Their bodies landed against the carpet with a thud, and the hand covering her mouth fell away. But rather than scream, Janie used her adrenaline-induced energy to quickly scramble to her feet and run away.
She took off in a terrified sprint, pulled the phone free from her back pocket and tapped Emmett’s name in hopes he’d pick up before it was too late. As Janie reached the door to the hallway, Emmett answered the call.
“Hey, Janie.” His voice filled the room.
Though it wasn’t her intent, she’d inadvertently put the call on speaker.
“Emmett!” she hollered his name in fear. “Someone’s here, in my room, and they’re trying to?—”
She was picked up from behind in an unyielding hold before being thrown bodily to the floor like a pro wrestler inside the ring. Janie cried out in pain as the phone went flying through the air. It landed somewhere in the distance, well out of her reach.
“Janie!”
Emmett’s worried voice called out to her, and tears of hope filled her eyes when she heard it. If he and the others were already on their way up, there was a chance they could make it to her room in time.
“Help!” She screamed for him and the others from the top of her lungs. Using her arms and legs to fend off her attacker’s advances, Janie slapped and kicked while begging Emmett and his team to hurry. “Please! He’s going to?—”
An explosion of pain erupted on the side of her head.
She was stunned into submission, her limbs growing limp as she struggled against the darkness pulling her under. Janie groaned, her lids falling and rising in several slow blinks. If she could just get his face to come into view . . .
Those hopes were destroyed when she realized his face was covered with a mask. Black. Full-face. Nylon like the kind used by skiers or thieves.
The man brought his face nose-to-nose with hers, his green eyes cold and empty as they stared into hers. “Enjoy your freedom now, you nosey bitch.” His breath stank of coffee and stale cigarettes. “Because the next time you see me, you won’t be so lucky. Until then…”
She squeezed her eyes shut and whimpered when he ran the tip of his tongue along the skin of her cheek. Janie froze, her pounding heart feeling as though it was trying to claw its way free from her chest.
Without another word, the man rose to his feet. A long, terrifying moment later, he was gone.
Thank you, God!
She rolled to her side with a wince, the carpet’s plush fibers caressing her palms. Janie’s arms quivered beneath her as she pushed her upper body from the floor. She was halfway to a seated position when Emmett and his teammates burst through the door.
He, Blake, and Gwen all had their guns drawn. The matching expressions on their faces were nothing short of deadly.
They were ready for battle, fully prepared to put an end to the threat. What they didn’t realize
“H-he’s already g-gone.” She pointed to the door.
“Asshole must’ve taken the stairs.” Gwen’s sandy blonde hair went flying as she spun on her heels and took off for the hall.
“I’ll watch your back.” Blake didn’t wait for permission before taking off in the same direction.
“You’re sure there’s no one else here?” Emmett asked as he stood to do a quick search of the suite.
“I’m sure.” Janie started to nod but stopped short when the move heightened the throbbing inside her skull. When she swayed in her efforts to get up from the floor, Echo’s leader rushed back to her side.
“Easy, there.” His gentle hands held her steady. “Let’s just sit for a second so you can get your bearings.”
That sounded like a wonderful idea to her.
She didn’t nod or give a verbal response that time, but Janie did take heed to his wise suggestion. With slow, careful movements, she rested her butt against the floor and waited for the room to stop spinning.
“That’s it. Nice and steady. In through the nose, then out through the mouth.” He demonstrated the move. “There ya go. Just like that.”
She continued working to bring her racing pulse back down to a less alarming rate, and all the while, Emmett’s assessing gaze never once left hers.
“Better?”
