There was a point where she could clearly see Ace. The horror and regret etched on his face made her ache for them both. It was surreal. All she wished in that moment was that she could tell him how much she appreciated him being there for her lately—including both when he’d blown her mind the night before and when he’d defended her emotions moments before she’d been abducted.
In case it was the last chance she had to give him any peace at all, she blew him a kiss before the van swerved, sending her careening to the ground again. The impact knocked the wind out of her. She only roused when the shooter said, “You’re not going to make that, man.”
“No choice.” The driver ignored his colleague’s advice. “Those assholes aren’t fucking around and that car probably has a rocket launcher for windshield wipers.”
For all Ruby knew it did. She was sure that if she hadn’t been their cargo, Liam would have taken more extreme measures to stop their progress by now.
Ruby shoved herself upward and whipped her head around to look out the windshield. Which was when she saw it. A train. Heading right for them. The arms on the crossing were already mostly lowered, but they weren’t stopping. And neither was it.
All of that only for her to die in this tin can. Shit.
She caught one final glimpse of Liam and Ace and a flash of neon green before they slammed on their brakes. The van gunned it, speeding up as Liam slowed. Ruby thought she heard a bellow from the open passenger side window of James’s car. “RUBY! Stay strong! We’re coming!”
But she couldn’t say for sure because the thunder of the train nearly clipping the van’s rear quarter panel made her ears ring for minutes afterward. She wasn’t sure if escaping being crushed was better or worse than the fate she was about to endure, but she thought of Ace’s instructions.
If anyone could find her, it would be them. The Shields.
But damn, she really wished she’d finished telling JRad everything she’d discovered right before they’d been interrupted. It would have made the odds of them hunting her down a hell of a lot better.
Ruby collapsed as the train and the green car she’d never again make fun of disappeared from sight. She felt like a sailor watching land vanish on the horizon. With no way back, all she could do was drift, and hope that someone would rescue her.
At that instant, she had some major regrets. Not the least of which being that she hadn’t fucked Ace at least the night before when she’d had the chance.
Because this time it wasn’t a nightmare he could wake her from.
The bad guys had her, and they weren’t going to let her go without a fight.