She should never have separated from Jana.
A scream tore through the quietness. “Help!”
Jana.
Running down the slope that led to the overgrowth and abandoned buildings, Rebel halted at the bottom to get her bearings.
“Help!”
A man was dragging Jana toward the creek, ignoring her desperate struggles.
“Stop!” Rebel yelled, propelling herself in their direction, ignoring the thorns and brambles scratching her. Her jacket protected her arms, but her shorts exposed her legs. “Stop, stop, stop!”
Her intrusion halted the man. She ran up to him, balled her fist and punched him as hard aspossible, then kicked his dick.
As he released Jana, he fell back into the creek, grabbing her arm and pulling her into the water with her. Panic momentarily blocked the brief training Phillip gave to her a couple of weeks ago. The cold water rose over her head. Below her seemed like an endless void and she realized she didn’t know the depth of the creek. It was deep enough where they could dive off the bridge and not end up paralyzed or dead.
Holding her breath and tucking her chin to protect her neck, she grabbed his upper arm, hoping she squeezed the right pressure point. She did because she was able to jerk his arms up and away, dive down and then away, before breaking the surface of the water. He was still so close to her, so she kicked his arm, wishing it had been his nose and thankful for Momma. Not only had she taught Rebel to swim, she’d insisted on Phillip showing Rebel defensive techniques.
Climbing out of the water and not caring that Jana was sobbing and bloody, Rebel grabbed Jana’s hand, barely able to breathe. They weren’t out of danger yet.
“Come on, Jana,” Rebel puffed, turned, and ran right into two more overgrown men.
The nearest one punched her in the belly and knocked the wind out of her. Behind her, water splashed. She gasped for breath and writhed in pain but couldn’t dwell too long because he dragged her to her feet and tried to punch heragain.
She blocked the hit and tried to strike him. Someone kicked her and sent her sprawling face first only to drag her to her feet by her hair and punch her in her stomach again.
Rebel vomited.
“Drown her in place of Jana,” one of them said, and kicked Rebel’s back. “She wanted a fucking hit? We’ll take her and use her to see how many it takes to overdose her.”
“After we fuck her,” one of them laughed.
“Alex, why don’t you chase Jana down?” A face loomed in front of Rebel as he bent and yanked her to her feet. He bent and pressed his lips to hers, forcing his tongue between her lips.
Instinct made her bite as hard as she could. The taste of blood filled her mouth as he screamed and jerked her away. Hands grabbed her but she wasn’t going down without a fight.
She swung, sobbing, praying for help, or an opening.Anything. But what everyone had long preached to her was becoming reality in the worst possible way. She couldn’t win every fight and her past opponents, especially at the club, always had the specters of Outlaw, Diesel, and CJ looming over them, giving her the advantage.
No matter how hard she fought and how she tried to escape, she wouldn’t win this battle. They were tall, muscular men—three of them—and only one of her. The more she fought, the more violent they became, focused on hits toher midsection, and kicks to her legs and back.
Until the one she’d fought in the water grabbed her throat and began to squeeze.
A growl reached her, an inhumane sound that only madmen and demons emitted. She didn’t think bears and wolves roamed the area, then it didn’t matter. Because, suddenly, she was free and she stumbled back, falling to her knees.
Gunfire blazed around her and wet stickiness flew onto her face.
She was too exhausted to care.
Diesel would kill her.
Jana had never seen him so enraged, never seen him kill before, let alone so remorselessly. Shewasrelieved Alex and his friends couldn’t torment her anymore, but bone-deep dread rivaled that relief. The way Diesel shot them without hesitation, the growl he released, his unhinged look as he gunned them down...
God, not only would he kill her, but he’d never forgive her if he knew the truth.
Her mind was spinning, searching for answers, wondering why Tabitha had betrayed her so deeply.
Wondering how she’d ever conceal her own role in Rebel’s injuries. Guilt was already eating Jana alive.
