Protected by a SEAL (Alpha SEALs, Book 6) (18 page)

“Affirmative,” Brent muttered. Jesus Christ.
Like he’d want to drag Ella’s friend into this clusterfuck.

His phone buzzed with an incoming call, and
Christopher’s name flashed across the screen. “Gotta go,” he barked
at Matthew.

“What do you need?” Christopher asked,
instantly all business. Thank fuck for that. Sometimes Brent
bickered with the guys on his team like they were his brothers, but
when the shit hit the fan, they had each other’s backs.

“Names. Home addresses. Some assholes
involved in some dirty deals with Ella’s manager at the cocktail
lounge took her. They fucking took her!” he shouted, his gut
churning. Jesus Christ. If anyone would understand, Christopher
would. Lexi had been kidnapped months ago. Held against her will by
some crazy man intent on stealing national security secrets. The
entire team had worked together to track her down. To save her. But
to have the same goddamn thing happen to Ella? To have someone take
her from her own apartment? He’d never let her out of his sight
again. Never. He’d quit the service if he had to. Give up his life
as a SEAL.

The thought of her alone and helpless nearly
slayed him.

“Already pulling up the data,” Christopher
said, his voice cool. “Let me do my thing, and you can go get your
girl.”

Brent pounded his fist into the brick wall,
the rough texture scraping his skin. He glanced down at the blood
on his hand, barely visible in the dim light from the parking
lot.

“Fucking hell,” he muttered.

“You okay?” Christopher asked.

“No, I’m not okay. They took Ella! Where the
hell are you anyway? I thought Gator said you were on your way over
to his place.”

“Change of plans,” Christopher said
smoothly. “Lexi and I set up shop in a parking lot on the way
there. She’s pulling surveillance from Ella’s apartment complex as
we speak, and I’m just about into the system of the pawn shop.
Probably a front for a whole bunch of illegal doings.”

Brent grunted in affirmation. Those two
could probably take down an entire country if they wanted. Hack
into satellite imagery, bank records, Top Secret government data.
But at the moment? He just needed info on those assholes from the
pawn shop. The pricks who had taken Ella. His gut clenched as he
remembered Frank’s words.

“
I owed them money on a gambling debt,
and they took Ella as a payment.”

Failing to find Ella was not a fucking
option.

“All right. I’ve got their IP addresses.
They have a weak firewall,” Christopher chuckled. “A kid could hack
into their records. Take over the whole damn business.”

“Less talking, more doing,” Brent
snapped.

“Easy asshole. I’m already in.”

Brent heard Christopher typing over the
phone and clenched his jaw. Every second wasted they could be
taking Ella further and further away from him. Hell. He hadn’t even
told her yet how he felt about her, and now she was gone.

Just like his sister.

“All right,” Christopher said. “Here we go.
Names. Bank Records. Employee info. I’m texting you two address
now. Guessing it’s the home addresses of the two head honchos.
Hopefully those are the guys you spotted earlier. Find them, find
Ella.”

“Fucking perfect,” Brent muttered. He
glanced down as two addresses flashed across the screen on his
phone.

“Looks like they’re on opposite sides of
town. You need any help?” Christopher asked. “Cops? Matthew’s
military buddies down in Pensacola? He knows some dudes stationed
there.”

“Nope. I’m doing this alone.”

“Roger that. Lexi and I are here on standby.
Call me with whatever new info you need. Or if you need
backup.”

“Affirmative. Over and out,” he said,
disconnecting the call. Jesus Christ. He was down in Florida, not
on a fucking op. That sure as shit didn’t stop the adrenaline
racing through his veins. He scanned the empty lot,
compartmentalizing his anger. He drew a deep breath, letting the
air fill his lungs, and focused his attention on the task. Tucking
his Glock back into the waistband of his pants, he jogged toward
his rental car, his years of training kicking into gear. His senses
on high alert.

He’d show up to the first address. Conduct
surveillance on the perimeter. Hope like hell they didn’t have more
firepower than him. And then he’d storm the damn place, searching
for Ella. Shooting first and asking questions later.

Plan B was calling in Matthew’s buddies in
Pensacola. Seeing if they would do some work off the books. But he
wasn’t betting on that option. He could handle those idiots who’d
nabbed her with no problem. Take them out in a second.

But Ella?

Alone and defenseless against two huge,
angry men?

He didn’t know if she had a fucking
chance.

Ella awoke to the sound of a doorknob
rattling. Gasping, she sat up, her heart racing. Shadows surrounded
her. The rough fabric against her legs was unfamiliar. Her heart
beat wildly in her chest as memories of the night before came
rushing back. Two massive men pushing their way into her apartment.
Claiming she was theirs for the night. Carrying her toward her bed.
Then the world faded to blackness.

Boom! Boom!

She was jarred out of her memories as she
looked in the direction of the door. They were coming for her.
Kicking on the door. It couldn’t be that hard for a grown man to
break down. The guys who’d taken her were huge. Why was she locked
in here?

Get out. Get out now.

Instinctively, she knew she had to leave.
Run. Hide. But where was she to go when she was locked in a
stranger’s bedroom? When someone was about to burst through the
door? Shaking, she crawled across the covers. Stumbled to the
floor. Lurched through the semi-darkness. Moonlight streamed in
through the lone window, but escape couldn’t be that easy, could
it?

She cursed silently as she banged her shin
on the bed frame. That would leave an angry bruise, but she had to
go.

Now.

“I’m done fucking waiting!” a male voice
shouted, pounding on the door. “Give me the damn key!”

“Wait your turn!” a second voice said. “I’m
the one who grabbed her.”

“Why’d you put a fucking deadbolt on this
door anyway, jackass?”

“To keep a person inside,” the other voice
hissed. “Why else would I need it?”

She pushed the curtains aside, looking out
into the darkness. They couldn’t be dumb enough to leave an
unlocked window in here, could they? Glancing down at the ground
outside, she guessed she was on the second level of a home. There
were shrubs down below, and if she had to, she’d jump. Break a leg.
Suffer some bumps and abrasions. Anything to get the hell out of
here. Holding her breath, she shoved at the window.

It didn’t budge.

She pushed up again.

“Shit, shit, shit!” she quietly cursed.

Her panicked hands finally slid to the lock
as her heart pounded, and amazingly enough, it turned open.

She shoved upwards again, pushing the window
with all of her strength. The screen went up next as someone kicked
at the bedroom door. Thanking the Lord she was small enough to
easily fit through the frame, she ducked through, hanging from both
hands from the windowsill before dropping to the ground.

Leaves and twigs scratched against her legs
as she landed feet first in the bushes. The rustling was so loud
she was certain someone would come rushing out the front door
looking for her. She pushed through the thick shrubs, finally
stumbling onto the ground. She’d never been so happy to smell the
scent of grass before. She stood up, listing slightly to the left
before regaining her balance. The world spun around her, and she
bent over. Took a deep breath.

A loud crash came from the inside of the
house as the door was finally kicked open, and she took off
running, not knowing where she was and not even caring.

Away.

She had to get away.

Angry male voices shouted, and she ran
quicker, out onto the street. Should she go to a neighbor’s house
for help? Try to make it back to a main road? She didn’t even know
where she was. Anywhere was better than being locked in that
bedroom. Anywhere.

Headlights suddenly lit up the street as a
car turned the corner, and she froze. Someone jumped out, slamming
the door, and she heard footsteps running. Voices shouted from
behind her. She panicked, looking around. The entire street was
full of homes, but at the moment they each seemed so far away. She
was out in the open. Helpless. But they couldn’t catch her
again.

“Is that her?” a voice shouted.

“No, that’s a man!” came the reply. “Where
the hell is she?”

Ella sprinted toward a house across the
street, veering towards the backyard. There were more voices
shouting in the background and what sounded like a scuffle on the
street, and she ran faster, stumbling in the darkness. The silence
of the night suddenly was pierced by two gunshots, and she dove
behind some trashcans lined up alongside one house.

For a moment, there was nothing but
silence.

Lights came on in the surrounding houses.
Doors opened. Sirens sounded in the distance. Voices. Shouts. Calls
for help.

Ella wrapped her arms around her legs as she
sat on the ground, shaking. Buried her face into her arms. Closed
her eyes. Sobbed.

An eternity passed, and finally a flashlight
beam shone in her face. Blinking, she looked up as tears streamed
down her cheeks. The light shifted out of her eyes, and her gaze
focused on a policeman.

“We need an ambulance,” he said quietly into
his radio.

He reached out to her, but she couldn’t make
sense of what he was saying. Her vision blurred.

The world once again faded to complete
blackness.

***

“Ella. Ella, sweetheart, can you hear me?”
Brent asked, frowning.

Brent lightly caressed Ella’s forehead as
she lay asleep in the hospital bed. Her dark hair was tangled and
stood out in contrast against the white sheets. Was matted against
her clammy, pale skin. The thin sheets covered her slender frame,
slightly concealing her from his view. Making her look even more
fragile and weak. He grabbed the hospital blanket at the bottom of
the bed and pulled it up, covering her. Letting his hands linger as
he tucked it around her.

She was here. Breathing. Uninjured aside
from some small scratches. Alive.

He’d had to flash his military credentials
and sweet-talk the nurses in order to stay with her, but they’d
have to bring an army in to drag him away.

Fucking hell.

Ella looked so pale and weak lying there in
the hospital bed. When he’d sped toward the first address that
Christopher had texted him, he’d expected to go charging in. Break
in through a window or tear off the door. Shoot out the tires of
any cars in the driveway so the thugs couldn’t get away. Couldn’t
take Ella from him again. He’d thought he was hallucinating when
he’d spotted her standing in the middle of the street as he’d
pulled around the corner. She’d been frightened. Shaking in fear.
And then she’d taken off running.

He blew out a breath as his phone
buzzed.

Brianna’s asking for another update.

Brent resisted the urge to grin. Matthew had
texted him five times in the past hour demanding updates for
Brianna. He was glad Ella had someone worried about her. That
Brianna had wanted to fly down here to help her and get her to quit
her job. But holy fuck. He never imagined the kind of trouble Ella
might inadvertently be caught up in. Who knew working in the
cocktail lounge would be the very least of her problems?

Jesus Christ. The things those men could’ve
done to her.

He still wanted to beat the shit out of her
manager for dragging her into his office. Forcing her to submit to
his demands. For taking those bastards to her apartment complex.
His gut churned just thinking about everything she’d been through
in the past day.

A police officer poked his head in the room,
and Brent glanced up. The officer flipped through his notepad,
scanning his notes. “Looks like I’ve gotten all of your statement.
I’ll be sure to include everything you detailed in the police
report. You can contact the Pensacola PD if you need a copy. When
she’s feeling up to it, I’ll come by and take her statement as
well. You’ve got my card, so give me a call. I’ll be in touch if I
need any further information.”

“Will do.”

“You know I have to tell you that was
foolish to go after your girlfriend on your own like that. Next
time there’s an emergency, call 911.”

“Noted,” Brent said, not taking his eyes off
Ella.

“Of course, I would’ve done the same damn
thing if that was my girl. I’m a former Marine.”

“Hoorah,” Brent said, nodding at him. Their
eyes briefly met, and then the officer flipped his notepad shut,
tucking it into his pocket.

“Hoorah,” he replied.

Brent’s gaze flicked back over to the
machines monitoring Ella as the officer left. The constant
beep
beep beep
was somewhat unnerving to listen to, but if it meant
she was okay, then it was as beautiful as a goddamn symphony. She
needed to rest. The question was, how much would she remember?

“Brent?” she asked weakly.

His eyes flew to her face. His hand to her
cheek. She was staring at him, wide-eyed. “How are you feeling?” he
asked.

Her eyelashes fluttered. “Tired. Really
tired.” Tears filled her eyes as he gazed down at her, and his
heart ached.

“Just rest,” he said in a low voice. Hell,
he wasn’t cut out to be soothing. To nurse someone back to health.
He felt like a bull in a china shop just standing here. Like
anything he touched might break. But he’d do whatever it took to
make sure she was okay. To let her know that she wasn’t alone.