She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not (The American Soldier Collection 8)

“What was I to say? Hunter isn’t even whole. He’s not even a real man. Seno, shit, he didn’t even give me a hard time about taking you to lunch. How does he know that I don’t have feelings for you? What if I did? He’d let just any guy take you to lunch? You know why he didn’t care, don’t you, Ellie?” he asked her, sounding very different than the Unc she knew.

“Why?” she whispered.

“Because they already had sex with you. They can get it any time they want.”

She gasped. “Stop the truck!” she yelled at him and reached for the door.

“That’s not the plan, Ellie. I’ve worked too hard all these years. I waited all this time to have you, and now these four fuck heads that don’t deserve you show up and whisk you away? Not fucking happening.”

“Oh God, are you out of your mind? What would Uncle Brian say? You were his best friend. Why would you say such hurtful things to me right now?”

“Hurtful? You think this is hurtful?” he yelled at her as he pulled the truck off to the side of the road.

He grabbed her hair and yanked her closer.

“Hurtful is watching other men fuck you when you belong to me. You’re never going to see them again. They’re finished. The plan is in motion. I’m going to prove to you once and for all that I’m the man for you. I’m the one who has stood by your side all these years. I was there when Paul attacked you. I did everything in my power to protect you until you would finally realize that you and I belong together.”

She shook her head and tried to get out of the truck. “You’re sick. You lost your mind.” She grabbed for the handle of the door just as the needle stuck her neck. She covered her neck where he stuck her.

“Sorry, sweetie, but I can’t lose you. Everything I did, I did for you, for us.”

She instantly started to feel the effects. Whatever he gave her, it was strong. She saw double of him, triple, and he smiled as he cupped her cheek.

“I’m going to take good care of you, Ellie. Like always. We’re going to finally be together tonight.” He held her against his side and cupped her breast as he kissed her until darkness overtook her vision.

* * * *

“Oh God, are you seeing this?” Sam asked Vin as they looked over the information Gunner was sending them from the Feds.

Vin looked at Sam. “Ellie.”

“I know. Holy shit.”

“What’s going on?” Justice asked as he walked into the room, closing up his cell phone.

“Justice, Gunner just sent us this information. You know how the investigation was leading the Feds to believe that law enforcement or government employees may have been aiding in the prostitution ring?”

“Yes.”

“Well, turns out that a report was filed, unofficially with the police department. It never made it past the lieutenant in charge because that lieutenant is one of the names on the list the Feds have as possible suspects. Now as they dug further, and the Feds were able to pull the prints from Sentinel’s office, they came back as matching a retired cop’s”

“Who is it?”

“A guy by the name Ray Wallace.”

“Ray Wallace? I don’t know anyone by that name.”

“He works at a local bar, Ray Ray’s.”

“Ray Ray’s?” Justice asked.

“Justice, the Feds are there now, it’s Unc. Ellie’s family friend,” Vin stated.

“Oh shit,” Justice said and then pulled out his cell phone.

“What is it?”

“I just got off the phone with Seno. Unc called him to let him know he was taking Ellie to lunch. He has Ellie with him.”