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His laugh reached her ears.
No!
She scampered on the ground, but a rough hand snagged her hair, dragging her to her knees. Pain scorched her scalp. Twisting, she drove the sharp end of the screwdriver into his thigh. The metal sunk through meaty skin, and he bellowed. She felt her hair slip through his fingers.
Leaping to her feet, she took flight again. But after two steps a weight slammed against her back, sending her to the ground. Damp earth met her cheek and lips. She struggled to brace herself with her hands and push him off.
She let out a cry, but the crushing load of his body made the sound weak. His hand clamped roughly over her mouth, driving mud between her teeth. Dirt and pine invaded her senses.
“I’m going to enjoy every fucking minute of this,” he growled into her ear. His spit misted her skin. He tore the screwdriver from her fingers and threw it into the trees. “You’re mine.” The salacious vow shook her. Alarm blazed in her heart.
He meant it.
Tears leaked from her eyes as he seized her arm and dragged her to her feet, shoving her in the direction of the cabin. Horrific images of what he’d do to her once they were inside blipped through her mind. His promise replayed in her head.
I’m going to enjoy every fucking minute of this.
No, no, no.
If he got her there, she’d never escape.
She pivoted and drove her fist into his face. His head snapped back but he didn’t let go. She heaved her weight away from him, but he only clung tighter. “Let me go!” She kicked and punched.
Rage filled the brown eyes beneath the mask. He drew back his fist and punched her in the face. Flaming pain erupted on her cheekbone, and she staggered.
Wham!
Another blow hit her temple, driving her to her knees. Then the man knelt in front of her, slipped his fingers beneath his mask, and tore the material from his head. A ragged gasp escaped Savannah’s lips and she covered her mouth with dirt-filled fingers.
Jace.
Disbelief made her blink. No. It couldn’t be. “You—But—”
His lip curled. “What, you thought your old man killed me? Nah, he did much worse’n that.”
She stared, studying the features that she’d once looked at every day. He’d changed. His normally finger-length brown hair was now a crew cut. His brown eyes had once been soft. Even when he’d been cruel, she’d always seen a glimmer of regret or guilt cross his face. Now, his eyes glowered at her with hatred. His lips were compressed into a firm line and his once-slim cheeks were fuller, the build of his body heavier.
She shook her head. “I don’t understand,” she breathed.
Tears burned her eyes and terror buzzed along her nerve endings.
Jace is alive.
Oh, god. Her father had lied. But why?
She scooted back a few inches, needing distance from him as much as she needed to be free. The events of the last few days ran through her mind. Being shot at outside her apartment. Run off the side of the mountain and hunted like a pathetic animal. “You did all this?” The question came out shakily.
Jace’s hand grabbed her neck and pulled until her face was inches from his. His eyebrows came together over his nose. “I’m going to make him fucking suffer. When I’m done with you, he’ll wish I’d killed him instead.”
Wham!
The third hit to her head made her vision fade. Jace let go and she fell to her side. The world tilted. The stars became a glittering mosaic beyond the trees overhead. She blinked, clinging to consciousness, but like the tide receding, her awareness faded to black.
“Toth.”
She whispered his name like a mantra as her breath leaked from her lips.
***
