“Hello, Sebastian,” Nathan drawls like he’s out on a Sunday drive and not running from the beams of my car’s headlights. “Oh, how the mighty big bad SEAL has fallen. And all it took was one tiny girl.”

The need to smear the fucking smugness in his voice all over his face makes my palms itch. “Pull over right now and give me my child, or I swear to you, the last breath you take will be you begging me to end your suffering.”

“Talia should never have trusted that you could keep her or her family safe. Now her eyes will be opened to how spectacularly you’ve failed.”

“Pull the hell over, Nathan!” I growl through gritted teeth, my hands cinching tight on the steering wheel.

“Tsk, tsk. You really need to control your temper.” Nathan laughs as he turns left at another street. “You’re not coming anywhere near me. What would Talia say if her baby got hurt in a car accident?”

Grinding my teeth at his taunting comment, I feel a bit less tense knowing that the path he’s taking means he’s heading for the bridge. “The only chance you’ll have of earning Talia’s forgiveness is if you stop your car and hand over our child.”

Calder points ahead and in different directions, silently telling me that Banks and his guys are in position. Nathan won’t make it to the bridge.

“You’re wrong, Sebastian. I’m going to be the one to save the day. I’ll bring Talia’s child to her safely.”

As Calder spins a finger near his temple indicating Nathan has jumped to a new level of crazy, a text comes through on his phone from Elijah. Calder narrows his gaze and shows me the text.

Nathan’s the only one in the car. One-hundred percent confirmed.

I stomp my foot on the gas pedal, sending Calder back against his seat.

When I slam hard into the back of Nathan’s car and let out a snarl of satisfaction, Calder braces himself and yells, “What the hell, Bash!”

“No one fucks with my family!” I snap and ram Nathan’s car once more, metal crushing, headlight and taillight glass flying.

“Are you insane?” Nathan’s voice cracks with fear, his car swerving as he tries to accelerate away from my vehicle. “Do you not care about your child at all?”

“I know you’re alone, you sick fucker!” I look up and the second I see that Banks and his boys have blocked the road ahead of Nathan, I push on my brakes, rolling to a stop.

Banks is leaning against the hood of his car in a leather jacket and jeans, his distinctive bald head and goatee on full display. With his arms folded and a Cheshire smile on his face, he waits for Nathan to deliver himself right to him.

Within seconds, his guys have pulled their cars into place, blocking every side street between Banks and me. Nathan must finally see Banks, because he suddenly hits his breaks. Stopping halfway between us, his car sits idling. He glances all around him and figures out quickly that his avenues of escape have been cut off. Facing forward once more, he sneers through the speakerphone, “Your child is gone. You’ll never find her.”

My hands clamp tight around the steering wheel. “This SEAL has you surrounded. Cut off your engine.”

As Nathan suddenly hits the gas and spins his car around to face me, I push the End button and hang up on him, then look at Calder. “Get out.”

“What? No way am I getting out! What are you doing?”

Nathan’s wheels squeal in our direction and I quickly unclick Calder’s belt. “I’m trusting my gut. Get the fuck out!”

The moment Calder stumbles out of the car, I smirk that I upgraded my car to a sedan with great crash stats and hit the gas. Gunning my car straight for Nathan, I mumble, “You want to test mettle? My balls will eat yours for lunch, you little prick!”

Once we’re within fifty feet of each other, Nathan must realize that I’m not going to stop or let him past. His tires squeal as he brakes, smoke and the smell of burned rubber filling the air. Once he comes to a screeching halt, I swerve to the right of his car at the last second. Missing him by less than a foot, I lay on my own brakes and cut the wheel.

With my car idling next to Nathan’s, I turn my head at the distinct sound of Nathan trying to re-start his car. The motherfucker’s car is stalled. I slide a cold, deadly glare his way and unhook my seatbelt, stepping out of my car.

Nathan’s gaze fills with fear and he hits the lock button on his car several times, but that doesn’t stop my fist from plowing straight through his driver’s side window.

Shattered glass goes everywhere, but I barely register the pain and cuts on my hand. My veins pumping with vengeful bloodlust, I drag him out of the car and ignore his yell of fury and his sorry excuse for a punch on my shoulder. Yanking him to his toes by his jacket, I hammer the bastard in the nose, mouth, and eye before Banks hauls me off him.

“Daaaaym, Blackie! Remind me not to play chicken with your crazy ass. You don’t want to kill him, right?”

“Who says I don’t?” Growling, I pull free of his meaty hold and swing for Nathan’s bloody face once more, but Calder grabs my other shoulder with a crushing grip, his voice cutting into my blind rage. “We have to go, Bash. Talia went after Simone!”

“What?” I jerk a worried gaze his way. “When?”

“No!” Nathan spits blood on the ground, his expression hateful and weak.

Calder’s mouth is grim. “A few minutes ago. I have the address.”

Shaking Cald’s tight hold off, I say, “Okay, let’s go.”

Just as I start to step away, Nathan says,” “Talia’s mine. She’ll always be mine.”

Whirling back, I slam the heel of my hand into Nathan’s chest, shoving him out of the two guys’ arms who’d grabbed onto him. As he rams back against his car, then falls to the ground, gasping for breath, I grate, “If Talia were here, she’d be the one kicking your ass, you psycho fuck!”

Looking at Banks, I lift my chin, acknowledging his help. “Don’t kill him. We might need him.”

Banks snorts. “Nah, this little shit is going to be my ticket back into the police’s good graces.” Rubbing his jaw, his gaze slides over Nathan. “Yep, I think a citizen’s arrest will be my honorable duty for the night.”

“That works for me. I’ll contact the police later with the details.”

As I head for my car, he calls out, “I was going to ask you to pay for a new deck on the back of our house in exchange for my help tonight, but I like the idea of you owing me one so much more.”

“A deck would be cheaper,” I grumble, my hand on the car door.

Banks strokes his beard, his expression beyond pleased. “By far, Blackie. By far.”