Blaze: A Small Town, Nerdy Girl, Opposites Attract, Protector Romance (Ghost Ops Book 1)

Chapter 53

Simon shonea bright light in their eyes as soon as he entered the tent. Emma and Rory both turned their heads to shield their vision, but they were going to see spots for a while.

His intent, no doubt.

She heard the clank of the chains as he unlocked them and then felt his hand on her arm, roughly dragging her toward him. “We’re going to get that laptop now.”

“What about Rory?”

She didn’t see the blow coming but she felt it when he slapped her across the face. Hard.

Just like he’d done once before.

Tears sprang up behind her eyes as her cheek throbbed.

“She’s staying here.”

“You need to let me give her an insulin shot.”

“No.”

“Simon, please. I know you hate me, but she’s innocent. Let me give her a shot before we go.”

“You really care about her, don’t you?”

Emma sensed danger in his tone. “I’m a doctor. Of course I care,” she said, trying to sound neutral.

“I could shoot her, you know. Or strangle her with those chains. Strangulation is always so exciting. Maybe I’ll fuck her first and make you watch.”

Rory made a sound, but Emma didn’t dare turn her head.

“If you kill her now, I won’t cooperate. You won’t get into my accounts or get any of my money. I have a trust fund, you know. I’ll tell you how to access that, too.”

She didn’t have one, but she was banking on him believing her. Her parents had always done well, and they lived in that big house in the historic district and owned the Sutton Building, but they weren’t so wealthy she had a trust fund. Her parents believed in giving back to the community and donating generously to charity, and they believed that Emma would be successful without saving every dime they made to pass on to her someday.

They believed in her.

She wished she could tell them how much she loved them one more time.

“You’re lying,” Simon said after a long hesitation. “You never said anything before.”

“Why should I? My salary was enough for a nice apartment, and I had what I needed. And I’ve always been careful about my family money. It’s not the kind of thing you tell people if you want to know if it’s you they care about. You’ve seen the house, the prime real estate on a corner lot in downtown. My family founded the town. Do you think they wouldn’t have made a lot of money over the past couple of centuries?”

He was still silent, caressing the hunting knife he’d strapped to his belt, and her pulse ticked away the seconds. Had she pushed too far?

“Okay, I won’t kill her yet. But once we get that laptop, if you’re lying to me, I’ll carve her up and make you watch. Then I’ll carve you into pieces and feed you both to the gators.”

Emma’s heart throbbed as bile rose in her throat. Alligators weren’t common in the Refuge, but fifty-six of them had been released into the wild back in 1979 when they were believed to be an endangered species. They’d obviously thrived and multiplied over the years.

Simon laughed. “Gators in this part of Alabama. Who knew? There’s a nest of them close by. One of those suckers is at least fifteen feet long. He’s gonna be real happy when he tastes you two. Let’s go.”

He jerked her out the door and yanked her to her feet once they were outside the tent. “You get that laptop, and I’ll let you give her a shot. Not before.”

Emma’s legs tingled as the blood rushed back into them. Her cheek ached and she still saw spots in her vision, but she could also see the path to the green Santa Fe Simon was driving. His grip on her loosened as he shoved her forward. She hadn’t seen his gun, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have it.

She imagined all the scenarios in which she could do something to disable him. Her hands were cuffed tightly in front of her, and her arms ached. The bad one throbbed with pain because she hadn’t been able to stretch and move it properly.

She could knee him in the balls. Gouge his eyes out with her thumbs. Stomp his instep.

She could also punch him in the kidney. Once he went down, she could kick him in the head, knock him out. Steal his gun, steal his keys from his pocket and hope the handcuff keys were there too.

Then she’d go free Rory from the cuffs, have Rory free her, and they’d drive out of here.

The vision of doing so was enough to make her want to sob.

Emma stumbled on a root, and Simon kicked her, pushing her forward. She lost her footing, crying out as she fell into the soft dirt of the forest, unable to stop her fall quickly enough with her arms cuffed together.

Emma lay on the ground, breathing in dirt and wet leaves, listening to the deafening sounds of the forest all around, fearful and angry and desperate all at the same time. Her body hurt, her arm most of all, and she thought for the briefest of moments how it would be so nice if she passed out so she wouldn’t feel any pain or fear.

“Get the fuck up, bitch,” Simon growled. He was standing nearby, not reaching for her. She rolled onto her back and stared up at the tops of the trees. She thought she saw stars peeking through, but maybe not.

A shape moved in the darkness. Or did it? She sucked in her breath, her heart pounding.

Could be a bear. Could be a bobcat. Or just a deer.

Or maybe nothing at all. Green spots still swam in her vision from the bright light he’d shined in her eyes, no matter how much she tried to blink them away. They were improving, but not gone yet.

Anger started to build low in her belly, a fire of injustice and determination not to die this way. She wanted Simon to feel the terror she’d felt, to feel the pain he’d inflicted on Theo.

The pain he’d inflicted on the real Simon Marsh. It was a very un-doctor-like thing to feel, but she didn’t care.

Some people were beyond redemption. Beyond kindness.

Simon bent over to grab her arm. Emma knew this was her best chance. Maybe her last chance. He had no intention of returning to let her give Rory insulin. No intention of letting her live beyond the moment he’d gotten access to her accounts. He’d kill her and leave her body in her father’s office for him or Brenda to find.

Maybe Simon would force her to take that overdose he’d talked about earlier and make it look like she’d killed herself.

Except for the cuff marks on her wrists and the bruise to her cheek, though he probably had a plan for that, too.

She wasn’t going to let him do it. Not without a fight.

He bent closer, reaching for her.

Emma kicked with all her might.

Simon grunted as she landed a hit. But it hadn’t landed where she wanted it to, because he was on her in an instant, one hand around her throat, the other balled up into a fist that crashed into her jaw.

Pain exploded. A second later, the forest did too.