“It’s okay,” she whispered. “Probably looks worse than it feels.”
Yeah, he really doubted that. But Steph was tough. A kickass ol’ lady who didn’t like to show weakness, which was part of the reason she loathed the panic attacks.
But there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about the ties at the moment, so he didn’t argue with her. “Any chance you have your phone in your pocket?”
She snorted. “I wish. I’d set my purse down on the bathroom counter. Your phone was in there too, right?”
“Yep. Fuck, next time we go out, I’m carrying my own damn phone.” He’d gotten used to stuffing it in her purse, so he didn’t have to deal with it in his pocket.
Steph let out a disbelieving laugh. “I’ll believe that when I see it.”
“Fuck, I love you, baby.” For her to set the fear aside for a moment of their familiar banter meant the world to him. It was also the perfect way to let him know she was over the panic attack and ready to start plotting a way to get themselves out of this ass fuck of a situation.
“I promised Toni I’d check-in back home when we arrived at the Airbnb,” Steph said before gnawing on her lower lip. “Just to let her know we made it safe and sound.”
The van took a sharp turn, sending her tumbling into him and him into the wall.
“Fuck.” His knee screamed in protest as it banded on the unforgiving floor. Thankfully, his body shielded her from the brunt of the impact.
“Shit. You all right?” she asked as she tried to wiggle off him.
He held up a hand. “I’m okay.” Dayum, that hurt more than the time he’d bashed his baby toe on the kitchen island while fucking Steph on it. He’d even broken the damn thing. Not his first or last sex injury.
After a few deep breaths, the discomfort settled at a solid five on a ten scale. Better than the twenty it’d been a few seconds ago. “So, in theory, Toni will try to get a hold of you when you don’t call her, then freak when she realizes neither of us is answering.”
“That’s what I’m hoping.” She flopped onto the van floor then did some awkward maneuvering to sit up without using her hands. “But she might not get worried until tomorrow. We do have a bit of a reputation for disappearing into our bed and cutting off contact for an entire weekend.”
“Mmmm.” He’d give his left nut to trade places with that fantasy. But alas, both his balls were safe. For now. “Well, we can’t do shit until we figure out where these fuckers are taking us.”
“We could attack when they open the van doors?”
He shook his head, making the world wobble before his eyes. Shit, he probably had a concussion on top of a fucked-up kneecap. “Not sure I could take anyone right now. Not sure I can even stand on this knee.”
Steph frowned. “You said you were okay.” Her tone was the one she got right before giving him a stern lecture.
“I am okay. Just not stellar.”
“Mav—” The van came to an abrupt stop. They tumbled into the wall once again.
Steph let out a pained oomph.
“Mother fuck,” Mav spit out as his spine crunched against the wall.
A door slammed, rattling the van.
Sprawled on the floor, Steph sucked in a breath, then froze. “They’re coming.”
Muffled voices sounded from outside the van.
“No heroics,” Mav warned as he helped her sit up.
“Mav,” she said with a quiver in her voice. “Promise me. I need you to promise me that whatever happens next, you won’t do something stupid to keep them away from me.”
“Babe—”
“Promise!” Wide-eyed and with desperation in her voice, she was one step away from hysteria.
He couldn’t make that promise. Wouldn’t. There weren’t many things he’d deny the woman who made his whole world brighter, but this was one of them. Nothing would keep him from trying any tactic possible to protect her.
Not even her.
The rear doors flew open, flooding the back with blinding light. Steph jolted and squeezed her eyes shut while he held a hand up to block the floodlight’s intense beams. It wouldn’t have mattered if they’d planned to take on their attackers or not because what greeted them were three men no longer wearing masks but aiming guns their way.
One of the men climbed in the back of the van and went straight for Steph. She kicked out but was no match for him in size.
“Hey, fucker,” Mav said as he made a move toward them.
“Don’t even think about it,” the guy from the gas station said as two of those guns focused on him.
Fuck.
The big bastard grabbed Steph and yanked her from the back of the van.
“Swear to Christ if you harm one fucking hair on her head, I’ll roast your balls, then feed them to you,” Mav yelled as he clenched his fists at his sides.