he wanted to slam it. What happened to her on that truck? He didn’t want to think about her having been assaulted. But something was different.
Her off-the-charts sexuality had always left a distinct impression of über confidence and competence. Yes, some of that was a defense mechanism, but against what? Tonight, and in that hotel room in Constantine, she’d acted anything but experienced. She’d looked scared.
He flipped on the shower and stripped off his clothes, placing his loaded Glock on the bathroom counter. What had happened to her? And when? Was it the kidnapping in Niamey or something earlier? His gut churned thinking about the possibilities.
He unbuttoned and stepped out of his jeans to climb under the water’s soothing spray, happy to be in a hotel room with real water pressure. He poured shampoo in the palm of his hand. Looking down, he shook his head and took care to adjust the temperature to a less than comfortable cool.
He needed a new approach to deal with her until he got her home. He didn’t want to wind up traumatizing her further. If she’d been raped on that truck, he needed to know. It made him crazy to think of someone hurting her, but he was just going to have to deal. And he was going to have to talk with her about what had happened, despite how uncomfortable the discussion might be for both of them, particularly as it now seemed they were going to be together for at least another twenty-four hours.
He was rinsing the shampoo from his hair and practicing ways he might start the conversation when he heard what sounded like a scream cut short. He jumped from the shower. Not bothering with a towel, he grabbed his gun from the bathroom counter before charging into the bedroom.
A huge man wearing a New York Knicks sweatshirt had an arm around Sassy’s neck, cutting off her oxygen. He wasn’t trying to take her anywhere, he was just trying to kill her right there in the hotel room. But she was struggling mightily. So much so that Bryan couldn’t shoot for fear of hitting her. When he saw her nose bleeding, Bryan pushed down the black rage exploding inside his chest.
Knick’s Fan glanced up as Bryan burst through the door, paying no attention to his undressed state but focusing instead on the .9mm in his hand. The intruder pulled Sassy more directly in front of him to prevent Bryan from taking a shot. At the same time, the man tightened his hold on her windpipe.
But Sassy had learned to fight and wrestle as a young girl, and now she was using all kinds of dirty tricks she’d learned from both Bryan and Trey. She lifted her knee and rammed her foot backward and up, popping Knick’s Fan in the kneecap, causing the man to go down.
Bryan was on him in an instant. Despite his wanting to kill the guy outright for hurting Sassy, using a gun here was not the ideal solution. Besides, Bryan needed to know why Knick’s Fan was after them, and how he’d known where to find them.
Bryan and the man wrestled on the ground, both getting in some good licks. Bryan’s nose was bloody and Knick’s Fan had several cracked teeth when Sassy picked up the lamp on the bedside table and tried to conk her attacker in the head. Knick’s Fan twisted just as she brought the lamp down, and Bryan ended up getting hit instead.
His hold on Knick’s Fan loosened as his vision dimmed. Knick’s Fan got a lethal grip on Bryan’s throat, pressing into the soft flesh beside his Adam’s apple with one hand. Bryan twisted and rolled, then turned and managed to get his hands on either side of Knick’s Fan’s head.
He had to keep this guy alive so he could find out what the hell this was all about. But now Knick’s Fan had a wicked-looking knife in his grasp. He’d pulled it when Bryan was dazed from Sassy’s unintended lamp shot.
Knick’s Fan drew the knife back to jab at Bryan’s belly, and there was no choice. Bryan jerked his hands to the side and heard the sickening snap of the man’s neck.
Her off-the-charts sexuality had always left a distinct impression of über confidence and competence. Yes, some of that was a defense mechanism, but against what? Tonight, and in that hotel room in Constantine, she’d acted anything but experienced. She’d looked scared.
He flipped on the shower and stripped off his clothes, placing his loaded Glock on the bathroom counter. What had happened to her? And when? Was it the kidnapping in Niamey or something earlier? His gut churned thinking about the possibilities.
He unbuttoned and stepped out of his jeans to climb under the water’s soothing spray, happy to be in a hotel room with real water pressure. He poured shampoo in the palm of his hand. Looking down, he shook his head and took care to adjust the temperature to a less than comfortable cool.
He needed a new approach to deal with her until he got her home. He didn’t want to wind up traumatizing her further. If she’d been raped on that truck, he needed to know. It made him crazy to think of someone hurting her, but he was just going to have to deal. And he was going to have to talk with her about what had happened, despite how uncomfortable the discussion might be for both of them, particularly as it now seemed they were going to be together for at least another twenty-four hours.
He was rinsing the shampoo from his hair and practicing ways he might start the conversation when he heard what sounded like a scream cut short. He jumped from the shower. Not bothering with a towel, he grabbed his gun from the bathroom counter before charging into the bedroom.
A huge man wearing a New York Knicks sweatshirt had an arm around Sassy’s neck, cutting off her oxygen. He wasn’t trying to take her anywhere, he was just trying to kill her right there in the hotel room. But she was struggling mightily. So much so that Bryan couldn’t shoot for fear of hitting her. When he saw her nose bleeding, Bryan pushed down the black rage exploding inside his chest.
Knick’s Fan glanced up as Bryan burst through the door, paying no attention to his undressed state but focusing instead on the .9mm in his hand. The intruder pulled Sassy more directly in front of him to prevent Bryan from taking a shot. At the same time, the man tightened his hold on her windpipe.
But Sassy had learned to fight and wrestle as a young girl, and now she was using all kinds of dirty tricks she’d learned from both Bryan and Trey. She lifted her knee and rammed her foot backward and up, popping Knick’s Fan in the kneecap, causing the man to go down.
Bryan was on him in an instant. Despite his wanting to kill the guy outright for hurting Sassy, using a gun here was not the ideal solution. Besides, Bryan needed to know why Knick’s Fan was after them, and how he’d known where to find them.
Bryan and the man wrestled on the ground, both getting in some good licks. Bryan’s nose was bloody and Knick’s Fan had several cracked teeth when Sassy picked up the lamp on the bedside table and tried to conk her attacker in the head. Knick’s Fan twisted just as she brought the lamp down, and Bryan ended up getting hit instead.
His hold on Knick’s Fan loosened as his vision dimmed. Knick’s Fan got a lethal grip on Bryan’s throat, pressing into the soft flesh beside his Adam’s apple with one hand. Bryan twisted and rolled, then turned and managed to get his hands on either side of Knick’s Fan’s head.
He had to keep this guy alive so he could find out what the hell this was all about. But now Knick’s Fan had a wicked-looking knife in his grasp. He’d pulled it when Bryan was dazed from Sassy’s unintended lamp shot.
Knick’s Fan drew the knife back to jab at Bryan’s belly, and there was no choice. Bryan jerked his hands to the side and heard the sickening snap of the man’s neck.
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