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It hadn’t been someone else yelling. That panicked crying had been from her.
He hauled her to her feet and dragged her toward the door. She fumbled along, her vision blurry. Blood dripped from her nose down her chin. He paused by the hostess stand, squatted down and swiped the phone and flash drive off the floor. The small devices disappeared into his fleshy hand.
She couldn’t go out into the parking lot. Hank had always told her the biggest mistake some victims make is to get into the killer’s car. She had to fight to her last breath.
“You’ll never get away with this.”
“I already have.”
He pulled her out into Harvest’s dim parking lot, lit only by streetlights. A sedan idled near the Dumpster. A sense of déjà vu echoed through her. Another night, another violent predator, and once again she was prey.
He didn’t look at her. His focus was on the sedan. She could tell from his body language that he had dismissed her as a frail, broken girl who wouldn’t fight back anymore.
Damn, it pissed her off. She may be small, but she sure as hell wasn’t weak. He thought she was; most people did. But maybe this time, she could use that to her advantage. They were only a few steps from the car. It was now or never. She held her breath and let her whole body turn to jelly.
The action jerked the goon off balance, brought his face closer to hers. She slammed the heel of her palm against his nose. Blood squirted everywhere.
Flush with success, she pulled away from him, fighting for freedom. But his meaty paw clung to her wrist.
Jake’s eyes snapped open. At first he had no idea why he was on Harvest’s kitchen floor. Then the memories rushed in.
He had pulled on his jeans when Claire had called his name from the bathroom. Her squeal of delight had captured his attention and he had shuffled down the hallway, pulling his shirt on as he moved. He’d only made it a few steps into the kitchen when the guy slammed into him from behind. The rest still registered as a blur.
An image that came through with clarity though was Claire’s concerned face looking down into his. His heart had lifted at the sight of her. But his spirits had sunk faster than the Titanic when he had spotted his assailant looming behind her tiny frame. And he hadn’t been able to help her.
His body tensed and his pulse went into overdrive. He tried to push himself to a sitting position but dizziness enveloped him and he collapsed onto his back. She needed him. He wouldn’t fail her. Not again. Furious at himself, he jerked into a sitting position. A wave of nausea washed over him. He held his breath until it passed.
He hated himself right now. The guy had beaten the crap out of him and taken Claire. He’d failed her. Disgusted, he realized, he had no idea how long ago that had happened. But he had to find her. He’d promised her she’d be safe with him. Some protector he’d been.
His peripheral vision was for shit. What he could see had a slight halo around it. He shook his head as he pushed himself upright.
Claire’s scream for help echoed through the restaurant, followed by a man’s roar. Jake’s gut constricted. She was still here. He wobbled forward on rubbery legs. He had to get to her. Save her.
Aching, he staggered farther into the kitchen looking for a weapon. A bonanza of choices awaited him.
Jake grabbed a cast-iron skillet and dashed into the dining room, fury feeding his need for vengeance. But he was too late. They weren’t in the dining room. He sped past a set of bloody cutlery. Blood rushing in his ears, he dashed around overturned chairs. From the looks of it, Claire had put up a hell of a fight.
He spotted them in the parking lot.
The assailant tugged Claire toward a black sedan parked near the Dumpster. Jake sped out the door clutching the skillet like a baseball bat. His bare feet had just touched the asphalt parking lot when he saw Claire’s body go limp. His steps faltered.
But half a second later, she slammed her hand into the man’s face. Blood gushed from the attacker’s nose. A proud smile spread across Jake’s face.
That’s my girl.
Too bad the asshole wasn’t hurt enough to let her go. Jake mentally shrugged. Claire’s blow had been enough to distract the intruder from hearing Jake’s approach. That was all the opening he needed. Neither noticed him as he came up behind.
The man pulled Claire’s battered face close to his. “Time to pay.”
“My thoughts exactly.” Jake smashed a c
ast-iron skillet against the man’s skull.
It made a dull thunk upon impact. The assailant fell to the ground in a heap, silent and unmoving. Jake dropped the skillet and reached for Claire. The pan clanked as it bounced off the asphalt. The goon didn’t flinch. He was out cold.
Pulling her to him, he buried his nose in her auburn hair. Despite everything, the scent of coconut soothed away his anger and worry. Unwilling to take even half a step away from her, he clutched her to his body.
Their lips met in a flurry of unspoken emotions. He wanted it all to come through, all the things he couldn’t find the words to say. The fear that had twisted his insides when he thought he’d been too late. The bone-melting relief when he folded her in his arms. The lust that had somewhere along the way transformed into love. The truth of that reality electrified him.
