Page 16 of His Witness

He takes the knife and before I can prepare myself he plunges the damn blade into my leg.

Ripples of pain wash over me and I grit my teeth so hard that I feel one of them crack. I just glare at him as he pulls the damn blade out, slowly, inch by inch until sweat is pouring off of me.

Wave after wave of blackness hits my head and I struggle to keep my eyes open.

“You might as well fucking give this up. I won’t get her out here.”

His grin is feral. Unhinged. “So she is here. Good.”

“Come out, come out wherever you are, Petal! I’ve got someone here who wants to see you,” he calls in a sick sing-song that makes my stomach cramp.

“Don’t do it, Petal. You stay where you’re at.”

The knife whips past my face again and this time it sinks hilt-deep into my arm.

“Shit!” I grunt. My head is reeling and I want to throw up it hurts so god-damned bad.

“Let him go,” I hear her sweet voice and lift my head. She’s standing by the stairs, her arms behind her back and tears streaming down her white face.

“Dammit, Petal. Why the hell can’t you ever listen to me when I tell you to do something,” I grumble, terror streaking through me when Hawk starts moving closer to her. I pull hard at the ropes and feel them give a little but he’s too close to her. Way too close.

She eyes him uncertainly and then she glances over at me and there’s something there that has me sitting up straighter even though it makes my stomach roll. I don’t think Hawk heard it but I did. A single click. I don’t know what else I might have missed but that metallic click is unmistakable.

He’s almost to her and she still hasn’t moved.

“Dammit, Petal! Run, move, do something!” His hand reaches out. The one with the knife and I flinch, knowing that if that knife touches her I will lose my mind. I will chew my own damn arm off to get to her and to kill the son of a bitch. I struggle against the ropes and my eyes meet hers for one brief second. A small tilt to her lips and then she whips her arms from behind her back.

Hawk flinches and she shoots him in the chest point blank. His face is a study in shock. His mouth falls open and he groans, the knife falling from his hand even as red blooms quickly across his belly and drips to the floor. Red pools and then he slides down like it’s a slow-motion movie.

He’s dead before his body even hits the ground.

Petal doesn’t even bother to check him, just drops the gun to the ground and races over to me. Her lips touch mine and her tears mix with my sweat and blood.

I grunt when she tries to climb onto my lip.

“Petal, baby. Untie me, dammit!” She clambers off me, her hands shaking as she runs over to pick up his knife and then she saws at the ropes until they come off.

Then I drag her up into my arms and hold her so damn tight that she squeaks. “I can’t breathe, Victor.”

I set her away from me, fury raging through me. “What the hell did I tell you to do? I said to stay hidden no matter what! That means you don’t come running to the psycho just because he’s poking a few holes in me.”

Her mouth drops open and her crystal blue eyes narrow into slits, her cheeks flushing. Her dark hair is a tangled mess but she’s still the most beautiful damn thing I’ve ever seen. “Fuck, I love you, Petal. Don’t ever do that to me again. Stay where I tell you to stay so that I know you’re safe. I promise you that I will not die. I will always come back to you.”

“Even with a few holes.”

My lips tremble with laughter. “Absolutely.” I sober up instantly. “But the thought of what he could do to you and watching you stand so close to him? I can’t handle that, Petal. I almost lost my mind when he got so close to you.”

“I couldn’t let him hurt you anymore.” Tears dance on her dark lashes like sparkling diamonds. “I just couldn’t do it and you shouldn’t expect me to.”

Her mouth is firmed up and her little chin is up in the air and I can’t look away.

I reach over with my good arm and pull her into me, lifting her chin up and gently, softly caressing her lush mouth. “I can handle anything but someone hurting you. That I will never be able to handle. Just do what I ask you to and I’ll live through anything but that.”

She smiles and looks over at him. “I took care of him though. So you don’t need to worry anymore.”

I suck in a deep breath. “If you say one more word, I’m gonna paddle you with my good arm.”

Her brow lifts. “I don’t think you’re in good enough shape for that.”

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