Evie rambled off the address to Lo’s condo as quickly as she could. “Please. You have to hurry! I have no idea what happened. She just got home from an early flight, so maybe she’s just exhausted? I don’t know. She seemed fine just a second ag?—”
A gloved hand filled Evie’s vision half-a-second before it pressed painfully over her lips. Her heart leaped into her throat, and she instinctively dropped the phone and began clawing at the meaty arm holding her against her will.
No!
She tried to scream, but the muffled cries for help became lost behind a wall of black leather. Her attacker was big and strong, and she was no match for his bulging muscles. But still, she continued to fight.
Flashbacks consumed her, painful memories from the day the Taliban had stormed into her classroom, filling her every thought. It was still so heart wrenching, still so very real, but Evie managed to separate the past from the present.
If she let the memories of what happened in Afghanistan take over completely, the bastard pulling her away from Lo would succeed in his plan to do whatever he came to do.
Whatever it is, it sure as hell isn’t good. So fight back, Evie! Fight back as if your life depends on it!
Another memory filtered through with the encouraging thought. Another time when shehadfought back.
Evie had been no match for Beckett that very first day inside the cave. And she was probably no match for the man attacking her now. But at least she’d know she tried.
For Lo. For Beckett. And dammit, for herself.
I love you, Beckett! I love you, and I’m not ever giving up!
Evie flung her right elbow back as hard and fast as she could. Pain shot down her forearm, her fingers on that hand tingling on impact. The deep, male grunt she heard was more than a little satisfying, but she was too busy trying to get free to celebrate the minor victory.
Let me go!
She screamed the words nobody could hear thanks to the hand still covering her mouth. Evie’s sneakered feet scrambled to find purchase, her feet and legs kicking and flailing about as she was forcefully dragged through the room.
Away from Lo, who was still lying helpless on the living room floor. Away from her phone—and the emergency operatorwho had hopefully put the call in to send somebody here. Away from…
Beckett.
Tears poured from the corners of Evie’s eyes, but her fight against the hand at her mouth and the arm squeezing painfully around her waist prevented her from wiping them away. She twisted her body this way and that, but nothing she did was enough.
A sharp sting burned at the exposed side of her neck. Evie cried out in pain, but any sound she attempted to make was in vain.
Just like her efforts to fight off a man twice her size and triple her strength. No, make that quadruple…
Evie’s legs kicked with a little less force, her muscles feeling heavier and heavier by the second. Her arms fell limply to her sides after having rapidly lost all her strength.
Whatever they’d given her was acting damn fast. So fast, Evie barely had time to panic.
A cloud of black began filling her vision, and before she knew what was happening, her entire world turned upside down. Her face became chilled by a sudden breeze, and just before she lost the battle completely, Evie realized…
I’m outside.
She was also upside down, hanging over the man’s broad shoulders. Though her vision was fading more with each second that passed, she could make out just enough to know he was carrying her to an SUV parked in the alley behind Lo’s condo.
Big. Black. Tinted.
This was it. He was going to stuff her into the back and drive away. Why, she had no idea. It wasn’t as if Phillip was going to have a change of heart where she was concerned and decide this time he’d pay the ransom. He sure as heck wouldn’t pay to have someone risk their own life to find her.
I’ll find you, darlin’.
Her racing heart kicked hard against her ribs. That was Beckett’s voice. She was certain of it. He was…here, and he…promised to…
Please…find…me…Beck…ett. There’s something…I need…to tell…you.
There was something she wanted to tell the mouthwatering former Marine. But as the world began to spin and Evie was unceremoniously dumped into the back of the SUV, for the life of her, she couldn’t remember what it was.