Billionaire's Accidental Wife novel Chapter 14

Chapter 14 Instead of complying, Hermano raised Peter higher, until the child’s rib cage was level with his open maw. Saliva and drop dripped from the tips of his teeth. “Put down your weapon, Brown or I swear I’m going to end his life.”

Dave didn’t move. He didn’t blink as much as blink. Holding his gun steady, he only hoped Hermano would believe his bluff.

“Chelsea,” he said calmly. “Move out of the way, baby.”

Hermano growled. “Don’t you take even one fucking step, Chelsea, or the next thing you’ll hear is this brat’s screams as I punch a hole through his sternum with my fist.”

Christie sobbed. Chelsea looked equally miserable, but she held herself together. She stared at Dave, shaking her head as if to warn him away from doing anything rash. Well, fuck that. He would do anything to get her out of this, but damn if he wanted to forfeit an innocent child’s life to accomplish it. He saw little choice but to try to catch Hermano off guard. In a split-second move, Dave took his shot, hitting him in the forearm. Hermano hissed as the bullet bit into his ravaged flesh.

As Dave hoped, he lost his grip on Peter. The boy dropped to the floor, unharmed.

But then, just as quickly, Hermano snatched up Chelsea and hauled her against him like a shield. She screamed. Arms trapped at her sides, she struggled in vain to break loose. The monster who held her only chuckled, seeming to delight in her terror. His glowing gaze was wild with madness. And dangerously smug triumph. Dave couldn’t contain the nasty curse that exploded out of him. He’d never known this kind of fear. He’d never felt the kind of bleak horror that raked him as he watched his mate sag into a resigned slump in her captor’s arms. Hermano tilted his head, those insane amber eyes studying Dave too closely. “What’s this?” he taunted. “Why, you look more than worried for this bitch, warrior. Am I taking something you thought belonged to you?”

“Let her go.”

He held his weapon steady on his target, but he knew damned well he would never pull the trigger. Not when he was staring at Chelsea’s beautiful, fear-stricken face.

If anything happened to her-for crissake, if she died right here at Hermano’s hands-he would burn the whole world down around him.

“Please,” he said woodenly, too afraid of losing her to care if he had to beg. “Let her go.” Hermano’s eyes narrowed on him. “You’ve fucked her.”

Dave bristled at the other male’s crudeness. He wanted to flay him just for uttering the words.

14.

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A bark of laughter erupted from between the male’s cracked and blistered lips. “Holy hell. You love her. Don’t you, Brown?”

Chelsea made an anguished sound in the back of her throat. She shook her head at Dave, and as their eyes connected and held, he didn’t so much feel fear in their bond, but a strange and steely determination. “She’s no good to me,” Hermano muttered. He shrugged. “I might as well kill her now.” Hermano gripped her chin in his soot-blackened, blood-stained fingers. He yanked her head back, and Chelsea’s sharp cry tore into Dave. Her pain was real. But her terror had galvanized into something else. Something that told Dave to trust what he was feeling, not what he was seeing. “All right.” He relaxed his stance, lowering his weapon. “All right, you son of a bitch. You win.” Hermano stilled. Confusion swept over his feral features. His hold on Chelsea relaxed-ever so slightly. It was all the opportunity she needed. Twisting in the slackened cage of his arms, Chelsea drew the dagger she’d been concealing in her hand and drove it hard and fast and mercilessly into the center of his chest. He staggered back, a look of shock on his face. He howled, his face constricting in disbelief and agony. His body convulsed, collapsing to the

floor.