shifted.
“Back away!” the man yelled at the prince.
Cold metal pressed against Jessica’s temple, chilling her skin. But she suppressed a shiver, afraid to move for fear that the gun would go off.
If it did, what would happen to her daughter? Would Helen keep her and raise her as her own? Or would the little girl’s father track her down and claim custody? She couldn’t die and leave her baby at the mercy of that monster.
“Back away,” she implored her would-be protector, her gaze locked with his.
She had a feeling that this was a man who never backed away from any fight. But he lifted his hands and stepped back from the van.
“Don’t hurt her,” he ordered, but his words were more threat than command.
As if automatically obeying, the man shifted the gun away from her temple. Then he yelled at his partner behind the wheel, “Drive, damn it.”
The van lurched back, into the vehicle the prince had been driving. Metal crunched against metal as tires and brakes burned. The impact threw her abductor off balance, and he fell to his side.
But the prince didn’t move any farther away. As unafraid as he’d been of the gun, he was also unafraid of getting caught in a crash. The van lurched forward now, striking a parked car and rocking it back into the one behind it.
Her abductor rolled toward the open door. If she didn’t escape now, she might not have another chance. Shaking off the paralysis of fear, she struggled against the arm around her waist that locked her arms against her sides. She managed to wriggle out of his grasp and through the open sliding door of the still-moving vehicle.
She dropped onto her knees on the asphalt. The prince reached for her, to help her up. But the other man was there, his free hand tangling in her hair as he pointed the gun at the prince again. She kicked out and wriggled, but he dragged her back toward the van.
The earlier shots must have drawn attention from the resort because men were running across the parking lot. “Drive!” the man yelled again as he shoved her through the open door.
The prince grabbed the heavyset man, holding him back from jumping inside the van. Would the driver take off without him? The vehicle slammed into reverse, rubber squealing against the asphalt as it connected with the Hummer again with enough force to push it back a little.
As if he was afraid the driver would leave without him, the man attacked, slamming his gun against the prince’s jaw. The prince staggered back but didn’t fall. She rolled across the scratchy carpet and toward the open door. But the man was there, shoving her back as he jumped inside with her. He didn’t come alone—the prince followed him, leaping into the van, too.
The man turned with his gun, directing it at Sebastian’s handsome face. The van lurched as it squeezed between the vehicles it had been crashing into, knocking the heavyset man off balance.
Sebastian reached past him and locked his hand around Jessica’s wrist. As the driver accelerated, the prince leaned back, falling out the door and tugging Jessica out with him. He landed with his back against the pavement, and Jessica cradled in his arms. Her breath rushed out of her lungs as the impact jarred her from head to toe.
She stared down into his face. His blue eyes were open and staring up into hers. But yet there was something about that almost-vacant stare that chilled her more than when the cold gun barrel had pressed against her temple.
“Are you all right?” Jessica asked as alarm gripped her—even as the van continued out of the parking lot.
Had his head struck the asphalt? Or had he been shot? As they’d fallen, she’d heard more gunfire—her ears rang with it as her heart raced with fear.
For his safety now.
“S EBASTIAN , WHAT THE HELL happened? Are you all right?”
His brother’s deep voice roused him enough to break the connection with the beautiful woman he held as tightly as her would-be abductor had. Her soft
“Back away!” the man yelled at the prince.
Cold metal pressed against Jessica’s temple, chilling her skin. But she suppressed a shiver, afraid to move for fear that the gun would go off.
If it did, what would happen to her daughter? Would Helen keep her and raise her as her own? Or would the little girl’s father track her down and claim custody? She couldn’t die and leave her baby at the mercy of that monster.
“Back away,” she implored her would-be protector, her gaze locked with his.
She had a feeling that this was a man who never backed away from any fight. But he lifted his hands and stepped back from the van.
“Don’t hurt her,” he ordered, but his words were more threat than command.
As if automatically obeying, the man shifted the gun away from her temple. Then he yelled at his partner behind the wheel, “Drive, damn it.”
The van lurched back, into the vehicle the prince had been driving. Metal crunched against metal as tires and brakes burned. The impact threw her abductor off balance, and he fell to his side.
But the prince didn’t move any farther away. As unafraid as he’d been of the gun, he was also unafraid of getting caught in a crash. The van lurched forward now, striking a parked car and rocking it back into the one behind it.
Her abductor rolled toward the open door. If she didn’t escape now, she might not have another chance. Shaking off the paralysis of fear, she struggled against the arm around her waist that locked her arms against her sides. She managed to wriggle out of his grasp and through the open sliding door of the still-moving vehicle.
She dropped onto her knees on the asphalt. The prince reached for her, to help her up. But the other man was there, his free hand tangling in her hair as he pointed the gun at the prince again. She kicked out and wriggled, but he dragged her back toward the van.
The earlier shots must have drawn attention from the resort because men were running across the parking lot. “Drive!” the man yelled again as he shoved her through the open door.
The prince grabbed the heavyset man, holding him back from jumping inside the van. Would the driver take off without him? The vehicle slammed into reverse, rubber squealing against the asphalt as it connected with the Hummer again with enough force to push it back a little.
As if he was afraid the driver would leave without him, the man attacked, slamming his gun against the prince’s jaw. The prince staggered back but didn’t fall. She rolled across the scratchy carpet and toward the open door. But the man was there, shoving her back as he jumped inside with her. He didn’t come alone—the prince followed him, leaping into the van, too.
The man turned with his gun, directing it at Sebastian’s handsome face. The van lurched as it squeezed between the vehicles it had been crashing into, knocking the heavyset man off balance.
Sebastian reached past him and locked his hand around Jessica’s wrist. As the driver accelerated, the prince leaned back, falling out the door and tugging Jessica out with him. He landed with his back against the pavement, and Jessica cradled in his arms. Her breath rushed out of her lungs as the impact jarred her from head to toe.
She stared down into his face. His blue eyes were open and staring up into hers. But yet there was something about that almost-vacant stare that chilled her more than when the cold gun barrel had pressed against her temple.
“Are you all right?” Jessica asked as alarm gripped her—even as the van continued out of the parking lot.
Had his head struck the asphalt? Or had he been shot? As they’d fallen, she’d heard more gunfire—her ears rang with it as her heart raced with fear.
For his safety now.
“S EBASTIAN , WHAT THE HELL happened? Are you all right?”
His brother’s deep voice roused him enough to break the connection with the beautiful woman he held as tightly as her would-be abductor had. Her soft
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