know who you belong to. You know who you love.”
Love?
Is that what the sadistic prick of a man thought was going on?
“Don’t make me come and find you.”
Another loud crash makes the walls shudder. Adrenaline spikes. It floods my body, surging around and around. The urge to flee overwhelms me, but there’s nowhere to go.
“Get out here, Evie. Don’t make me punish you.”
I lift the rifle and aim at the door. In the moth-eaten gaps in the curtains, shadows shift as men pass by. Impossible to know how many.
The door handle jiggles as someone tests the lock. My pulse hammers in my ears, roaring with fear.
A loud thump makes me jump. The door shudders. The chair shakes. My grip on the rifle tightens.
They’re going to come in.
How long will that chair hold? How long will it keep the men out? Long enough for Max to return? But he only has a pistol against how many men?
“She’s in there, boss.”
My heart rate spikes. My breathing accelerates.
The door rattles. Something massive strikes it.
Once. Twice.
The wood groans. The chair shifts. I lift the rifle as the chair shatters and the door gives way.
A scream escapes me as a man barrels through. The rifle lifts. My eyes close as my pulse explodes with another surge of adrenaline. I squeeze and pull the trigger.
My ears ring with the concussive blast. The man crumples as he falls. More men barrel through. I squeeze off two more shots and miss. Benefield steps into the room. I lift the rifle and take aim.
The men charge as I shoot. One of them grunts as his body jerks and twists. He falls. But the other man closes the distance. He’s on me before I take my next breath. The rifle is ripped from my hands as I let loose an ear-piercing scream.
Benefield crosses the distance. His brute tosses the gun and grabs both my arms. I kick and scream as a sinister smile fills Benefield’s face.
“Ah, Evie.” He shakes his head. “I’m so disappointed in you.”
A sudden surge of strength flows through me. I kick the man holding me and free myself from his grip. I bolt toward the door, dodging Benefield as he reaches out to grab me. I make it around the bed before he yanks me off my feet.
I kick him. Benefield grunts as my heel slams into his groin. He releases me, and I’m off. Racing around the bed, I dodge the broken chair and whirl out of the room.
The way is open. No more men.
I sprint toward the stairs. Benefield pounds after me, breathing down my neck. He reaches out, catches strands of my hair.
He’s too close.
All I can think about is that I can’t let him grab hold of me again. I yank my head forward and wince as he rips out my hair. But I’m still free.
Still ahead of him.
I reach the end of the balcony. I twist around the corner and barrel down the stairs.
When I reach the bottom, Benefield is on me. His fingers snag the back of my shirt and he yanks me back.
I spin around, stomp on his foot, and drive my fist into his groin again. He grunts and releases me.
I scramble back, then spin again to run. I sprint out into the parking lot. He’s right on me. His long arms reach out and he catches me again. I thrash in his grip, kicking and hitting, trying my best to get free.
I may be going down, but I won’t go down without a fight.
This is my life, and I’m going to fight for it. I twist in his grip, sweep his legs out from under him. We go down in a pile of limbs, falling to the hard-baked ground.
My screams ring out as loud as my lungs can manage. But no one comes. Max isn’t here.
I’m on my own, crushed beneath the weight of a monster with murder and retribution vibrating in his steely gaze.
Benefield punches me.
His fist connects with my jaw. Pain blossoms in my head and I see stars. Benefield’s breath labors as he rears back to strike me again.
A shot rings out. Benefield’s left shoulder jerks and a red stain blooms on his shirt. He glances up. Mouth open. Eyes hard. He reaches behind him and draws out a gun.
Benefield presses the barrel to my forehead and shouts. “I’ll kill her. Swear to God, I’ll put a bullet in her brain. Drop your weapon and show yourself.”
I hold completely still as terror sweeps through