LOUISE
There was nowhere to go.There were only two doors and two of them—a man was always between me and escape. We’d taken out all the walls so I couldn’t run for a bedroom and lock myself in. I backed away across the huge room, but every time I took a step, they took a step.
“Please,” I said, my voice shaking. “Please!”
They weren’t even running. They knew they had me trapped and they were taking their time, enjoying the game. “He wrecked our grow house,” said the taller of the two men. “Destroyed it. So we’re going to destroyyou.”
My back hit the wall. I was at one end of the house, looking down the long rows of tables. “Please!” I begged, my voice cracking.
The other man laughed. “Nice of him to leave us a mattress,” he said, nodding at it. “Maybe he knew we were coming.”
My insides turned to water.Oh, Jesus, no….
I bolted between two of the rows of tables, trying to put something, anything, between me and them. The one with the knife strolled down the row towards me. I turned around, but the other one was waiting for me at the opposite end.
I jumped across a table and made a run for the front door, butthey darted that way as well. I dropped to my knees and crawled under a table, thinking I could maybe make it to the back door, but they just flipped the table over, exposing me and sending the plants crashing to the floor. I was screaming, hysterical, and they wouldn’t stop laughing—
And then I heard the crunch of the fallen plants as the man with the knife walked over them, stems crunching sickeningly. I tried to scramble away but, before I could move, he’d whipped his arm around my waist and hauled me to him, the denim of his jeans rasping against my bare legs. I kicked and yelled and clawed at his arm...and then the knife was at my throat and I went deathly still.
The other man stepped up in front of me, sandwiching me between them. “When your boyfriend gets back,” he told me, “he’s not going to want you anymore. We’re going to fuckingruinyou.”
Tears were streaming down my face as he reached out to tear off my top. This was my punishment. This is what I got for leaving my nice, safe world and teaming up with criminals. I shouldn’t have tried to change Kayley’s fate, should have just accepted it and wept at her funeral like a good little girl.
No.The thought of that made the anger well up inside like lava rising in a volcano.Fuck that.
I spat in his face.
Sean opened the door just in time to see him slap me.
35
SEAN
I’d arrivedat the grow house all ready to storm in and yell at Louise for being there alone. Then I’d seen the unfamiliar car outside and it was like my stomach dropped through the ground. I’d never felt that sudden, sickening lurch before. I’d never cared about anyone enough.
I ran, not even stopping to close the car door. I burst into the house to see the two Serbians holding Louise. There was a loudcrackas the one in front slapped her across the face.
The rage slammed into me, a moving wall of heat that soaked into every cell.
I was moving before I was even aware of it, long strides eating up the distance between us. The guy who’d slapped Louise looked up and saw me and I saw his vengeful grin collapse. He ran out from behind the table, fists raised—
I was dimly aware that I’d left my hammer in the car.
I didn’t need it.
I swung back and punched him under the jaw, leaning in and giving it everything I had. He went soaring backwards like a car that’s just met a semi-truck coming the other way. Before he’d even landed, I’d turned towards the other guy.
He was still holding Louise, keeping her between us, the knife to her throat. Tears were streaming down Louise’s cheeks and her eyes were huge and locked on me. She was terrified.
Dear God, I was going to kill these men.
The guy was yelling at me to stay back—he was barely less scared than Louise, now. When he’d backed up enough to reach the wall and I still kept coming, he finally realized threats weren’t going to work. He pushed Louise in one direction and ran in the other, towards the door.
I caught him just as he reached it and slammed his head into the metal. He crumpled to the floor.
The room was suddenly still. Louise and I stared at each other, both of us panting. Then she was running towards me.
I folded her into my arms and she pressed her wet, sobbing face against my chest. I thought the pain inside me would ease, knowing she was safe, but it got worse. This was my fault.
