“I won’t hit her.” Ronan sounded confident. “My aim is excellent. Now put her down, or I’ll shoot.”

Shoot?

Goddamn. He had a gun, and he’d aimed it at my captor. I just prayed he didn’t hit my butt instead since it was level with the guy’s face. I forced myself to relax, just in case. Tensing muscles usually only made an injury worse. I was used to guns. Dad had insisted I learn to shoot when I was a teenager because he’d believed women should be able to defend themselves. But I’d still rather not have one aimed in my direction.

Suddenly, my captor dropped me. I landed in a heap on the concrete. Pain burst through my body. The man in the mask hauled his friend into the van and they screeched away from the curb before the door had even swung shut.

“Willow?” Ronan knelt beside me. “Are you all right?” He touched my shoulder, and I realized I was trembling. Shivers racked my entire frame. Slowly, I checked each of my limbs. They seemed to be working. I staggered to my feet. “You took quite a fall.”

“I’m okay,” I rasped, my throat drier than I’d expected. “Sore and shaken, but okay.”

“Okay?” he demanded in disbelief. “Do you realize someone just tried to abduct you from the street? Who were those men?”

“I don’t know.”

“Come on.” He put an arm around me. “Let’s get you inside.”

I didn’t argue. I felt very exposed out here. I let him guide me, surprised when he led me to a room on the ground floor instead of into the offices. He stuck a key in the lock and opened the heavy metal door.

“What’s this?” I asked.

“One of our safe rooms. We have three in the building. Until we know who those people were, I’m not taking any risks with your safety.” He switched on the light, ushered me inside, and locked the door behind us.

I scanned my surroundings, not taking in much other than the fact there were no windows.

“Sit down.” He gestured at an armchair in the corner. “I need to make some calls.”

I did as he asked and listened while he talked to his business partners, then to the police to report the attempted kidnapping.

I sighed, knowing I was going to have to come clean about the break-in last night.

I tucked my feet beneath me and tried to get warm, but my fingers and toes were icy. I shivered, pressing my lips together. A sweat broke out on my forehead. Something was wrong. I shouldn’t have been so cold.

“Uh, Ronan? Do you have a heater or anything?”

He took one look at me and said a brief goodbye to whomever was on the phone. “Shit. You’re going into shock.”

He went to one of the cupboards, grabbed a fleece blanket from it, then carried it across the room and draped it over my lap. Next, he shucked his jacket and settled it over my shoulders. I liked the fact it smelled of him.