Page 106 of Beguiled

I pinned him to the dirt, issuing one brutal punch after another. His backhand was strong and as he pushed me off him, I tasted blood while stars destroyed my vision for a few seconds.

His grunts were from pain and I took advantage, throwing another three punches, two to the kidney. When he fell to his knees, I wrapped my arm around his neck, dragging him backward, squeezing.

He wasn’t done yet, a hard elbow to the gut loosening my hold. A savage push and I was driven into the trees, my head snapping against the hard bark. Dazed but enraged, I lunged forward again, both of us slipping to the ground where we wrestled, our bodies pitched back and forth.

The slender stream of moonlight captured one of the weapons and he threw himself toward it. I yanked him back by his leg, but he smashed his other foot into my face.

We tumbled and rolled, both struggling to reach the weapon. I managed to get him in a strangle hold again, coming close to snapping his neck.

But he managed to plant his feet, tossing me over him to the ground. Winded, I watched as he rushed toward the weapon, falling on it as if doing so to a sword.

The same light provided me with clarity for a brief second. One foot managed to make it onto the ground and I threw myself forward by several feet, grabbing my weapon and pitching myself onto my back.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

With a deep breath, I remained in the same position, the weapon pointed at his face.

Very slowly, he dropped to his knees, falling face first into the dirt.

Fuck. Fuck.

Every fucking muscle in my body was on fire. Even my bones hurt. I was getting way too old for this shit.

With a hiss, I rose to my feet, taking a few seconds to fill my lungs with air. The strip of moonlight was shining perfectly over my glasses. I snatched them off the ground, grimacing as soon as I slipped them onto my face.

Agitated as hell, I ran toward him and grabbed his weapon before rolling him over. Crouching over, I pressed two fingers against his neck, checking for a pulse. He was dead. If he wasn’t, I’d spend time breaking every goddamn bone in his body.

Backing away, I moved toward one of the trees, leaning against it as I pulled out my phone.

My lip was split, there was a cut above my eye, and the asshole had bruised my ribs. As I dialed the number, I tried to figure out who he was.

“Working late, boss?” Roman said, his voice cracking from sleep.

“Yeah, well, work never ceases. I need a cleaning crew to my house.”

“Your house? What the hell?”

“A straggler. I need some men here. Make it happen.”

“Yes, sir.”

“There’s a black SUV somewhere close. Find it.”

He chuckled, eager for the hunt. “You got it, sir.”

As I shoved the phone into my pocket, I placed the weapon on the ground and patted down the perpetrator. It was obvious hehadn’t walked here, which meant he had a vehicle somewhere. I’d find it but not right now.

I gripped his jaw, turning his head back and forth so the moon could catch more of his face. Before he was dropped off in a dumping center, I’d check him more thoroughly.

By now, if he’d been working with someone else, I’d know it.

Maybe the lone gunman had thought he could handle one woman by himself. What the hell had Saige mentioned? He’d killed someone?

After wiping my face, I headed toward the house, pounding on the door several times. I could tell when she was standing just behind the door. “Saige. It’s me. It’s alright.”

As soon as she flung open the door, she jumped into my arms, wrapping her long arms around my neck.

“Oh, God. You’re safe. I thought something happened. I was so scared.”