Stolen to Keep - Alexa Riley Page 0,23

meeting for tea, and then hangs up.

When I hang up the phone I drop my head in my hands and try to breathe. Everything has been put on the line and I don’t know what the fuck to do. How am I going to save the woman I love?

The thought of loving Berkley isn’t new; I’ve known it since the moment we met. But feeling it now in this moment and knowing I may lose her is too much for me to carry. I can’t let anything happen to her. It’s my job to protect her and keep her safe and I won’t let anyone take her from me. Not even that piece of shit Guzik.

“All right,” I say when I sit up and lean back in the seat. “I’ve got a plan.”

Chapter Twelve

Berkley

I bang on the window but Vaughn only gets farther and farther away as the van speeds down the road. My hand starts to ache and the window gives no sign of breaking as my captor ignores me. I try the door again but it doesn't open no matter how hard I pull on the handle. It moves but the door doesn't open. I close my eyes for a moment trying to get myself together as my mind races.

I have to get out of here.

I look to the front of the van at the man who took me. He’s driving down a side road but I can see we’re getting on the highway. He’s not as big as I thought he was with how easily he moved me around. Not that it matters, because I felt his strength. It took everything in me to get his hand off my mouth for just a moment. It wasn’t enough but at least Vaughn saw that I was taken.

What am I going to do? I can’t attack him, can I? With how fast he’s going I could end up getting killed in the process. Do it, my mind screams at me, before he has a chance to go faster than we already are.

Without thinking, I throw myself at him with all my might. But just as I do, his elbow comes out and knocks me right in the stomach. I fly to the back of the van and all the air leaves my lungs as I hit the floor. My head hits something hard and stars dance in my eyes.

“You’ll kill yourself,” the man says lazily with no hint of fear from my attack.

I don't blame him. I was trying to fight but it’s clear I’m no match for him. I blink my eyes as I try to clear the dizziness that is pushing down on me. My head rolls to the side, and though I can hear him talking, I can’t make out what he’s saying. I squint and see that he’s on the phone and I wonder if I should try and attack him again. I might catch him off guard this time, but we have to be on the highway by now so who knows how fast we’re going. It would be a sure death if I tried now. I’ll have to wait for another moment. He’ll have to stop at some point, or at least slow down.

My phone! Where did I put my phone? I roll over onto my stomach and scan the floor of the van with blurry eyes. I know I held it in a death grip before I was tossed into the back of the van. It has to be here somewhere. I let out a small gasp when I see it in the corner. I don’t move, not wanting to give myself away. I look back to see he’s still on the phone. Slowly, I shift and reach my hand out to grab it before I slide it under me.

Now if I can only work a phone without looking at it. I shift again and move it to my lap while I unlock it. I quickly pull up Vaughn’s number and hit call before I shove it into my bra. But before I can say anything, I let out a scream when I feel the van swerve and jerk to the side. I fly across the back of it and hit the hard metal wall before landing on the ground again. I cry out, my shoulder throbbing since it took the brunt of the hit. This is bad. Stars dance in my eyes again but this time my vision goes black. The