Could she say anything to get through to him?
“Fine.” Placating him was going to be better than arguing. “One person. Only one person.” She shoved at him. But the guy was bigger than her, and even with her being younger, she couldn’t force him to back off if he didn’t want to.
Sure, she had the sheathed knife in her pocket, but she wasn’t about to cut someone.
At least, she hoped she didn’t have to do that.
“Listen to me.” She grabbed his bearded jaw with one hand and forced him to focus on her. “Listen! What’s happening outside is obviously happening in here, too. So calm down.”
She needed to get a hold of herself as well.
His expression didn’t clear. It still seemed as if he was miles away. He’d reacted to seeing the needle mark in her arm, but she didn’t have it because she’d been granted access to the vault. She had it because someone had knocked her out and stuck her with a needle, taken her blood, or given her something.
Was he going to understand that? She hadn’t even told Carolena about it, not wanting to deal with all the questions. Instead, though, she’d had to deal with questions about her and Carlos. As if that would ever be a thing.
Tony pushed her back, shoving her against the glass front doors.
“You need to listen. This…” Her voice cracked. “This isn’t about the vault. It’s?—”
“The vault!” He grabbed her wrist and twisted her arm around her back. The lobby spun around her, and she faced theother way. Before Eliana could gasp or cry out, he had his arm around her waist. Another around her neck.
To the left, she spotted two people struggling over something that fell to the floor. They continued wrestling. Over on the right, a stroller had been left unattended, and two women hit and slapped each other, screaming loudly.
“Stop.” The word erupted from her mouth as barely a whimper. She couldn’t force all these people to stand down when she couldn’t even jog Tony out of whatever stupor he was in.
What on earth is happening?
Tony stumbled forward, and they nearly went down together. He started walking, dragging her along with him.
“Let me go.” She shoved at his arm around her, trying to keep up with his pace. She couldn’t get a good look at his face from this close. “Tony, what are you doing? Let me go.”
His arm around her waist tightened, practically lifting her off the floor as she tried to get out of his hold. Pushing on his arm didn’t work.
“Tony, let go!”
He hauled her easily, as if she didn’t weigh that much, and her feet didn’t touch the floor.
Eliana bent her knees and kicked back at his legs. Frantic adrenaline added a desperation she hadn’t realized she was feeling. Twisting around, she managed to elbow him in the nose.
He didn’t even slow.
Down the south hallway, to the elevator at the end.
“Help! Someone help!” Eliana prayed someone could hear her, but didn’t see anyone. In the distance somewhere, she heard a cry.
Whoever it was needed as much help as she did.
Tony tossed her on the floor, and she slammed into the elevator door. He hit the button to go down, and the doors opened behind her. She spilled back into the car.
He grabbed her by the hair, dragging her back. The wig started to come off, tearing at her scalp where she’d secured it.
Eliana cried out, scrambling away from him and grasping for the knife in her pocket.
He swiped his keycard on the display, and the doors shut.
Chapter Fourteen
Carlos held the phone to his ear while Halstood drove through city streets with the lights and sirens going.
