Serena. He knew that guy. Recognized him instantly. It was the man from the rainforest. The mercenary that Serena had punched and kicked.
Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.
Weaving through the crowds, Noah mumbled apologies as he went, his attention focused solely on the man who was now alone with Serena. Time seemed to slow as he saw the man grab Serena from behind while she was distracted. The man managed to trap her arms at her sides in a bear hug and pick her up while avoiding her kicking legs.
“Stop!” Noah yelled, charging up the stairs out of the casino and into the lobby, his dress shoes slipping on the marble floor as he raced to save the woman he loved. Without thinking, he reached for his service weapon before remembering that he’d left his Glock upstairs in the hotel room, not thinking he’d need it tonight. They were supposed to be out of danger. He’d let his guard down.
The guy in the elevator had a weapon, though. One he didn’t hesitate to use. He managed to restrain Serena with one arm and pulled a gun with the other hand, firing off a shot at Noah before the elevator doors closed.
Pandemonium ensued and his instincts kicked into overdrive. Noah reacted on pure adrenaline. Screams and shouts rang out from the casino behind him at the gunfire, but he couldn’t stop to see if everyone was all right. He had to save Serena no matter what. Had to get to the suite and Gracie before that asshole did.
He ran to the stairs and charged up them two at a time. If he could get to the suite before the elevator did, he might have a chance.
“Sir!” casino security yelled, following him up the stairs.
Out of breath and out of time, he swiped his key card in the stairwell on the top floor and barged out into the foyer of the suite just as the bell dinged on the elevator. There was no time to grab his Glock. He’d have to take the guy out bare-handed. Fine. Good. He’d actually prefer to rip this fucker’s head off.
He took a battle stance outside the elevator and waited, his fists clenched. He’d taken out guerrilla fighters in Afghanistan and snipers in Syria. He’d sure as fuck take out one squirrelly thug with a gun.
Fate intervened before he had a chance to wring the man’s neck. Just as the elevator doors opened, the stairwell door crashed open behind him and casino security raced out, armed to the teeth and ready to fire. The minute Noah spotted Serena he yelled, “Get down!”
In the elevator, the man’s eyes got big as saucers once he spotted a full load of artillery aimed at him and he loosened his hold on Serena. She locked gazes with Noah and dropped to the floor at the same time as he did, leaving security to deal with her assailant.
Noah belly-crawled over to grab her hand and pull her into his body, protecting her while the man in the elevator made a desperate attempt at escape. He tore through the suite, scaring the poor sitter half to death in the process. She screamed and ran away with the baby. Casino security chased after Serena’s assailant all the way out onto the balcony, but the guy managed to get away by jumping on to a ledge, then scurrying along until he reached the roof of another building. The entire time, Noah just held Serena, ready to take on anyone or anything that threatened her again.
He should have been more on guard. He never should have relaxed and just assumed that the bounty was no longer an issue, just because those men had been arrested. This was what happened when he relaxed. People got hurt. People died.
Cupping Serena’s cheeks, he smoothed his thumbs over her cheekbones, desperate to reassure himself that she was okay. That he hadn’t screwed up any more than he’d already done. “Sweetheart, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. It’s my fault. Are you okay?”
“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