My captor pushes me out of the building’s front door and into the parking lot where a full-sized van pulls up with its sliding door already open and waiting. I’m shoved inside, and the van peels off with a screech of tires while my captor climbs in behind me, slamming the door closed as we go. His gun is still pointed at me, but I try to kick it. The man only laughs from behind his mask.
I scramble to the backdoors, determined to launch myself out into the road. My fingertips are just grazing the interior handle when he grabs my hair and yanks me back roughly. I hear the bones in my neck crack violently, and a surge of pain blazes from my neck through my shoulders for a split second before I hit the back of my head on the metal floor.
I keep pushing to crawl away again, worried I might have more than a pulled muscle from my kidnapper being so rough. Any serious injury could keep me from escaping. Regardless, I’m going to fight with every cell in my body.
My fingertips are only an inch away from the same damn handle when he pulls me hard again and covers my mouth and nose with a cloth this time. When I inhale the pungent scent on the fabric, my eyes close of their own accord, and before I can fight further, I’m out cold.
Chapter
16
~Hammer~
If shit didn’t go south fast… I come out of my shower to hear a struggle in the kitchen, so I slide boxers onto my still wet body and set out to see Desirae fighting to free herself from some man’s hold. Time stands still.
Grabbing my hideaway 9mm from the end table, I flip the safety off and move to the doorway. I aim yet can’t get a clear shot. I won’t put her in jeopardy. The elevator doors close as I lock my eyes on hers.
Without thinking, I hit the stairwell and make it down two floors before the pain starts shooting through my hips, and my legs begin to shake almost uncontrollably. I make it down another two floors before everything gives out, and I tumble down the fifth set of stairs to the ground floor. My body is on fire, my head throbs, and I need to get up. Everything is spinning, making my stomach clench with the need to puke, and I can’t get my vision to clear. I groan and elbow crawl to the closest door.
A maintenance man for the complex comes rushing over.
“Phone,” I yell hoarsely.
He hands me his cell, and I quickly dial Alibi.
Coal’s gruff voice grunts a greeting.
“Hammer here. Send reinforcements now,” I bark out in pain.
“On it, brother.”
I disconnect the call, my body feeling like it’s on fire from the inside out. My mind can only focus on one thing, though: Desirae.
Someone came into my house and got her. I didn’t keep her safe. I failed her.
My broken body couldn’t take the stairs, and I let her down.
The maintenance man grabs his phone from me. “Be still. I’ll call the paramedics.”
“No!” The cops will only hold up our window of opportunity to find her. “Just help me stand.”
He helps me up, but my hips want to crumble. I fight to stay upright as Coal and Ice jump out of a truck and rush in.
“Des! Fuckin’ get Screech on the cameras and find her!” I roar.
“Already on it,” Coal replies as he wraps my arm around his shoulders. “Lean on me, brother.” With no other choice, I do. They get me into the truck, and we drive to the club.
Rage consumes me as my mind races with everything they could be doing to her. Hell, we don’t even know who has her.
Ice’s phone rings, and after he looks at the display screen, he answers with a clipped “Yeah” while pushing the speaker button.
Screech’s voice crackles over the line. “Eyes on the prize via the Florida Highway Patrol’s aircraft camera feed. Regular white work van. I can’t get the plates because they have them obscured with one of those tinted license plate covers. They’ve already hit the highway and are headed northwest at a speed of seventy miles per hour. You’ll need to put the pedal to the metal to catch up to them.”
“What are we lookin’ at for law enforcement presence in the area? We clear for top speeds?”
“Negative, ghost rider. You’ve got several bogeys in your area, so you’ll have to proceed with caution. You want me to tip them off to a kidnapping and put a BOLO out in case? They can get to her before you can.
“NO!” I shout. “They’ll fuckin’ kill her before any cops can stop the van. Just keep your eyes on her and let us know where they’re heading.”
“Roger that. Still headed northwest on Route 27. Next exit is Hialeah.”