Page 8

It all pours out of me in a frantic panic as he drags me up from the floor by my ponytail, then roughly manhandles me with aggressive shoves and snarls toward the door. When fear traps me and I can't move, he suddenly grabs me and starts dragging me toward the exit.

"Please don't!" I yelp, and the tears pour thicker and faster down my cheeks. "Please! I won't tell anyone! Please!"

They don't listen. My frantic struggles force the older man to call over his friend, and suddenly, I'm off the ground with a hand over my mouth, being jolted back and forth as they carry me out of the kitchen and into the alley.

Fear causes my adrenaline to spike and the moment the cool night air hits my bare skin, I panic and thrash. It's like my limbs take on a mind of their own, jerking and wiggling in all directions while the two strangers fight to get me into their van.

This is insane! I don't want to die!

I fight and I fight. Then, through the quiet of the alley comes a voice that's achingly familiar but can't in any way be real.

"Sabina!"

Was that Cassian?

No. Not a chance. With renewed energy, the men toss me into the van. I land hard on my shoulder among some cardboard crates that cave and bend as I roll onto my side. The door slams shut and several explosive bangs follow, resulting in thuds hitting the back of the van. As I sit up, the doors wrench open and both men throw themselves into the van with the younger one taking the driver's seat.

The older man scrambles over his seat as the van lurches into motion and then he's on top of me, pinning me by my aching shoulder and shoving his gun so hard against my lips that my teeth throb. The pressure grows so immense that I have no choice but to part my lips, and he shoves the gun into my mouth.

The sharp tang of metal and oil stings the back of my throat and my teeth painfully scrape the metal.

"Stay the fuck down," he snarls, "or I'll blow your pretty brains all over the oranges!"

3

CASSIAN

Ifire three shots toward the roof of the van, high enough to minimize the risk of striking anyone inside. Rather than scaring off these cunts as I intend, the older man drops to his knee and spins to face me as the doors slam.

He fires a handful of shots, forcing me to take cover behind a nearby dumpster. The bullets thud into the side of the dumpster and after a pause, another two follow to keep me behind cover while they make their getaway.

This doesn't make any sense. That was definitely Sabina they were carrying, but what the hell would anyone want with her? Two armed men could just be trying their luck with someone caught working alone, but the speed at which the older man reacted speaks to his skill and experience.

He's not some random scumbag off the street.

The second door slams as the engine revs to life, so I break out from my hiding place and sprint toward the van with my gun raised. I manage three more shots toward the back wheel, but each one pings off the back bumper, leaving the van free to race out of the alley and around the corner. Brakes squeal and another car slams on its horn as the van races out onto the road and steers into the middle of the street.

"Give me your car!" I bellow at the breathless, panicked driver inside the car that was nearly hit.

The woman notices me and her eyes widen in alarm, but before she can slam the lock on her door, I grab the handle and wrench it open.

"I'm so sorry, but I need your car!"

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Get out of the fucking car!" Brandishing the gun, I aim it at her while reaching for her arm, and she stops struggling the moment she notices it. With a squeal of terror, she stumbles from her vehicle and lands hard on the road.

"I'm sorry!" I yell while throwing myself into her car, slamming the door shut and stepping on the accelerator.

Desperate times.

Thankfully, the van is still visible, and I race after it in the stolen car while wrestling with the lever to force the seat back. Gaining more leg room gives me better control of the car and once I'm in pursuit, I set my phone up on the dashboard.

"Call Joker!"

The line rings for a few seconds, then Raven's voice drifts across the line.

"You're not supposed to call other women while you're on a date," Raven drawls.