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Outside, Lance hammered at it, yelling at her. Kara whipped her gaze around for a weapon. Anything. Shampoo? Thoughts raced through her head.
Oh, God, what did he want other than to attack her? Why did the gang leader want her? Why couldn’t she have done as Jace wanted and let an agent take her to safer, more refined hotel?
She spotted the toilet tank.This.
Lifting the ceramic lid, she cringed at the thick layer of ugly black mold ringing the cover. Kara waited, praying Lance would stop. But, no, he was kicking the door...he was inside, advancing toward her with a leer. No gun. No, he planned to overpower her with brute force.
Kara swung at the man with all her might. The toilet tank lid connected with his chin, and he released a surprised grunt, and staggered backward, moaning as blood gushed from his jaw. Lance released a string of violent obscenities.
Not waiting to see if he would faint, or lunge or shoot her, she grabbed her purse and bolted, running for the office as she reached for her cell phone. Cool night air hit her face felt like a welcome embrace. Her feet pounded on the pavement as she sprinted into the darkness, praying that she could outrun her attacker.
Favor was with her, as the night clerk was emerging from the back as she stormed inside the office.
“Help, please, call the police! I’ve been attacked!”
Chapter 17
Jace couldn’t speed to the motel fast enough after Kara called him. He showed up at the office quicker than the local police. Seeing Kara in the office sitting on a chair, her blue eyes huge, her lovely face pale and sheened with perspiration, he felt a surge of pure relief.
Heart hammering, he searched her up and down, looking for injuries. “You okay? Did he hurt you? Kara?”
She gulped down a sob as she stood. “I’m all right. Jace, it was terrifying.”
As she relayed what happened, he folded her into his arms, glaring at the curious night clerk who was staring at him. Shaking, Kara took fistfuls of his shirt, clinging to him like a life raft.
Shouldn’t have let her go alone. Damn, I promised her mom I’d watch out for her.
Sirens wailed outside. Jace glanced as two local sheriff’s deputy units pulled up to the office door and four men climbed out. He gently disentangled himself from Kara.
“Babe, you have to give them your statement, let them know everything that happened. This guy is still out there,” he murmured.
Kara nodded.
As they entered the office, Jace told them about the attack. One of the deputies had a sergeant’s patch on his uniform. The sergeant sent the three deputies to investigate the ground-floor motel room, while he remained in the office.
“Can you tell us exactly what happened, miss...?”
“Kara, please, call me Kara.” She turned around, her composure regained, though she still looked far too pale.
Relaying every detail, including the man’s physical characteristics and how he sported ink that sounded suspiciously like a Devil’s Patrol tat, Kara stayed calm.
The deputies returned from the room.
“We checked the room and others. There’s a blood trail leading out the door to the parking lot. Whoever broke in is long gone. Probably a thief.” The deputy shook his head. “A beautiful woman alone in this area, kinda rough.”
“He wasn’t after my purse. He wanted to kidnap me. It was Lance, the leader of the Devil’s Patrol.”
The sergeant gave her a dubious look. “Kidnap you? For what?”
Jace’s heart nearly stopped.
With remarkable control, she wiped her eyes and spoke in a steady voice. “I don’t know. He said someone special wanted me.”
Jace’s blood ran cold. He clasped Kara’s arms. “Did he say anything else, babe?”
“Other than swear at me after I clobbered him with the toilet tank lid, no.”
“Good job,” he said softly, rubbing a thumb along her damp cheek, his mind racing. “You sure it was Lance?”
