No Escape From War (Trouble for Hire #1) - Cynthia Eden Page 0,72

friend was sleeping above the bar.”

How did he know? Had he put a camera near Armageddon? Been watching the place?

“It should have been so easy. When I was here before, I scoped the place out. Once I figured out the best way to get inside, it was just going to be about sneaking in and getting my rope around your neck.” He lowered his right hand. Reached into the oversized pocket of his coat. Pulled out a black, nylon rope. It was then she realized he was wearing gloves. “War would have come back and found you dead. Quite tragic, but at least he would have still been alive. Now he’s dead, and that’s on you.”

Now he’s dead.

Her stare flew to War. He wasn’t moving. A sob choked from her. There was so much blood on him, and War’s big body was chillingly still. No, no—

Gary grabbed her.

“No!” Rose screamed. She sliced down with her knife, and it drove into his shoulder. Blood spurted and flew at her, and she wrenched back the knife to stab him again.

He shoved her back, and her shoulders slammed into the refrigerator.

“Your boyfriend taught me this trick.” He had her wrist, and he was pounding it into the wall. Over and over. The knife fell as her fingers went numb and pain exploded in her wrist. She tried to knee him, but he’d angled his legs between hers. “Don’t worry.” His breath blew over her face. “I think it will feel good for you. At the end, when your brain is deprived of oxygen, you’ll feel a surge of bliss. I’ll give you that. I’ll give you the most perfect moment of your life.”

No, he wouldn’t. Because he was insane. She went for his eyes with her free hand.

He jerked his head back, and her fingers fumbled over his cheek. She didn’t have any good nails—she kept them too short, an old habit. If she had nails, she would have been digging them into him.

He let go. The move was so sudden that she staggered. Her breath huffed out, and she jerked toward—

He had the rope around her neck. He’d moved so fast. A lightning-quick movement.

“Not the first time I’ve done this,” he said as he leaned in close. His breath blew over her cheek. “You learn how to get your vic where you want her. How to distract, then move in for the kill.”

Her fingers grabbed at the rope, but it was too tight. She couldn’t pull it away, and it was cutting into her throat. Digging into her skin. Rose could hear a frantic pounding in her head.

It was like before…when she’d been in the bathroom of that cheap motel. She’d heard that terrible pounding as she fought for her life. She’d been terrified. Her vision had begun to go blurry…

He was keeping his eyes away from her. She couldn’t gouge out that bastard’s eyes. She—she—

He’s stronger than you. So you have to be smarter.

Her frantic struggles were just egging him on. His breath was fast, and his feverish gaze burned with excitement. He liked her fight.

She stopped fighting.

“What—what are you doing?”

She stared straight into his gaze. He’d stopped squeezing when she stopped struggling.

“Do you want to die?” Spittle flew from his mouth.

No, she didn’t want to die. She wanted to live a long and happy life with War. Maybe have a kid or two. Definitely get a pug. She wanted to walk along the beach at sunset. She wanted to make love with War under the moonlight. Rose had a million things on her to-do list. And dying?

Not on that list.

She let her hands fall limply to her sides.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Gary leaned in closer once more. Brought his snarling face right before hers.

Her fingers slid into her pocket. Curled around the ring that she’d put there earlier. The ring War had given to her. Her ring.

“You’re not making this any good!”

Oh, she was screwing this up for him? Great.

His lips pulled back as he bared his teeth at her and began to tighten the rope once more—

Her left hand flew up. She gripped the ring tightly and she raked the diamond across his face as hard as she could.

He screamed and backed up. A stumbling step. She flew to the side and raced away from the kitchen. The rope was still around her throat, but she wasn’t going to slow down, she was going to—

War.

She almost ran straight into him. He was on his feet. Right near