Protecting His Kidnapped Family (Southern Soldiers of Fortune 2)

“I’m fine.” Her breath hitched and she scrambled away from him and into the suite as a baby’s cries sliced through the air like a scalpel. “Gracie?”

If that fucker hurt his daughter, it’d be the last thing he ever hurt. Noah charged after Serena, intent on getting their baby and getting the hell out of there. Now.

“She’s here,” the sitter called from the bedroom. “We’re fine.”

Noah wouldn’t believe it until he saw for himself. He rushed into the room and found Serena clutching the baby to her chest, consoling her even as she cried herself.

Dammit. Dammit it all to hell and back. Noah raked his hands through his hair, then stripped off his too-confining tux jacket. He needed room to move, to breathe, to figure out what to do next.

“Sir,” one of the casino security officers said from the hall. “This was left in the elevator.”

It was Serena’s phone.

He took it and thanked the officer, asking for a moment alone with Serena before they both answered the officers’ questions about what happened. Noah slipped the phone into his pocket, then took Serena and Gracie into his arms, just rocking them both slowly while his heart threatened to jackhammer out of his chest.

If anything had happened to them, he didn’t know what he would have done.

Dropping his face into Serena’s hair, he inhaled deeply and kissed the top of her head. “We need to get out of here. ASAP. It’s time to go home.”

15

“What did you find out?” Noah asked the next morning as they walked into the Southern Soldiers of Fortune’s headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. Even though he’d basically been up all nig

ht, unable to sleep on the chartered flight the guys had booked for him and Serena and Gracie out of St. Dourdane, he was still too restless to sit still. He needed answers and he needed them yesterday. They’d not even stopped to freshen up at the airport, just come straight here to see what his team had uncovered.

Poor Serena hadn’t gotten much shut-eye either, with Gracie up every few hours to feed or for a diaper change, so yeah. They were feeling pretty ragged all the way around.

At least he was back on home soil. That went a small way toward easing the tension coiling tight inside him. He couldn’t rest completely, though, until he knew for sure who was behind the bounty on Serena’s head. Only when the threat was neutralized would he be able to rest.

Levon and Clint were crowded behind one of the desks, staring at multiple computer screens, so Noah parked Serena and Gracie in a comfy chair in the waiting area while he got down to business with the guys.

“Show me,” he said, coming around the desk to peer over Clint’s shoulder.

“The guy last night was a mercenary,” Levon said. “Name was Spencer. But you knew about him already.”

“Yep.” Noah transferred his attention to the next screen. “What about the two guys they arrested? What’s their story?”

“That’s the thing,” Clint said, leaning back and crossing his arms. “From the intel they’ve gathered so far during the interrogation, they were working for the bounty too.”

“Huh?” Noah frowned, his nose wrinkled. “Wait, so they took Serena so they could kill her and collect the money…and then waited seven months? Who does that?”

“These guys, apparently. Whoever’s offering the money kept stringing them along,” Clint said. “They originally took Serena thinking they’d take her out and earn a quick buck. But then they had a crisis of conscience when they realized she was pregnant. The person behind this backed off, said that they could wait until the baby was delivered before they made the hit. Anyway, the men claim that the person who gave them the job kept changing the stipulations, and increasing the funds, if they complied. Time went by and it ended up being a prolonged mess.”

“So, what?” Noah shook his head, trying to get his head around all of it. “Serena was just left to rot down there in South America?”

“Kind of, yeah,” Levon said, leaning back in his chair to stretch out his long legs.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Serena said, coming over to their group. “But do you have any water or juice around here?”

“Sure,” Clint said, smiling down at Gracie then leaning in to play with her. “We have a fully stocked mini-fridge right over there against the wall. Help yourself to whatever you want.”

“If you need more than what we have, just give me a list and I’ll run down to the drug store the next block over,” Levon offered, grinning at a squirming Gracie. “Man, she sure is cute.”

“Thanks,” Serena and Noah said at the same time.

Noah cleared his throat, heat climbing up from beneath the crewneck of his rumpled grey T-shirt. “I mean, yeah. She looks like Serena so of course she’s cute.”

“Dude.” Levon gave him a flat stare. “The kid’s got your eyes and chin. Can’t deny she’s yours.”