Claimed by Jaymie Holland Read Free Book Online Page B

arm around her throat as she could barely
talk. “He knows you’ll kill him if he does.”
    Rick looked at the man as if calculating his
next move. His face was impassive, no expression that she could
decipher. “Let her go,” Rick said. “And I’ll let you live.”
    “I do not believe you.” The man behind her
trembled against her back. He tightened his arm around her throat
some more and she clawed harder at his arm. “I saw what you did to
my brother and my friend.”
    “I will let you live,” Rick repeated as he
took a step forward. “Put the gun down.”
    “Don’t move!” The man swung his gun around
and pointed it at Rick who was now only about three feet away.
    Leslie kicked the man hard in the shin with
her heel. It was enough to distract him and he took his eyes off of
Rick who took two long steps toward them. Rick easily kicked the
gun out of the man’s hand who then lost his grip on Leslie. Rick
drove him to the floor and gripped him by his throat before
slamming his fist into the man’s face. He screamed.
    Rick raised his fist again but went still as
voice shouted, “Police!” accompanied by the sound of guns being
cocked. Leslie and Rick snapped their attention toward the
doorway.
    “Put your hands behind your head,” a man in a
uniform shouted in English. “And get to your feet. Slowly.”
    Four men stood just inside the doorway, all
in Mexican police uniforms, all with guns trained on Rick.
    He did as he was told and slowly rose. An
officer tossed the towel that had dropped on the floor to Leslie
and she wrapped it around herself with shaking hands.
    One of the officers jerked Rick’s hands
behind his back and cuffed him. Another officer cuffed the man on
the floor and dragged him to his feet.
    “Wait.” Leslie looked at the officer that
looked like he was in charge and she gestured toward Rick. “He
saved my life. These other men were robbing me and were going to
rape me. They also threatened to kill us both.”
    “We will determine if your statement is true
or not.” The man in charge gave a nod toward her closet. “Put on
some clothes. We are taking you to the police station.”
    Leslie did as she was told, hoping they
weren’t stepping farther into a nightmare.
     
     
    “I already told you everything.” Leslie felt
exhausted as she spoke to the police officer. What had started out
as a wonderful morning had turned so very wrong. “We’re tourists.
Those men broke into our suite. You know the rest.”
    She had wondered at how fast the police had
reached the hotel and their room. One of the officers explained
that one of the housekeepers had recognized the men and saw them
break into Leslie and Rick’s room. The men had not seen the
housekeeper and she was able to notify the hotel manager who
contacted the police.
    Leslie looked in the direction they had taken
Rick when they’d been escorted to the station. “Where is Rick?” She
hadn’t seen him since they had arrived and her stomach churned at
the thought of what could be happening to him.
    The officer frowned and opened his mouth to
speak when another officer caught his attention and spoke in rapid
Spanish.
    “We spoke with our contact in the United
States.” He lowered his voice and continued in Spanish, but Leslie
could hear and understand the man. “This Rick Pierce is a Navy SEAL
and an American hero. If we cannot prove that he did wrong, we must
release him.”
    The officer who had been grilling her stood,
suddenly looking nervous. “I believe the woman is telling the
truth. Release Señor Pierce.”
    Leslie slumped with relief. With all of the
horror stories she’d heard about people getting caught up with the
Mexican authorities she’d been so afraid that this was going to end
up even worse than it already was.
    The officer had called Rick an American hero.
Was that what they considered SEALs to be? It certainly was to her.
Or could it be something more?
    Whatever was said on the phone call