“Poker.” He scanned the area. “See any open seats?”
“There’s one over there.” She pointed to a table across the space. “Go take it.”
“What about you?” he asked, frowning.
“I’m just going to watch for a while,” she said, reaching into her tiny evening bag to pull out a phone she must have bought that day, too. “Actually, I think I’m going to go out and call my brother, Nate. We’re not super close, but I feel like I should talk to him directly after everything that’s happened and let him know I’m okay.”
She’d mentioned her brother once, when she’d asked who’d hired him, but then hadn’t brought the man up again. He'd wondered about that but didn’t want to upset Serena by questioning her after everything she’d already been through. Lord knew he understood dysfunctional families better than most after the mess he’d grown up with. When she was ready, she’d talk to him. Until then, he refused to push.
“Okay,” he said. “Stay where I can see you though, all right?”
She gave him a look. “We’re not in danger anymore.”
“No.” Noah winked. “But I just like looking at you.”
Serena grinned and shook her head, then wandered over to a private corner of the room to make her call while Noah walked over and joined the poker game already in progress. He hadn’t been lying about enjoying looking at her. She was a vision. But he also couldn’t seem to shake that niggle of worry in his gut. It was an occupational hazard and probably nothing. Hell, he’d even talked to Levon and Clint during his tux fitting to confirm that the men responsible for Serena’s kidnapping were behind bars. The danger was over. He also knew she needed time and space for the conversation with her brother. Still, he needed to keep an eye on her for his own reassurance. After he bought in to the pot and got his chips from the dealer, he drew his first hand and checked his cards, his mind only half on the game as he kept glancing over at Serena across the room. Her head was down and her back to him, so he couldn’t read her expression, dammit.
“Sir?” the dealer said. “What’s your play?”
“Uh.” Noah looked at the other players around him, reading them. “I’m in.”
He tossed chips into the pot, then watched each of the other players to learn their tells. His hand was pretty good. Two pairs, aces high, but he needed to lose a few rounds to see what kind of game he was in. Except the longer he sat there, the more concerned he got that something wasn’t right with Serena. At one point, she seemed to throw her hand in the air as if she was exasperated. Was she fighting with her brother? The news of her safety—and upcoming return to the US—should have been a joyful announcement, not something to trigger arguing.
Shouts of triumph went up from another player at his table, and Noah sighed. He’d lost. Again. Going down a few chips didn’t bother him nearly as much as the fact he couldn’t concentrate at all on the game. Maybe coming down here tonight had been a mistake after all. Maybe he should quit and take Serena back up to the room. He cashed in his chips and stood to walk over to her, except…
Shit. She was gone.
Cursing under his breath, he pocketed his receipt to take to the cashier window and headed out of the high-limit room. She couldn’t have gone far. He’d only taken his eyes off of her for a few seconds. His pulse tripped as his gaze darted around the room. If anything happened to Serena or the baby, he’d never…
A flash of purple caught his eye, in one of the open elevators. As she stuck her key card into the slot with one hand, while still talking on her phone with the other, he rushed in that direction. He only made it a few steps before he halted, noticing another figure entering the elevator with Serena. He knew that guy. Recognized him instantly. It was the man from the rainforest. The mercenary that Serena had punched and kicked.
Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.
Weaving through the crowds, Noah mumbled apologies as he went, his attention focused solely on the man who was now alone with Serena. Time seemed to slow as he saw the man grab Serena from behind while she was distracted. The man managed to trap her arms at her sides in a bear hug and pick her up while avoiding her kicking legs.
“Stop!” Noah yelled, charging up the stairs out of the casino and into the lobby, his dress shoes slipping on the marble floor as he raced to save the woman he loved. Without thinking, he reached for his service weapon before remembering that he’d left his Glock upstairs in the hotel room, not thinking he’d need it tonight. They were supposed to be out of danger. He’d let his guard down.
The guy in the elevator had a weapon, though. One he didn’t hesitate to use. He managed to restrain Serena with one arm and pulled a gun with the other hand, firing off a shot at Noah before the elevator doors closed.
Pandemonium ensued and his instincts kicked into overdrive. Noah reacted on pure adrenaline. Screams and shouts rang out from the casino behind him at the gunfire, but he couldn’t stop to see if everyone was all right. He had to save Serena no matter what. Had to get to the suite and Gracie before that asshole did.
He ran to the stairs and charged up them two at a time. If he could get to the suite before the elevator did, he might have a chance.
“Sir!” casino security yelled, following him up the stairs.
Out of breath and out of time, he swiped his key card in the stairwell on the top floor and barged out into the foyer of the suite just as the bell dinged on the elevator. There was no time to grab his Glock. He’d have to take the guy out bare-handed. Fine. Good. He’d actually prefer to rip this fucker’s head off.
He took a battle stance outside the elevator and waited, his fists clenched. He’d taken out guerrilla fighters in Afghanistan and snipers in Syria. He’d sure as fuck take out one squirrelly thug with a gun.
Fate intervened before he had a chance to wring the man’s neck. Just as the elevator doors opened, the stairwell door crashed open behind him and casino security raced out, armed to the teeth and ready to fire. The minute Noah spotted Serena he yelled, “Get down!”
In the elevator, the man’s eyes got big as saucers once he spotted a full load of artillery aimed at him and he loosened his hold on Serena. She locked gazes with Noah and dropped to the floor at the same time as he did, leaving security to deal with her assailant.
Noah belly-crawled over to grab her hand and pull her into his body, protecting her while the man in the elevator made a desperate attempt at escape. He tore through the suite, scaring the poor sitter half to death in the process. She screamed and ran away with the baby. Casino security chased after Serena’s assailant all the way out onto the balcony, but the guy managed to get away by jumping on to a ledge, then scurrying along until he reached the roof of another building. The entire time, Noah just held Serena, ready to take on anyone or anything that threatened her again.
He should have been more on guard. He never should have relaxed and just assumed that the bounty was no longer an issue, just because those men had been arrested. This was what happened when he relaxed. People got hurt. People died.
Cupping Serena’s cheeks, he smoothed his thumbs over her cheekbones, desperate to reassure himself that she was okay. That he hadn’t screwed up any more than he’d already done. “Sweetheart, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. It’s my fault. Are you okay?”