The Mogul and the Muscle: A Bluewater Billionaires Romantic Comedy(79)

Fear flashed across his face. “Yeah. I don’t know where. He had to go take a call or something.”

I glanced up at Nicholas. He stared down at me, resolve in his eyes.

“Is Inda with her?” he asked.

Bobby nodded—as much as he could with me pinning him to the ground. “Yeah, but that was a mistake. They were only supposed to grab Cameron.”

I got up, hauling Bobby to his feet by the front of his shirt. He grabbed his throat and coughed.

“Help me keep an eye on him,” I said to Nicholas.

“What?” Bobby asked. “Why? No, it’s cool man, I’ll just go.”

“Nope.” I grabbed the back of his neck and steered him into the kitchen.

“What are we going to do with him?” Nicholas asked.

“Don’t know yet. But I want him where I can see him.” I pushed Bobby forward. “And don’t test me, you little prick, or I start breaking things, starting with the parts of your body you care about the most.”

Bobby nodded. “Okay, fine. Just don’t hurt me. I swear, I didn’t want to kill anyone. I didn’t think she’d get hurt.”

Nicholas paused by one of the stainless steel work surfaces and grabbed a large cast iron skillet. Picking it up, he tested the weight in his hand, then raised his eyebrows at me.

I nodded and pushed Bobby again. “Where is she?”

“This way.”

We went back the way Bobby had come running. Just past the kitchen entrance, something on the ground caught a glint of light.

Something red.

Cameron’s shoe.

I jogged forward and picked it up. I could just see the spot where I’d inserted the tiny tracking device. She’d never known it was there.

Those sexy red heels of hers were about to save her life.

Everyone else in this building? They were in big fucking trouble.





34





Cameron





The more I struggled against the ropes, the more it hurt. But I couldn’t just sit here doing nothing. I twisted my wrists, wincing as the ropes rubbed against my raw skin.

“Don’t you know some secret Israeli escape technique?” I whispered.

“No,” she whispered back. “I don’t think that’s a thing.”

“Damn. Inda, I have a confession.”

She raised her eyebrows. “You want to confess something to me?”

I nodded.

“Okay, what?”

“Sometimes I talk Nicholas into secretly making me food that’s not in your meal plan,” I said. “Especially key lime tarts. And then I lie to you about it when you ask me if I’m sneaking sugar.”

She looked at me like I was crazy and laughed softly. “You know how weird it is for you to say that right now, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Are we going to get out of here?” she asked, her voice suddenly subdued.

“Yes. We’re definitely getting out of here.”

Jude was going to find us. I had no idea how. But I knew he would. I knew it in the deepest part of my soul.

And I was too stubborn to give up.

The lights went out, making me gasp, and the door to the suite slammed shut, surrounding us with sudden darkness. I looked around, straining to see. The henchmen spoke to each other—directions, commands, I didn’t know; I couldn’t understand them. Shuffling footsteps moved through the room.

Someone grunted, like they’d been hit in the gut. They grunted again, followed by a thud. Then a second of silence.

My eyes were starting to adjust to the dark, but it was still hard to make anything out. Just shadowy shapes moving through the room. Men with guns drawn.

Another grunt, this time on the other side of the room. A thud. Silence.

More commands in Russian. One of them seemed to be trying the light switch, but it wasn’t working. He went down with a strangled cry and another thud.

A whisper of sound reached my ears. I could just make out the outline of the last henchman, taking slow steps in the dark. Suddenly, he went down, like someone had swept his legs out from under him. He hit the floor with a loud thud. Another grunt, and all was quiet.

The outline of a large man rose in the center of the room. My heart pounded and my eyes brimmed with tears. Oh my god. Please let it be— “Clear,” Jude called.

The door opened, letting in light from the hallway. Someone else was there, but I had no idea who it was. All I could see was Jude.

He rushed over and crouched next to me, his eyes doing a quick sweep. “Are you hurt?”

I shook my head. Tears broke free from the corners of my eyes, leaving hot trails down my cheeks. “No. How did you find me?”

He reached up to swipe the tears with his thumb. “I bugged your shoe.”

“What?”

“I’ll explain later.” He produced a Swiss army knife from his pants pocket and went to work freeing me from the ropes. “We need to move.”

Relief crashed through me, so potent I was almost euphoric. “I knew you’d come.”

He cut through the rope binding my left ankle and looked up, meeting my eyes. “I’ll always come for you.”

That was the second time he’d quoted The Princess Bride perfectly in conversation—this time in the middle of a crisis—and a voice in my head screamed, Marry him and have all his babies!