Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 60848 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60848 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
One of the guys I’d already injured recovered enough to charge me from the side, driving his shoulder into my ribs. The impact sent us both sprawling onto the ground. Pain exploded across my torso where I likely had at least one cracked rib. I rolled, using my size to my advantage, and pinned him beneath me. Three rapid punches left him dazed, but one of the other men was already back on me, wrapping his arm around my neck in a chokehold.
Through the struggle, I caught glimpses of Penny pulling the girls toward the tree line. Zelda was half-dragging Kira, who looked paralyzed with fear. They were almost there. Almost safe. I just needed to buy them a little more time.
I drove my elbow back into my attacker’s sternum and broke his hold, spinning to face him. Blood dripped steadily into my eyes now, my vision swimming in and out of focus. My breath came in ragged gasps, each one sending shards of pain through my ribs.
“Shouldn’t have gotten involved,” the big guy snarled, spitting a tooth onto the ground between us. “This ain’t your business.”
“Family is always my business,” I growled back, keeping my body between them and the retreating figures of Penny and the girls. That’s when I noticed Andy wasn’t engaging in the fight. Instead, he’d circled around, moving through the brush to cut off Penny’s escape route. I watched in horror as he emerged from the trees directly in Penny’s path, grabbing Zelda by her jacket before they could change direction.
“Let me go!” Zelda screamed, twisting in his grip like a wild animal. “Mom!”
Penny lunged for her daughter, but Andy shoved her backward hard enough to send her sprawling to her ass on the ground. Kira stood frozen, clutching Mr. Hoppers to her chest.
The sound that emerged from my mouth didn’t sound human. I fought with renewed desperation, needing to get to my girls. The three men tried to hold me back, one catching my arm while another landed a blow to my already injured ribs. The third one hopped on my back, wrapping his arm around my neck in a choke hold again. Pain exploded through my body, but I pushed through it, breaking free with a surge of strength born of pure unadulterated rage.
Three long strides brought me to Andy. He turned just in time to see my fist before it connected with his face. The impact lifted him off his feet, sending him staggering backward. He lost his grip on Zelda, who scrambled away immediately, running back to her mother and sister.
Andy’s face contorted with hate. “You think this changes anything?” he spat. “I’m taking Zelda with me. You can do whatever you want with the other two bitches, but I need Zelda.”
By that time, however, his men were back in the game once again, cockroaches down but not out. A sharp pain exploded at the back of my skull -- the tire iron again. My knees buckled, the world tilting dangerously. I caught myself on one hand, refusing to go down completely. I’d never been so thankful someone had shitty aim in my life. That was twice I should have been dead. Lord knew my head was hard, but though I might not be out, I was definitely down. Through blurred vision, I saw Penny and the girls reaching the edge of the woods. Almost safe.
Andy’s foot connected with my ribs, sending fresh agony through my body. I rolled with the kick, trying to get back to my feet, but one of the remaining men landed a blow to my temple that sent stars bursting across my vision once again.
“Should’ve stayed in your lane, convict,” Andy sneered, standing over me as his men closed in. “You think a piece of shit like you gets to play house with my wife? With my kids?”
I spat blood onto the frozen ground. “They were never yours,” I managed, each word sending fire through my broken ribs.
Another kick, this time to my back. I grunted, absorbing the blow, focusing through the pain to check the tree line. Penny and the girls had disappeared into the woods. Good. They knew to head east, toward the compound. Knight would have people out looking for us already, alerted by the tracking app on my phone when we deviated from our route. I just needed to buy them more time.
With a surge of effort that sent black spots dancing across my vision, I lunged upward, catching Andy’s jacket and driving him into his men. All three went down in a tangle of limbs. I staggered to my feet, my body screaming in protest.
Andy was the first to regain his feet, his face twisted with hatred. “You’re a dead man,” he snarled.
“Maybe,” I agreed, bracing myself as all three charged me at once. “But they’re alive. That’s all that matters.”