Chapter 47
Forty-Seven
Think, Roxy. Fucking think!
She had no idea where Neal was trying to take her, other than away.
And now that they were far enough away from the house, that she didn’t have to worry about Neal doubling back to make good on his threat to go back and hurt Jodi and Serenity, adrenaline and self-preservation instincts kicked into high gear.
After he’d fired off that warning shot at her feet, she’d allowed him to drag her toward the farthest barn with minimal fight from her, attempting to lull him into a false sense of victory.
But she had no idea what his plan was for her; was his goal to get her away from Travis and back somewhere where he could have her for his own?
Would he kill her? Her skin crawled with the realization that she’d rather die than go back with him.
Forcing her breaths to calm and her eyes to close for the smallest span of heartbeats, she assessed her situation. Her back pressed into his side, his arm around her neck, she focused on her breathing. And reminded herself to think.
Her gun was still clutched in his right hand, though it hung at his side, pointing toward the ground. There was a thick forest of trees that ran on the far side of the property, behind the barn they were headed toward. Maybe he had his car hidden somewhere. Maybe she could run through the trees.
No, that would let him head back to the main house, to Jodi and Serenity. She would have to disarm him, maim him somehow. Enough to keep him down until the deputy’s backup could arrive.
As they rounded the corner of the barn, he glanced behind them, swearing viciously. She swung her head around, too, gasping as his arm tightened around her neck, but the sight that greeted her, in the split second she had… she would not go quietly.
Because the cobalt blue truck breaking through the tree lined driveway, headlights flashing through the pouring rain, gave her the smallest glimmer of hope.
Travis had come back for her.
So as Neal continued to drag her farther away, she knew what she had to do. She would fight like hell. Even if it cost her her life, she was going to fight to get back to Travis. Because he had come back for her, even after everything she’d said.
I am not going to die out here. I’m not. Fight, dammit!
“That stupid son of a bitch just can’t take a fucking hint!” Neal seethed, yanking her forward again. She slipped in the wet grass, her knees buckling, and when his right hand swung forward to steady them both from falling, she struck.
With a primal shout, she shot her elbow back, sending it on an upward trajectory with all the force she could muster. His throat took the blow and he released her on instinct, clasping his now free hand to his throat as he choked from the power of her hit directly against his trachea.
Swinging her leg out, she used the roundhouse kick Travis had taught them in class to knock the gun out of his hand.
It fell into the mucky grass several feet away, but he recovered quickly and lunged for it, beating her to it by half of a heartbeat.
His arm swung out and she had only a fraction of a second to register before the blast rent the air around them.
The shot rang in her ears, so loud it made them buzz, and then the searing pain in her arm forced an agonized scream out of her throat. Her brain went foggy for several heartbeats, pain and fear paralyzing her. No. She had to keep fighting. She had to get back to Travis!
Her left arm was on fire. Kicking out, nothing but pure adrenaline fueling her, she fought with everything she had. Her kick sent the gun flying again. This time she lunged for it before he could scramble to his feet. Picking it up, she spun and pulled the trigger.
The kickback sent a wave of agony through her arm, the bullet connecting with his stomach. He pressed one hand to the wound as he grunted with the pain, then bared his teeth, nothing but pure, unadulterated evil pouring from those dark eyes.
“I’m going to fucking kill you, and I’m going to enjoy it,” he snarled, taking another step forward, and she didn’t hesitate as she squeezed the trigger once more.