Page 92 of Her Guarded Hero

Dalton put his hand on the older man’s arm. “Crystal, when exactly did they leave? What car did they take? I’m handing you over to Dex to talk to him while I drive, okay?”

Dalton pushed the phone to Dexter who had already handed his keys to Hunter. The SEALs moved like a well-oiled machine. Hunter pulled Gunnar with him to Dexter’s truck and the Dressler’s were already running to their vehicle. Dalton got into his truck with Dex and skidded out of the parking lot. Hunter had Gunnar with him and was driving right on his ass. He listened as Dexter finished up the call with Crystal.

“How fast can we get to Yuba City?” Dalton asked Dexter.

“Let me just pull up a map,” he said as he plugged his phone into the charger. “You know that Lindy will keep her safe, right?”

“Really? Then why isn’t she answering her phone?” Dalton asked sarcastically. Thank God for the super charger in his truck, but he couldn’t press the pedal to the metal until Dex told him exactly what fucking highway to take.

“Hurry up with the directions.”

“We’re going to take Latrobe Road, that way we can avoid Sacramento. It’s a two-lane road.” Dex explained.

“Sounds good to me, just point me in the right direction. What does your phone say the ETA is?”

“An hour and forty-six minutes,” Dex answered grimly.

“Okay, call Hunter. The plan is to be there in less than an hour.”

* * *

“Don’t cry,” Lindy mumbled.

“I’m not crying,” Aurora cried. She wiped her snot filled nose against the blanket and wiggled and squirmed.

“Honey, we’re going to get out of this,” Lindy assured her.

Aurora watched as her cousin who wiggled and squirmed too.

“Do you have to pee too?” Aurora asked.

“No. Trying to get to knife. It’s in my boot.” Aurora heard Lindy’s deep intake of breath. “Fuckers tied my hands behind my back.”

Lindy sounded angry and determined. But her breathing didn’t sound good, and her voice was slurred.

“Can you move over toward me?” Aurora asked. “My right hand is almost free. Maybe I can get your knife.” Aurora had been trying to get to the cell phone stuck in the front pocket of her maternity pants.

Lindy’s eyes glittered with excitement. “Holy fuck, you’re amazing.” For just a moment she was SWAT Team Lindy, then her eyes dulled. “Give me a minute or two, then I’ll come to you, all right?”

Aurora heard Lindy take another deep breath, then she bucked up and down on the floor like a seal or walrus. It seemed like an eternity before Lindy was able to plop her leg on top of Aurora’s. “It’s my left boot.”

“Lindy, cell phone or knife? Which first?”

“What? I don’t understand.” Lindy was slurring her words again.

“Should I try to get the cell phone out of my jeans, or the knife out of your boot?” Aurora clarified.

“Knife. I want us out of this, and me with a weapon.”

“Got it.” She pushed past the blanket and got her hand and forearm free. She looked dubiously at the rope around Lindy’s jeans. “Fudgenugget! Getting this undone is going to be impossible.”

“It’s okay, Aurora. There’s just one loop, you can do it,” Lindy said calmly. “You’re going to be fine.”

Aurora prayed her cousin was right. Aurora grunted as she yanked at the stubborn rope. Her fingers burned but she put the pain out of her head and took a tighter grip. Again, and again and again she pulled. As she was doing that she continued to wiggle her other hand loose. Finally, it was free.

“Turn over,” she told Lindy fiercely.

“What? Why?”