Sage stood, her bodyquaking.
“Unbuckle me so I can helpyou.”
“What about the Littles?” Sageasked.
“The what?” Alexandraasked.
“Help Electra, then hide the Littles,” Crockett ordered. “Hurry.”
With tender steps, Sage approached the bed and unbuckled the wrist cuffs. Alexandra freed her ankle restraints as Sage ran from theroom.
After throwing on her dress, Alexandra approached Dracule, hatred radiating from her eyes. But Crockett caught a glimpse of her true feelings. Perhaps she could conceal her terror from this monster, but not from him. If he’d arrived a few minutes later…I could snap his neck like atwig.
“Let me go and I won’t press assault charges,” Dracule rasped. “You have myword.”
Crockett turned slowly toward Dracule. Pure evil stared back. Refusing to dignify that lie with a response, Crockett gritted his teeth and tightened his hold on Dracule’sthroat.
Alexandra brushed against Crockett’s shoulder. “Tie him to the bed and I’ll call thepolice.”
Her soft touch, her soothing words, slowed his hammering heart. He’d arrived in time. She wassafe.
After yanking off Dracule’s mask, she fished her phone from Crockett’s pants pocket and snapped a picture. “You sicken me.” She slapped his face so hard his eyeswatered.
Crockett threw him onto the bed and secured his wrists in therestraints.
“Let me go,” Dracule begged. “I’ll pay you,handsomely.”
“Jase!” Alexandrascreamed.
Crockett whipped around as Jase attacked with a six-inch knife, the blade inches from his neck. He blocked the strike but the knife slashed through his forearm, piercing his flesh and strikingbone.
“Arrrghh!” Crockettcried.
Jase lunged at him again, the knife thrust at his abdomen. This time, Crockett’s muscle memory kicked in. He deflected the weapon with a lower block, grasped Jase’s wrist with one hand and jabbed his other, palm up, against the underside of Jase’schin.
Jase’s head jerked back violently. The force of Crockett’s blow sent him reeling back. Going on the offense, Crockett swept his foot under both of Jase’s, knocking him to the floor with a thud, the back of his head hitting thebedpost.
“Ayyyyy!” Jasecried.
Crockett stomped his heel in Jase’s armpit, keeping his weight on Jase. He cried out. Then Crockett grabbed Jase’s arm and twisted, hard. As soon as Jase dropped the weapon, Crockett grabbed it and held the razor-sharp edge to histhroat.
“I want to do this so badly,” Crockett bit out, still breathing hard. Instead, he dragged Jase to the foot of the bed and pressed his full weight on Jase’s legs to immobilize him. Alexandra rushed over and pulled one of the ankle restraints around. Crockett set the knife out of Jase’s reach, yanked up his arm, slapped the restraint around his wrist and buckled it on the tightest notch. They did the same for his otherwrist.
And again, Crockett pressed the blade against Jase’sthroat.
“Do it,” Jase said. “Kill a defenselessman.”
Struggling to contain his fury, Crockett glared at him. Hatred boiled just below thesurface.
“You’ve been stabbed,” Alexandrasaid.
Crockett’s hand was drenched in blood. He hadn’t noticed, didn’t care. Alexandra clasped his hand and rose. Jase yanked on the restraints, his legs flailing wildly in all directions. Crockett stood and moved her a safe distanceaway.
“Are you okay?” He searched her face, eyed the dried blood on her upper arm. “Where are youhurt?”
“I’m fine. Let’s get your jacketoff.”
“I’ll deal with this. Call thepolice.”
