her. The driver’s side was crumpled, but as she rounded the front, the sliding door on the passenger’s side opened. And a burly man leaned out, his long arms reaching for her.
Earlier she’d wanted to draw no attention to her arrival at the resort. But now she opened her mouth and screamed, hoping someone would hear her and help her before it was too late.
S EBASTIAN’S BLOOD chilled as a scream pierced the warm air blowing through his driver’s window. After the van had cut him off pulling into the resort, he’d lost it for a moment in the front lot when a car had backed up and blocked his pursuit. Just those few seconds of waiting for the car to get out of his way had given the men enough time to get to her.
He slammed the Hummer into Park behind the van but jumped out before it came to a complete stop. Its front bumper came to rest against the rear one of the already battered van.
More screams and grunts and curses rang out as two people struggled on the passenger’s side of the van. One was a man, clad in suit pants and a button-down, striped shirt that wrinkled as his heavy muscles shifted beneath it. His dark hair was slicked back, probably with sweat as beads of it glistened on his furrowed forehead. He looked vaguely familiar, as if Sebastian had recently seen him.
Perhaps at the press conference…
But he obviously wasn’t a reporter. He had to be one of the men hired to kill Sebastian and the other royals as well as the witness. Had he been the one who’d just fired at him?
The man struggled with the red-haired woman. She kicked, her legs swinging as the brute wrapped his arms around her, dragging her through the open sliding door into the cargo area of the van. But she put up a desperate fight, wriggling and clawing at him.
“Let me go!” she yelled.
“Let her go!” Sebastian shouted, echoing her order as he jumped into the fray.
The man did take one arm off her—to reach for his gun. Sebastian had his tucked into the small of his back. But could he risk the shot with the woman being used almost as a human shield, clutched tight in front of the man?
He had not fired a gun in years—too many years for him to trust his marksmanship was what it had once been. Legendary.
She reached out as far as she could with her arms pinned at her sides. Her hands extended toward Sebastian in supplication. Her dark eyes were wide, her gaze imploring him to provide the help he had promised her.
Sebastian could not fail to protect her. He would never be able to live with himself. At least when his father had failed his mother, the former bodyguard to the princess hadn’t had to live with that failure.
But then Sebastian might not have to live with his failure, either. For the driver shouted something in what sounded like Russian. And then the man with the gun squeezed the trigger.
Chapter Six
Gunshots rang in Jessica’s ears, momentarily deafening her. She flinched, but she couldn’t close her eyes. Fear and horror gripped her too tightly, almost paralyzing her. Not only was she afraid for herself but also for the man who was trying to keep his word to her.
That he would protect her.
But he might die trying. The bullet had missed him, as if the man holding her hadn’t really been trying to hit him. Just to scare him off. Apparently Prince Sebastian Cavanaugh didn’t scare easily because he leaped forward, reaching for the man’s gun. She couldn’t tear her gaze from him as he grappled for it.
Why hadn’t he tried to disarm her when she’d threatened him? He didn’t seem at all concerned about this gun going off.
But it did, deafening Jessica again. She screamed, but she couldn’t even hear her own voice—just a roaring in her ears. She focused on the prince, studying his handsome face for blood—or pain. Had he been hit?
If so, it wasn’t enough to slow him down. He reached for the man again, but before he could close his hands around the guy’s wrist, the direction of the gun
Earlier she’d wanted to draw no attention to her arrival at the resort. But now she opened her mouth and screamed, hoping someone would hear her and help her before it was too late.
S EBASTIAN’S BLOOD chilled as a scream pierced the warm air blowing through his driver’s window. After the van had cut him off pulling into the resort, he’d lost it for a moment in the front lot when a car had backed up and blocked his pursuit. Just those few seconds of waiting for the car to get out of his way had given the men enough time to get to her.
He slammed the Hummer into Park behind the van but jumped out before it came to a complete stop. Its front bumper came to rest against the rear one of the already battered van.
More screams and grunts and curses rang out as two people struggled on the passenger’s side of the van. One was a man, clad in suit pants and a button-down, striped shirt that wrinkled as his heavy muscles shifted beneath it. His dark hair was slicked back, probably with sweat as beads of it glistened on his furrowed forehead. He looked vaguely familiar, as if Sebastian had recently seen him.
Perhaps at the press conference…
But he obviously wasn’t a reporter. He had to be one of the men hired to kill Sebastian and the other royals as well as the witness. Had he been the one who’d just fired at him?
The man struggled with the red-haired woman. She kicked, her legs swinging as the brute wrapped his arms around her, dragging her through the open sliding door into the cargo area of the van. But she put up a desperate fight, wriggling and clawing at him.
“Let me go!” she yelled.
“Let her go!” Sebastian shouted, echoing her order as he jumped into the fray.
The man did take one arm off her—to reach for his gun. Sebastian had his tucked into the small of his back. But could he risk the shot with the woman being used almost as a human shield, clutched tight in front of the man?
He had not fired a gun in years—too many years for him to trust his marksmanship was what it had once been. Legendary.
She reached out as far as she could with her arms pinned at her sides. Her hands extended toward Sebastian in supplication. Her dark eyes were wide, her gaze imploring him to provide the help he had promised her.
Sebastian could not fail to protect her. He would never be able to live with himself. At least when his father had failed his mother, the former bodyguard to the princess hadn’t had to live with that failure.
But then Sebastian might not have to live with his failure, either. For the driver shouted something in what sounded like Russian. And then the man with the gun squeezed the trigger.
Chapter Six
Gunshots rang in Jessica’s ears, momentarily deafening her. She flinched, but she couldn’t close her eyes. Fear and horror gripped her too tightly, almost paralyzing her. Not only was she afraid for herself but also for the man who was trying to keep his word to her.
That he would protect her.
But he might die trying. The bullet had missed him, as if the man holding her hadn’t really been trying to hit him. Just to scare him off. Apparently Prince Sebastian Cavanaugh didn’t scare easily because he leaped forward, reaching for the man’s gun. She couldn’t tear her gaze from him as he grappled for it.
Why hadn’t he tried to disarm her when she’d threatened him? He didn’t seem at all concerned about this gun going off.
But it did, deafening Jessica again. She screamed, but she couldn’t even hear her own voice—just a roaring in her ears. She focused on the prince, studying his handsome face for blood—or pain. Had he been hit?
If so, it wasn’t enough to slow him down. He reached for the man again, but before he could close his hands around the guy’s wrist, the direction of the gun
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