Rescuing Jenna - Anna Blakely Page 0,80

down in front of her. “Time to get you ready. Your boyfriend will be here soon.”

“Fuck…you.” The raspy words were harsh, but the hushed tone with which they escaped ruined the effect.

“Thanks for the offer, but I’ll pass.” His smile turned her empty stomach. “But I’m not really into redheads. Garcia, however…he loves them. Maybe once Mr. Walker is out of the picture for good, I’ll let Garcia have some fun before he kills you.”

He reached for her face, as if he were going to caress her like a lover, but Jenna jerked her head just before he could make contact.

“Still the tough girl, I see. Right to the end, yes?” The bastard laughed as he pulled out a large, shiny knife.

Terror stole her words.

No! This isn’t the end. It can’t be.

“W-what are you…doing?”

“I told you.” Matais cut through the rope at the center of her wrists. “I’m getting you ready for the big finale.”

Relief rushed over her as he pulled her to her feet. Holding her steady with his hands on her shoulders, excitement flickered behind his evil eyes as he stared back at her.

“I’ve waited so long for this moment. To finally bring my father the justice he deserves. You can’t possibly understand what joy that brings me, Miss Shaw.”

Jenna had heard what Adrian said about Matais’s father. That he was the man who’d bought his sister and then killed her. And this man thought a monster like that deserved justice?

A plan began forming in her mind.

It was a stupid plan. Probably the dumbest idea her mind had ever conjured up. But it was the only thing she had left.

If she allowed this man to take her to wherever he intended, she’d be used as further bait for Adrian. The man she loved more than anything would find her…try to save her…and end up getting killed for his efforts.

Jenna couldn’t let that happen. And she damn well refused to go down without a fight. If this was her last day on Earth—if these were her very last moments—she was determined to make them count.

I love you, Adrian.

Swallowing against her desert-dry throat, Jenna drew in a deep breath and gathered what was left of her strength. Then she looked evil square in the eye.

“You’re right,” she rasped. “I don’t understand. Because your father doesn’t deserve justice, Matais.” She licked her swollen lips and steeled herself for what she was about to do. “Sick freaks like that deserve to rot…in…hell!”

Jenna shoved the man as hard as she possibly could. She didn’t have a lot of strength, but with Matais not expecting the move, he lost his balance and fell backward. His head hit the floor with a hard thud.

Momentarily stunned by the impact, the man lay there, moaning on the cusp of unconsciousness. Jenna took the opportunity to try to run but forgot to take into account how weak she’d become.

She’d no more gotten to her feet when she fell back onto her hands and knees beside him.

Refusing to give up, she tried again. And again. On her third attempt, she managed to find her footing—and the knife that Matais had dropped when she’d knocked him down.

A low growling sound hit her ears seconds before she felt a hand grab her left ankle and pull. She went down hard, the knife clattering to the ground as she lost her grip on the deadly weapon.

No!

Jenna screamed and kicked, fighting as hard as her weary body allowed. At one point, she felt the sole of her shoe make contact with the man’s face Though she wasn’t sure, she thought she heard a satisfying crunch of bone.

“Fucking bitch!” Matais yelled. His accent was strong, but she understood those words loud and clear.

It was crazy, given her situation, but Jenna felt a smile tugging at her dry and cracked lips. If this was her time to die, at least she’d caused her killer a bit of pain first.

With renewed energy—it was amazing what fighting for your life can do for a person—she kicked again. But this time, Matais was ready.

He grabbed her foot and twisted her leg, forcing her to roll onto her back to keep it from snapping. Crying out—which sounded more like a sick frog trying to croak—Jenna gritted her teeth and fought like mad to reach the knife lying to her left.

Catching sight of it, too, Matais climbed halfway up her body and began fighting her for the weapon. Jenna used her right hand to go for the man’s eyes while