“Y-you say t-that like I’m s-supposed to c-care,” I stutter, fighting for another breath.
I shoot him a venomous look when his grip tightens. Lifting my arms, I slap my palms as hard as I can over his ears, stunning him. He howls, and when he loosens his grip, I use his distraction to my advantage by kicking him in the balls.
I grunt in pain as I drop to my arse on the cold, wet ground.
“You fucking slag,” he shrieks, falling to his knees.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” I gasp out, breathing hard.
I use the balls of my feet to push back, twisting my body to the side to try and force myself up. I feel weak, my legs like jelly.
He continues to choke behind me yet still manages to snatch my ankle tight, dragging me towards him. I claw at the ground, forcing myself to move forward, but to no avail.
Screaming out, I reach for the stones in my pocket, lobbing them at him one after the other as I kick out.
I’m tiring. My entire body is. Yet it’s all I can do. The adrenaline pumping through my body is giving me no choice but to kick out, even if every kick feels like hitting rock.
Frustration pours through me when he continues to overpower me, crawling over my body like he has every God given right. My hips twist side to side as he straddles the bottom of my legs, blocking me from using them.
“Get the fuck off me, you little bitch,” I shrill, slapping at him with no direction. I hit anywhere I can reach, not stopping.
“It’s nothing personal,” he sneers, punching me in the gut.
“Oh, this is so fucking personal. And you have no idea what hell you’ve just rained down on yourself,” I scream, sitting up long enough to grab his face, digging my nails into skin.
Spasms rock his body as I dig my thumbs into his eye sockets, using enough pressure to cause pain yet not enough that I have to deal with eyeball goo and blood on my thumb for the rest of my life.
A bloodcurdling scream tears from his throat as he pulls back, dropping to the ground on his side.
“I’m going to rip your insides from your body with my bare hands,” he roars, so loud it echoes through the trees.
I kick him the rest of the way off me before rolling to my hands and knees and standing on shaky legs. I bend over, looking down at him curled into a fetal position, and scoff.
“You should have done your homework before coming after me, but then that would mean actually doing work,” I snap, bending down to pick up his forgotten phone.
I race off into the darkness, pulling the flashlight out of my pocket when I get far enough away to turn it on.
Stopping for a moment, I quickly dial Dad’s number before continuing to run parallel to the stream.
“Not a good time,” Dad snaps in greeting.
“Dad, it’s me again,” I pant. “Are you close?”
“Are you dying? Why do you sound like you’re dying?” he asks, his tone going high.
“What?” Liam yells.
“I’m running,” I grouch. “That’s why.”
“Didn’t I tell you to listen to me? Didn’t I?” he gloats.
“Dad, what’s happening?” Liam yells.
“I told you to stay in shape,” Dad finishes.
“Are you fucking kidding me right now, Dad? And there’s nothing wrong with my body. It’s a fucking hot body and I don’t feel the need to torture it.”
“Just saying. Let this be a lesson to you.”
“I didn’t ask to be kidnapped,” I sputter, ducking under a branch.
“Well, you sound like you’re dying. How did you get free? You are free, right?”
I grin, stepping past a rock. “I stabbed one in the leg, twice, knocked another out, and just clawed the eyes out of another.”
“I’m proud, baby girl. Please tell me it was this Fisher guy who you stabbed.”
“She stabbed a guy?” Liam squeaks, sounding closer to the phone. “Why does she have all the fun?”
“No, it wasn’t. I don’t know where he is, Dad. And it won’t be long until Kyle comes after me again. Fucker is tall.”
“Where are you?”
The low battery warning rings in my ear, and I groan. “Dad, the battery is going to die any second. I’m heading downstream—”
A hand smacks into my windpipe, knocking me off my feet and to the floor. I inhale sharply, staring up at the trees and night sky, stunned.
“Hayden? Hayden?” I hear Dad yell from the phone next to me on the ground.
My hand rests on my throat as I gasp for air, struggling to focus on the figure looming above me.
When Fisher comes into focus, stamping his foot over the phone, I glare, gritting my teeth together. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
Pure anger radiates from him as he watches me in annoyance. “You’ve been more trouble than it’s worth. I guess I’ll have to end you myself.”
The kick to my side has me rolling over. It feels like sharp blades stabbing into my lungs.
I blow leaves and dirt out of my mouth before tilting my head to the side and narrowing my eyes at Fisher. “You should never have sent a man to do a woman’s job.”
“That’s not the—”
“Kung fu, mother fucker,” I rasp, kicking my leg out as hard as I can, aiming for his groin. I hit my target perfectly.
A cry escapes my lips at the pain shooting up my leg. I don’t wait for him to recover or pick up the torch or phone. I push up, shakily taking a step, then another, before pushing into a run, my entire body feeling like jelly.
I know it won’t keep him down for long. Men like him always manage to find a way back up.
My dad will come.
He always does.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CLAYTON
The dark sky rumbles with thunder above us, the lightening illuminating the top of the trees. Rain comes down in sheets, making it hard for us to see past the headlights.
If this isn’t a bad omen, I don’t know what is.
Leaves and fallen twigs scatter across the road and car as the wind pushes them around and out of the forest.
It’s crazy, and Hayden, my wild card, who I have come to know and love, is out in it, having God knows what done to her.
Images, none of which are good, are running through my mind. I need to get to her. Not knowing if she’s okay is killing me, and for the first time in my life, I feel a rage inside of me that I have never felt before.
I might be an uptight guy when it comes to work, but I never get angry. I’m not one of those guys who finds joy in pounding on another guy. Right now, it’s all I can think about. I want to wrap my hands around the neck of the guy who is responsible for all of this.
She might be feisty, but she’s small. There’s only so much she can take, not only to her body, but to Hayden as a person. Even the strongest can break.
A message from Walker pops up on Beau’s phone.
I lean forward, replaying the message to Beau, who is driving. “They’ve found Rob. He was tied up not far from the cattle market. Apparently, they planned to go back to untie him once they had the go ahead from Fisher. I guess the kids are already talking.”
“Fuck!” Beau growls, sagging back against his seat. He grips the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white. “It was so he wouldn’t have an alibi for his whereabouts. Fisher made sure all the evidence would point to Rob.”