Seized (Hostage Rescue Team Series, #7)
Read Seized (Hostage Rescue Team Series, #7) Online
Authors: Kaylea Cross
Tags: #military, #romantic suspense, #thriller, #soldier, #interracial romance
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Seized
by
Kaylea Cross
Copyright © 2015
by Kaylea Cross
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Cover Art by
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This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the author.
ISBN: 978-1-928044-12-3
Dedication
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To all those men and women in the world out there working hard to safeguard the rest of us. Your efforts and dedication are so appreciated.
Kaylea
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Dear readers,
Vance’s story is finally here! The basic conflict between him and Carmela was set up in the previous book (
Exposed
), but “falling in love with your best friend’s sister” is one of my very favorite friends-to-lovers tropes in romance, and these two are definitely meant to be together.
Some of you may remember that hubby and I went on an Alaskan cruise together this past summer. It was actually a secret research trip! Thankfully, our cruise was both peaceful and uneventful. Unfortunately I can’t say the same for poor Carmela.
I hope this one keeps you on the edge of your seat!
Happy reading!
Kaylea Cross
Prologue
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M
iami, FL
Carmela Cruz rushed toward the rear entrance of Jackson Memorial Hospital, panic beating inside her like a frantic bird’s wings.
Please let him be okay. He has to be okay.
An agent had just informed them that her brother Ethan, a member of the FBI’s elite Hostage Rescue Team, had been injured while rescuing a hostage from a drug cartel. No one she’d talked to since had any more details and she hadn’t been able to reach Ethan or any of his teammates by phone, so she was here to get answers herself and find out how badly he’d been injured.
It was all over the news. She’d been listening to updates on her car radio on the drive here and now she was half frantic. At least one suspect was dead, another missing. An FBI agent and one victim—her brother and his girlfriend, Marisol—had been transported here by ambulance.
And Jackson Memorial housed the only level one adult trauma center in Miami-Dade County.
The rapid snap of her flip-flops against the asphalt barely registered over the thud of her pulse in her ears. Had Ethan been shot? It terrified her. He could be in surgery right now, fighting for his life.
She refused to even entertain the thought that he might be gone. She’d dropped her mom at the front entrance before parking—she’d tried three different lots before finding a freaking spot—so hopefully her mom would know where Ethan was by the time Carmela met up with her at the information desk.
The automatic doors whooshed open when she stepped on the pressure sensor. A wave of air-conditioned air hit her. Inside the entryway she glanced left then right, and spotted a familiar face coming toward her down the right hand hallway. Her heart careened in her chest.
Sawyer.
Relief crashed through her at the same time tears pricked the backs of her eyes. He was still in his fatigues, must have come straight here from the op. He and Ethan were best friends, he’d know exactly what had happened to her brother.
He started to smile as she tore toward him, flip-flops slapping on the linoleum floor, her belly a giant knot of fear. A million questions crowded her mind.
He towered above her, the top of her head barely reaching his chin. “Hey,” he said, concern on his face when he saw how panicked she was. He stepped forward to catch her by the upper arms but she latched onto his broad shoulders and started firing questions at him.
“What’s happened? Where’s Ethan? And Marisol?” She scanned his dark eyes anxiously, her entire body vibrating with tension. “The agents at Mrs. Lorenzo’s said there’d been a firefight and that they’d both been injured. It was all over the news but no one would tell us anything. Where—”
“Whoa, slow down,” he said gently.
The thin hold she had over her temper snapped. She dug her fingers harder into the solid muscle of his shoulders, narrowed her eyes at him and leaned in to snarl right in his face. “Don’t you dare do that ‘speak softly and don’t make any sudden moves’ thing with me. I want to know what the hell happened to my brother.”
“No, listen, he’s okay.” He squeezed her upper arms gently to reinforce his words.
She shook her head, frustration about to make her explode. “He’s
not
okay. If he was okay he wouldn’t be here, and they would’ve told me what happened.” Why else bring him by ambulance to a level one trauma center?
He started to shake his head. “Just calm down a sec and—”
“No, I won’t stop!” Tears flooded her eyes and she held on tighter. They were close friends, it wasn’t like him to hide something so important from her. “Why won’t you just tell me what happened? He must be hurt badly, otherwise—”
Her impatient words were cut off when he suddenly took her face in his hands and kissed her.
She jerked in shock, her eyes flying wide in surprise. What the hell? And this wasn’t just a simple peck on the lips.
It felt like a claiming. One she’d been dreaming of for almost two years.
Only not under these circumstances.
He cradled her face between his big hands like he needed her. Cherished her. She was too stunned to respond but for just an instant she let herself soften. Allowed her eyelids to flutter closed.
His big hands slid into her hair to cradle the back of her head and he slanted his mouth over hers. Her belly fluttered.
The tiny part of her brain that was still functioning confirmed that this must mean Ethan really was okay. Sawyer would never cross the line between friends and more than friends at a time like this otherwise. Still, his actions confused her. Was he keyed up from the op and seeking reassurance from her too? The thought made her melt a little.
More relief slid through her, taking the strength out of her already rubbery legs. She made a small mewling sound and leaned into him, pressing against that rock hard chest while her lips parted. He slid his tongue along her lower lip, making her shiver before stealing inside the warmth of her mouth.
A soft, quick taste. Not nearly enough to satisfy her, not after how long she’d wanted him, but now wasn’t the time or place to figure out why he’d had the sudden change of heart.
When he lifted his head a moment later they were both breathing faster. But then she noticed his eyes were clear, his gaze too sharp and alert for someone who’d supposedly just been so overcome with the need to kiss her that he hadn’t been able to contain himself.
The romantic fog instantly cleared from her brain, and she narrowed her eyes at him in suspicion as a humiliating possibility hit her right in the face. “Wait. Did you just kiss me to shut me up?” she demanded, completely insulted that he would do such a thing. If he’d kissed her to stop her questions, it had definitely worked.
But if it was true then she was embarrassed on top of being mad and worried about Ethan.
“No, now listen to me.” He slid his fingers through her hair and held her gaze. She didn’t believe him, was still angry with him, but he kept on talking. “Your brother’s okay, and so is Soli. Ethan had to have a routine CT scan to make sure the bump on his head didn’t cause any damage, and Soli had some minor cuts that needed to be cleaned up. Mostly they wanted to bring her here to get her hydrated and bring her core temp back up. She got thrown into the water for a bit. That and the shock of everything that happened meant she needed a doctor to check her out, and they both had a lot of questions to answer.”
Fake kiss put aside for the moment, Carmela blinked at him as she absorbed all that. My God, what the hell had happened out there today? “So they’re both okay,” she repeated, watching him warily, unsure whether he was lying to make her feel better, make her think everything was okay just so she wouldn’t freak out. “You’re certain.”
He nodded, his gaze steady. “Yeah.”
She lifted her chin, hating that her face was still hot, broadcasting her embarrassment. “Swear on my mother’s life that they’re both okay.”
“I swear,” he said without hesitation.
Okay, he wouldn’t lie under that kind of oath. Not where her mother was concerned. Everyone knew how much Sawyer adored and worshipped Mama Cruz, and vice versa.
She closed her eyes for a second and heaved a sigh of relief, then reached for him, needing the physical reassurance of his embrace. A tiny shudder ripped through her when those heavy arms wrapped around her back and pulled her close to him, seeking the comfort she’d needed so badly.
Sawyer hugged her close, his strong, solid frame supporting her as her knees seemed to sag. He smelled like fresh air, the salty scent of the ocean, and an underlying delicious scent that was all him.
Ethan’s okay, and so is Soli. That’s all that matters.
She kept repeating that to herself as her heartbeat slowed.
“Okay now?” he murmured against her hair a minute later. He dwarfed her, the feel of his strong arms around her every bit as wonderful as she’d imagined over the past couple of years.
But that kiss bothered her. Made her feel cheated and self-conscious. He’d manipulated her, something she’d never thought him capable of.
She nodded against his shoulder, conflicting emotions battering her. “Yeah, better. Thanks.”
He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and released her when she eased back. The moment she stepped out of his embrace she felt colder.
Carmela cleared her throat and looked at the floor, suddenly unsure of herself. She could feel she was still blushing and she couldn’t quite meet his eyes. God, why had he played her like that? “So, can I see them both?” She wanted to see them for herself, hug them both.
Sawyer seemed to hesitate a moment before nodding. “Yeah. But come with me to grab a cup of coffee first.”
She shot him an uncertain look, still agitated and off-balance. Seeing her brother was priority one, and besides, the idea of being alone with Sawyer any longer made her uncomfortable. She’d never imagined feeling awkward around him until now and she hated it. “I don’t know, I’d rather be upstairs in case they need me...”
“They’re both talking with investigators right now anyway, and honey, I’m so tired I’m about to drop face first onto this no-wax floor. So come with me while I get some caffeine into my system and then I’ll take you up to see them both in a little while.”
Studying him now, for the first time she noticed how tired he looked. His eyes were bloodshot and lines of fatigue bracketed his eyes and mouth. A sexy mouth outlined by a neatly trimmed black goatee that made him look even more rugged and masculine.
Whatever had happened today behind the scenes, it must have been bad. He was on the same assault team as Ethan so he would have been directly involved in the operation, would probably have seen Ethan get hurt. Since the two of them were closer than a lot of brothers she knew, that had to have weighed heavy on him. It made her want to hug him all over again.