Her parting advice haunted me during the entire ride. I couldn’t see where we were going, or even move being sandwiched in between two overly large bodies, so there was nothing I could do but replay it in my head.

“Here. This is a good spot,” one of the henchmen grunted. Sweat formed above my top lip despite the frigid air in the van. The van stopped abruptly, and I would have fallen forward if rough fingers hadn’t grabbed me just in time. The sound of the van door sliding open greeted me, and then the even colder air blasted me just as the sack was taken off my head. I was pushed out of the van and hit the ground.

“Complete the job and keep your mouth shut,” he ordered. The door slid closed and tires screeched as they sped away.

I watched the van disappear, leaving me abandoned on the side of the road. Truthfully, I would have rather taken my chances with the dark streets and cold air. I looked up at the abundance of streetlights and tall buildings and realized I was back in the city.

With no shoes.

No coat.

No wallet.

And no phone.

It had been hours, so I knew Dash must have been alerted to my disappearance and the destruction of his apartment. A chill ran up my spine at the memory of the sound of guns shooting and people screaming as they ran for cover. I had no idea where Dash’s men had come from, but it had been a brutal fight—one they had lost due to their unwillingness to harm the innocent bystanders. It was the advantage Esmeralda’s men had on them as they literally sprayed the area with bullets.

I’m not sure how long I walked, but after at least two hours of walking aimlessly through the unknown city, my feet were screaming, and the shooting pain from walking on the hard concrete made me want to scream as well. I considered hitching a ride as if I were on a country road rather than a city street but quickly discarded the thought when the vision of me trapped in someone’s trunk formed.

Although, there was the possibility I could be dragged in an alleyway instead…

“Willow?”

I looked around and spotted a large black SUV pulling along side of me. It was déjà vu all over again.

Shit. I debated running, but the lack of shoes told me it was a bad idea.

“Don’t run,” the familiar voice ordered. I stopped and stared as the back door opened and long legs encased in black jeans stepped out.

“Keiran?”

Oh, shit. I looked around, expecting the van to appear and shoot up the street as they did the apartment building. He never got the chance to answer when a second body emerged from the vehicle. I felt as if the blood literally seeped—no, poured from my body when I recognized Dash and the fierce expression he wore.

Run. Fucking run.

He must have guessed my intent because his steps quickened, closing the distance between us with a hard gaze that made me cower. Thankfully, I held it in and kept my own expression impassive. That lasted only until his hand caught my neck in a savage grip. He seemed to catch himself a moment later and loosened his grip, though it stayed like a collar or a leash to keep me in place figuratively and literally.

“You want to tell me why you’re walking up the sidewalk as if you weren’t kidnapped after my apartment was broken into and my men were shot to hell?

“Maybe you should tell me. Your men. Your apartment.”

His eyes narrowed to slits, but the suspicion in his glare was clear. “And they just let you go?”

I shrugged and swallowed the nagging thickness in my throat screaming at me to tell him the truth. I was so tired and only wanted a warm bath and bed to crawl into—maybe even to wake up the next morning and forget this entire ordeal.

“Angel, tell me what the fuck is happening with you.” His tone was desperate now, making me feel even more helpless. “Are you in trouble?”

“If I were, what could you do about it?”

“I would protect you.”

“Protect me? I’m not yours to protect.”

“Someone has to do it,” he gritted. It was a wonder he could even speak beyond all the jaw clenching. Dash was gorgeous on a bad day, but he was breathtaking when he was angry. He was normally so charming and full of boyish smiles.

“How chivalrous of you, but here’s a newsflash. Your apartment and your men would have been just fine if you had left me alone to begin with. I shouldn’t be here.”

“So where would you be?”

I was locked in his demanding gaze and, once again, fought the need to confide in him. It seemed that all I’d done since he forced his way into my life was fight. The reminder of why he did was a bitter truth I didn’t welcome.