There is only time to get our girl, now.
Chapter 30
Run for your Life
Callie
“Shut the fuck up, or I will knock you out,” he tells me, the blade of his knife pressed into the hollow of my throat. My hands are pressed to my mouth, sweat running down my temple, tears flowing over my knuckles. I shake in fear, adrenaline flooding me. My vision is blurry, and I can’t tell if it’s tears or I’m about to pass out.
My hair is twisted around his fist, causing me to lean back to make space between us. Pulling his other arm back, a solid hit lands to my jaw, forcing a cry from my lips. Tilting sideways from the blow, he releases my hair, and I fall onto the sofa before slamming my side into the coffee table. Pain shoots through me before he twists his hand in my hair again and pain prickles my scalp. Dragging me down the hallway by the hair wrapped around his fist, I hear the front door slam against the entry way wall as someone forces their way through it. Relief floods me, breaking through the terror.
Pushing me into the closet, he follows me in, closing thedoor behind us. I cower in the corner, my breaths shaky, sobs ripping out as I frantically cover my mouth with my hands, trying to keep the sound in. Grabbing the back of my neck, he pulls me in front of him—a shield. His knife, long and glinting in the sparse light, presses against my ribs. My chest expands and falls rapidly, and I’m on the edge of panic. I can’t suck enough air through my teeth. I can’t breathe. I can’t think.
The edge of my vision goes from blurry to black.
“Callie, I will kill you. Calm the fuck down.”
My lungs are tight, my fear controlling me. My skin is clammy, slippery. My shirt is stuck to me. My flesh is covered in goosebumps; my hair prickles. My heart racing, time seems to slow, agonizingly slow. The tip of his blade pierces my side, just enough to bring a sting of pain. His hand around my throat tightens as I strain my ears, trying to hear them, trying to find them in the apartment but all I can hear is my heart pounding. The sound of it is deafening. The darkness is too suffocating. His breaths are too harsh in my ear as his body presses against mine. I feel sick, I might throw up.
Breathe.
Breathe.
Breathe.
Chapter 31
Last Kiss
Cash
My hand pressing into Duke’s back, I use him as a grounding force as we approach Callie’s bedroom door. It’s gotten quiet behind the door, and I don’t know what it means. I try to take a few deep breaths to calm my heart but it’s racing out of my chest at what we may find on the other side.
Duke reaches out to turn the knob and my senses are on high alert, for anything. I can faintly hear cars out on the street. I can feel my skin stretched over my muscles. I can feel the flannel under my fingertips, the knife in my other hand, the handle slick with sweat. I can smell the adrenaline rolling off us mixed with the sweet smell of Callie in the air. I see Duke shaking under the weight of our actions.
Raising his gun, he pushes the door open, stepping through in a quick movement, finding nothing. Looking around, he clocks the open bathroom door and the closed closet. We move in lock step toward the closet. There’s shuffling and labored breathing behind the door. Reaching out, his hand shakingso much he can barely grab the knob, Duke pulls the door open, gun raised in front of him.
Despite being on edge from the moment I realized what the text on Duke’s phone meant, I am not prepared for what we find. The entire scene is thrown into stark relief, from Callie’s shaking, nearly naked form wearing only a short tank top and tiny sleep shorts, to the dark-haired man behind her, his hand wrapped tightly around her throat, a large knife pressed to her side. I zero in on the blade as the tip presses against her, a tiny bead of red welling. Her knees are knocking together, and she has both hands clamped over her mouth, fear in every line and shudder. She whimpers and the man tightens his hand. I can see the ligaments in his hand move slightly as he strains. Tears are running down her cheeks, her hands covered.
“Oh, a fucking cowboy,” comes from the mouth of the man, disgust and anger twisting his features. He stares me in my eyes, completely having disregarded Duke as a non-threat. “You been fucking my wife, cowboy?”
Roger.
I can’t even formulate a reply to his words.
“Roger,” Duke breathes beside me. “Look at me, you goddamned coward. I’ve been fucking your wife. Look at me!”
Callie’s tears increase and her eyes start rolling.
“Don’t worry baby, you’re going to be fine. Okay, Hurricane, don’t worry.”
“Don’t speak to her!” Roger roars at me, before looking back at Duke. Tilting his head, he scoffs, “Oh you’re a dirty fucking whore, Callie. I should have known. Actually, I did know. Disgusting.”
Pointing his gun at Roger’s head, in a low and lethal voice, Duke says, “Take your hands off her.”
“She’s my wife. Just because she’s been here on both your dicks doesn’t mean she isn’t mine. Right, baby?” He rubssweaty hair off her forehead before laying an angry kiss on her temple. Her eyes widen in fear before she winces.
Taking her hands from her mouth, her chin wobbles before she says, “Roger, just leave them. Roger. It’s okay. I’ll do whatever you want.” Her voice is hoarse as she tries to breathe. He continues to squeeze her throat until her eyes start to roll back, her eyelids heavy.
