“Let me see.”

“Why?” I back up a step and his eyes narrow before he lunges for me. Throwing the box at him as hard as I can, I hear it make contact, but don’t stick around to see where it got him. I spin and run into the bank then slam my palm against the security panel by the front door. No alarm sounds so I don’t know if it did any good.

“You bitch!”

He plows into me from behind when I’m almost to my office and I stumble in my heels. My knees hit the floor then my chin makes contact next and pain explodes across my lower jaw. When he grabs a handful of my hair and rips my head back, I scream and roll from my belly to my back catching him off guard and sending him tumbling to his side. I don’t have long before he’s back up and when he tries to climb on top of me, I fight him with every ounce of strength I have. I kick, scratch, punch, and bite and just when I think there is hope, he grabs my face, lifts my head off the ground, and pounds my head into the floor causing everything to go black.

Clay

WITH MY COMPUTER in front of me on the tray table I look over the spreadsheet my accountant sent over and double-check that things are as they should be. As I click to the next page a message pops up at the bottom of the screen from Miles and the moment I read his text my heart stops.

The alarm at the bank was activated twenty minutes ago

I was just informed from the officers who arrived on

scene first that there was a woman being held hostage

and I just confirmed it’s Willow. I know you’re in the air.

Tucker and I are on our way to get your girl.

I look around the packed plane and squeeze my eyes closed. I could have hired a plane to take me to New York and back, I didn’t. I never want to get too comfortable with having the kind of money I have access to. I should have fucking got a plane. I open my eyes and flip over my wrist, we still have forty minutes before we’re scheduled to land, anything could happen in that time. My entire life could change by then.

Tell her I’m on my way

I write Miles back, then reaching above me, I press the button to get the stewardess attention then wait until she makes her way over to me.

“Is there any chance we’ll be landing sooner than planned?”

“I…” she starts and just then a ding sounds from the speaker above me.

“Hey ya folks, it looks like we’ll be landing about ten minutes ahead of schedule in Nashville.” The pilot says and the stewardess smiles as he starts to talk about the weather.

“Looks like the answer is yes.” She touches my shoulder before she walks off.