The Feisty One: A Billionaire Bride Pact Romance

by Checketts, Cami

  Beck thrust the phone into Tuck’s hands. “Navigate for me.” He accelerated out of the parking lot.

  “At least she still has her phone,” Johnson said.

  Beck glanced over his shoulder at Johnson. “For sure. I asked her about that when James said he was tracking her. She didn’t have a purse or any… pockets on her dress.”

  Tuck looked at him sharply. “Where was her phone?”

  “She said she had it. I assume in her bra?”

  Tuck’s gut tightened. Nobody better find that phone. “Did you try to call her?”

  “Yes. She didn’t answer.”

  “Let’s not try again, in case it does ring and James finds it.”

  “Do you really think it’s James?” Johnson asked.

  “That’s who she was with,” Beck pointed out, cruising onto the interstate headed west.

  “Yeah, but an old boyfriend doesn’t kidnap a girl and take her to an industrial dock. He might try to force her into her apartment or something like that.”

  Tuck nodded at his friend, even though James had set him up to go to prison, it didn’t seem logical for him to kidnap Maryn.

  “Do you have weapons?” Johnson asked Beck.

  “No.”

  “We’d better swing by our place,” Johnson said.

  Tucker nodded his agreement. He hated to take the extra time, but he wanted to be prepared. Nobody was going to hurt Maryn. He started praying that no one already had.

  Their hoods were finally removed after they were hustled from the car and into a building that smelled like rotten fish. Maryn looked around, her eyes adjusting quickly to the poorly lit interior. It was some kind of warehouse, reminding her of the spot the bad guys might hang out in a James Bond movie. This was not good. Her spine was tingling and her legs unsteady. If her pulse accelerated any more she’d probably have a heart attack.

  The three men who brought them in escorted them toward a small office. The big baldy stayed by her side while the other two stayed close to James.

  An average-size guy with dark hair, bright blue eyes, and a huge nose walked out of the office door. He glanced over her once before focusing on James. “Did it really need to come to this?”

  James shook his head. “It was a mistake. I’ll get it fixed.”

  “Why did you bring the girl along?” he directed toward Baldy.

  “Thought it would be good insurance to get him to follow through,” Baldy answered.

  “And now if he doesn’t follow through her death is on your hands too.”

  Maryn’s hands trembled and cold sweat trickled down her bra. She felt her cell phone vibrate with an incoming text. Maybe she could ask to go to the bathroom and call the police? She stood straighter. “Let me go and you might not all burn in hell,” she said in what she hoped was a commanding voice.

  “Tell your girlfriend to shut it,” the head honcho told James.

  “Ha! He’s not my boyfriend, my boyfriend is Tucker Shaffer and when he finds you he’s going to make you all wish you’d never seen me.”

  “Tucker Shaffer?” Head Honcho looked at Baldy. “Isn’t that the rich guy that got arrested for a bar fight?”

  “Yeah.” Baldy smirked at her. “Huge threat since he’s in prison.”

  “Maryn.” James squeezed her arm. “Stop. Let me handle this.”

  “Handle this!” Maryn shook him off and took a step away. “We’re in this mess because of you. What have you gotten involved in, you idiot?”

  “Your idiot has forgotten to deliver the latest shipment. He thought he could pull a fast one on me.”

  James held up his hands. “That’s not true. My contact wasn’t there. It was a simple misunderstanding. I still have the packages. Let’s go to my apartment and get them.”

  “If it was a misunderstanding, why didn’t you respond to our texts and phone calls?” Head Honcho glared with his brilliant blue eyes. Maryn had never seen eyes that cold before.

  “I proposed to her.” James pointed Maryn’s direction. “She said no and I’ve been a mess trying to figure out how to get her back.”

  Maryn almost felt bad for James. Almost. But what kind of a dummy got involved with people like this?

  “Ah. Love. Makes us into real idiots.”

  “It’s the truth. Please. The packages are all in my spare bedroom closet.”

  Head Honcho tilted his dark head to the side. “I’m tempted to believe your lame story. I’ll send someone. If they aren’t there, you both die.” He gestured with his hand. Baldy lifted a vicious-looking gun and gestured Maryn and James away from the office toward the back wall of the building. The other guys typed James’ address in their phones then took off. Head Honcho went into his comfortable office while Maryn and James slunk to the floor, Baldy watching them.

  “What are you involved in?” Maryn asked.

  “It’ll be fine. They’ll find the heroin and then they’ll let us go.”

  “You’re dealing drugs!” Maryn got out, though her throat was closing off. “Oh, James, why?”

  He glared at her. “So I could compete with your stupid billionaire.”

  “You’re so dumb! It’s never been about the money.” She clenched her hands together.

  “Keep telling yourself that.”

  “I love Tuck because of so many reasons that have nothing to do with money.” Maryn groaned. “You honestly just started dealing drugs so you could compete with Tuck?”

  James looked away, but finally gave her a slight nod.

  “Oh, my heck, of all the dumb ways to get a girl. Now they’re going to kill us once they have their stuff. We’ve seen their faces.”

  “Don’t be so dramatic.” James watched Baldy carefully, but the guy didn’t appear to care about their conversation. “He said he’ll let us go, he will. That’s why they covered our heads to get here.”

  “But we’ve seen his face. You can’t trust drug dealers.”

  James exhaled slowly, but didn’t respond. Maryn’s entire body was trembling. James put an arm around her. She wanted to elbow him in the gut, but she needed something to hold on to right now or a full meltdown would commence. If she ran screaming, would they shoot her? Then she remembered. Her phone. There was hope.

  “Um, sir,” she said to Baldy. “Do you have a restroom?”

  “Nope.”

  “Um, could I borrow some napkins and go around back?”

  He chuckled. “No. You can go right there for all I care.”

  “And ruin this dress?”

  His eyes flicked over her and she felt like she’d just rolled in the mud and would never be clean again. “I can help you out of it if you’d like.”

  Maryn folded her arms across her chest and looked away. James pulled her closer. “Mar. Please stop talking.”

  She burrowed her head into his chest. “I’ve got my cell phone in my bra.”

  They’d taken James’ phone on the car ride over, but she’d told them hers was in her purse at her house.

  “I wondered where it was.”

  “Do you think I dare try to call 911?”

  James watched Baldy for a few seconds. “Not right now, but maybe he’ll get distracted or bored watching us soon.”

  At least James didn’t discourage her from calling for help. He would be arrested right along with these other scumbags. She felt bad about that, but he was the one who had started dealing drugs. Thinking about arrest brought her back to Tucker. The thought of him sitting in a prison cell turned her stomach worse than the rotten fish stench in this place. She started praying, Please bless Tucker can get free and please bless these guys won’t kill us.

  Maryn heard a vehicle pull up outside then the soft tapping of feet walking toward the warehouse. Her stomach tightened. The other bad dudes were back. Even if they found the drugs James had hidden, would they really let them go?

  She didn’t see anyone in the dim interior. Then suddenly a gun was pointed at Baldy’s head. “Drop the weapon,” a voice said.
/>
  Baldy complied. Johnson stepped forward and kicked the gun out of the way.

  “Johnson,” Maryn cried out then clapped her hand over her mouth. She looked to the office, but Head Honcho didn’t appear.

  Johnson smiled at her and brought a finger to his lips. “Lay down nice and easy.”

  Baldy nodded and lay face down.

  “You know this guy?” James asked.

  “Yes. He’s Tucker’s best friend.”

  Tucker came out of the gloom with a rifle in his right hand.

  “Tucker!” Maryn gasped, thankfully a little quieter this time. She sprang to her feet and threw herself into his arms. “How’d you get free? How’d you find us?”

  Tucker silenced her with a quick kiss to her lips. Maryn clung to him, joy radiating through her. Johnson finished tying Baldy’s wrists and ankles then attached them together with a thick rope.

  James stood. Tucker leveled his gun on him. “As far as I’m concerned you’re one of them.”

  “I’m not,” James protested.

  “Don’t make me think otherwise,” Tucker said.

  “Okay.” James bowed his head as if trying to look humble, but the venomous look he pinned on Tucker said he was far from it.

  “How many other guys?” Tucker asked.

  “I think just Head Honcho in the office,” Maryn said. “The other two went to get the drugs from James’ apartment.”

  Tucker arched an eyebrow at James.

  “They usually have a couple guarding the warehouse,” James said.

  Tucker nodded. “We took care of them. Let’s get out of here. We can call in the location to the police once Maryn’s safe.”

  “Come on,” Johnson said. “It’d be fun to take out Head Honcho for old time’s sake.”

  “No.” Tucker shook his head. “I’m not risking Maryn.”

  Johnson winked at her. “Way to spoil all my fun.”

  She almost laughed. The relief of being safe and Tucker being here made her so weak she leaned heavily into him.

  Tucker kept his left arm around Maryn’s waist and ushered her in the shadows toward the doorway. The door burst open from the outside and Beck walked in with his hands held high. The two thugs who were with Baldy earlier came in behind him. One had a gun jammed between Beck’s shoulder blades.

  “Shawn!” one of them yelled.

  Head Honcho came out of his office. Tucker pushed Maryn behind him and aimed his gun at Head Honcho. Johnson pointed his rifle at the guy who held Beck.

  Maryn was too scared to talk. Beck, here? He couldn’t get hurt. Alyssa would never recover.

  “We just want the girl,” Tucker said. “Let us go now and I won’t shoot you.”

  Head Honcho laughed. “You’re outnumbered and you’re making demands?”

  Tucker inclined his head toward Johnson. “Did we not take out two losers outside and tie up the guy who was guarding Maryn? Plus, the fact we’re trained military snipers. Johnson will take out those two, but you won’t see that because of the hole you’ll have in your own head.”

  Head Honcho’s lips thinned. His nose seemed even bigger. Maryn stayed behind Tuck not daring to move or hardly breathe.

  “Then why don’t you do it?” Head Honcho challenged.

  “This woman is all I care about,” Tucker said. “I’m not risking her.”

  Maryn clung to Tucker, overwhelmed that he was really here and willing to protect her no matter what.

  Head Honcho nodded, eyeing Tuck as he thought over his options. “So we let you three go with the girl and you leave James for me to deal with? How do I know you won’t call the police the second you leave?”

  “You don’t. I’d suggest you move your operation.”

  “Killing you seems easier.”

  “Not if I kill you first.” Tucker’s finger rested on the trigger.

  “Good point. Did you find the packages at James’ apartment?” he asked the guy next to Beck.

  “No. There was nothing there.”

  “What!” James screamed out. “They’re there. I promise you.”

  “Quiet!” Head Honcho commanded. He held up a hand and peered out the door.

  Maryn noticed the red and blue flashing lights. Head Honcho raised his pistol. The guy pointing the gun at Beck spun around to see what his boss was looking at.

  “Down, Beck!” Johnson screamed.

  Beck dropped to the floor kicking at the feet of the guy with the gun. Johnson fired, his shot hitting the other drug dealer and throwing him against the wall. Tucker pushed Maryn to the ground then turned and shot at Head Honcho, but the guy had disappeared.

  James fell to the ground, covering his head and shrieking. Beck was wrestling with the gunman.

  “Stay down,” Tuck told Maryn.

  She nodded, too afraid to move.

  He sprinted toward Beck and the gunman while Johnson took off for the back of the warehouse where Head Honcho had disappeared. Tuck dove and knocked the guy off Beck. He pinned him to the ground as police filtered into the room. Tuck hauled the guy up then handed him over to the police. Johnson dragged Head Honcho out of the back of the warehouse, grinning and telling the guy to stop whining.

  Maryn saw a flash of silver in Head Honcho’s hand. Tucker was quicker than her ability to even scream a warning to Johnson, running at Head Honcho and knocking away the knife that almost speared into Johnson’s abdomen. The knife clattered to the floor as the police ran to wrench Head Honcho from Johnson’s clasp.

  Johnson heaved a sigh of relief. “I didn’t even see that coming. Thanks, man.”

  Tucker nodded. Maryn could see that his hands were trembling slightly.

  James stood, looking around with wild eyes.

  “Don’t do it, James,” Maryn said, standing to face him. “Don’t run. They’ll catch you and it’ll be much worse.”

  James focused on her and shook his head. “I can’t go to prison, Maryn, I can’t.”

  Tuck came past Maryn on her right and plowed into James, knocking him to the ground with one punch. James screamed and rolled into a ball. Tucker jumped up and yanked James to his feet. “But you’d let me go to prison? The police know all about you, James. It’s called falsifying evidence.”

  “No,” James whined. “It wasn’t like that. I thought it was you in that video. I was just trying to protect Maryn.”

  “How could you?” Maryn muttered to James. He wasn’t the person she thought he was and because of his warped sense of love for her, he’d turned into a drug dealer and had Tucker thrown in prison. It was too awful to comprehend.

  “I did it for you,” he said.

  “No, you didn’t.” She glared at him. “You did it for yourself.”

  He dropped his gaze and didn’t respond.

  The redhead police officer that arrested Tuck came and grabbed James’ arm. “Well, this is a reversal.” He tipped his chin down to Maryn. “Ma’am. You okay?”

  “Yes,” Maryn whispered. Not really sure at the moment. James had set Tuck up? Had gotten him arrested? An acrylic taste in her mouth warned her she was going to be sick. She fell to her knees and vomited. Strong hands wrapped around her and held her hair back. When she was finished, she spit and felt disgusting and embarrassed, but mostly angry at James. How could he do all of this to her when he claimed to love her?

  Tucker helped her to her feet and tenderly wiped her lips clean then wiped his hand on his pants. “You okay?”

  She fell against him. “Yes, no, not really. Just hold me, please?”

  “I can do that.” He tenderly rubbed her back and held her close.

  Johnson and Beck walked over to them. Maryn forced herself to hold up her head and talk to them, though she wanted to just snuggle with Tucker and sleep for a few days. Tucker kept her close with an arm around her waist.

  “Beck,” Maryn sighed. “Alyssa is going to kill me for putting you in danger.”

  “She’d kill me more if I let something happen to you.”

 
Maryn’s legs wobbled. Thank heavens Tuck held her up. Tuck, Beck, and Johnson had all been in great danger for her. She’d never felt so loved.

  “You finally convinced the police to come?” Tucker asked.

  “When I saw you two take out those guards I was pretty sure this wasn’t just James trying to get Maryn.”

  “Good job.” Johnson thumped him on the back, his dimples on fine display. “And good job to you, too,” he said to Tuck. “I didn’t really want a knife stuck out of my belly button.”

  Tucker didn’t smile. “I have nightmares about you dying all the time.”

  Johnson’s eyebrows shot up. “Well, that’s a cheery thought. Thanks again for saving me.”

  Tucker nodded and they all fell quiet for a minute.

  “How did you get out of prison?” Maryn asked Tuck.

  “Johnson knows better than me.”

  “They had no real evidence so the police were going to have to let him go anyway. Mama Porter, Braxton, and I were able to prove with travel documents, signatures at restaurants and the dates in his passport that he was in Jamaica when the bar fight happened. Then if you zoom the video close, which I was able to do with superb computer skills, you could see that the guy’s nose and mouth were different and he didn’t have the same scars, especially the one near Tuck’s lip.”

  “I love that scar,” Maryn whispered to Tuck.

  He grinned down at her.

  “Thank you. I owe you so much,” Maryn said to Johnson.

  “Well, if you ever get sick of the big guy, you could let me take you on a date.” He winked.

  “Johnson,” Tucker growled.

  Maryn wrapped both arms around Tucker’s waist. “I’ll never get sick of him.”

  Tucker kissed her on the forehead. Maryn breathed in the smell and feel of him, ignoring Beck and Johnson’s amused glances.

  The redhead police officer reappeared. “I’m going to have to take you all in for questioning.”

  Maryn groaned loudest of all. “Shouldn’t we get a break? Because of you falsely arresting my boyfriend last night none of us have gotten any sleep.” The sky was starting to lighten outside.

  “I apologize for that ma’am, but we do need to get your statements recorded while they’re fresh on your mind.”