Protecting Cheyenne (SEAL of Protection Book 5) Read Online Free PDF

could see through the tears in her eyes, the man in front of her was gorgeous. She didn’t want to be responsible for killing him. Hell, he probably had a family, a wife, kids…she couldn’t kill him.
    She kept backing up. Cheyenne could barely see through her unshed tears. She would not cry, she would not cry, she had to get these people out of here. Through her panic, Cheyenne heard something behind her, she turned and was horrified to see two police officers at the end of the aisle. They’d cut her off. Shit, they were all going to die after all she’d tried to do. She turned sideways, so her back was to the shelves and shut her eyes tightly. A couple of boxes of something fell off the shelf behind her, but she didn’t bother opening her eyes to see what it was. At this point, making a mess was the least of her worries.
    “Ma’am,” Dude said again, seeing her stop after spying the officers at the end of the aisle. “Can you hear me? Look at me and talk to me, tell me what’s going on.”
    Cheyenne opened her eyes and looked more closely at the man who’d followed her down the aisle for the first time. He didn’t have a weapon, but was standing about ten feet from her. His hands were at his sides, palms out, showing her he was no threat. But Cheyenne knew he was close, too close. If she could just get him to back off, maybe he’d somehow survive when the bomb went off.
    “Please,” she croaked, then cleared her throat and tried again. “Please, you have to get out of here….just go…”
    Dude saw her trying to hold her composure together, and his impression of her rose. “You know we can’t do that, these police officers have to make sure you’re all right and that you aren’t an accomplice.” Dude saw her eyes widen in surprise. He’d purposely tried to shock her, so she’d stop and listen to him. “Yeah, I know, seems unlikely to me, but they’re just doing their job, no matter what you or I say to them. Why don’t you help us and we’ll all get out of here and have some lunch.” Dude tried to get her to smile just a bit.
    It was obvious his attempt at humor fell flat, when she flung her words at him. “No, you have to go, all of you. I’m not ‘in’ on anything.” Cheyenne gestured to her chest with her chin. “This bomb is going to blow up and kill everyone.” Her voice dropped and she changed tactics, begging now, “Please, just go, I don’t want anyone to die.”
    Dude suddenly understood and his stomach clenched with respect. She wasn’t trying to get away; she was trying to protect them. He hadn’t been sure there even was a bomb, but now that he was closer to her, Dude could see a lump in front of her body that could be anything, but with the way she was acting, it probably was exactly what the bad guys had said it was. If that bomb did go off, there was a good chance many of them would die, or at least be badly hurt.
    Dude abruptly turned away from the woman who was obviously scared to death, and to the officer in charge who’d followed at a close distance behind him down the aisle.
    “Get your men out of here, now !” Dude bellowed. “That bomb strapped to her chest could go off and we need to clear the area. I’ve got this.”
    The officer took one look at Dude’s serious face, and ordered his men back.
    Dude turned back to the woman as the officers backed away from the aisle on each end, and made their way toward the front of the store. “Okay, they’re leaving, now will you let me help you?”
    The woman resumed her relentless retreat away from the front of the store now that the officers weren’t blocking her way.
    “No, you have to leave too, don’t do this to me.” Cheyenne looked at the man in horror, suddenly recognizing him as “Cooper,” the military guy she’d semi-stalked in this exact grocery store. Oh my God. It was even more important he just let her go. He couldn’t die. Not him.
    Dude ignored her words and strolled steadily toward her and