She kicked and twisted, but the man holding her was stronger. He held her until she slowed and finally stopped.
When he set her on her feet, Alana dropped to her knees between Kimo and Vaughan. “Don’t hurt her.”
“What did you say?” he demanded.
Alana glared up at the man and said in a louder voice, “Don’t hurt her.”
Vaughan moved the cattle prod to his left hand and then backhanded Alana so hard she snapped backward, landing hard on the floor.
“No.” Kimo moved her feet, then her legs. Her arms twitched and moved, though not enough to let her stand in the way of the asshole hurting her friend.
“You know, I think it’s time to bring back the concept of lashes.” To someone else in the room, Vaughan called out, “Bring me my whip.”
A door opened and closed.
“Nothing says pain like leather cutting into your skin.”
Alana stirred and struggled to sit.
The door behind Vaughan opened again, and footsteps sounded on the tile portions of the lounge floor.
“About time. Hand me the whip.” Vaughan held out his hand without looking back at whoever had entered.
A long leather strip snapped through air, striking Vaughan’s outstretched hand with a loud sound that cracked the air.
Vaughan jerked his hand back and stared down at the slash across his palm. “Son of a bitch,” he said and turned. “I’ll have you whipped for that.” The man froze.
Kimo managed to turn her head just enough to see who had entered.
Her heart swelled with joy.
Rex stood like Indiana Jones in a wetsuit, his hair wet and slicked back, his feet slightly apart. He held a bull whip down close to his thigh. His arm tensed a moment before he brought the whip up and snapped it toward Vaughan. The leather tip barely touched the man’s face, leaving a small, angry slash.
Vaughan cried out and clapped a hand to his cheek. “Don’t just stand there,” he said to his security guys. “Do something!”
One guard rushed toward him as the other drew his weapon and fired.
At the same moment, the guard closest to Rex lunged for him.
Rex stepped back.
The bullet caught the guard, dropping him to the floor. He didn’t move.
Rex dove behind a sofa as the guard kept firing. Kimo held her breath, praying the man missed.
Staying low to the ground, Rex crawled along the back of the sofa. When the guard ran out of ammunition, he dropped the magazine from the handle and reached for another.
Before he could pluck a full magazine from his vest, Rex rose and lunged for him, knocking him to the ground.
Rex landed on top of him. The two men rolled across the carpet, struggling for dominance. Rex was quick and agile. The other man weighed more.
By now, Kimo could move her arms and legs, though they felt heavy and sluggish. She managed to push herself to a sitting position.
Vaughan reached for the cattle prod, snatched it up and hurried toward the men fighting on the floor.
As he passed Kimo, she reached out, snagged his ankle and pulled back as hard as she could.
Vaughan fell. The cattle prod clattered across the floor.
