Christmas Justice (Carder Texas Connections #7)(61)

Yes, she still flinched at every noise. Constantly checked over her shoulder at the slightest peep. But she was always ready. Always expecting the worst. Always on guard. And yet, the past year had been peaceful. There was no reason to believe anything would change save for the all-too-real feeling in the pit of her stomach screaming otherwise.

Being constantly on alert felt a lot like parking and then leaving her high beams on. Pretty soon her battery would run out.

Boomer whined in his sleep. Her protector? Now that was funny. She’d rescued a big dog for protection. She got the Scooby Doo of golden retrievers. All he wanted to do was eat, and he wouldn’t scare away a cat. But he did make noise and his low-belly bark sounded fierce. Sadie figured it was good enough to make anyone think twice.

As she bent over to pick up the sack of white powder, another noise sent a chill skittering across her nerves. Boomer’s head cocked at the unmistakable snick of a lock. Her heart drummed against her chest.

Using the lock was good, right? That meant someone with a key was most likely standing on the other side of the door. She thought of Claire, her very pregnant boss who was her only friend. With her baby due any day, she would be asleep right now.

Boomer, shackles raised, stalked toward the stockroom to investigate.

“It’s okay, boy.” She scoured the area looking for a weapon just in case. Was there anything she could use to defend herself? To protect Boomer? She moved toward the nearest counter.

A sparkle caught her attention. Light reflected from the blade of a knife. Her fingers shook as they curled around the black plastic handle.

Then everything went dark. No lights. It was too much of a coincidence to think the breaker could’ve been tripped. This blackout was on purpose.

Boomer’s low throaty growl nearly stopped her heart. It was the same noise he made when a stranger approached the lake house. Boomer had found an intruder. And they weren’t familiar.

His barks fired like a machine gun, rapid and ear-piercing.

Sadie’s adrenaline kicked into high gear. Her fight, flight or freeze response jacked through the roof. Every instinct inside her screamed, “Run!”

But she couldn’t.

She wouldn’t leave Boomer defenseless. Could she signal to him without giving away her location? No.

What about help? Her cell? Good luck finding her purse in the pitch-black.

She crouched and felt her way behind a rack filled with pastries. A hand covered her mouth. Her fingers, which had been curled around the knife handle, flexed cold air. She had been disarmed with frightening ease.

“Shh. Don’t say a word or they’ll hear you. Be very still.” A second ticked by before she recognized the voice as Nick Campbell’s. Why in the hell would a radiologist show up at the bakery in the middle of the night?

The last time a man took her by surprise she ended up spending two weeks in the ICU with facial lacerations and cracked ribs.

Determined to break free this time, she ignored the shivers running up her arms and bit Nick’s hand.

“I said, ‘be still,’ and don’t do that again,” Nick said. His deep, quiet tone was different. Dark and dangerous. Experienced. And she knew instinctively not to push him.

With a total stranger somewhere in front of her and Nick’s big frame behind her, she was trapped.

“I won’t hurt you,” he whispered.

What on earth was he doing here? And how had he gotten in without her noticing?

Boomer’s barks mixed with growls and intensified.

Before she could wrap her brain around what was happening, Sadie felt herself being hauled toward the front door. The recollection of being snatched in daylight two years ago flooded her. His behavior brought up horrible memories. No way would Nick Campbell abduct her. Not a chance.

But what, besides a feeling that she could trust him, did she know about Nick? His brown eyes and black hair were almost always covered by a ball cap and shades. His shoulders hunkered forward, masking his true height. She hadn’t fully realized his lethal potential until he stood behind her, his masculine chest flush with her back. She was five-foot-seven and he dwarfed her. He had to be more than six feet tall. Maybe six-one?

Neither his height nor his mannerisms had intimidated her before. She’d felt a sizzle of attraction, but then most of the women in Creek Bend seemed eager to get to know him better. With his forearm locked like a vise grip around her waist, she suddenly realized just how strong and buff he truly was.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she whispered, choking down the anger rising inside her.

“No time to explain.”

Hell if she’d wait. She wasn’t about to be caught with no means of self-preservation again. She wasn’t defenseless as she’d been before.

The first principle of judo was never to oppose strength to strength. Sadie shifted her weight enough to kick off the wall. She bucked, trying to throw him off balance while bracing herself to land on the painted concrete floor.

Didn’t work.

Strong as an ox, he’d anticipated the move and counteracted by placing his feet in an athletic stance and tightening his grip. “I’ll drag you out of here kicking and screaming if I have to, but we’ll most likely both be killed.”

“I can’t leave my dog. Boomer’s back there,” she said, hating how her voice quivered and got all shaky with fear. She’d sworn no man would make her feel defenseless again. She realized, on some level, he was there to help, but she could walk for herself.