Madden looked past him and cursed under his breath. “What the hell?”
Fury shook Reid’s head back and forth, and he fisted his hand at his side, resisting the urge to tear down the tent. “He’s a sick bastard, that’s what.”
“This had to be the plan,” Madden said. “So where are they?”
“She got out of the truck,” Reid said. “That’s why the door was open, the truck stopped in the middle of nowhere. The champagne isn’t open in there. They haven’t made it here yet. But she’s out there somewhere. We just have to make sure we find her before Tyson does.”
Eve’s scalp screamed as Tyson maneuvered her through the forest. He kept one hand threaded through her hair and the other clamped on her bicep. Her body was weak, the loss of so much oxygen wreaking havoc with her system.
Her mind buzzed and her limbs were heavy. She struggled to keep her focus on not tripping over her feet as she willed her brain to come up with a plan. Running blindly into the woods hadn’t worked. And now that he had his slimy hands on her, he wouldn’t let her go until he got what he wanted.
A chill skidded down her spine. She’d rather die than let him touch her. But she had to be smart. Make him think she was not only willing to participate in whatever sick nightmare waited for her but was excited.
She slowed their frantic pace and rested her hand on the one gripping her arm. “I’m sorry I ran. I was just scared. Please, can we slow down? You’re hurting me. I know that’s not what you want. You want to love me, remember?”
He hesitated, his pace matching hers, but he loosened his grip a fraction. “How can I believe you?”
Twisting, she ignored the ripping pain in her head and faced him. “I was scared. You wouldn’t tell me where we were going. Now I know. You’re trying to make things special for me. I should appreciate that.”
“Damn right you should.” He spat out the words as if disgusted by her. “All I want is to show you how much I care.”
Her stomach revolted, but she couldn’t let her true emotions show on her face. She forced a smile. “I see that now. I’m sorry.”
His sneer twisted into something softer, something that scared her even more, but she kept her smile firmly in place.
“Because I’m a good guy, and I love you, I’ll give you one more chance.” He lifted a finger as if to emphasize the point then linked his hand with hers.
His sweaty palm engaged her gag reflex, but she swallowed hard to hide her reaction.
With her fingers still entwined with his, he brought his face inches from hers. “Don’t mess this up again, do you understand? I’m running out of patience.”
She nodded.
He released her hair and tightened his hold on her hand, tugging her forward. “You’re going to love what’s waiting for us. And we can stay as long as we want. Then we can move on, leave all this nonsense behind us. Find the perfect place to start fresh.”
She let him ramble while her mind went into overdrive. He might prattle on about a future and starting over, but she knew what he was capable of. Her throat throbbed at the memory of his hands squeezing the life from her. Memories assaulted her of being trapped against her bar and his hard body pressed against her.
Then there was Dana. She hadn’t survived to share the horrors she’d experienced at Tyson’s hands.
Eve couldn’t go anywhere with this man. He was unpredictable and dangerous. The moment he got what he wanted, or she said the wrong thing, she was dead.
“We’re almost there,” he continued. “Right up ahead. I’m so excited to show you.”
The outline of a tent appeared. Dread slowed her steps. Doing what he said might be key to her survival, but she wasn’t sureshe could go through with it. Wasn’t sure her body would listen to logic when all she wanted to do was kick and scream and fight.
She had to fight.
A renewed urgency flowed through her bloodstream. He still hadn’t used a weapon on her. If she could find something to defend herself, she stood a chance at survival. As they closed in on the tent, she scanned the forest floor until she spied a long branch near her feet. Perfect for swinging at an asshole’s head.
She just needed to figure out how to get it.
Plan made, she pretended to stumble over her feet, yanking her hand from his to brace herself on the ground. “Goodness. I’m such a klutz.” As she balanced herself on the balls of her feet, she lunged forward and grabbed the stick. The rough wood in her hands was heavy, and she gripped it with both hands.
Tyson’s eyes went hard, and he dived toward her.
She swung the branch as hard as she could. The thick wood bounced off his face and he staggered backward. “Son of a bitch!”
Dropping the branch, she ran, but a hard shove between her shoulder blades catapulted her into the air before she slammed against the ground. She skidded across the fallen leaves and dirt. No. She couldn’t be back in this spot. Helpless on the forest floor. He’d kill her this time.
