Page 79 of Rescuing Brinley

“Stop here.”

Brinley’s heart began to beat overtime. Her adrenaline kicked in and she felt shaky as a result. Her head was still throbbing from where she’d smacked it against the window, but she suspected that was the least of her worries.

“Okay, Louis, you’re up.”

Looking over at the man next to her, who had a scary-looking grin on his face, Brinley felt her belly clench with fear.

“Out.”

It was one word, and it held no compassion. No sympathy.

“Please,” Brinley begged, looking back at Tamika. Because there was no doubt in her mind that she was the one who was calling the shots here.

“Just remember—you brought this on yourself.”

While she’d been looking back at Tamika, Louis had exited the vehicle and walked around to the driver’s side. He wrenched open the door and yanked Brinley out. She’d undone her seat belt when they’d stopped, so she fell out onto the dirt.

Louis laughed, and Brinley could hear Tamika giggling as well.

The sound of them enjoying her fear, her helplessness, had anger rising within Brinley hard and fast. How dare they do this to her! She didn’t deserve this. Screw them! She wasn’t going to make whatever they had planned for her easy.

Without thought, she sprang upward, shoving Louis as hard as she could.

Satisfaction surged through her as he fell backward, onto his ass.

Tamika’s screech of outrage echoed in her head as Brinley lunged forward and ran for the trees. Her only chance would be to hide, since she couldn’t outrun Louis. But all too soon, she heard his loud footfalls behind her as he gave chase.

Brinley did her best to dodge obstacles as she frantically looked for somewhere, anywhere, to hide. But there was nothing around her but trees and rocks. No hidden niches, no convenient hidey-holes. Louis was nearly on her now, and any moment she expected to hear the sound of a gunshot.

She was wondering if a bullet to the head would hurt or if she’d die immediately, when she suddenly went flying through the air.

She’d tripped.

Hadn’t been shot.

Hadn’t been tackled by Louis.

She’d freaking tripped. Over what, it didn’t matter.

She scrambled to get back to her feet but it was too late. Her misstep had given Louis time to catch up. He lunged, spinning Brinley to her back and straddling her waist—then he began to beat her.

She did her best to protect herself, but she was no match for the much larger and stronger man, who was punching her over and over.

She used her fingernails to try to gouge his eyes, but he was moving too much for her to aim properly. She did manage to put a few deep scratches on his face. The absurd idea hit her that at least she now had his DNA under her fingernails. But if her body wasn’t found in time, that evidence would be lost as she decomposed.

It was a morbid thought, but as her entire body exploded in pain, she couldn’t help but consider her end. Thoughts of Cypress flashed in her head. How worried she’d be. It had been the two of them against the world for so long, and Brinley had no idea how she’d cope with not knowing what had happened to her best friend. She’d blame herself, probably think that if she’d only taken time off work to go with her to the meeting with Natasha, she’d be alive.

And then there was Dash.

Instantly, as his image filled her mind, instead of feeling sad, Brinley got mad again.

Tamika and Louis had no right to take her away from him! She’d been looking forward to a future with the man she loved.

Thoughts of Dash made her double her efforts.

And when Louis tried to hold her down, reaching for the fastening of her pants at the same time, Brinley fought even harder.

She kicked and bucked and scratched, did her best to mark him anywhere she could. Raking her nails down his arms, his neck, tried to punch him back.