Commanded (12 page)

Pain laced Chloe’s head as she became aware of her surroundings. Her shoulder and
hip were pressed against a hard surface beneath her. Every breath she drew smelled
muskier than the last. She groaned as her head throbbed, forcing her back into consciousness.
She touched the side of her skull and felt warm dampness spread onto her fingers.
She flinched as pain shot through her.

Her mind moved quickly, trying to piece together what had happened. She opened her
eyes, blinking to focus. Only when her eyes adjusted to her dark surroundings did
she realize that Travis had placed her in the trunk of a car. She was wide awake now,
with fright blasting through her.

Panic rose, and sweat coated her body. The car was moving. She searched for a handle
on the inside of the trunk, but the car appeared to be an older make and didn’t have
the safety release. As her heart threatened to get away from her, she exhaled a long
breath.
Think, Chloe.
How can I let someone know I’m in here?

Closing her eyes a moment, she listened for sounds outside, but aside from the sound
of the car’s engine and wheels, she heard nothing. No sounds from busy Vegas came
from outside, telling her even if she yelled no one would hear her.
How can I get help?

The answer came a second later.
My phone!
She reached down between her thighs and thanked God that her phone hadn’t fallen
out of her panties—and that Travis hadn’t seen it.

With shaky hands, she took out her phone and turned it on. Since she’d texted Sawyer
earlier that night, his phone number remained right at the top. Comforted by the fact
that the phone gave off some light, she hit the call button.

The phone rang. And rang. And rang. Finally Sawyer’s soft, comforting voice came on
the line. “I’m sorry I left you—”

Her words came out in a super-speed rush. “Travis came to your house and I’m now in
the trunk of his car.”

The bewilderment was evident in his voice. “Come again?”

“I am in Travis’s trunk. I need help.”

She heard his sharp intake of breath.

When he spoke again she noted the change in his voice. His tone became calmer, slower—that
of a man in control, a solider understanding the job in front of him. “Did Travis
say where he was taking you?”

“No.” She mirrored Sawyer’s composed nature, trying to remind herself that Travis
was out of his fucking mind and she was sober. She could outsmart Travis. “He knocked
me out.”

A low growl filled the phone line. “All right. Did—”

The engine slowed, the loud roar turning into a quiet hum. “Wait.” She held her breath,
listening hard. “I think he’s slowing down.” How had this happened to her? What had
she done to deserve this? She wanted to be in Sawyer’s arms. “I…I don’t hear anything.
Wait…” She shut her eyes to help her focus on the sound. “I hear gravel. Yes.” Her
eyes opened. “We’re driving on gravel, not on a paved road.” The car jerked, and fear
slammed into her. “Oh, no. Oh, God. He’s stopping.”

“You’re okay, Chloe.” Sawyer’s voice cracked. “You’re going to be okay. I promise.”

“Wait…” Her breath hitched as a new noise sent coldness right down into her soul.
“He’s opening his door.”

“Keep the phone on. Hide it somewhere so Travis can’t see it. I’m on my way to the
station now. We’ll track it and find you.”

“Hurry.” Tears filled her eyes as logic fled her mind and sheer fright overcame her.
“I need you, Sawyer. I need you so much.”

He gave a pained noise. “You have me. Hide the phone. Do it now.”

She hid her phone under a rag in the corner of the trunk and then listened tensely:
the slight purr of the engine; the wind rustling around the car; the crunching of
shoes against gravel; a harsh thump.

The trunk opened, and two big hands reached for her. She screamed, overwhelmed with
terror. She was no longer the hunter seeking Travis.

She’d become the prey.

Chloe’s scream tore across Sawyer’s senses as he drove as fast as he could toward
the police station. On automatic pilot, he jumped out of his truck and raced in through
the back door, shouting, “I need a trace on a cell phone. Now.”

A dark head of hair rose from a cubicle. Immediate relief flooded Sawyer as he saw
Kyler approaching. “Travis has abducted Chloe,” Sawyer told him tersely. He glanced
around the room, seeing his fellow cops turn their attention to him. “My girlfriend
has been abducted by the man who beat up my sister,” he said, his voice raised. Some
of the officers stood up, going instantly to full alert. “Who can trace a phone?”

A tall, blond cop in the back corner cubicle raised his hand. “I can.”

Sawyer rattled off Chloe’s cell phone number. “Do it now.” Then he turned to a female
cop who was close by. “Call in the SWAT team. Tell them to gather and be ready in
ten.” He paused, wishing he had a description of Travis’s car. Knowing he didn’t,
he ordered, “Put out an APB for a missing person—Chloe Nash, twenty-five years old,
five foot four, brown hair, one hundred and thirty pounds.” All around him, Sawyer
saw cops springing into action.

Eyes tight with concern, Kyler placed a hand on Sawyer’s shoulder. “Please explain
to me what’s happened.”

Sawyer scraped his hands over his face, gutted. “I have no idea what happened. I went
to Porter’s tonight to talk to him, leaving Chloe in my bed. As I was on my way home,
she called me and told me that she was in the trunk of Travis’s car.” He dropped his
hands and stared at his friend, knowing his expression wasn’t that of a controlled
Dom but that of a desperate man. “I need to get to her. And I need to do it
now
.”

“We’ll find her.” Kyler gave a firm nod before moving across the office to the desk
in the corner. “Have you locked onto the signal, Craig?”

“I’m doing my best.” Craig typed on his keyboard with fast fingers. “It’s pinging
off a few towers and I’m having trouble triangulating the signal. It appears her GPS
signal is weak. I can’t get an exact location.” He typed again, even more urgently
now. “Give me a minute…”

Sawyer began to pace in front of Craig’s desk. He folded his arms to keep from hitting
something. Each second felt like the worst fucking second of his life. Not only hadn’t
he been able to protect his sister from this motherfucker, but now Chloe was in danger
because Sawyer had left her tonight.

I should have stayed with her.

As guilt began to wreak havoc on his soul, he spun to pace in the opposite direction,
and plowed straight into the chief of police. Andrew frowned. “What’s wrong?”

Sawyer gritted his teeth. “The asshole who beat up my sister has abducted my girlfriend.”

The chief’s eyes widened, shock reflecting in their depths. But just then Sawyer’s
focus shifted to the nine men who stormed into the room: his SWAT team. Dressed in
full gear, his captain approached Sawyer with purposeful strides. Dyson Henry, a retired
Navy SEAL who’d led the Las Vegas SWAT team for the last ten years, handed Sawyer
his gear. “We’ve heard. Have you found her location?”

“Negative.” Sawyer placed the gear on the desk next to him. Not caring who was in
the room, he dropped his pants and quickly dressed in his black uniform.

As he zipped up his fly, he called over to Craig, “What’s the fucking problem?”

Craig’s fingers moved swiftly across the keyboard. “They must be out in the middle
of butt-fuck nowhere. Her cell is turned on, that much I know.” He picked up his phone
and dialed a number. “Las Vegas PD here. I need help tracking this number….”

Sawyer guessed that Craig had called the phone company to assist in homing in on the
signal. He grabbed his helmet, put it on, and finished up with the thigh holster that
held his Colt .45.

Now dressed, he turned to Craig, who was still talking on the phone, his fingers tapping
against his desk. Sawyer ran his hand over his head and closed his eyes. Years of
training as a sniper taught him to focus and to remain calm, even in the most stressful
moments.

Yet no training had ever prepared him for this.

When he had managed to slow his heartbeat, he reopened his eyes to see Craig still
on the phone, talking urgently and listening intently. Sawyer sighed. “We can’t wait
any longer,” he muttered. With each second that passed, Chloe needed him more.

Kyler glanced at him, one eyebrow raised. “What do you suggest?”

Suddenly an idea presented itself to Sawyer, bringing hope with it. He reached down
to his jeans on the floor, taking his cell phone from his pocket.

Kyler frowned. “Calling someone?”

“Believe me, you
don’t
want to know.” Sawyer dialed the number he’d seen on Chloe’s phone before, pleased
that he paid attention to such things.

As the phone began to ring, Sawyer moved away from the group. On the third ring, Shane
answered. “If you’re a telemarketer calling at this time of night, there is something
wrong with you—”

“It’s Chloe’s friend Sawyer,” he interrupted, voice stern. “Chloe has been abducted.
I need you to track her cell phone to find her location.”

A pause. “I actually wish you were selling me something now.”

“Can you track it?” Sawyer bit out.

He heard a tight smile in Shane’s voice. “You, my friend, have come to the right place.”
Sawyer heard typing through the phone line. “I’ll do one better. I won’t just trace
it, I’ll send you a satellite image of her exact location to your cell phone…
now
.”

Sawyer didn’t care what system Shane had hacked to get that information so fast—he
had what he needed. His phone beeped once, and his heart pounded in his ears as he
lifted his head and announced to his team, “I have her location.”

Wood plank walls surrounded Chloe as she sat on a straw-covered floor, eyeing the
spiderwebs in every nook and cranny. From her place in the corner of the abandoned
barn, Chloe kept a close eye on Travis. He paced the barn, rambling to himself, as
the wood groaned under his heavy footsteps.

Her nose itched from the dust Travis stirred up as he paced. Every so often, he’d
grab his head and speak in a language Chloe knew didn’t exist. The dark circles under
his eyes made it obvious to her that he hadn’t slept in days. He was high as a kite.

Shivering in worry, she tucked her legs underneath her, covering her bare flesh with
Sawyer’s T-shirt. Her heart thumped against the wall of her chest as Travis turned,
spitting out obscenities.
I need to get out of here.

Chloe scanned the barn for a way out. She couldn’t spot any doors except the one they
had entered through, and Travis was between her and it. Bales of hay were stacked
in the loft of the barn. Around her she could see shovels and other farm equipment
leaning against the old walls. The only light came from a single bulb hanging in the
center near an old tractor. In the far corner of the barn she noticed a crude setup
suggesting that this was where Travis had been making meth.

Travis turned just then and caught sight of her. She held her breath. He took two
steps toward her, stopping four feet away. “Fucking asshole.” He scratched at his
face. “Couldn’t leave me alone. Had to keep pushing. Wouldn’t let me leave.”

Ice ran through Chloe’s veins. Travis was cornered, and he knew it. He was crazed
and out of options, and that worried Chloe more than anything else.

Should I stay quiet? Or should I try to outsmart him?

She shut her eyes, desperately trying to make sense out of a situation in which there
wasn’t any.

I need you, Sawyer.

He’d come for her. That she didn’t doubt. She just wondered if he would get there
in time.

Her eyes flew open when she heard Travis shout. “You!” he snarled. “You will be my
way out. I’ll trade you for a safe exit.”

Despite the warmth of the air, she felt suddenly chilled. “You don’t want to do this,
Travis. You’re making a big mistake. Think about what you’re doing.”

“I know what I’m doing.” The snarl he gave sounded animalistic, not human. “I’m going
to Mexico, where I can’t be touched.” He clenched his fists, drawing Chloe’s gaze.
Veins bulged on his forehead. “You should have stayed the fuck away from the bar the
other night. You did this to yourself.”

Think,
Chloe told herself again.

Twenty minutes had gone by since they’d entered the barn, and Travis was growing even
twitchier. “You don’t need to do this,” she repeated, softening her voice, attempting
to come across as a sympathizer, not as an enemy. “Let me go and leave for Mexico.”

“I had plans.” Travis ignored her words. “A safe place for me to cross into Mexico.
That fucker…it all went to shit.” His voice became higher-pitched, more strained.
“Now what do I do? Where do I go?”

She could see that Travis was becoming more and more irrational.

I can’t wait for Sawyer.

With each passing second his rage increased. Chloe flashed back to what he’d done
to Ashlyn. If he’d done that to someone he’d once cared about, what would he do to
a stranger?

A hard lump formed in her throat as Travis turned to her. His eyes were so dark, scaring
the living shit out of her. Her choices dwindled down to one:
run.
She waited, counting down the seconds until he turned to pace in the opposite direction,
leaving space between her and the door.

Five…

Four…

Three…

Two…

One…

The SWAT truck sped over the gravel road. Adrenaline bounced within Sawyer as the
minutes dragged on. Both as a soldier and as a SWAT officer, he’d been on more missions
than he could count, but none had ever caused such worry to pump through his veins.
None of the other men in the bulletproof SWAT truck acknowledged him; all eyes were
focused either on the ground or on the ceiling. No one spoke. The silence was eerie,
that of men preparing to go into a dangerous situation.

Only after the truck took a hard right turn, leaving Sawyer grasping the handle above
him to stay upright, did the silence break. “We’ll find her.”

Sawyer glanced right to see the spotter on his sniper team, Garrett Bailey, staring
at him. “Finding her isn’t my concern,” he told Garrett grimly. “It’s the condition
she’ll be in when we get there.”

If Travis had hurt Chloe, he’d kill him.

Garrett’s chin-length sandy hair peeked out from beneath his helmet. “This is a first
for us, isn’t it?”

“A first?”

Garrett’s brown eyes were pained. “A first where the primary is someone we know.”

Sawyer’s chest tightened, squeezing the breath out of him. He hated that Chloe had
gotten involved. So sweet, so pure…
his woman
. Overwhelmed by the need to protect her, he shut his eyes, forcing himself to close
off his emotions. Chloe needed him at his best, but worrying about her would leave
him at his worst.

Garrett cleared his throat. “This fucker needs to rot behind bars.” Anger thickened
his voice.

Sawyer appreciated it. “Agreed.”

Garrett had been Sawyer’s spotter ever since Sawyer had joined the SWAT team. So many
years of working together in dangerous situations had created a bond between the two
men, though for the first time Sawyer realized that he’d never really made the effort
to befriend Garrett. Yes, their partnership was strong. Yes, they spent the odd night
together when the SWAT team when out for beers. But because of Sawyer’s lifestyle,
he kept his team at a safe distance.

Club Sin isolated him.

Even so, they had all came out, ready to help Chloe.

Gratitude and respect overwhelmed Sawyer.

Just then the truck slowed and came to a halt. There was a shift in the atmosphere
inside the truck, the adrenaline thicker than before. Sawyer’s heart thumped in his
chest. He opened the back door, grabbed his shooting bag, and rushed out, his team
hot on his heels.

In seconds, he was amid the trees surrounding the abandoned barn holding Chloe. He
lowered his night vision goggles onto his eyes. The crunch of leaves and twigs beneath
his boots filled his ears, along with the sound of his controlled breath. Soon he’d
reach Chloe.

Through his headset Sawyer heard his captain’s voice say, “Take position.”

Sawyer responded, “Copy,” into the open mic by his mouth. He scanned the area and
found a hill that would put him forty feet above the target. He and Garrett moved
there, Garrett staying to Sawyer’s right.

Sawyer dropped the shooting bag to the ground and lowered himself onto his stomach,
taking position. He slowed his breathing as he removed his goggles from his face as
he pressed his eye against the night vision scope on his gun.

Double doors appeared to be the only way inside into the bar. He spotted a dim light
showing through the one window. Sawyer briefly wondered why Travis had picked this
place, but he dismissed the question. The woman inside was all that mattered.

His captain’s voice came through Sawyer’s ear bud. “Forty feet out.”

Sawyer exhaled a long breath. He longed to enter the barn with his team and get to
Chloe first. He needed to touch her. Hold her. Care for her. But to rescue her, he
needed to keep his team safe.

“Thirty feet.”

Movement and shadows rushed by the window right before the barn door flew open. One
hand tightened around the stock of his gun, a finger of the other hand on the trigger.
When he saw who it was, he said urgently into his mic, “Got eyes on the primary! She’s
running from the barn.” In his T-shirt. Half naked.

Everything inside Sawyer screamed at him to run to her. Training made him stay put.

Stay calm.

Breathe.

Trust your team.

“Location?”

Garrett, standing somewhere nearby, said into his mic, “Two o’clock.”

“Moving there now,” the captain said. “Twenty feet out.”

Keeping his focus on Chloe, spotting the sheer terror on her face as she ran, Sawyer
gripped his gun tight. His control splintered when another shadow appeared in the
barn’s doorway. “Got eyes on Tango. He’s chasing the primary.”

Travis’s mouth widened, clearly yelling something at Chloe that Sawyer couldn’t hear.

Sawyer’s composure cracked as Chloe stumbled and fell to the ground. Her eyes huge
with fear, she scrambled up and sprinted ahead. Little did she know she was running
straight for Sawyer.

Yes. Come to me.

Seconds went by like years. With each of those seconds Travis was gaining on her.

“Tango is catching up to the primary.” Concern thickened Sawyer’s voice. “Your location?”

His captain’s labored breath sounded like static through the radio. “Ten feet.”

Chloe kept running, but Travis never slowed. Sawyer inhaled…and exhaled…His team wouldn’t
get there in time. “Three feet.”

“Police. Get on the ground!”

His captain’s loud order sounded like a shot in the night. But Travis only ran faster,
closing in on Chloe.

“Get on the fucking ground! Now!”

Pulling on his training and everything he’d learned from his father, Sawyer exhaled
the breath he’d held and focused on his target. He saw a dull flash in the moonlight,
and realized to his horror that Travis had pulled out a gun. “He’s carrying,” Sawyer
reported. “Permission to engage?”

There was the briefest of pauses. “Granted.”

Sawyer aimed and fired.

Blue and red lights lit up the sky as Chloe tightened the blanket wrapped around her
shoulders. Sitting on the bumper of the ambulance, she rubbed at her heavy eyelids,
then gingerly stroked the throbbing bump on the side of her head.

“You should go to the hospital,” the paramedic told her for the fifth time.

She shook her head, instantly regretting it as the world spun. “Nah, it’s just a bump.
I’m okay.”

The paramedic checked her pupils with a flashlight. “If you start throwing up or feeling
sick at all, go to the hospital. Understood?”

“Will do.” She smiled wanly. She’d often wondered if she should live more on the edge,
but after the events of the night, she decided a boring life suited her better.

As the paramedic stuffed his flashlight back into his pocket and stepped away from
the ambulance, Chloe saw Sawyer approach, dressed in his SWAT uniform, a picture of
strength. Yet his eyes were haunted.

He reached for her hand, his brows drawing together. “Okay?”

Was she?

She glanced down at her knees, attempting to control all the emotion inside her. She’d
been hit in the head with a gun, knocked out, and abducted, and had witnessed a man
being shot. “I think so.”

He tucked his fingers under her chin, bringing her attention to him. “You were so
brave tonight, Chloe.”

“I…” Her chin trembled. Fighting back tears, she drew in a long, shuddering breath.
“I’m not sure if I was brave or just didn’t have any other choice.”

“Don’t kid yourself.” He grabbed her hand from beneath the blanket and squeezed. “Some
people would’ve frozen in fear. You ran to protect yourself. Give yourself credit
where it’s due.”

She eyed their clasped hands, trying not to cry. “I guess.” So many things rushed
through her mind that it became difficult to sort through it all.

Evidently Sawyer saw what she was experiencing, since he added, “It takes a bit to
come down from the shock—that’s what you’re feeling now. Your mind will settle soon.
I promise.”

She nodded. That was the only thing she could do.

The warm air breezed around her, but coldness lingered in her soul. He must have been
able to tell, because his features softened and he opened his arms. “Just breathe.”
She slid into his embrace, and his arms curled around her. “I’m here now.”

Minutes went by; Chloe didn’t count them. She remained enveloped in his strength and
calmness, allowing herself the time to recover. Slowly the spinning of her mind slowed.
Pressed against his chest, she focused on his slow heartbeat, trying to mirror it
with hers.

Eventually, when her breathing had become regular, he lifted a hand to cup her face,
bringing his lips to hers. Without words, he told her how worried he’d been and how
joyful he was that she was safe. She sensed all his affection in the soft swipes of
his mouth. And the way his lips never moved off hers left no room for fear or uncertainty.

When he pulled away slightly, she stared into warm eyes focused on her. One question
remained heavy on her mind. “Is he…” She swallowed. “Is Travis dead?”

“Not like he doesn’t deserve to be, but no.” Sawyer stroked her back. “I aimed for
his shoulder to drop him to the ground. He’ll recover.”

“Damn shame.”

The low, smooth voice had Chloe glancing over Sawyer’s shoulder. One of his SWAT buddies
smiled at her. He had chin-length hair and soft brown eyes. “Hi, Chloe. I’m Garrett,
Sawyer’s spotter.”

She gave Sawyer a quick look, confused. He grinned at her and explained, “Garrett
is my wingman, so to speak.”

“Oh.” She smiled, hoping it conveyed her gratitude. “It’s nice to meet you. Thank
you for helping me.”

Garrett smiled back, warm and trusting. “You’re Sawyer’s girl. No thanks required.”

Sawyer’s girl…

A happy bubble rose in her, dispelling the remaining coldness within.

Yet the moment she allowed herself to experience that second of happiness, a flood
of other emotions coursed into her, bringing back the shock and terror of all she’d
been through that night. Her breath hitched, and her body stiffened.

Sawyer frowned and turned to Garrett. “Mind giving us a minute alone?”

“Of course not.” Garrett gave Chloe another endearing smile. “Perhaps we could meet
under better circumstances next time and go out for a couple beers.”

“I’d like that,” Chloe said, though she couldn’t muster a smile in return.

Garrett nodded to her and then slapped Sawyer on the back. “The chief said he’d drive
you and Chloe home when you’re ready.”

“Thank you.”

When Garrett moved away from them, Sawyer lifted his hand and brushed the side of
her cheek. She shut her eyes and leaned into his touch, comforted. Her emotions shot
up and down, spinning all over the place. Should she cry, laugh, or shout in anger?
Inside, her heart raced. Outside, her entire body trembled.

“Chloe, look at me.”

His soft voice made her reopen her eyes.

Gentleness washed across his expression as his fingers traveled over the side of her
face. “While it’s great to be strong, sometimes it’s okay not to be.”

She gulped, the vision of him growing blurry as tears welled, begging for release.

“I’m here. You’re safe now. It’s okay to cry.” Once again he wrapped her in his arms.

His warmth and strength felt like a safety net, and she knew that if she tumbled he’d
catch her. She felt protected. Cherished. Adored. She sensed it all filling her.

Wrapped in his unbreakable hold, Chloe made a promise to herself that the panic Travis
had caused her to experience that night would remain forever in the shadows of the
abandoned barn, never to follow her back.