Blake flipped over to his
knees. The room spun. Before he could rise, he suffered a powerful
kick to his back and went down again. He rolled, brought his legs
over Scumbag’s. Both men tumbled on the floor, exchanging blows
with elbows, knees and fists. Blake stopped keeping track of where
Scumbag’s blows were landing and concentrated on connecting with
his own. Something sliced across his ribs. Pain built on pain. His
reflexes were off and he searched for Scumbag’s weaknesses. At the
moment, all the weakness seemed to be on Blake’s side. Dazed, he
gasped for breath. Scumbag hovered over him, an evil grin on his
face, a knife in his hand.
“ Time for you later,”
Scumbag said. “After I finish with the girl, if you get my drift.
You get to watch.” Blake heard a dull thunk, saw Scumbag’s eyes
widen. The man’s mouth hung open and he crumpled.
Blake got to his knees, taking a moment
to suck air, fighting the pain. Then he looked up and saw Kelli
standing behind Scumbag’s inert form, clutching a Maglite.
“ Good night,” she
said. “If you get my drift.” Then she collapsed. He caught her
right before she hit the floor.
“ Kelli?” He supported
her across his knees, stroked her face. “It’s okay.”
Eyes wide with terror, she looked down
at herself then back up at him. Pulling away, she dropped, hands
raised as if to ward off a blow.
“ Hey. It’s over. I
won’t hurt you. Promise.” He kept his voice soothing, but Kelli’s
eyes stared past him into nothingness. He’d kept Scumbag from
raping her—hadn’t he? Crap, he didn’t know how long he’d been out,
or how long the creep had been there. Had he interrupted a
second—or third—attack? “Kelli. Come back. Please?”
One hand clutching the waistband of her
jeans, she scooted backward on her bottom until she leaned against
the bed. His adrenaline was wearing off and he fought a wave of
nausea. Already, his shoulder talked to him and a burning sensation
built in his belly.
He sat with his head on his knees. His
ragged gasps were the only sound. He dreamed of a long sauna
followed by an eon in a Jacuzzi. Half-dazed, he heard his father’s
words.
The pains of a job well done are part
of the reward, son. Take some pride that you’ve put your whole self
into the work.
His mind drifted to the time his father
had pulled him and his older brother out of school to help meet a
deadline. The three of them had worked until after dark, his father
shrugging off all their whines and complaints. Few words were
spoken until they got home and had cleaned and put away every
blasted tool to the old man’s satisfaction.
Good work, boys. You were true men
today.
And then he’d sent them in to take a
long hot bath and had rubbed the knots out of their aching muscles
until they’d fallen asleep.
Regret and remorse at never thanking
his old man layered themselves above the aches and pains and some
of the fog lifted.
A moan from Scumbag snapped him back.
Blake grabbed the man under his shoulders. A knife clunked to the
floor. He stuck it in his belt. Despite the pounding in his head,
Blake dragged the man across the house and shoved him into his tiny
bathroom. Too bad he didn’t have any duct tape here—and he wouldn’t
leave Kelli long enough to get some from the cabin. He cut the cord
from his bedside lamp and tied Scumbag’s wrists and ankles.
Dizzy, dripping sweat, he rushed back
to find Kelli. Her eyes were open and she sat on the bed. Holding
the effing thirty-eight. The knife dropped from his fingers.
Another wave of nausea swept through
him. “Go ahead. Shoot me. Just let me pass out first, okay?”
Chapter Five
Kelli watched Windsor collapse to the
floor as if someone had removed all the bones from his body. Her
memory was full of holes, but an all-pervading fear clung like pond
scum. Had she killed again? Knowing the memories would return, yet
not sure she wanted them to, she stared at the body lying at
knees. The room spun. Before he could rise, he suffered a powerful
kick to his back and went down again. He rolled, brought his legs
over Scumbag’s. Both men tumbled on the floor, exchanging blows
with elbows, knees and fists. Blake stopped keeping track of where
Scumbag’s blows were landing and concentrated on connecting with
his own. Something sliced across his ribs. Pain built on pain. His
reflexes were off and he searched for Scumbag’s weaknesses. At the
moment, all the weakness seemed to be on Blake’s side. Dazed, he
gasped for breath. Scumbag hovered over him, an evil grin on his
face, a knife in his hand.
“ Time for you later,”
Scumbag said. “After I finish with the girl, if you get my drift.
You get to watch.” Blake heard a dull thunk, saw Scumbag’s eyes
widen. The man’s mouth hung open and he crumpled.
Blake got to his knees, taking a moment
to suck air, fighting the pain. Then he looked up and saw Kelli
standing behind Scumbag’s inert form, clutching a Maglite.
“ Good night,” she
said. “If you get my drift.” Then she collapsed. He caught her
right before she hit the floor.
“ Kelli?” He supported
her across his knees, stroked her face. “It’s okay.”
Eyes wide with terror, she looked down
at herself then back up at him. Pulling away, she dropped, hands
raised as if to ward off a blow.
“ Hey. It’s over. I
won’t hurt you. Promise.” He kept his voice soothing, but Kelli’s
eyes stared past him into nothingness. He’d kept Scumbag from
raping her—hadn’t he? Crap, he didn’t know how long he’d been out,
or how long the creep had been there. Had he interrupted a
second—or third—attack? “Kelli. Come back. Please?”
One hand clutching the waistband of her
jeans, she scooted backward on her bottom until she leaned against
the bed. His adrenaline was wearing off and he fought a wave of
nausea. Already, his shoulder talked to him and a burning sensation
built in his belly.
He sat with his head on his knees. His
ragged gasps were the only sound. He dreamed of a long sauna
followed by an eon in a Jacuzzi. Half-dazed, he heard his father’s
words.
The pains of a job well done are part
of the reward, son. Take some pride that you’ve put your whole self
into the work.
His mind drifted to the time his father
had pulled him and his older brother out of school to help meet a
deadline. The three of them had worked until after dark, his father
shrugging off all their whines and complaints. Few words were
spoken until they got home and had cleaned and put away every
blasted tool to the old man’s satisfaction.
Good work, boys. You were true men
today.
And then he’d sent them in to take a
long hot bath and had rubbed the knots out of their aching muscles
until they’d fallen asleep.
Regret and remorse at never thanking
his old man layered themselves above the aches and pains and some
of the fog lifted.
A moan from Scumbag snapped him back.
Blake grabbed the man under his shoulders. A knife clunked to the
floor. He stuck it in his belt. Despite the pounding in his head,
Blake dragged the man across the house and shoved him into his tiny
bathroom. Too bad he didn’t have any duct tape here—and he wouldn’t
leave Kelli long enough to get some from the cabin. He cut the cord
from his bedside lamp and tied Scumbag’s wrists and ankles.
Dizzy, dripping sweat, he rushed back
to find Kelli. Her eyes were open and she sat on the bed. Holding
the effing thirty-eight. The knife dropped from his fingers.
Another wave of nausea swept through
him. “Go ahead. Shoot me. Just let me pass out first, okay?”
Chapter Five
Kelli watched Windsor collapse to the
floor as if someone had removed all the bones from his body. Her
memory was full of holes, but an all-pervading fear clung like pond
scum. Had she killed again? Knowing the memories would return, yet
not sure she wanted them to, she stared at the body lying at
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