Stolen to Keep

by Alexa Riley

  “Don’t fuck with me, Peter. She doesn’t have anything to do with whatever it is you want. Let her go.” I’m starting to pace just as I see Sean pull the car up to the curb and I jump in. “Tell me where you’re taking her and I’ll give you whatever you want.”

  “How about you get the fucking feds off of my ass,” he seethes, and his control breaks just a little. He takes a breath as Sean begins to drive. I can hear him trying to calm himself. “Your little co-ed should be fine for a few hours. At least I don’t think Amos will hurt her. He does love them to look innocent. Tell me, Vaughn, with all your time indoors, have you saved any of her virtue?”

  “Goddamn it, just tell me what the fuck you want me to do. You know I can’t do a thing about the feds or their investigation.”

  “True. But with enough money I can disappear forever just like your brothers. That’s what I want.”

  “To disappear?” Sean is scanning the streets looking for any trace of the white van. He’s also on his phone and sending messages to people I’m hoping can help us.

  “I want your fortune. All of it. I want your bank accounts drained and wired to my offshore account so I can get out of this fucking country.” He sucks on his teeth like he’s disgusted being here and then takes a breath. “I’m in need of a holiday.”

  “Done,” I agree, because there is nothing I wouldn’t give for Berkley. I would give my own life without hesitation if he asked for it. “Now give her back.”

  “I’m going to send over the wire instructions and as soon as the money is there, what’s left of her is all yours.”

  I don’t miss the threat in his voice or the chill that rolls down my spine. “No, I want to see her and make sure she’s safe while the transfer happens. You could take the money and leave her with that psycho.”

  “True.” He hums like he’s thinking over what to order on a menu. “I’m a reasonable man. How about we strike up a deal?”

  I grind my teeth together as I wait for him to finish. I can almost hear the sick smile he’s got right now and it makes me want to throw up.

  “Meet me at Burgess Park near the bridge at sunset. I’ll bring the transfer codes and you bring your wallet.”

  “And Berkley.” I squeeze the phone so tight in my hand the plastic sounds in protest.

  “I’ll see if Amos has anything left to bring along.”

  I close my eyes tight and remind myself that he’s doing this to fuck with me. He’s only trying to get a rise out of me and make this hurt. Berkley will be okay no matter what. She’s so fucking strong, but I just need her alive. I can deal with anything as long as her heart is still beating.

  “Deal,” I grit out, and I feel like I’m going to throw up.

  “See you then.” I go to hang up but then I stop. “Oh, and Vaughn, if anyone else shows up, I’ll make sure she doesn’t survive. If I go down, you walk away empty handed.”

  My worst nightmare flashes before my eyes and I want to scream.

  “Do we have an understanding?” There’s a long pause while he waits and I look out the window.

  “Yes.” The word tastes like chalk on my tongue and the thought of losing Berkley sits on my shoulders like an anvil.

  “Until then,” he says brightly, like we’re discussing 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 back door of the van flies open, and it startles me.

  He’s coming for the phone. I try and go for it first but my arm is heavy when I try to lift it. It falls back to the ground, and I look up to see the back door is open. The man isn't there and it takes me a moment but I will myself to sit up. The phone falls out of my shirt and hits the metal of the van with a loud thunk. When I pick it up I see the screen is black and when I push the button nothing happens. Damn it. I don’t know if I got through to Vaughn or not.

  I glance back up at the open door and I’m wondering where the hell the guy went. I crawl toward the doors to peek out and I don’t recognize any of this. When did we get off the highway? Did I lose time when I hit my head? I try to stop thinking because all the questions aren’t helping my massive headache.

  I pause when I see the driver sitting in a plastic white lawn chair with his legs kicked out while he’s watching TV. I look past him to the warehouse we’re inside and wonder how long I was out for. His gaze slides over toward me then back to the TV like I’m not even here.

  I sit on the edge of the van with my feet touching the ground. When I try to stand, my vision blurs and I have to sit down again before I faceplant on the floor. I wonder if he jerked the van on purpose with the intention of k
nocking me around.

  “Concussion,” he says lazily, not bothering to look my way.

  I rub the back of my head and I’m happy when I don’t feel any blood. I’m going to have a bump for sure, but it doesn’t matter if I don’t live. I think he’s right though. I might have a concussion or I might be losing my mind because this was weird.

  “Where am I?” I ask. I stand again, and this time I don’t feel so dizzy.

  “Doesn’t matter. If you run I’ll knock you out.”

  My stomach turns at the thought of being knocked out again. I have no idea of what’s going on but I’m pretty sure I lost a few minutes in the van because all the pieces aren’t coming together.

  “You’re not going to kill me?”

  “Worth more alive.” He shrugs. “If you’re good at it, never do it for free.”

  “And you’re good at killing?” This time when he flicks that lazy gaze my way he smirks and a chill goes down my spine.

  The look in his eyes is cold, letting me know he isn’t just good at it, he enjoys it. I swallow, thinking maybe I should just sit back down for now.

  My phone drops and hits the concrete and I stare down at the cracked screen as it comes to life. I gasp and go for it just as I hear the guy move. Not bothering to look his way, I snatch it up and take off on a dead run, trying to call Vaughn at the same time. The phone almost slips from my hold as I hit the call button. I look up to see I’m almost to a wall but don’t see any doors. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going, I was only trying to make the call.

  I scream when his body collides with mine and he tackles me to the ground. The phone goes flying out of my hand and I scramble to get away. His hand wraps around my ankle and pulls me to him as I scream.

  “Cool it,” he shouts, coming over me, and I keep on screaming, kicking and punching him.

  The oxygen leaves my lungs and my scream is silenced when his hand wraps around my throat. I freeze under his hold when black spots form in my vision and my eyes meet his dark gaze. I pull on his arm but it doesn’t move and I feel like I’m going to pass out.

  Panic takes over as I pull harder, but his body pushes into mine, and I swear he’s turned on right now. Adrenaline rushes through me and I jerk hard, bringing my knee up and getting him right in the crotch. He groans and his hold loosens from around my neck. I gasp for air as he rolls off me and I roll in the opposite direction and on top of my phone. I still think I’m going to pass out or vomit but I’m not sure which.

  “If you run I’ll shoot you,” he says, and his words are pained.

  I’m not going to run. I don’t have the strength and I’m not even sure I could stand right now. My hand wraps around the phone and with all that I have left inside me there’s one last thing I can do. That I need to do.

  “Vaughn?” I say his name as I bring my phone to my ear. I think I hear him say mine but maybe I’m dreaming it. “I love you,” I whisper before I pass out.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Vaughn

  I’m standing on the edge of the bridge waiting for the sun to set. The past few hours have been the longest and worst of my life, and I’m praying that soon enough this will all be over and I’ll have Berkley back in my arms.

  Berkley.

  That phone call with her screaming and then telling me she loves me before the line went dead almost killed me. I don’t have any reassurance that she’s still alive, but I’m clinging to hope. Hope that she would fight to stay alive long enough to get back to me. That my will is strong enough for the both of us.

  I hear the sound of faint laughter and see a couple on a date a good distance away. They’ve got a picnic blanket spread out and are drinking wine. My mind changes the image to Berkley and me together, and I wonder what her face would look like in the sunset. If her hair would glow like it did when I watched her walk on the beach. Would she smile at me like she did when she woke up in my arms?

  The couple is too far away to hear anything if I called out to them, and on the other side I see a group of people playing soccer. This isn’t a secluded park by any measure and I have no doubt Guzik did this by design. If there are a lot of witnesses then the chance things go badly is slim. There are also easy ways for him to disappear into a crowd if it does.

  The automatic lights come on around the park as the sun sets. I can see the couple is packing up their basket and then I catch movement out of the corner of my eye.

  In the distance I see Berkley, with a man beside her holding her close. I’m guessing that’s Amos. He’s got his arm wrapped around her and his other hand at her side holding what I can only assume is a gun. I step forward on the bridge and Guzik appears with his hands in front of him. The bridge is only about fifteen feet or so long, but it’s too much distance for me.

  “That’s close enough,” he says coolly as he moves beside Berkley and Amos on the other side of her. “Did you come alone?”

  “You’ve had your scouts here for hours. You tell me.” I clench my fists at my side, desperate to get to my girl.

  “I see you did your homework. My men reported you arrived alone, so you must be smarter than you look.” He smiles at me like we’re old friends and he’s not a criminal.

  “You okay, sweet thing?” I look Berkley right in the eyes and she swallows hard before she nods. “I’m going to get you out of here just as soon as I can.”

  The man holding Berkley grunts as he holds her tighter and I think she may have just elbowed him. I want to tell her to be still but also I want to tell her to rip his throat out.

  “How touching.” Guzik rolls his eyes as he enters in some numbers on his phone. “I have the wire codes. Let’s get this over with.”

  I hold up my tablet with what he needs on it. “Send her over and it’s all yours.”

  He makes a tsking sound as he shakes his head. “I think we’ll make sure this goes through first.”

  I take a step toward him as he walks to me and we end up meeting halfway. “There’s no need to threaten her. I told you I’d give you whatever you wanted in exchange for her.”

  “I hope she’s worth it.” His smile is greasy and I want to rip it off his face.

  I keep my eyes on Berkley while he takes the tablet and enters in the information he needs. I don’t bother to see how many zeros he adds because it doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is my heart on the other side of this bridge and keeping her safe.

  “There, that wasn’t so bad, now was it?” He hands me my tablet as he tucks his phone away and turns around. “Let’s go.”

  When I see Amos tug Berkley away from the bridge, my adrenaline spikes. “Wait, we had a deal!”

  “Just a little insurance,” Guzik calls over his shoulder as he keeps on walking.

  “Vaughn!” she shouts, and Amos releases her long enough to backhand her across the face.

  Rage boils inside of me and I rush forward just as a loud boom goes off.

  Guzik and Amos are startled and begin to take cover as the fireworks go off overhead. It’s just the distraction I need as I knock Guzik down and trample over him to get to my woman.

  “Get down!” I shout, and blessedly Berkley does as I say and hits the deck.

  Amos reaches back and grabs his gun and it feels like my legs are made of lead. But instead of going for him, I move straight to Berkley and blanket her with my body as more fireworks go off. Only this time it comes with gunfire from the people surrounding us.

  As I cover Berkley’s body with my own, I look over in time to see the couple on the picnic have drawn their weapons and are firing on Guzik’s men in the nearby bushes. They were a plant from the FBI, along with the guys playing soccer on the field across from us. They’ve managed to take down spies around us that were waiting on me to react. I gave Guzik’s men what they wanted but we had a few tricks up our sleeves. As soon as I called the FBI and told them my plan, they were on it. They’ve had people here all day waiting for the moment to light the fireworks as a decoy and th
en take down the remaining members of Guzik’s gang.

  My ears ring in the silence that follows the gunfire and I look over to see Amos on the ground next to us with his eyes open and blood coming out of his mouth. When I glance back at the bridge, I see Guzik on his knees with his hands behind his head as the Feds read him his rights.

  “Berkley, answer me,” I say and roll her over so I can look into her eyes.

  “I’m okay,” she says softly. The second our eyes meet she bursts into tears.

  “Shhh, I’ve got you. It’s all over.” I pull her against my body and kiss her head as the medical team comes over to where we are.

  The dispatcher comes over and asks a ton of questions, but I just ignore him as I rock Berkley against me. “Mr. Warsaw, we’re going to need you to let her go.”

  “Never,” I mumble, closing my eyes and holding her tighter against me. “Never.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Berkley

  “I’m fine,” I tell Vaughn for the millionth time.

  I fight a small smile because I know he doesn't find any of this funny. I’m not smiling because I do, but because of how much he’s taking care of me. He hasn't told me he loves me but I can see it in his actions. His whole face changed on that bridge when he saw me and there was no sign of laidback Vaughn. The man who’s quick to make everyone laugh walked through hell to get to me.

  He didn't care that he could’ve lost his own life and it’s clear I’m the only thing that matters. He was willing to hand over everything he had for me, including his life, to make sure I was okay.

  “I just want the test results back to be sure. Head injuries are serious.” He walks over and cups my face, then inspects the small cut on my forehead. I’m not sure when I got it because I was tossed around so much. I’m not feeling anything after whatever the doctors put in my IV. I’m on cloud nine and not just because of the meds but because Vaughn is here. I was so scared I’d never see him again.