“Where do you think you’re going?” Johnny grabbed her hair and dragged her back into the room.
Rose screamed, twisting in his grip. She freed herself, only to have him grab her wrists and whirl her around so her back was against his front.
“Bad girls who try to escape get punished,” he hissed into her ear. He wrenched her arms back until she cried out in pain.
“Fuck you, Johnny. You’ll pay for this. My brother and Seth will save me—”
He yanked her arms back until Rose was afraid he’d dislocate her shoulder. She panted, trying to keep the panic at bay, but when Johnny began to creep a hand up her bare back, she couldn’t stop herself from trying to get away.
She was like a cat, all limbs and claws, and she pushed and struggled against Johnny. When she was able to stomp on his instep, he swore and let her go.
“Don’t touch me!” She fought him, not caring where she clawed and hit him. She wouldn’t let him hurt her again: she’d die trying to escape from him.
“Stop this! Goddammit, Rosie, you’re pissing me off—”
At this point, they’d moved nearer to the abandoned chair, and before Johnny could react, she’d grabbed the chair and bashed him over the head with it. He groaned and collapsed at her feet.
Panting, she wondered if she’d killed him. Bending down, she heard him make a noise, and he was still breathing. She grimaced. She was considering finishing the job when she heard footsteps. She needed to get out of here.
Climbing out of the window, Rose sprinted into the woods, running parallel to the path that had taken her to the cabin. She ran for she didn’t know how long, but her lungs ached and her breath sawed from her throat.
When she saw a figure emerge from behind a tree, she was about to scream when a hand clapped over her mouth.
“It’s Seth,” the voice said as she continued to struggle. “Hummingbird, it’s me. You’re safe.”
It took her a moment to understand what he was saying, to believe that this wasn’t some trick. Then all of the fight went out of her, and she collapsed against him.
“Rose,” Seth said, and she turned in his arms and hugged him so hard he laughed a little. “Are you okay? Did that bastard hurt you? Talk to me. Jesus Christ, Rose.”
She looked up, and she saw his face darken when he noticed the bruise on her cheek.
“That piece of shit. I’ll kill him.” His eyes roved over her, drinking her in. “Did he hurt you?” He swallowed, stricken.
She shook her head. “I got away. I hit him with a chair.” She breathed in his scent and allowed herself a moment to feel safe.
“We need to get out of here,” she said. “Johnny will be coming for me. He has men, too. I don’t know how many.” Then, remembering, she clutched his shirt: “Jubilee! Do you know where she is?”
Seth frowned. “Jubi? She was with me until Heath came to tell me you were missing.”
That made Rose sag with relief, and she almost started sobbing. Gathering her composure, she whispered, “He lied. Thank God.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He kissed her forehead and smoothed her hair back from her face. “You need to keep running. Caleb and his guys are on their way, and you’ll meet up with them. I’ll catch up with you.”
“No, Seth, I’m not leaving you again.” Her voice trembled as she saw the determination in his face.
“I’m not going to let Johnny get away again.” He cupped her cheek. “I love you, Rose. I’m sorry I was too much of a coward to tell you earlier.”
A sob escaped before she kissed him. He responded with a groan and then pushed her away.
“Go, Rose. Now.”
“Isn’t this lovely?” Johnny’s voice echoed through the woods. He and four other guys emerged and quickly encircled Rose and Seth.
Johnny had a huge bruise forming on his temple, which made Rose inordinately proud. She stood next to Seth and tipped up her chin.
“Have a nice nap, Johnny?” she called.
His face turned red, and she laughed at him. When he wanted to lunge at her, one of Johnny’s guys stopped him. Seth moved her so she stood behind him, although they had two guys with their guns pointed at their back, and two guys with their guns pointed at their fronts.
In a word, they were trapped. And Johnny smiled when they realized that.
Seth took in the situation, keeping Rose close to his side. He cursed himself for not making her run the second he’d found her, but he’d been so relieved at seeing her that he couldn’t think like a soldier. He could only react like a man who’d been reunited with the love of his life.
Seth knew what he had to do, and it could very well get him killed. If it would save Rose, it would be worth it. Leaning down, he whispered in her ear, “I’m going to distract Johnny. Run the second the guys behind us aren’t looking.”
She nodded. She didn’t tell him not to do it, although he saw it in her eyes.
“I love you,” she whispered back. “Don’t be an idiot.”
That made his lips quirk. He moved his arm away from Rose’s waist and then put enough space between them that if Johnny’s guys shot at him, he wasn’t close enough to endanger Rose. Hopefully, at least.
Seth had his own gun, but even he couldn’t take out five men at once without endangering Rose in the process. If he could just get her out of here…
“How does it make you feel that Rose doesn’t want you?” Seth taunted. “She hates you so much that she left you for dead and escaped to find me.”
Johnny’s face creased with anger, and Seth couldn’t help but enjoy himself.
“You’re a bastard, the worst kind of man. You force yourself on women and abuse them because you have no honor.” Seth sneered as he moved further away from Rose. “Is this how you get a woman to be with you? You’re pathetic. The most pathetic piece of shit I’ve ever met, and I’ve met a lot of people.”
Johnny’s face darkened until it was bright red, and Seth could make out a vein pulsing in his forehead. One of Johnny’s men barked, “Shut up already. Unless you want to be shot.”
Seth put up his hands. “Just pointing out the obvious. That your guy is a coward. What does it feel like, taking commands from a guy who’s so pathetic that women literally run away from him? I’m not sure that’s the guy I’d be taking orders from.”
“Shut the fuck up!” Johnny yelled, advancing on Seth. “You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.”
When Johnny launched himself at Seth, Seth yelled, “Run!”
He heard someone running into the brush, and when he saw that Rose was gone, he exulted. Johnny grabbed ahold of Seth’s shirt and was about to slam his head into the ground when Seth pushed Johnny over, punching him in the face.
Johnny swore. Seth heard Johnny’s guys move closer, but they couldn’t get a shot at him without potentially killing Johnny.
He and Johnny rolled, punching where they could. Johnny got a fist to Seth’s gut, knocking the wind from him. Seth got Johnny into a headlock, pressing on his throat.
When one of Johnny’s guys was about to pull the trigger, Seth said, “Try that and I’ll break his neck.”