Tinker threw his head back, laughing at his obviously weak threat.He opened his mouth to say something else when the front door opened and Lyle stuck his head inside.“You got a minute?”
Jed watched a muscle in Tinker’s jaw jump at having been interrupted.
“It’s Snake.”
After a count of three, he stepped outside with Lyle.
“Jed?Look at me.”Sadie’s sweet voice drew him back from the black edges trying to seep into his vision.Even with tears running down her cheeks, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
“It’ll be okay, baby.Race is on the way.”Then he frowned as he wondered if she still had the phone on her.“Do you still?”his eyes dipped to her boot.
She nodded quickly.“Yes.”She licked the tears from her upper lip.“I can’t believe he stabbed you.Why would you provoke him like that?”
His head felt heavy, like it was hard for his neck to bear the weight any longer.“Because I would do anything to keep him from hurting you.Even knowing what he would do to me.”His head dropped forward, and his eyes felt so heavy, he just wanted to sleep for a minute.
“Jed.Jed!”
He shook his head and blinked his eyes a few times.He finally got his head to raise.
“I love you so much, Jed.Please hold on.Please don’t leave me,” she begged.
“I love you, too, baby.I’ll try.You do whatever it takes to stay alive long enough for Race to make it here.You understand?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“I mean it.Whatever it takes.”
The door opened, and Tinker returned.His jaw tightened as he tried to reel in his obvious frustration.Something happened.Was Race here?
“Snake wanting to come back inside already?”Jed’s voice sounded weak to his own ears.If the club didn’t hurry up, he could bleed out.Then what would happen to Sadie?
“Fucking pussy took off.He couldn’t handle the cold.”Tinker ran a hand over his beard, appearing to be thinking.
“It’s hard to find good help today, right?”He coughed, his energy fading.Hang on.Hang on, he told himself.
“I wanted to drag this out a little longer, but I have a feeling Race won’t be far behind you.”Moving back to Sadie, he held his knife in front of her.“I’m going to untie you.If you try anything I’m going to help you out with that baby situation you’ve got going on.Get me?”He pressed the tip of the knife to her stomach just enough to nick her.A drop of blood formed a bead before slowly sliding down her belly.
She gasped and tried to shrink back from him, but had nowhere to go.“Yes.I understand you.”
“Good.”He made quick work of cutting her loose.“Now get up.”
She got to her feet slowly, her shirt falling open.There was a thin pink line where Tinker had cut her, mocking Jed’s inability to protect her.
“Take off your clothes,” Tinker commanded.He’d traded his knife for his gun.
She glanced Jed’s way, her cheeks pink from embarrassment, her eyes reflecting how badly she wanted to kill Tinker.He gave her a nod, telling her it was okay and not to fight the man who was probably going to rape her.She had to stay alive, and she had to think of the baby until the club got here to rescue her.Whether he was still alive when they got her was another story.He felt his strength fading fast.Sweat formed on his brow, and it was getting harder and harder to keep his eyes open.
Sadie’s mouth formed a grim line as she let her ruined shirt fall to the floor.She held her head high, defiant even as she did as she was instructed.Shit.She was going to have to take off her boots to remove her jeans.Tinker was going to find the phone.Would he be smart enough to know her phone could be traced?That they had a computer genius at their disposal who could do it?
She shimmied her pants down her legs, having to stop because of her boots.“I need to sit down to get my boots off.”
Tinker nodded.Jed hated the hungry gleam in his eyes.Like he couldn’t wait to eat her up.Only he wouldn’t be nice or gentle about it.Tinker had a reputation for being especially violent with his women.He got off on hurting them.The more they fought, the better he liked it.
She sat down, bunching her jeans down over her boots, slipping her feet out without dislodging the phone.Good girl.Maybe it was tangled in the folds of her pants?He didn’t know and didn’t care as long as Tinker didn’t find it.
Jed jerked his head up immediately as it fell forward.Fuck.Tinker had Sadie over on the couch.He had her pinned down, and she was struggling against him.He saw Tinker backhand her, splitting her lip.The sound of her screams sent shivers of anger down his spine, but there was nothing he could do.
Then there was only darkness.
