growl.
He grunted.
And let go of her arm.
Lara had just enough forethought to know if she let go, he would win. Instead, she hitched herself onto his back, beating his ear with one hand and yanking his greasy hair with the other.
“You’re gonna want to release her now.”
Lara heard the warning over the goon’s cussing and her own pants. She quit struggling, her body sagging on the goon’s back as her gaze flew to the doorway.
Castillo.
Her hero.
Tears filled her eyes, her breath coming in gasps as she tried to take it in.
She was safe.
No matter what happened now, she was safe.
Castillo would take care of her.
“Lara.” That’s all he said. Her name, in that unemotional I’m-a-military-machine voice.
She’d never heard anything so wonderful.
Knowing what he wanted as if he were holding up cue cards, she let go, then jumped rather than slid off the goon’s back. And promptly landed on her ass at the rapid descent. She winced, both at the jarring impact and at the humiliatingly lame move.
“I’m here for the woman. You can go.”
“Yeah?” Castillo’s military mask cracked enough for his grin to escape. Then he shook his head. “And if I don’t want to go?”
Lara didn’t want to hear the guy’s response. At least, not while she was flat on her ass on the floor. She shifted, trying to stay out of the goon’s line of sight as she got to her feet.
Apparently he had eyes in the back of his head, because he didn’t even look around as he swung his hand.
She moved fast, so instead of sending her back to the floor the blow only grazed her face.
“Lara!” Castillo snapped.
She ran toward him at the same time he launched himself into the air, bending at the waist so his feet slammed into the guy’s chest.
Lara gaped.
Sprawled on the floor, the goon glared as he reached into the pocket of his jacket. Before he could bring his hand out, Castillo rolled from the floor into a crouch and waved his fingers in a bring-it-on motion.
The guy slowly lowered his hand.
“I told you you’d be sorry,” she taunted, wiping the blood from her lip with the back of her wrist.
It was a lot easier to sound cocky here, standing behind her very own SEAL.
Castillo shook his head at her, then jerked his head to indicate she should move to the door.
Lara bent down to grab her duffel. Before she could straighten, the goon gave a roar. He surged to his feet, grabbing a chair—the only intact piece of furniture in the room—and swung it at Castillo’s head.
Castillo didn’t even flinch as the wood splintered over the arm he’d raised to protect his skull. Instead, he reached out and grabbed the guy by the neck, then lifted him off his feet.
In a blink the guy had a knife in his hand.
Screaming, Lara swung her duffel at the guy at the same time Castillo grabbed the guy’s hand. He might have planned a few other moves, but Lara kept swinging her duffel and getting in the way. She didn’t care. Fury filled her like nothing she’d ever felt in her life.
Castillo had saved her and this creepy guy wanted to cut him? No way. No way in hell.
“Lara.” Castillo growled her name a third time.
Panting, her hair poking her in the eyes and her lip throbbing, Lara clutched the duffel in her arms for a second, then ran to the door.
Her back was only turned to the men for maybe two seconds. But when she reached the door and looked back, the goon was lying on the floor.
“Is he dead?” she gasped.
He looked dead.
“Move.”
Lara nodded, but she couldn’t take her eyes off the crumpled body on the floor.
“Now.”
Lara blinked, swallowing hard against the nasty taste in her mouth. She wet her lips, looked at the man, then at Castillo.
He wasn’t even winded.
If he’d had more than a half an inch of hair, she didn’t think it’d be out of place. Nope, he looked totally—what was that term he liked?
Copacetic.
He didn’t even hurry out the door. He just sort of sauntered, grabbing her
He grunted.
And let go of her arm.
Lara had just enough forethought to know if she let go, he would win. Instead, she hitched herself onto his back, beating his ear with one hand and yanking his greasy hair with the other.
“You’re gonna want to release her now.”
Lara heard the warning over the goon’s cussing and her own pants. She quit struggling, her body sagging on the goon’s back as her gaze flew to the doorway.
Castillo.
Her hero.
Tears filled her eyes, her breath coming in gasps as she tried to take it in.
She was safe.
No matter what happened now, she was safe.
Castillo would take care of her.
“Lara.” That’s all he said. Her name, in that unemotional I’m-a-military-machine voice.
She’d never heard anything so wonderful.
Knowing what he wanted as if he were holding up cue cards, she let go, then jumped rather than slid off the goon’s back. And promptly landed on her ass at the rapid descent. She winced, both at the jarring impact and at the humiliatingly lame move.
“I’m here for the woman. You can go.”
“Yeah?” Castillo’s military mask cracked enough for his grin to escape. Then he shook his head. “And if I don’t want to go?”
Lara didn’t want to hear the guy’s response. At least, not while she was flat on her ass on the floor. She shifted, trying to stay out of the goon’s line of sight as she got to her feet.
Apparently he had eyes in the back of his head, because he didn’t even look around as he swung his hand.
She moved fast, so instead of sending her back to the floor the blow only grazed her face.
“Lara!” Castillo snapped.
She ran toward him at the same time he launched himself into the air, bending at the waist so his feet slammed into the guy’s chest.
Lara gaped.
Sprawled on the floor, the goon glared as he reached into the pocket of his jacket. Before he could bring his hand out, Castillo rolled from the floor into a crouch and waved his fingers in a bring-it-on motion.
The guy slowly lowered his hand.
“I told you you’d be sorry,” she taunted, wiping the blood from her lip with the back of her wrist.
It was a lot easier to sound cocky here, standing behind her very own SEAL.
Castillo shook his head at her, then jerked his head to indicate she should move to the door.
Lara bent down to grab her duffel. Before she could straighten, the goon gave a roar. He surged to his feet, grabbing a chair—the only intact piece of furniture in the room—and swung it at Castillo’s head.
Castillo didn’t even flinch as the wood splintered over the arm he’d raised to protect his skull. Instead, he reached out and grabbed the guy by the neck, then lifted him off his feet.
In a blink the guy had a knife in his hand.
Screaming, Lara swung her duffel at the guy at the same time Castillo grabbed the guy’s hand. He might have planned a few other moves, but Lara kept swinging her duffel and getting in the way. She didn’t care. Fury filled her like nothing she’d ever felt in her life.
Castillo had saved her and this creepy guy wanted to cut him? No way. No way in hell.
“Lara.” Castillo growled her name a third time.
Panting, her hair poking her in the eyes and her lip throbbing, Lara clutched the duffel in her arms for a second, then ran to the door.
Her back was only turned to the men for maybe two seconds. But when she reached the door and looked back, the goon was lying on the floor.
“Is he dead?” she gasped.
He looked dead.
“Move.”
Lara nodded, but she couldn’t take her eyes off the crumpled body on the floor.
“Now.”
Lara blinked, swallowing hard against the nasty taste in her mouth. She wet her lips, looked at the man, then at Castillo.
He wasn’t even winded.
If he’d had more than a half an inch of hair, she didn’t think it’d be out of place. Nope, he looked totally—what was that term he liked?
Copacetic.
He didn’t even hurry out the door. He just sort of sauntered, grabbing her
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