“Are you okay?”
Cursing up a storm in a language she assumed was Spanish, the cab driver ignored the question and got out. When he spotted another man approaching the cab—Jenna assumed he was the driver of the other car—their driver began spewing English curse words.
“Dumbass!” the cab driver yelled. “Don’t you know how to fucking drive?”
Jenna looked away, uninterested in watching the two men bicker about who’s fault the accident was. She needed to tend to Marie.
You need to call for an ambulance.
Crap. She really was out of it.
Leaning back against the seat, Jenna shoved her hand into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. She dialed 9-1-1 and did her best to tell the operator what had happened.
Through her blurred vision, she spotted the nearest road sign. Doing her damnedest to enunciate each word clearly, she was relaying the name of the street when a loud pop filled the night air.
Jenna’s entire body jerked from the unexpected sound, but when she saw a shower of blood spray from the back of the cab driver’s head, she screamed.
“Was that a gunshot?” the operator asked.
Jenna nodded before remembering the woman on the other end of the phone couldn’t see her. “Yes. He…”—Oh, God— “H-he shot…him.”
“I’m having a hard time understanding you. Did you say someone was shot?”
“Yes!” Jenna yelled. “Please…h-hurry!”
“Help is on the way, Miss. Are you in a safe place?”
The man with the gun turned toward her, his cold eyes meeting hers through the cab’s window.
“No.”
He walked around the front of the car and headed for her door. Jenna’s heart thumped hard against her ribs, the dizziness and need to vomit increasing with every beat.
“Coming…for…me.” She felt even weaker than before.
Damn it, Jenna. Fight against the drugs. Fight against him!
Blinking the fuzziness away, she looked around the back seat for something—anything—to use as a weapon. She found nothing.
The man opened her car door. He leaned in and reached for her. Jenna screamed as she scrambled clumsily toward Marie.
Not that it would do any good. Marie was still unconscious, and that side of the car was so smashed in, there was no way the door would open. Still, Jenna refused to end up a statistic like those other missing nurses.
Using the massive shot of adrenaline her shock and fear had created, Jenna kicked against the man as hard as she could. He cursed and growled but didn’t give up.
Neither will I, asshole.
Unfortunately, she had nowhere to go and no way to escape. She was also starting to fade as whatever drugs were in her system began hitting their peak.
Adrian!
Without conscious effort, Jenna screamed for him in her mind. But she knew he wouldn’t come. And for that, she had no one to blame but herself.
A low rumbling sound appeared from somewhere in the distance. It almost sounded like a motor of some sort. Someone coming to their rescue, perhaps?
Knowing she couldn’t count on anyone else to save her and her friend, Jenna kicked the asshole again, as hard as she could. Her booted foot hit the jerk square in the nose, the sickening crunch of bone more satisfying than it probably should’ve been.
“Fucking bitch!”
Murdering bastard!
Blood gushed from the man’s broken nose, but that didn’t deter the asshole as much as she’d hoped. Instead, it seemed to motivate him even more.
Despite the fact that he was still holding a gun, the man chose to shove the weapon into his waistband and grab both of her ankles. He yanked her roughly toward him, and Jenna screamed again.
For help.
For Marie to wake up.
For a man who wasn’t coming.
The drugs made her thoughts and movements jumbled and uncoordinated as she clawed at the leather seat beneath her. Within seconds, the man had her out of the car and was dragging her toward the back of the cab.
The rumbling she’d heard before grew louder. Closer.
Please let someone come before they take me. Please!
Refusing to give up, Jenna continued fighting. She dug her nails into the man’s hand, raking them across his skin as her fingers flailed against him. She screamed until her voice was nearly gone, and when that didn’t work, she made her already waning body as limp as possible.
He may win, but I’ll be damned if I make it easy for him.
“Stupid bitch.” He struggled to bring her to her feet. “Stand. Up!”
“Fuck…you.”
Jenna was fading fast. She knew it, and her attacker knew it, too.
With two hands below her armpits, he lifted her up just enough to reach around her waist and haul