Lock and Load (SEAL EXtreme Team) (29 page)

There! Up ahead, he could see Robinson’s stocky figure. He’d recognize that sonofabitch anywhere. He dragged Amber along, while jabbing a gun in her ribs. He was going to hurt Robinson so hard. He ran faster.

“Take your hands off of me!” Amber ordered. “I’m not giving you the memory card. You might as well let me go.”

“I don’t need the card. I have you.” Robinson laughed and dragged her faster toward a black van parked in the street. “Why didn’t anyone think of it earlier? We don’t need to shut you up. We need you to work harder.”

Charlie was almost there. A hundred feet to go. He couldn’t take the shot and risk Robinson pulling his own trigger. He was forced to move closer.

She yanked her arm back, but Charlie remembered how strong the man was. She didn’t stand a chance with that monster.

Seventy feet.

“You’ll hack the D.O.D. for us again. Hell, why stop there? You can hack the Treasury too. You’re quite a treasure yourself, Miss Fitz. My bosses will be pleased.”

“You’re out of your flippin’ mind. No way! I’m not hacking into a single thing for you. Let me go.”

Fifty feet.

“Oh, I think you’ll do anything I tell you to do because I have what is most important to you,” he snarled.

“Ha! Guess what jackass? I don’t care about the money. I lied.”

Forty feet.

“I didn’t.” He spun her around quickly, using her beautiful body as a shield. “Hello, Charlie. It’s so weird to see you. I thought someone would have blown your head off by now.”

Charlie slammed on the brakes. He didn’t look at the gun jabbing Amber in the ribs. He focused on her gorgeous face. Her cheek were so pale, her lips quivering, but her eyes…they flashed with anger.

“Let her go, Robinson,” he ordered.

“She’s mine now. Back off before I do the universe a favor and shoot you.”

“No! Don’t hurt him,” Amber pleaded.

Charlie’s heart threatened to explode. The woman he loved was begging for his life while a sadistic mad-man held a gun to her side. If they got out of this alive he was going to kiss her so hard…

He had one more idea and then he was out of them. “What in the hell happened to you, Robinson? You used to be one of the most patriotic guys I knew. Now you are working with Chinese triads and stealing national secrets? I don’t get it. Explain it to me.”

“It’s hard to be patriotic to a country that trains great men like us and spits us out like garbage. Look at all the political crap going on. The country is screwed up in every aspect. We aren’t going to take it anymore.”

“Who is
we
?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Robinson grinned. “Let’s just say there is a private agency that honor our skills and training and understand real heroism. We have our own arsenal, own militia. We’ll take over Washington, make this country great again, and drive out the weak, yellow-spined assholes. You could join us, Charlie.”

“Joining you once was the mistake of a lifetime. I won’t repeat it.”

Robinson shook his head. “You’re still on the wrong side. How can you be so smart and so stupid?”

Charlie shrugged. “That’s a familial trait too. Last chance. Step away from my girl.”

“Charlie, remember the Battle of Xoreex?” Amber asked.

“No.” Charlie answered, even though he remembered every detail of how the two of them had joined forced to beat the enemy in an online game. Charlie had stepped away to distract the hostile and she shot him. Even in reverse, that wouldn’t work here. Charlie couldn’t step away. He wouldn’t leave her alone with this killer.

Robinson laughed. “Poor Miss Fitz. You have the worst luck in men. Two boyfriends killed in less than a week.”

Amber’s eyes flew open. Charlie knew what was going to happen, a nano-second before it did. The last thing he saw was Amber yanking free from Robinson’s arms, shoving him as she went.

My sweet, sweet girl. Always trying to save me.

He dove to the ground just as the gun in Robinson’s hand went off. The bullet winged him, spreading hot, angry pain through his shoulder, but he was able to roll and get his gun up. It didn’t matter. By the time he pulled the trigger it was already too late. Mack had taken Robinson out.

“I owed you one,” Mack said, coming closer.

Charlie had taken nearly the same shot when Jenna was held hostage in Colombia. “I wasn’t keeping score.”

“Charlie!” Amber ran to him and jumped in his arms.

“Ow, careful, I’m a wounded man.”

“Where does it hurt?” She kissed his cheeks, chin, and jaw.

“What if I said all over?” His voice was deep, heavy with want. He could have lost her.

“Then you’ll have to get a room. But maybe not here, the place is pretty much shot to hell,” Willy said.

“Oh, Charlie. You’re bleeding!” Amber said.

“It’s nothing, sweetheart. Kiss me some more.”

“Let me see.” Ty Whitehorse looked at the shoulder. “Not too bad. The bullet grazed you.”

“That was great fun! We need to do this again sometime.” A man wearing a turban and cowboy boots stepped forward clapping his hands.

Jenna was right behind him. “Everyone, this is Johnny Wane.”

Mack shook hands with the sheik. “Hey, sorry man, we made a mess of your place. I know you lost men too. Please let us know what we can do to help. Send me a bill and I’ll see if we can reimburse you for at least some of the damage.”

“My men are martyrs. They will be seeing Allah’s face soon and reaping their rewards. We all knew this could go down pretty hard, but we ran those triad bad boys out of my casino. We showed them good, huh? Like the O.K. Corral. High noon.”

“You and your men were amazing, Johnny,” Jenna said.

“Thank you. We do it again sometime. Anything you need, you call me. I’d better go back inside.”

Jenna wiggled in underneath Mack’s arm. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, babe. Don’t worry,” Mack said.

“Thank God. My dad is sending a helo to pick us up. It’s on the way.”

Mack ran his hand over his dark hair. “Um, babe. You called him?”

“Yes. He’s a little miffed that I’m here. Somehow he was under the impression I was on the beach in San Diego. He’ll get over it.”

“Miffed?” Mack grimaced. “How little?”

“How many times do I have to say it?” Tavon shook his head. “Never piss-off the admiral father-in-law by bringing his little girl to a gun fight at The Wild West.”

“Shut up,” Mack growled. “She was safe. You were, babe, right? You stayed with Johnny Wane the whole time. Didn’t wander off, get nabbed, or shot at?”

Jenna rose up on her toes and kissed Mack’s cheek. “Safe and sound. I learned my lesson. Trust the SEALs and listen to Mack.” She winked at the team.

“So it’s over?” Amber’s beautiful eyes bored into Charlie’s soul.

“For now. We still don’t have Milton Crow,” he answered.

“And we don’t know who the big boys are, the real players in this game,” Mack said. “I’m guessing that Admiral Collins will want us to figure that out.”

“Now?” Amber’s raspy voice rose a couple of octaves.

Charlie pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight with his good arm. The bad arm with the knife and gun wound? Hurt like an S.O.B. “No sweetheart. For now we go home and wait for further orders.”

“Oh.” Her voice was small. “That’s it then. I’m going to jail.”

“Nope.” Jenna smiled. “I told my dad all the things you did to protect our national secrets. He wanted me to thank you. Oh, and he said you are free to go.”

“Charlie.” She blinked tears out of her eyes. Happy tears this time. “I’m free.”

“Not hardly. You are entirely and completely attached. To me.” He growled and lifted her into the air. His bad arm, be damned. “I’m never letting you go.”

She laughed. “Put me down, you’re going to break something. And your arm! You just got shot.”

"Come on. I'm a SEAL, woman. Wounds like this are nothing." Gently, he put her down. “Marry me.”

“When?”

He just about swallowed his heart. Was that a
yes
? “How about now?”

Jenna cheered and the guys all pounded Charlie on the back and shoulders. “Watch my arm. I’m shot, and knifed! Remember?”

Amber let out an ear-piercing whistle. “Hey Johnny Wane! Do you have someone who can marry us?”

The sheik waved from the glass doorway.

“Was that a
yes
?” Charlie choked. And then Amber kissed his socks off. His brain, the part that wasn’t swimming in the wonder of Amber, was planning how to marry her in the next five minutes.

“Look at that! The Black Pirate gets the Hot Girl.” Willy scooped them both up in his arms. “Hey, Amber. Do you have a hot sister?”

ABOUT
THE
AUTHOR

Kimberley Troutte is a NY Times, USA Today and Amazon Top 100 bestselling author for Romantic Suspense. She lives in Southern California with her husband, two sons, a wild cat, an old snake and random creatures her hubby and boys rescue.

To learn more about her novels, please visit her at
Kimberley’s website
.

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Thank you for honest reviews and messages.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Lots of kisses to my loving hubby and wonderful sons. Bless you for supporting me in this crazy adventure and not squawking too loudly when the house gets messy and we eat out more than we should. I love you guys.

Thank you to my parents and sis who have been cheering me on from day one. I wouldn’t be here without you.

To the SEALs of SUMMER: Military Romance Superbundle authors: I have learned so much from all of you. Thank you for a wonderful ride!

C.C. Wiley, Anne Marsh, Cynthia Appel, Gia Alden, Sandra Troutte have all critiqued my SEALs in one way or another. Hugs all around, ladies. Thank you Romance Divas for your gentle guidance and support.

Georgia Woods was a fabulous editor and Kim Killion rocked the cover.

I am blessed to have the best readers in the world. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Drop me a note. I love to hear from you guys.

Other titles by Kimberley Troutte

SEAL EXtreme Team

COMING IN HOT (Book 1)

LOCK AND LOAD (Book 2)

DOWN AND DIRTY (short story)

GOD WHISPERER

CATCH ME IN CASTILE

SOUL STEALER

Middle Grade Fiction by K. Troutte:

SAVING MINER’S GULCH

COMING
IN
HOT

SEAL E
Xtreme Team (Book 1)

by

KIMBERLEY TROUTTE

Take control…