Chapter 11

“I’m scared,” Ashleigh said from the back of the limo, clutching onto Anna’s hand as the vehicle swerved around a corner. Her head thumped against the glass window, despite the fact that she was wearing a seatbelt, and Anna let out a small cry.

They’d been driving for fifteen minutes, speeding away from the Seattle suburbs where Bentley lived with her family.

“Are we heading to the airport?” Anna asked, looking at a sign on the highway.

“I don’t know,” Ashleigh replied, her voice shaky. “It seems like it. I still can’t get a cell signal,” she said in frustration, trying her phone once again. “I wanted to call Slate or 911. I can’t even get a text to go through.”

“They must be using a jammer,” Anna said in a hushed tone.

The two women exchanged a look. “My sister is expecting us,” Ashleigh pointed out. “If we don’t show up within a reasonable amount of time, she’ll try to reach me. After that, she’ll be calling Slate.”

“They’ll find us,” Anna assured her, worrying her lip. She clutched her hands together, her bracelets jangling with the movement. Her eyes went to the partition and then back to Ashleigh. “We can’t go wherever they’re taking us,” she whispered. “If they try to move us into another vehicle or put us on an airplane, we fight. Scream. Kick them in the balls. We are not letting them take us.”

“How did they even find us in the limousine?” Ashleigh asked in wonder. “Do you think they knew who we were? That we’re connected to Slate and Jett? I can’t believe this is random.”

“It’s not,” Anna agreed. “Both of them are in positions of power. They’ve both made enemies in their careers, both near and far. Someone took us to get to them.”

Ashleigh swallowed, knowing Anna was right. “We need a plan.”

Anna looked around the back of the limousine. “We could hit the driver over the head with the bucket the champagne was chilling in. We should use the bottle, too. It’s heavy. We can each hold onto one and fight when we eventually stop. They’re not going to leave us back here forever.”

“How many men got in the vehicle?” Ashleigh asked. “I couldn’t see much aside from the driver.”

“I think just one.”

“They’ll find our driver!” Ashleigh suddenly exclaimed. She lowered her voice. “Someone in the neighborhood would’ve heard the gunshot. They’ll see him lying on the ground. They’ll be looking for us.”

“I hope so,” Anna said, her voice grave.

Suddenly, Ashleigh screamed as a car came speeding toward them and skidded across the road, doing a complete one-eighty to cut them off. She and Anna both lurched forward, their seatbelts keeping them from flying against the partition as the driver slammed on the brakes. The man who’d stolen the limo blared on the horn, and Ashleigh watched in shock as several men jumped out of the car that had cut them off.

“Freeze!” a man yelled, and Ashleigh did a double-take as she saw Blake “Raptor” Reynolds running toward the limousine. Grayson “Ghost” Douglass was right behind him, weapon drawn. A third man was jogging to the other side of the limo, but it was hard to tell who it was in the middle of the commotion. “That’s Slate’s SEAL team,” she said in surprise. She wasn’t even sure where they’d gotten weapons but knew Slate traveled with a gun. Maybe they did, too. Their lives were so far removed from her own reality, it was hard to fathom. Right now, she was simply grateful to see them. Who knew her surprise wedding would also turn into a surprise kidnapping.

The limo driver tried to reverse as the men approached, and one of the SEALs shot out the tires, the gunshots resounding in the cold winter air.

Ashleigh screamed as another gunshot sounded, the glass breaking. She and Anna crouched on the floor of the limo, but she felt shockingly calm. Slate had trained these men himself. The Alpha SEALs Coronado team were among the most elite Special Forces teams in the country. In another few minutes, this would all be over.

“They flew in for the wedding,” Anna said as they heard more voices shouting. “They were probably closer to us than the boys, or you know Jett and Slate would’ve been here themselves.”

Ashleigh looked up as one of the men tried to open the back door to get them out, yelling to the others to unlock the vehicle. She tensed as another car suddenly appeared in the distance, weaving in and out of traffic as it sped down the highway. “Are there more of them?” she asked in alarm.

Soon that vehicle skidded to a stop, and Slate and Jett were running to them as well. The man who’d kidnapped them was slumped over in the front seat, the partition finally lowered. One of the guys yanked open the back door, and then Ashleigh was in Slate’s arms, trembling.

“I thought I lost you,” he said in disbelief, his voice catching.

“I’m right here,” she assured him. “You got to me in time.”

“Are you hurt?” he asked, holding her slightly away from him so his gaze could rake over her body.

“No. I’m okay,” she said, a few tears slipping down her cheeks. She glanced over to see Anna and Jett having their own joyful reunion, and sirens sounded in the distance as police and ambulances began to arrive. She looked up, her eyes meeting Slate’s again, seeing nothing but love shining in them. “Let’s go get married,” she said, beaming up at him.

“You know?”

“I do.” She flashed him a coy look, and Slate chuckled. “Those are the two best words I’ve heard all day. Let’s make it official, Ash. Let’s go get married.”