Chapter 37
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Ryan grabbed her. Spun her around so she was pushed against the wall. He looped the scarf around Lana’s neck and yanked it taut.
She couldn’t breathe.
Max’s face appeared in her memory, kindness in his eyes. His hands, so gentle when she needed it, and firm exactly when she wanted. Lana thought of all those years wasted on being lonely. They’d both waited so long.
She couldn’t let Hearst take that away from them. It couldn’t end like this.
Be angry, Max’s voice said in her memory. Be explosive.
Lana threw her head back. She connected with Ryan’s nose. He shouted, losing his grip on her, and stumbled back a few steps.
Lana pivoted and charged at him. She yanked at her wrists, but her hand still couldn’t pull free. So she threw her knee forward, straight into his groin. Soft flesh gave beneath her knee cap.
Ryan howled in pain, sinking to the ground.
Lana ran for the open door. His fingers closed over her ankle. She toppled to the floor. No. I’m down. Max had said that was the worst position. On the ground with a stronger opponent. And she didn’t even have her hands.
Ryan rolled her so she was face up. He straddled her, his face contorted with fury. Blood streamed over his teeth from his nose.
He put his hands around her neck and squeezed.
“You’re going to die. Just like Heather.”
Lana’s hand burst free of the ropes, her skin tearing. She jabbed her thumb into Ryan’s eye. He emitted a high-pitched screech. She wrestled her other hand out from beneath her and punched at his testicles again. His weight fell to one side. She wriggled free.
Lana sprinted across the tiny room. But she didn’t go for the door this time.
She went for Ryan’s gun.
She grabbed the weapon, turned around, and aimed.
“Get away from me.” Her voice was hoarse.
Ryan got up, smiling with his blood-soaked teeth. “You’re tougher than I gave you credit for. But you’re not going to shoot me.”
Her whole body was trembling. Her throat aching, her wrists torn.
He licked his teeth. “If you had the guts, you’d have already done it.”
She wanted to see this man dead for what he’d done. Ryan had murdered Heather. Murdered Trevor. Tried to kill her.
Ryan took a step closer.
Yet her finger wouldn’t tighten on the trigger.