Page 15 of The Ranger (Black Hawke Security #5)

SCARLETT

Three hours earlier

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I startle awake, hearing something in the house. I swear to god, if Cole has been out with the boys and had too much to drink...thinking he can use his emergency key to return for some more sexy stuff, I will—

The creak on the floor has my eyes darting to the doorway. Something isn’t right. I reach for my phone on the nightstand, and it knocks to the floor.

“Fuck,” I mutter.

I’m almost certain that I’m imagining the sounds and—

I’m not.

The door to my room bursts open, and two large, dark figures come flying in, yelling in a foreign language.

I scream.

They rip my body from the bed, and I kick and scream as panic fills every cell in my body. I drop onto the floor.

No.

The baby!

Oh my god. Please don’t go into labor.

Are they going to kill me?

Cole!

“Help!!!” I scream, and one of them slaps me hard.

“Who are you? Don’t do this. I’m—”

More foreign speaking along with shut up or we will kill you.

I go silent, shaking with utter fear while the other man says something short and sharp. Then my body is lifted.

“Pregnant?” the first guy replies in English.

“Yes, I’m pregnant, you piece of shit,” I yell, but they don’t seem to care as a piece of tape is slapped over my mouth, and a bag roughly pulled over my head.

Then I’m carried through the house.

Oh god, oh god, oh god. I’m going to suffocate and my baby die.

Cole!

I fight for my life as the cool night air hits my skin, telling me we are outside. I hear a dog bark, then the sliding door sounds.

Panting, my veins fill with terror as I try to scream and wriggle as much as my almost full-term body allows.

Stay calm.

I have to stay calm for the baby. I do not want to deliver or, worse, miscarry.

I can’t see anything. It’s dark, cold, and I’m shivering when the door slides shut with a final sounding bang.

Tears pool in my eyes as I tuck my legs up and wrap my arms around the baby against the cold metal floor.

Cole.

Help me.