I dug my heels in.
But he only shoved harder.
I twisted, trying to break his hold, trying to orient myself despite the darkness and the reek and the adrenaline surging through my veins.
Another set of hands grabbed me.Stronger and less patient.
They forced my arms back, wrenching them behind me until pain shot up my shoulders.
I hissed but didn’t stop fighting as my body reacted to the invasion.
Protect.
That was all that mattered.
Protect.
I lashed out again, catching someone in the shin.There was a grunt, a muttered curse.Fingers dug harder into my arms.
“Hold her still!”
“I am—she’s?—”
“Jesus, she’s a fucking animal?—”
Damn right I was.
Because this wasn’t just about me anymore.
My wrists were yanked together, something rough biting into my skin as they tied them tight behind my back.
They dragged me forward, my feet stumbling over uneven ground as the air shifted—cooler, sharper.
We were outside.
I knew there was a back alley.
There was no way they would risk going out the front.Raze’s men were still out there, watching the wrong door.
Rage flared hot in my chest.I tamped it down.I had to focus.
I counted steps.I listened.
The sound of engines idling nearby.I heard a van door slide open.
They shoved me forward again.
I twisted at the last second, slamming my shoulder into the frame hard enough to make one of them curse again.
“Get her in!”
Hands shoved at me.Rough and unforgiving.
I went down hard onto the floor of the vehicle, my shoulder screaming in protest as the door slammed shut behind me.
The air was thick and stale as I was plunged into even more darkness.
The engine roared to life and we started to move.
