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Laughter sounded behind the closed door. The kind of laugh that had Shell’s blood running cold. High-pitched, insane, out of control. “Please tell me you have Shell with you,” Rusty said. “There’s someone here who’d love to see her.”
Her eyes widened. Zach turned and met her gaze with his narrowed one. She shook her head. No. She wasn’t walking out. Even if it gave Rusty a sense of satisfaction to see the horror on her face when she laid eyes on Copper. She wasn’t leaving. Zach was right, Rusty didn’t stand a chance here tonight. So even if the smug devil-smirk was present, it wouldn’t last long.
Zach shook his head. He turned back to the door, repositioned the rifle, then held up three fingers, then two, then one. As that last finger disappeared, he slammed his boot into the door. As the front door had done, this one splintered around the knob then shot open.
Shell couldn’t see a damn thing around Zach’s bulk.
“What do you think of your president now, Zach?” Rusty asked.
“Rocket, get her the fuck outta here,” Zach yelled.
“You fucking brought her?”
Jesus, was that weak, thready voice Copper’s?
A thick arm banded across her waist and yanked her back against a hard chest. “No!” she cried out.
“You don’t want to see this, Shell,” Rocket whispered in her ear. “Promise we’ll get your man out of there. Just wait by the bikes.”
Rusty’s laughter could be heard over Zach’s voice. That sound, that high pitched, crazed sound had a shiver racing down her spine. Her feet left the ground as Rocket started to drag her down the hallway. “No! Please.” She writhed and kicked with all her might. One of her heels connected with something that had Rocket jolting and cursing. His arm loosened for a fraction of a second, but it was enough for her to slip from his grasp.
“Fuck!” he shouted. “Z, incoming.”
Shell ignored the men, focused on getting to Copper. By now, Zach had stepped into the room and braced, feet wide with the rifle snuggled against his shoulder. Ready for action.
Shell slipped into the room and stuttered to a stop to the left of Zach. “Oh, my God.” Her hand flew to her mouth. “Copper,” she whispered.
“Goddamn it, woman,” he said, but the words held no bite. Blood was everywhere. The dark red substance ran down his stomach, dripped from his split lip and swollen nose, and spurted at an alarming rate from his inner thigh. One leg was purple and bent at an unnatural angle below the knee. But the most horrifying sight was Rusty on his knees behind Copper. He’d propped Copper into a sitting position, mostly hidden behind Copper’s bulk. His arms hung at his sides, cuffs dangling off each wrist. Deep gouges ringed each wrist, beginning to split the skin. He wasn’t bound to the bed at the moment, but the evidence clearly showed he’d been restrained
Where could Zach even shoot?
“Shell, go outside. Get her the fuck out of here, Zach,” Copper said, then coughed a horrible wet cough. Where the hell had that come from? He wasn’t sick yesterday morning. Now he sounded like someone dying of pneumonia.
“No!” she cried as Rocket joined them, flanking her other side. “I’m not leaving you.” Weaponless and without the physical strength of any of the men in the room, she wasn’t able to fight, but she could still help. She could distract, maybe give Zach or Rocket a chance to maim the bastard.
Rusty threw back his head and laughed. “This is fucking priceless. The bitch stays.” His crazy-eyed gaze shifted to her, but the knife never moved. It remained lodged against Copper’s exposed throat. “Good times in this room, huh, Shell?”
Her insides trembled like a gale force wind was ripping through. She swallowed, locked her knees, and dug one fingernail into her palm to keep from showing fear on the outside. Whatever was going to happen in his room, it wouldn’t be with her cowering and begging for Rusty’s mercy. No matter how the horrifying memories affected her.
She didn’t beg back then, and she wouldn’t do it now.
“Not sure I’d call being blackmailed into sleeping with you good times, but to each his own.”
“Shit, Rusty,” Zach said. “That the only way you get a woman to take your dick? You gotta force it? Fucking pitiful man. See you got Louie there. Thanks for bringing him. I look forward to cracking him over your skull.”
She could practically smell the smoke rising from Rusty’s ears. His ego would be his downfall for sure.
“Fuck you, bitch. You loved every second of my cock in you.” He jerked his arm. The knife nicked Copper’s skin, causing yet another trail of blood.
Shell snorted. She forced her gaze away from the blood. If she looked at Copper, she’d lose her shit, and it’d be game over.
