His level of anger is enough for me to deduce that little time has passed. I must have been out for less than a minute.
He pins my hands above my head, his blood dripping onto my face, and starts to undo my jeans.
I buck against him, fighting him with all my strength.
He slaps me hard, and the taste of copper fills my mouth. “You want to do this the hard way, then? After the move you just pulled, I think I’ll enjoy making you scream.”
He tears open the zipper and starts pulling down my jeans. I’m thrashing like a captured animal, but he’s so much stronger that it’s no use. He squeezes my wrists with his hand until I think he’s about to break them, and he shoves his other hand inside my panties. He probes me painfully, his nails scratching me as he forces two fingers inside me.
I scream again, but it’s not as loud anymore. My voice is hoarse. Defeated. I can feel myself losing, my will breaking.
BANG.
The door flies open.
Uncle Lyle roars, pulling his digits out of me, scrambling off the bed. He pulls a gun from behind his waistband and points it at the person in the doorway.
My vision blurred with tears, I stare at the silhouette standing in the doorway.
It’s Rowan.
CHAPTER 42
BLAKE
One look at Rowan is all it takes. Relief floods through my body.
Everything will be okay. He’s here. He’s found me. He figured out Sam’s plan.
The cops must be near too. They’ll come bursting through any moment now. They’ll lock up Uncle Lyle and the other men who kidnapped me.
But instead of keeping the door open, Rowan walks in and closes it behind him. Deadbolts it.
What is he doing?
His expression is colder than I’ve ever seen it as he stares down the barrel Uncle Lyle is pointing at him.
When his gaze moves to me, skating over my hunched form, his eyes flare with fury and then narrow. Our eye contact lasts for only a moment, but in that split second, I see a hurricane unravel inside his hazel gaze.
Fear claws up my insides.
What now? What’s his plan?
Uncle Lyle isn’t going to let us go without a fight. Can Rowan fight back if he has to? Where are the damn cops?
And what about the other Iron Raptors outside?
I tighten my arms around myself.
Uncle Lyle sneers. “Look, let’s calm down.” His fingers are white around the gun. He sounds…scared.
Ignoring the gun pointing at him, Rowan takes two steps closer to Uncle Lyle.
“Stay the fuck back,” Uncle Lyle spits. “I’ll shoot you if you take one step closer.”
“We both know that’s a lie. You won’t get paid if I’m dead.”
My stomach hollows out. What?
