The blond man jerked her hard against him. “You want to fight me? Save it till I’m inside you. I’ll enjoy the ride even more.”
Callie didn’t back down. “I won’t marry you, Klaus. You hear me? I’d rather sleep with a pig than you!” Klaus slapped her so hard she went down in a heap at his feet.
Skye’s hand tightened around the grip of her pistol, but she didn’t move. Not yet. Not until Edge was in position. Her heart thrummed as she waited to hear his voice through the earbuds.
Vasquez laughed. “You gonna have your hands full with that one,ese.”
Klaus hauled Callie to her feet. “Yeah, and I’m gonna enjoy every minute.”
“Let me go!”
Klaus shook her. “Henson’s marrying us tomorrow, but I’m not waiting that long.” Klaus started dragging her off toward the animal barn. “You were Daniel’s whore. Now you’re gonna be mine.”
Callie whimpered and fought to get free, but Klaus just kept going, half carrying, half dragging her across the dirt. He had almost reached the barn door when Skye heard Edge’s command through her earbud.
“Now.” Edge moved, and so did Skye. Klaus took one more step before Edge appeared, the barrel of his Beretta pressed into the flesh beneath the Viking’s chin. “Let her go.”
Vasquez started to move. “Stay right where you are.” Legs braced apart, Skye held the Glock two-handed, the muzzle pointing straight at the one-eyed man’s heart.
Vasquez froze.
“I said let her go,” Edge repeated, shoving the gun barrel deeper into Klaus’s flesh.
Klaus released his hold, and Callie stumbled out of his reach.
“Hands in the air,” Edge commanded softly. Very softly. They didn’t need a swarm of armed men pouring out of their houses. “Get down on your knees.”
“You, too,” Skye said to Vasquez, her Glock held steady. Fury burned in the man’s single black eye as he complied.
A few feet away, Edge was disarming the blond giant, tossing his weapons into the shrubs well out of reach. Skye did the same to the man on his knees in front of her.
She looked over at her sister. “You ready to leave, Callie?” Her sister’s head came up, recognizing for the first time the woman beneath the tactical vest and black face paint. Callie made a sound in her throat and ran toward her, stopping a few feet away at the sight of the gun in Skye’s hands.
“Start walking,” Edge said to the Viking, forcing him to move toward the barn.
“I’ll kill you,” Klaus said. “Whoever you are, you’re a dead man.” His ice-blue eyes swung to Skye. “Both of you are dead.”
Edge shoved him hard, and Klaus stumbled forward.
“You’re mine, Callie,” the giant said, looking back over his shoulder. “Wherever you go, I’ll find you and make you pay.”
Edge cuffed Klaus on the back of the head with the barrel of his pistol. “If you want to live, you’ll shut your mouth and do what I tell you.”
Callie hurried ahead to open the barn door, and Edge shoved Klaus inside. Skye followed with Vasquez. In minutes, they had both men gagged, their wrists and ankles secured with plastic zip ties.
Skye leaned over and hugged her sister. “Everything’s going to be all right, Callie. We’re getting you out of here.”
Callie hugged her back, blue eyes full of tears. “Thank you for coming. I can’t believe you’re really here.”
“Later,” Edge said flatly, motioning them toward the door at the rear of the barn.
They were outside and moving fast toward the hole in the fence, Callie stumbling, Skye holding onto her, keeping her upright, Edge behind, protecting against threats from the rear.
They’d almost made it to the fence when one of the guards stepped out of the shadows right in front of Callie, the barrel of his big semiauto just inches from Callie’s heart.
“You move and I shoot her.” He was dark-skinned and thick-chested, his face pockmarked and cruel.
Callie made a sound in her throat and started to tremble. Skye didn’t doubt the man would pull the trigger. The grim pleasure on his face said he was enjoying himself.
