To Love Someone (Baytown Boys #14) - Maryann Jordan Page 0,94

of Frodo, and commanded, “Samantha.” Frodo’s baleful eyes looked up at him as though chastising. He needed no new scent to follow his mistress. With nose to the ground, he headed toward the woods, and as Joseph followed, he noted the disturbances in the dirt path as though someone had been dragged along. Glancing back at the deputies trailing, he knew why Liam had sent them along. If I get my hands on the bastard who took Samantha before they do, there won’t be anything left!

The only thing allowing him to hold onto his sanity over the fear of what might’ve happened to Samantha was Frodo following her scent. The bloodhound never stopped to look around but stayed right on the trail through the woods. They left the main path and maneuvered through the underbrush. The disturbance in the dirt and broken twigs along the way gave evidence that the path they followed had recently been traversed. He focused on each footstep landing firmly and the feel of the leash in his hand. Tethering his mind to something tangible kept him from thinking of Samantha being taken down this path and what he might find at the end of it.

Suddenly, Frodo stopped and lifted his head. Joseph halted behind the dog and threw his hand up so the deputies behind him would quiet, also. Frodo let out a deep, loud bay, and Joseph’s heart leapt into his throat at the resounding cry.

“Frodo! I’m here!”

Hearing his mistress call his name, Frodo bounded forward, nearly dragging Joseph off his feet as they crashed through the woods, coming upon a tiny shed not tall enough for an adult to stand in. Frodo ran to the door, and Joseph’s knees buckled when the tip of a forefinger poked through a hole. “Samantha!” he roared.

“Joseph? Oh, my God! You’re here, you came!”

He was at the door, pushing Frodo to the side so that his finger could touch the tip of hers. It was only fingertips, but the feel of her skin was a balm to his raging heart. One of the deputies behind him radioed that they’d found her. “Babe, are you hurt?”

“Mostly my pride at being taken. I was able to get my restraints off and the gag out, but I’m not wearing the right shoes to be able to kick out part of the wooden planks.”

“Back up to the other side. Protect your face. I am going to kick the door in.”

He heard her scramble and then lifted his foot, kicking with all his might. His boots went through two of the planks next to the door. Dropping to his knees, he grabbed the splintered wood and jerked it away. Ready to crawl in to get her, she was already at the opening, her head popping through as she crawled on her hands and knees through the dirt. Trying to assist her to her feet, Joseph was hampered as Frodo pushed his way in, licking his mistress’ face.

A barrage of emotions crashed over him as he pulled her into his arms, each so overwhelming as they vied for first place in his mind. Elation and gratitude warred with rage. Love for her warred with absolute hate for whoever had caged her.

Barely aware that one of the deputies was speaking to him, he kept his arms tightly around Samantha. Finally, the man’s voice cut through the red haze and he turned with her in his arms.

“Do we need an ambulance?”

“Yes—”

“No—”

Joseph’s brows snapped together as Samantha’s answer had contradicted his. “Babe, we need to get you—”

“No, I’m fine. What we need to do is get those bastards! It was Lionel and Alejandro. They are the ones who took me, although I swear, I think Alejandro didn’t want to. But I don’t know who they’re working for.”

He’d catalogued bruises on her arms, red, abraded flesh on her wrists, and the edges of her mouth and cheeks were bruised from a too-tight gag. Her fingers were dirty from trying to escape, and she had multiple scrapes on her arms and neck. And yet her dark eyes were snapping with anger, and the tightness around his heart lightened, knowing she was ready to kick ass.

“Compromise, babe. We go get the bastards, and then you get checked out.”

She winced slightly as she smiled and nodded. “You got it.”

He set her feet onto the ground, making sure she was steady, but she immediately squatted to offer love and thanks to her faithful bloodhound. Standing, she nodded toward the deputies before