Risking it All (A Hawk Brothers Romance) Page 4

  He was halfway through an email to Under Armour when Mike yanked the phone from his hand, tossed it on the floor, and ground it under his boot heel.

  Bridger cursed and jumped to his feet. “What was that all about?”

  The guy simply stared at him and inclined his head. “We’re here, sir.”

  Bridger looked out the window, his stomach churning with anger. Had Ramsey told this idiot to shatter his phone? Why would his friend do that? Bridger wanted to take the guy out, but he’d save it for the thick-necked, thick-skulled idiot’s boss.

  Ramsey’s massive white yacht waited below. Bridger had been on the yacht for parties several times. The pilot expertly descended and settled the bird onto the landing pad on the top.

  Mike shoved the door open and gestured. “After you, sir.”

  Bridger shook his head. “My fist and your face are meeting soon, dude.”

  The guy smiled and pulled out a semi-automatic rifle. “He told me you could take us down, but you don’t want a bullet in your skull, now do you?”

  Bridger’s stomach rolled. He and Ramsey had competed for years and definitely both wanted to be the alpha, but they were friends and they respected each other. It’d never gotten weird or violent. What was going on?

  Avalyn had awoken with a huge headache, lying on a soft bed. She started breathing hard and fast, her stomach churning with fear. Why had she been kidnapped? Neither she nor her family made enough money for it to be about ransom. Maybe because she was associated with the Hawks? No, that would be stupid. They’d kidnap Kiera, Lexi, or Cambree, not just a friend of the family. She’d ticked somebody off, then. That was the worst-case scenario, because it meant they’d want to hurt her or try to make her stop working on one of her causes.

  She pushed herself off the bed with a groan. The windows were all drawn in the room, but it was a decent-sized suite with a table and chairs, a sofa, and the king-sized bed. She could see a bathroom through one of the doors. Everything was high-quality. The floor rocked slightly. It must’ve been the aftereffects of the chloroform.

  She padded to the closest window with her hand on her head, willing it to stop pounding. She pushed the shade up and gazed out. Sunshine sparkled off water for as far as she could see. Her stomach clenched as more fear poured over her. Someone had gone to a lot of effort to kidnap her, and they obviously had money. The possibility of escaping a world of water wasn’t very encouraging. No wonder everything was rocking. She took some deep breaths, telling herself not to borrow trouble. Soon enough she’d know what she was up against. But she had nothing to bargain with. Nothing but her brain and her iron will.

  She heard the distinctive whir of helicopter blades, and at the same time, her door burst open. Two large men with guns strode into her room. “Miss Shaman,” one said by way of greeting. He gestured with his gun out into the hallway.

  Tilting her chin up, Avalyn marched in front of them down a wood-paneled hallway and into a large gathering area. Everything was pristine with tan leather seating, gleaming wood, metal accents, and lots of windows looking over the ocean. The water was a true blue, so she was probably still in the Caribbean, but there was little hope of anyone finding her out here. If anyone was even looking. Her pilot and stewardess didn’t expect her until the end of the week. Her family had said goodbye for the month of January. The director of the orphanage in Belize might contact her agent and start a search, but there were no guarantees of that. What she wouldn’t give to be kicking a soccer ball around with the children right now.

  “Wait here, please,” the man said.

  “What do you want with me?”

  The man gave her a big grin and a wink. “Oh, I wouldn’t mind a lot with you, ma’am, but it’s my boss who will have some answers for you.”

  She shot him an imperious glare, not appreciating the way he looked her over. “Take me to him.”

  “Patience, my beautiful lady.”

  The other guy suddenly grabbed her, whipped her away from him, and pulled her hands behind her back. Avalyn cried out and tried to struggle free, but he was too strong. She kicked back at him and heard a grunt as the heel of her tennis shoe connected with his leg. He held her tighter, and the first man bound her hands with zip ties.

  Avalyn’s terror whipped into a frenzy as another man appeared from a different hallway, carrying a heavy anchor. “What are you doing?” she cried out. “Stay away from me!”

  He simply smiled and knelt down next to her. She kicked at him, but he easily dodged it. The first man held her upper body while the second wrapped his arms tightly around her legs. The third man secured a rope to her ankle that attached to the anchor. They were going to drown her. She pulled in and pushed out breaths, teetering on the edge of hyperventilation.

  Chapter Seven

  Bridger jumped out of the helicopter, leaving his bag—the idiot could put it in his room. He strode down the first set of stairs he saw, toward the main deck. The two burly guys followed close on his heels. He noticed Mike was carrying his bag.

  Ramsey reclined on a cushioned chair on the main patio. He opened his eyes as Bridger strode up to him. Languidly, he stuck his hand out. “Bridger, my friend. You made it.”

  Bridger batted his hand aside, seconds away from throwing punches. “What’s going on, Ramsey? Your dude shattered my phone.”

  “Ah, now.” Ramsey stood and spread his hands innocently. He looked like a jaguar with smooth, lean muscles, too-tanned skin, and a silky smile. The women loved him almost as much as they loved Bridger. “I couldn’t have your Navy SEAL brother tracking us, now, could I?”

  Bridger straightened. Everything felt off, and he could sense danger all around. He glanced at his nine o’clock to see two more men strolling up, each toting guns that meant business. The guys from the helicopter were behind him, and two more men sauntered out of a glass door at his three o’clock with their own huge weapons. “What is all of this?” Bridger’s throat was dry and his abdomen tight. He could fight his way out of any situation, but not when bullets were involved. Unfortunately, he was mortal.

  “I have a little surprise for you, my friend.” Ramsey wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

  Bridger shrugged him off. “I haven’t liked your surprises much today,” he spit back. Ramsey was a nut job, and Bridger had the feeling he’d underestimated the amount of crazy bouncing around in Ramsey’s head.

  “Well, you’re going to love this one. Shane,” he hollered, “bring the woman.”

  Woman? Bridger’s stomach took flight. What woman had Ramsey involved in whatever he was planning?

  Two men came out the sliding glass door, hauling a woman in a black fitted shirt and yoga pants. Her beautiful dark hair spilled down her back.

  “Ramsey, no!” Bridger yelled, hurrying toward her.

  Guns cocked all around him, stopping him in his tracks.

  Avalyn lifted her head and pinned him with a glare. “You’re involved in this?” Her eyes were wide and filled with fear and loathing.

  Bridger shook his head, holding his hands up. “Ava, I …”

  “Ah, this is beautiful.” Ramsey clapped his hands a few times. “I hoped I would find the woman Bridger Hawk loved desperately, and it appears I’ve chosen correctly.”

  Bridger blinked at the bright sunlight and Avalyn’s angry glare. He needed to play this right if Avalyn had any chance of escaping unscathed. For some reason, Ramsey had snapped. Too much money? Too many drugs? Who knew? But his friend definitely wasn’t acting friendly today.

  Bridger forced a laugh. “So, what, this is some fun publicity stunt? We should get a lot of attention and new followers. Maybe even some new sponsors with Avalyn Shaman involved.”

  “I refuse to be part of your stupid publicity stunt,” Avalyn said. She looked glorious with her dark eyes sparking fire at him, standing tall and unafraid, even as she had her hands bound behind her and … why was there an anchor tied to her ankle? His heart thudded faster and faster. “And if you wanted
the woman he loved, you should’ve kidnapped Britney Nolan, not me.”

  Bridger couldn’t believe that he was worried about contradicting Avalyn. Ramsey had definitely gone off the deep end. No wonder he’d ground Bridger’s phone to dust.

  Ramsey pursed his lips. “The supermodel? Yeah, she would’ve been a lot of fun.” He sidled over to Avalyn and walked a circle around her, his eyes traveling over her body in the fitted clothing.

  Bridger’s fists clenched. Could he kill Ramsey before his men filled him full of bullets? Nobody but Bridger could look at Avalyn like that.

  “No. I think you’ll be the perfect motivator for our boy here. I’ve watched him. Whenever anyone mentions Avalyn Shaman, he lights up like a Christmas tree.” He sneered. “And I need him to have the proper motivation to make this stunt work. I’ll have so many people following my YouTube Channel, I’ll be more famous than any of the Hawk brothers.” He ran his hand down her cheek.

  “Don’t touch her!” Bridger yelled. He started forward again.

  A man stepped in his path and pushed his gun into Bridger’s chest. “Where do you want me to shoot him, sir?”

  Ramsey smiled. The smile was familiar, but there was something in his eyes Bridger had never seen before. Obviously he didn’t know his friend as well as he thought he did. “We can’t kill him … yet. But a bullet in his arm would slow him down and help me win the competition.” Ramsey walked away from Avalyn and up to Bridger. “And I think you’ll want to win this competition. The winner of each round … gets to spend the night with Avalyn Shaman.”

  Bridger froze for a second. His heart thundered in his chest. Was Ramsey serious? What made him think he could use Avalyn like this? The gun jabbed harder into Bridger’s chest, and ice trickled through his veins. It appeared Ramsey was more than serious.

  Bridger glared at him. He could beat Ramsey any day, but Ramsey was right that the motivation of protecting Avalyn would make him up his game. He still was having trouble processing that Ramsey would threaten Avalyn like this and tell his man to shoot him. Bridger had no clue what was going on with a man he’d considered a friend, but he couldn’t afford a bullet right now. If Ramsey somehow won … He couldn’t stand to imagine what his former friend would do to Avalyn. Ramsey loved a lot of women, and he didn’t stop at kissing like Bridger did.

  “Nobody wins me,” Avalyn snapped at him.

  Ramsey arched an eyebrow at her. “You have no control here, Miss Shaman. I suggest you shut that pretty mouth.”

  “Don’t talk to her like that,” Bridger ground out.

  Ramsey laughed. “I can see that you two haven’t figured out yet that I’m in charge. I guess the eight automatic weapons pointed at your heart isn’t proof enough. How about the fact that we’re in the middle of the Caribbean Sea with no help in sight and both of your phones have been shattered and sunk in the sea?” He smiled. “But soon enough you’ll feel real fear and you’ll know who’s in charge.”

  Bridger had felt more fear since the man had dragged Avalyn out onto the deck than he had his entire life. No death-defying stunt was as terrifying as the woman he loved being in this psycho’s power. The scariest part was that Bridger had no clue what Ramsey’s plan might be.

  Ramsey must be bipolar or something to be acting so insane. Bridger prayed the Ramsey he thought he knew would show up, start laughing, and explain he’d just wanted to get their reactions, scare them for a minute. As he looked into Ramsey’s eyes, he had the sinking feeling that his prayers wouldn’t be answered.

  The mercenaries stood quietly next to Avalyn for a few moments. No one said anything to her or tried to touch her again. Two more men walked past them with huge weapons in their hands. They didn’t so much as glance at Avalyn as they walked out the wide glass doors at the rear of the gathering area. Avalyn saw more men out there and could hear voices, but she couldn’t make out the words. One lone man had his back to her, but she could’ve sworn it was Bridger. Oh my, she was grasping at hope right now. Bridger wouldn’t be here with these criminals.

  A few seconds later, two of the men grasped her arms and tugged her toward the glass door; the third man picked up the anchor and struggled behind them. The men on the back deck all spun to face her as they exited the cabin, and she gasped. It was Bridger. Bridger was here! He would protect her. Hope fluttered in her chest, but then it sank. Could Bridger be one of them?

  “Ramsey, no!” Bridger yelled, hurrying toward her.

  Guns cocked all around him, one man shoving his weapon into Bridger’s chest, stopping him in his tracks.

  Avalyn glared at the man she thought she loved. “You’re involved in this?” Fear made her throat dry and scratchy. Bridger wouldn’t let them drown her in the ocean, would he?

  Bridger shook his head, holding his hands up. “Ava, I …”

  “Ah, this is beautiful.” Another man clapped his hands a few times. “I hoped I would find the woman Bridger Hawk loved desperately, and it appears I’ve chosen correctly.”

  Bridger blinked at her, and then his lips turned up in a smirk and he laughed. What was the jerk laughing about? “So, what, this is some fun publicity stunt?” He looked to the man who was clearly in charge. Ramsey. She’d seen him in Bridger’s YouTube videos before; they always bantered and competed. The man reeked of too much sun-tanning and too much money. “We should get a lot of attention and new followers,” Bridger continued. “Maybe even some new sponsors with Avalyn Shaman involved.”

  “I refuse to be part of your stupid publicity stunt,” Avalyn said. A publicity stunt sounded better than being drowned, though. Her heart was shredding inside her. Bridger! The man she’d thought she loved would use her for a publicity stunt? “And if you wanted the woman he loved, you should’ve kidnapped Britney Nolan, not me.”

  Bridger simply stared at her.

  Ramsey’s eyes widened. “The supermodel? Yeah, she would’ve been a lot of fun.” He strolled up to Avalyn and walked a circle around her, his eyes traveling over her body in her T-shirt and yoga pants. The clothes she’d been traveling in. She wanted to scream that she wasn’t some bimbo to eye like a snack. “No. I think you’ll be the perfect motivator for our boy here. I’ve watched him. Whenever anyone mentions Avalyn Shaman, he lights up like a Christmas tree.”

  Avalyn’s heart started pounding fast for other reasons. Bridger had made his intentions pretty clear last week, but the thought of him “loving her desperately” made her want to throw herself into his arms. No. He was a playboy jerk, and this just confirmed it. Using her and her name for publicity, putting her in this horrible situation for more followers? What a slime.

  Ramsey sneered. “And I need him to have the proper motivation to make this stunt work. I’ll have so many people following my YouTube Channel, I’ll be more famous than any of the Hawk brothers.” He ran his hand down her cheek. Avalyn flinched away from him.

  “Don’t touch her!” Bridger yelled. He started forward again. A man stepped in his path and pushed his gun into Bridger’s chest.

  “No,” Avalyn breathed. Maybe Bridger was a pawn in this too. She should’ve been terrified, not hopeful, that Bridger wasn’t one of them.

  “Where do you want me to shoot him, sir?”

  Ramsey smiled. “We can’t kill him … yet. But a bullet in his arm would slow him down and help me win the competition.” Ramsey sauntered away from Avalyn and up to Bridger. “And I think you’ll want to win this competition. The winner each round … gets to spend the night with Avalyn Shaman.”

  “Nobody wins me,” Avalyn shot at him, horror racing through her. She would never be with a man like Ramsey. The mere thought made her want to throw herself off the yacht and take her chances with the sharks. Instead, she stood straighter and glared at him, pretending he was a politician trying to tell her she couldn’t help children because of their stupid and ever-present red tape.

  Ramsey arched an eyebrow at her. “You have no control here, Miss Shaman. I suggest you shut that pretty mouth.”<
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  Avalyn strained against the men holding her.

  “Don’t talk to her like that,” Bridger ground out.

  Ramsey laughed. “I can see that you two haven’t figured out yet that I’m in charge. I guess the eight automatic weapons pointed at your heart isn’t proof enough. How about the fact that we’re in the middle of the Caribbean Sea with no help in sight and both of your phones have been shattered and sunk in the sea?” He smiled. “But soon enough you’ll feel real fear and you’ll know who’s in charge.”

  Avalyn couldn’t imagine what more fear she could feel. Already she was close to hysterics, passing out, or hyperventilating. How had she gotten involved in this nightmare? Was it just because this Ramsey guy thought Bridger loved her, or was there something deeper? Bridger may have wanted her, but he didn’t love her. She wasn’t sure Bridger Hawk was capable of real love. Sadly, that was the least of her concerns at the moment.

  The thugs manhandled her toward the back deck of the boat. The yacht wasn’t moving, so at least she wouldn’t be sucked into a motor when they pushed her overboard, but the hope of swimming with her arms secured behind her back and an anchor tied to her ankle were pretty much shot. Please help me, Lord, she pled in her mind.

  Bridger hurried after them. “Ramsey, don’t do this,” he demanded. The men stopped at the edge, and Bridger reached for her. He got pushed back by the wrong end of an assault rifle. He held up his hands and beseeched the men. “She’s innocent. Please don’t do this.”

  Ramsey approached them on the back deck, sauntering along like they were walking on the beach.

  “Ramsey.” Bridger turned to him, holding out his hands. “Come on, man, we’re friends.”

  “Best of friends.” Ramsey grinned.

  Avalyn’s stomach dropped. Ramsey was Bridger’s friend? What kind of monster had his thugs point guns at his friend?