Both women started laughing, and Gracie looked back at Nate. She thought about what Sarah had just said, and yeah. She could see it, now.
Still giving her the same you’re-gonna-get-it look, she could almost feel his nervous energy from all the way over here.
“It says to walk.” Sarah grabbed her elbow. “Come, on.”
The closer they came to the men, the more turned on Gracie felt. Too bad her apartment was still marked as a crime scene. She and her vibrator could really use some serious quality time about now.
All she’d have to do is replay the memory of that kiss over and over, and she’d be able to release the tension that had been building up ever since last night.
“What’s going on?”
Sarah’s voice snapped her back into focus. “Huh?”
“What are they looking at?”
Gracie and Sarah both turned their heads to their right, the same direction Nate and Kole were facing. A black panel van was gaining speed at a rapid pace.
And it was coming straight for them.
Her eyes shot to Nate, who looked as scared as she felt. Though, she could barely hear him, Gracie knew exactly what he was saying. Nate was screaming at them to run.
“Sarah, move!” Kole yelled so loudly his voice cracked. Both men were waving their arms, telling them to get out of the way as they pushed their way through the growing crowd of people.
Feeling as though everything was happening in slow motion, Gracie grabbed hold of Sarah’s sleeve and propelled her forward as they started to run. But the van was already right up on them.
She could hear Nate and Kole hollering for them and shouting orders. People screamed from the sidewalk, but Gracie’s sole focus was on trying to get herself and her sister as far away from the van as possible.
They were almost to the curb when it stopped directly behind them. Gracie turned her head to see what was going on and screamed.
A man in a black baseball cap and all-black clothing slid open the side door and jumped out. In a hail-Mary move, Gracie pushed Sarah as hard as she could, hoping to at least get her sister to safety.
People who’d gathered to see what the commotion was all about scattered now, trying to get out of the way. Gracie saw Kole grab hold of Sarah and felt a moment’s relief from knowing her sister was safe.
At the same time, Nate drew his weapon and pointed it directly at her. No, not at her. At the man now pulling her back toward the van.
“Gracie!” Nate screamed at the top of his lungs . “Let her go!”
More Criminal Minds episodes ran through her head. She’d seen enough to know if she got into that van, she was as good as dead.
“Don’t worry about the lawyer,” the driver yelled at his accomplice. “This is the one we wanted, anyway. Just get her into the van and let’s get the hell out of here!”
Oh, God. That voice.It was the man from her apartment. Gracie was sure of it.
With renewed motivation, she began to fight with everything she had. Gracie kicked and twisted her body, trying with all her might to break free from the man’s tight grasp.
Her arms flailed about as she attempted to slap her assailant as hard as she could. Any place she could.
The only thing she managed to do was knock the guy’s hat off his head. For some reason, though, that small act seemed to enrage him.
“You bitch!”
In a surprising move, he spun her around so she was facing him. Trying to commit every detail of his angry face to memory, Gracie didn’t see his fist as it swung toward her head.
The last thing she heard before a blinding pain exploded across her temple was Nate’s voice as he screamed her name.
Chapter 8
“Gracie!”
