Never had he panicked before on a mission, but there was always a first time for everything, and today was his. She is going to get herself killed! Just as Chase was about to move from his hiding spot, someone came from around the opposite side of the barn and walked up behind Kerri. Chase could see the flash of metal when the light from the barn reflected on the gun the man was carrying. He had no doubt that this was Kerri’s kidnapper, but he wondered how the man found her. He couldn’t see the man’s face, so he couldn’t say for sure that it was Justin Rawson, but the way he moved showed that this man had some type of military training. Chase had to be careful how he handled the situation. When he saw the man press the barrel of the gun to Kerri’s temple as they

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entered the barn, he could only hope that whoever this man was, he needed Kerri alive. Sitting there and not putting a bullet in the guy’s head was the hardest thing Chase ever had to do. Even though he was only about thirty yards away, there was no way he would risk hitting Kerri. He turned away when they were no longer in sight and moved to get in position. Kerri had been trained by one of the best men he knew, so he trusted her not to get herself killed until he could get there. As Chase turned to circle to the backside of the barn, he heard a low whistle. He could recognize that signal anywhere. His CO was there. A very wicked grin crossed Chase’s face. Things were about to get interesting. He followed the signal and found Daniel crouched behind a tree a few feet away. “Damn, old man, you still got it. I never knew you were out here until I heard your call.” Daniel grunted, never turning his attention from the barn. “I’ve been here long enough to know that your security is lacking in certain spots.” It was Chase’s turn to grunt. Damn, the man is good if he has been here that long and I had no idea. He was definitely going to have to take a long look at his security when this was all over. Turning his mind back to the situation at hand, Chase looked at his CO. He raised an eyebrow. “Same routine?” Years of training and working together proved that he didn’t need to say more than that. Daniel nodded. “I’ll go low, you go high.” Without another word, they moved out of hiding and went to get into position. Chase eased through the back door of the barn, his steps quiet and soft. He knew the barn like the back of his hand and avoided all the creaky floorboards. He climbed the ladder to the loft and bellycrawled to the edge. Whoever this idiot was, he made it too easy. He’d left the lights on so Chase was able to easily spot him tucked into the corner with Kerri. The guy had his back to Chase, watching the front door. Dumb ass! The guy never once turned to protect his

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back. Chase set up his rifle and positioned it. He looked through the scope and sighted the back of the enemy’s head. Training kicked in, and he took slow, deep breaths, feeling adrenaline pump into his system. The adrenaline boosted his senses. His hearing and smell increased, and his vision became tunneled, all zeroed in on the back of idiot’s head. It was a waiting game now. This was Daniel’s show, and Chase knew he was out for retribution. He wouldn’t take it from Daniel. Kerri’s kidnapper was a dead man, and judging by the way his shoulders just tensed, he, too, knew his time on earth was quickly coming to an end.

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Chapter 10 Finally, after a month of searching for her, he had her back. Now, not only was he going to use her to make her father pay, but he was going to make her pay for running from him as well. She made him look stupid when she escaped. There was no reason why this tiny woman should have gotten the best of him, but she had. He never made the same mistake twice, so there was no way she was getting away from him this time. He dragged Kerri into the barn so that they were not out in the open. He knew Chase Matthews was out there somewhere, searching for him, so he needed to buy some time to come up with an escape plan. Justin had never worked directly with Chase before, but they had been on the same mission once. The files he took before he left McGregor Inc. told him that Chase was not a man to be taken for granted. Justin never expected Kerri to just walk right out to him, so now he had to deviate from his original plan. He hated that. He had everything mapped out. He was going to detonate explosives all around the house, and in the chaos, grab Kerri and run, but she showed up too soon, and he hadn’t had time. Who knew this backwoods farm had state-of-the-art security? He should have known any team member of Daniel MacGregor wouldn’t do anything halfassed, but he let his mission cloud his mind. Not anymore. All he had to do was get Kerri away from here and wait for her father to come running. And he would come, too. Daniel MacGregor would do anything for his daughter. She was his one weakness, and Justin planned to exploit that weakness to the fullest. He wrapped his arm around Kerri’s neck and pulled her back into

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a corner. He thought over all of the terrain maps he had pulled for the areas and studied before coming here. He closed his eyes so he could picture the safest and fastest route out of here. He needed something easy because he had no doubt that he was going to have to drag Kerri out of there one way or another. Either it was going to be with her fighting him the whole way or him knocking her unconscious. The hair on the back of Justin’s neck alerted him that he wasn’t alone anymore. He couldn’t see or hear anyone but he knew they were there and they could see him. His time had run out, and he had to make a decision. Hopefully whoever it was wouldn’t shoot with Kerri in front of him. **** Kerri sighed in relief when he relieved her of both guns but didn’t check her for more weapons. This guy was a jackass who had already made one mistake. Never assume anything, and always check for yourself, her father’s voice echoed in her head. She still had the small blade strapped to her wrist and a knife tucked in her boot. That was exactly what she wanted. The guy pulled her over in the corner and held her in front of him in an attempt to use her as a shield. “Don’t do anything stupid, Kerri, or I won’t hesitate to kill you right here,” the guy whispered into her ear. Kerri didn’t know if it was the adrenaline or nerves, but suddenly something clicked in her mind. She recognized his voice. The man behind her was Justin Rawson. She remembered him. How could she ever forget those lifeless eyes? She wondered what her dad ever saw in the man because all she ever saw was a slimy creep. The day that he walked away from the company was the day that she breathed a sigh of relief that he was gone. “Why on earth are you doing this, Justin? That is you, isn’t it?

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What could my dad have possibly done to you that was so bad that you felt the need to kidnap me as some sort of revenge?” Kerri wanted to keep him distracted, so she kept on talking. She remembered that an accident had caused total hearing loss in one of his ears, so if she kept the noise up, then maybe he wouldn’t hear Chase. Judging by the way Justin’s muscles tensed and his breathing picked up a few moments ago, Chase was already there. Justin knew it just as well as she did. He was becoming jumpy, but he never took his eyes off the front entrance of the barn. This was another mistake on his part. Either he didn’t know there was a back entrance, or he just assumed that the threat would come from the front. Kerri guessed that he was using his good ear to detect movement from behind. “You do know that you’re trapped, right? There is no way you are making it off this property with me. I suggest you give up this whole revenge mission, and you may walk out of here alive.” “Shut up!” Justin practically screamed in her ear. Way to go, idiot! If Chase didn’t know where we were by now you just told him. Kerri had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. Justin may have been a joke, but he was still dangerous, and she didn’t want to do anything to set him off before Chase got into position. Justin was beginning to sweat profusely, and that let Kerri know that he was beginning to panic. He was like a cornered animal, and that meant this situation could go one of two ways. Either he would ditch his plan and try to save himself by making a run for it, or he would feel that there was no hope and go out with guns blazing. Kerri had a feeling Justin was the type of man to choose option two. If he had to go out, then he was taking as many people with him as possible. She hoped that she hadn’t made a mistake by using herself as bait. Keep him talking. Buy yourself some time. “The least you could do is tell me why you are using me to get to my dad. I think I deserve that much.” “You don’t need to know anything. Your dad knows why I am doing this, and that’s all that matters. He will have to live with the

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consequences of his decision for the rest of his life.” The entire time Justin was talking, Kerri was removing the small blade strapped to her wrist. She palmed the handle, but left her sleeve down to cover the blade. She felt that if she could just slice through the tendons on the wrist holding the gun, the he would lose his grip and drop it. Her aim had to be precise because if she didn’t sever the tendons, then he would still be able to pull the trigger and probably would. Wouldn’t that suck? Kerri managed to hold back the giggle threatening to escape. Leave it to my morbid mind to find humor in this situation, she thought to herself, trying not to laugh. It was either that or hysterical screams. Just as Kerri was about to take a swing with the knife, her dad came strolling through the doors with his hands out by his sides, signaling that he was unarmed. She couldn’t say that she was surprised to see him here. Her dad always found a way, and she had a feeling that there was nothing that was going to stop him from missing this confrontation. **** When Daniel saw Kerri slip the knife out of her sleeve, he knew exactly what she was planning to do. There was no way he was going to let that happen. If she missed, then Justin could and probably would pull the trigger. Daniel trained Kerri and knew that she had the skills to pull the move off, but he had no intentions of letting her put her life in danger any more than she already had. Daniel did the only thing that he could, and that was to reveal himself. From the look in Justin’s eyes when he stepped through the door, he was not expecting Daniel to be there. The man knew that he was screwed, and the desperation showed on his face. “Come on, Justin, why don’t you let her go? I’m the one you really want. Your grudge is with me, not her.” Daniel casually leaned against the door and crossed his legs at the

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ankles. He pretended that he didn’t have a care in the world, but on the inside he was boiling with anger at the sight of the gun pressed against his daughter’s head. He wanted to march over and rip the gun out of Justin’s hand and beat him with it. He wouldn’t kill him right away. That would be too easy. He would make him suffer for a while before he slowly killed him. Daniel hated that side of himself. He tried to keep the side that was blood hungry hidden, but he wouldn’t have survived as long as he had without it. He never wanted his daughter to see that side of him, but he had a feeling Kerri would tonight. “You think you are so special. You took everything from me, so now it’s my turn to return the favor,” Justin spat. “All my life all I’ve ever wanted to do was be a soldier. When I got too old for that, I thought I found my dream job working for you. You took that away from me when you fired me. Now I’m nothing.” “I didn’t fire you. You chose to leave,” Daniel said. “It doesn’t matter! You refused to let me back out into the field. Do you think some desk job made it all better? I’m not made to sit behind a desk, and I didn’t want your pity.” Daniel watched Justin wave his gun around as he talked. He was getting careless, and that’s what Daniel wanted. He was positive Chase was in position by now, and when the time was right, Daniel would give him the signal to take Justin out. Chase wouldn’t kill him, just wound Justin enough to put him out of commission for a while. The honor of killing the man belonged to Daniel. He tuned back into Justin’s rants only to hear the tail end of his statement. “…that is why I am going to take away that which is most precious to you.” Daniel watched in horror as Justin pressed the gun against Kerri’s temple and began to squeeze the trigger. His eyes connected with Kerri’s for a split second before he watched her right arm come across her body and swing down. She then dropped to the floor and rolled. When she came back up, she was positioned on one knee in front of

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Justin with a knife that she pulled from her boot and imbedded in Justin’s stomach. The whole world seemed to freeze and go quiet at that moment. It seemed everyone was in shock. None more than Justin. Everything happened so fast that he didn’t know what hit him. His eyes just kept tracking from his gun on the floor, to the knife in his belly, and back to Kerri. She still had the small blade in hand, held out and ready to defend herself. The world took a collective breath and began moving again when Justin lunged at Kerri. He didn’t make it a step before two gun shots and a sickening, wet thunk sounded. Justin was dead before he hit the ground. Daniel’s bullet had hit him in the chest, Chase’s hit the back of his head, and Kerri had managed to throw her blade, lodging it in Justin’s throat. It wasn’t the slow, painful death that Daniel was hoping for, but it would do. He looked at Kerri, still kneeling on her bad leg, and felt a rush of pride. He was proud, not only because she actually listened and took all of his lessons to heart, but because she had the courage to do what had to be done without hesitation. Daniel went over to help Kerri up, but was beaten to her by Chase. He stepped back and watched Chase run his hands over her, checking for injuries. When he didn’t find any, he pulled Kerri to his chest and hugged her tightly. Daniel could see tears in the big man’s eyes and watched as his body trembled. This told Daniel everything he needed to know about Chase’s relationship with his daughter. No man would be this shook up if it wasn’t love. It saddened Daniel that he was no longer Kerri’s protector, but he knew that she was in good hands with Chase. Justin was right about Kerri being the most precious thing to him, and he was willing to trust Chase with her. Daniel stepped in as Kerri stood and hugged his daughter. “Hey, pumpkin, are you okay?” Kerri shook her head. “No, but I will be.” She gave him a crooked smile, but Daniel knew that she was more affected than she let on. It was one thing to train for combat, but it

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was completely another to put that combat to use. He suspected that when Kerri came down from her adrenaline rush, the whole situation was going to hit her hard. Daniel looked over at Chase and saw the same look of concern in his eyes. He was thinking the same thing. “Take her home, and get her taken care of. I will handle this mess,” Daniel said as he toed Justin’s body Chase nodded, and without another word, swung Kerri up in his arms and carried her out of the barn. **** Chase took Kerri to the house and straight to the bathroom, sitting her on the counter and turning the shower on. While he waited for it to heat up, he went to the closet and opened the door to the safe room. Duncan met him at the top of the stairs with a sleeping Cane in his arms. Logan followed close behind with two smaller bundles in his. They both wore huge grins. Chase quickly filled them in on everything that happened while they were busy delivering babies. Once they left to get Cane and the babies checked out at the hospital, Chase went back to the bathroom. Kerri had stripped and was standing under the spray with her head hanging down. He had removed his shirt and was unbuttoning his jeans when he saw her shoulders shaking. Chase forgot about the jeans and climbed in the shower behind Kerri. He wrapped Kerri in his arms and held her. He knew that she had to work through her feelings by herself, and there was nothing that he could say to make the situation better, so he stayed silent as she cried. As he held her, he thought about the events of the night. He could have lost her. If things had gone differently, then it was likely that he would have. He stopped that line of thought quickly in its tracks. Things went the way they should have, and he wasn’t going to worry about what could have happened. Still, he thought his heart had stopped when he saw Kerri twist in Justin’s arms and swing that knife at him. From his point of view, Chase never

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saw the blade that she was carrying, so he didn’t know what she was doing. His heart hadn’t started beating again until Justin lay on the ground, dead. Chase didn’t know whether to be angry at Kerri for putting herself in that situation or to be awed at her strength and courage. He would tell Kerri how proud he was of her, but later when she was ready to hear it. When her tears dried up, Chase washed her from head to toe and turned the water off. Once he had them both dried off, he carried her over to the bed and climbed in. “Sleep, little bit. I will be right here if you need me. Tomorrow we will go see Cane and the babies and start living our lives.” Chase felt his adrenaline crashing, causing him to quickly follow Kerri into sleep.

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Epilogue Kerri sat slowly back in the chair, trying not to wake the baby in her arms. She held her breath as the baby squirmed and settled back down. The twins were gorgeous, but Kerri didn’t understand how something so small could be so loud. She held Michael, who took after the Matthews men with his curly, black hair. He was only happy when being held by women. Kerri snorted. Mikey was going to be a heartbreaker when he got older, and the eyes were going to bring women to their knees. He took after his momma with his eyes. One eye was light amber, and the other was pale blue. The eyes together with the black hair made him breathtaking. Kerri looked across the table to Chase and smiled. He looked perfect holding Madison. She was the complete opposite of brother. She had all the Matthews men wrapped around her tiny little finger. When she batted those long, pale eyelashes they came running, especially Chase. Maddy took after her momma with her white hair. It hadn’t completely grown in yet, so it stuck up, spiked on the top of her head. When the hair was added to her bright-emerald-green eyes, she was stunning, like a tiny pale fairy. Kerri felt sorry for whatever guy felt he was good enough to date Maddy when she got older. Her daddies and uncles were already very protective of her. Kerri smiled as she looked around the back yard. Everyone was there to celebrate Ali’s eighteenth birthday. Ali only requested close friends and family to celebrate with her, and Kerri was honored to be included. She wanted this. She wanted the close family and friends. She wanted Chase to hold their baby in his arms and smile down at it like he did Maddy. She wanted Chase’s smile to widen and his eyes to

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sparkle when she entered a room, like Duncan’s and Logan’s did for Cane. Now that everything was over, nothing was stopping her from getting everything that she always wanted. Kerri had a long talk with her dad once the whole ordeal with Justin was over. She hoped that it wasn’t guilt that caused him to make the decision to step down and become a silent partner in the company, but he assured her that the decision had been a longtime coming. She hoped, now that he wasn’t married to the company, her dad could settle down and find someone who made him happy like she was. Chase interrupted her thoughts when he put his arm around her. “You look good like this, little bit.” Kerri shivered when she felt his breath on the side of her neck. “You don’t look so bad yourself, handsome,” Kerri whispered. “You are still sexy, even if you have baby vomit running down the side of your neck.” Chase laughed and grabbed a napkin off the table. “You’re going to make me wake up Maddy, and it took me forever to get her to sleep.” “I know what you mean. Mikey was the same way. I think it is all the excitement going on. They wanted to stay up and party, too.” Chase leaned over again and whispered, “I meant you looked good with the baby. We need us a few so Maddy and Mikey have someone to play with.” Kerri froze. She looked over at Chase to see if he was joking, but his face was serious. She was afraid to ask but did anyway. “What do you mean?” “I meant, little bit, that I am in love with you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to grow old and sit on the porch with you while we watch our grandbabies play. You are it for me, and hopefully I’m it for you, so I’m asking you to marry me and make me the happiest man alive by having tons of babies with me.” Kerri was stunned. No one had ever said anything more beautiful

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to her. There was no way she could top that. She tried to put how she felt about Chase into words, but she couldn’t come up with the perfect way to describe how she felt. Chase’s throat clearing cause her to realize that he was waiting on her answer. She wanted to wipe the uneasy look off his face, so she just blurted out “Yes.” Mikey jerked and started to cry, causing Maddy to wake up to see what was wrong with her brother. Evidently she didn’t like the fact that he was crying, so she, too, started to scream at the top of her lungs. Kerri laughed. She was just too happy to care about crying babies. Riley and his date, Jessica, took over babysitting duties after she and Chase were able to calm the babies down. Everyone was helping out so that Cane, Duncan, and Logan could enjoy the party since this was their first time out since the babies were born. Chase pulled her out on the dance floor when a slow song came on. “So you have no problems with becoming Mrs. Chase Matthews?” Kerri nodded. “I have wanted to be Mrs. Chase Matthews ever since I was fourteen and met you. I’m pretty sure if I dug deep enough, I could find a few notebooks from school with your name scribbled all over them.” She laughed. “I used to watch you when I tagged along with my dad on training missions. You were the guy I compared all the boys in high school and college to. No one ever measured up.” Chase grunted. “I don’t want to hear about any other guys. You’re mine now, and I am not letting you go.” Overdosing on happiness, Kerri sighed and laid her head on Chase’s shoulder as they slowly twirled. When she felt Chase tense and heard him growl, Kerri turned to see what was wrong. A loud squeal directed her attention to Ali, who was wrapped in Angel’s arms. She kissed him on the cheek and then turned to kiss Gavin. She held a gold necklace in her hand, and Kerri assumed it was a birthday present from the guys. She knew Ali was in love with the two men, and she had a feeling they felt the same about

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her. Ali deserved to be happy and not have her overprotective brothers interfere. Kerri turned to Chase and rubbed her hand down his chest to get his attention. She tucked her fingers into the top of his jeans and stopped. “I was just thinking,” she said as she smiled up at him, “there is really no reason why we have to wait to get started on making those babies. I mean if you think about it, if Maddy and Mikey are going to have someone to play with, then we really need to get started now.” Kerri giggled when Chase threw her over his shoulder and carried her into the house. He didn’t stop until they were in his room. He tossed her on the bed and crawled on top of her. He leaned down and traced her bottom lip with his tongue before fully kissing her. When she was out of breath, she pulled away and looked at Chase. She couldn’t believe that she was going to wake up and go to bed with this man for the rest of her life. She reached up to stroke his face and paused. On her ring finger was a beautiful diamond solitaire engagement ring. She hadn’t even felt him slip it on. Goes to show that the man’s kisses are dangerous. “I wanted to ask you later after the party was over so that we didn’t take the attention away from Ali,” Chase said. “Seeing you sitting there holding Mikey with that look on your face, I couldn’t resist. You looked happy, content, and peaceful all at the same time.” Kerri smiled through tears as she rubbed his jaw. “I have loved you since I was fourteen years old, Chase Matthews, and I plan on loving you for the rest of our lives.” Kerri meant every word she said. She finally had what she’d wanted for so long, and she was going to take every day to show Chase how much he meant to her. She smiled. No time like the present to get started. **** Daniel watched as Chase threw Kerri over his shoulder and carried her out of the party. He was glad to see that she was happy

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and hoped that she had no lasting effects from her ordeal. He knew that it was going to take a long time for her to come to terms with the fact that she helped kill a man. It was something that she would never get over, but she had Chase now, and he knew how to help keep her demons locked up tight. Daniel knew all about demons. He had too many to count. He had joined the military straight out of high school and shipped off the day after he found out that he was going to be a father. On his next leave, he came home and married his high school sweetheart. Ever since then, everything he had done had been for his wife and daughter. Now Daniel didn’t know what to do with his life. At fortytwo, all he knew was combat. He was still young, but felt old and weary. He had practically given his company away, and now he felt like he was just floating adrift. He had enough money to last him and Kerri several lifetimes, so he wasn’t worried about needing a job. He just needed something to do with his time. Daniel shook his head and pushed his self-pity away. He was surrounded by what he considered family and friends, and it was a happy occasion. For now, his daughter was safe and well taken care of. He would decide what to do with the rest of his life later. Maybe he would take a long-needed vacation.

THE END HTTP://WWW.KEYONNADAVIS.WEBS.COM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR I was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee and have a degree in mortuary science. I am a single mother of a very active young son and was blessed to be able to take off work and become a stay at home mom when he was born. When I am not driving him to soccer, karate or one of the many activities that he participates in, you can find me curled up reading a romance novel, watching a movie, or writing.

Also by Keyonna Davis Ménage and More: Pine Valley 1: Nowhere to Hide

Available at BOOKSTRAND.COM

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com