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“Exactly. Hence, my excitement over pockets in my dress is justified.”
I do a little happy dance and spin around to find my purse. “Where is it? Ah, there you are.” I pull out my phone and slip it into one of the pockets, where it sinks deep into the dress.Score!A dress with pockets is the best ever. Seriously, it should be mandatory. I may like this one better than therealwedding gown now.
I’m still admiring the dress when I hear a loud thud and some groaning followed by another thud. I step out of the dressing room to see Tiny Tony in a heap on the ground.
I rush to his side. “Oh my God, Tony! Are you okay?”
My mouth opens to cry out for Maceo, but a strong hand comes down over my mouth while another snakes around my body, hoisting me into the air. I scream against the hand, but my voice is too muffled to alert Maceo outside. My arms are pinned down, making them useless in a fight. I frantically kick out with my legs and buck my body against my abductor, but nothing connects.
He grunts as he drags me to the back of the store. I catch a glimpse of Maceo through the windows in the front room. Tears prick my eyes. He’s right there but doesn’t see me as he talks on his phone, no doubt to one of his men about Jacob.
My eyes dart around the room frantically to see how I can sound the alarm. I struggle against my abductor and try to knock over everything in my wake. I manage to reach a rack of veils and turn it over but the veils fall silently to the floor, buffering the impact of the rack hitting the hardwood. It’s not enough, and I try to reach for more, but now he knows what I’m up to, and he yanks me backward quickly and out of reach of anything else.
Desperate, I cry out against the hand over my mouth when I’m pulled through the double doors to the back room. I pass the sales clerk, gagged and tied up in a pile on the ground. Tears stream down my face when I cry out to her and she cries back to me.
My abductor pulls me out the back door toward a dark van. The door slides open, and Jacob is there, waiting with open arms.
Fear spiking my blood, I fight with all I have against the man restraining me. I step on his foot, and he grunts in pain, but his hold stays solid. I try to bite his hand, but I can’t move my jaw enough. Jacob sees the guy struggling and comes to grab my legs.
No, no, no!I know if they get me in the van, I may never get out alive. I take my head and snap it backward against the man holding me and make contact with his face. He drops me with a howl.
I scramble to my knees only to be kicked in the gut by Jacob. There’s an excruciating snap in my ribs as the air rushes out of me. I roll to my side, gasping for air.Shit, that hurts!
Jacob climbs on me and slaps a piece of duct tape across my mouth before grabbing my wrists and taping them together. I shake my head forcefully side to side and try to raise my knee to nail him in the balls, but he’s straddling me too high to make contact. He slides down my legs and quickly tapes my calves together before I can break a leg free to kick at him.
Frantic, I scream against the tape, tears pouring from my eyes. Jacob’s hard face softens as he looks at me. My gaze pleads with him, but he shows no sign of empathy. Smiling jubilantly, he leans forward to kiss the tape across my mouth before climbing off me and hauling me into the van.
The man who abducted me looks familiar but I can’t place him. He sits in the driver’s seat, holding the bridge of his nose to stop the steady flow of blood.
“She fucking broke my nose!”
“I’m not paying you to nurse your own fucking injuries. Now drive!” Jacob hisses, lying down on top of me in the back seat.
The man curses, but he starts the van and takes off.
Jacob wraps his arms around me in an act of possession. “You’re safe now, Keebler. I won’t let anyone come between us again.” He wipes my tears from my eyes. I cry harder as his lips trail kisses all over my neck and down to my cleavage where my heart pounds with fear.
* * *
Maceo
Resentfully, I agreed to let Tiny Tony take over my role of bodyguard and escort Josephine into the bridal store. I peek through the windows occasionally, hoping to catch a glimpse of my blushing bride, but the dressing room is to the left side, and it’s impossible to see into it from this angle.
I pace anxiously in front of the store, waiting for her to finish up. I won’t be calm till she’s by my side again.
My phone buzzes. I pull it out to see Chase calling. “Yes?” I answer.
“Atlas, we may have a problem. I started digging because I was uneasy with the lack of activity on Jacob’s end for the last three days. I hacked into the firm where he works and saw his request for vacation has been approved,” Chase rambles.
“Not surprising. He probably plans on driving out this way before the wedding, like he did before.”
“That’s not the issue. His request for time off started yesterday! He could be—”
Springing into action, I pull my piece and burst into the store. “Pixie!” I shout, running to the dressing room area. I see Tiny Tony on the ground with what looks like a cracked skull, a baseball bat next to him. I quickly check for a pulse. It’s there, but Tony is seriously fucked up.
I race back to the front room and look down the corridor to the back of the store. A rack of tulle and lace is on the ground. I raise my gun and push through the double doors. A whimper catches my attention and I see the sales clerk bound and gagged. I race to her side and yank down the gag.
“Where is she?” I growl.
