I can hear the music louder now, he must be in the ballroom. Probably because he doesn’t want to take his eyes off his pregnant wife.
“She’s gone,” I manage to rasp. “Sadie. He took her.”
There’s a beat of silence. Then, because he’s Asher and he senses danger everywhere he realizes I’m not joking. “Where are you?”
“Outside the back door of my apartment. I think… I think Darien was here. He hit me. I didn’t see him. I didn’t fucking see him. And she’s gone. Sadie’s gone.” My voice lifts into full-blown panic.
“Shit. Okay, we’re coming. Stay put.”
I let out a groan of agreement before the phone falls to the ground and I start to retch my guts up. Of course I’m staying put. I can’t fucking move.
And this is all my damn fault.
SADIE
There’s a rumbling beneath me, and it takes me a minute to realize where I am. In a van, I think. I wrinkle my nose. It smells of… flowers? Like roses.
That’s weird. What am I doing here?
And then I remember Zach. Oh God, he was hit. Or at least I think he was hit. I remember a thud and then it all went dark.
Where am I? God,think, Sadie.
I manage to roll onto my side, pressing my palms onto the metallic floor of the van and realize I’m still wearing my gala dress, though there are rips in it. I’ve only got one shoe on. And my phone, it was in my bra.
I touch my chest. It’s gone, too.
And suddenly I’m furious. Because Zach could be hurt. And I’m here, wherever here is. I manage to crawl over to the metal wall that divides the storage space of the van from the driving area and start to bang on it. Loudly.
“Let me out of here,” I shout. “You asshole, let me out.”
The van comes to an abrupt stop. And when I say abrupt I mean the kind of stop that makes my head bang against the metal, then causes my body to slide to the door end.
But before I can right myself, one of the doors is opened.
“Can you shut the hell up?” Darien says.
Because of course it’s him. Who else would be idiotic enough to do this? Just the man I messed my whole life up for. And now he wants to mess it up a little more. Who else would hit Zach and take me? I know he can break intopractically any building. The police told me that much. That he was faster than any locksmith they’d seen.
“Where’s Zach?” I ask him.
“Is that your boyfriend?” My ex sneers. God, I can’t believe I ever kissed that man. “He’s a little laid up right now.”
“If you hurt him, I swear…”
“Shut up!” he roars again. And for the first time I realize he’s serious. God, he’s really doing this. Whatever this is.
“Why did you hurt Zach?” I ask him. “Why did you take me?”
“Because I need that painting.”
“It’s not with Zach,” I tell him. God, let Zach be okay.
Darien actually rolls his eyes. “I know that. And it’s not in your apartment either. Or your shop.”
“You’ve been to my shop?” I blink.
“I’ve been every fucking where. I need that painting, Sadie. Either you tell me where it is or I’ll…”
