Page 19 of Extracted

“I’m going in. He’s not answering.”

Gemma quivered against his ribs. They stepped onto the road and crossed the street.

“That was them.”

“Yeah.” He ushered her around the front of the car and opened the door. She climbed into the passenger seat and he circled the hood.

The driver of the SUV locked eyes with him.

Rage pulsed against Dallas’s forehead. An urge to pull out his gun and shoot the cocksucker thrummed through him.

Instead, he climbed into the driver’s seat and pulled away from the curb. Gemma sat with her head pressed back against the seat. Her face was scrunched and her hand gripped the gunshot wound.

Shit.

He covered her knee with his palm. “Hang tight.”

A long, slow exhale pushed through her nose. “I’m fine,” she said, the declaration thin. “Where are we going?” She broke off on the last word and her body folded forward.

He flicked his gaze from the road to her hunched form. He could pull over, but there wasn’t much he could do inside the car. “I’ve got a room a few blocks away.”

“Tell me—” She groaned. “Tell me why you were at my hotel. You were gone.” Her free hand closed around his wrist, and she squeezed.

“I sat outside for a bit.” He cleared his throat. “I was talking on the phone to my associate and then my brother. As soon as I pulled out, I saw the SUV roll up and it didn’t seem right. Once I saw the guy with the gun, I had a feeling they were there for you.”

“Mmm.” She was squinting, and her lips were so pale they were almost white. “I’m glad you stayed.” Her voice shook, and unease pressed against his sternum.

He’d heard their scuffle from the hallway. But nothing could have prepared him for seeing the douchebag about to rape her.

The image would forever be imprinted in his mind.

One minute later and Gemma’s outcome could have been far different. She would have fought, though, and from the looks of what he’d walked into, she’d done a good job pissing the asshole off.

Amusement tickled his insides. “Was that a pencil I saw sticking out of his thigh?”

Gemma’s loose laugh broke the silence. “What can I say? I didn’t have my gun.”

“And you bit him too?”

She swiveled her head toward him. “How long did you watch before you stepped in?”

He snorted. As if he could’ve watched that show for a second longer than he had. “It transpired pretty quickly. I entered the room with my gun ready, but when I saw he’d dropped the weapon with the silencer, I went for that instead. Figured it’d buy us time to get out before we were asked any questions.”

“Fair enough.” Her head tilted toward her window and he gave her uninjured leg a shake.

“Hey.”

“I’m fine,” she mumbled again, her brow tented with annoyance.

If she said that one more time he’d snap. He caught her wrist and squeezed. “Damn it, Gemma. Stay awake.”

No response.

Ah, hell.

If he had to take her to a hospital, shit would get bad. His motel came into view and he steered into the parking spot. He hustled out of the car and ran to the passenger side.

As he opened the door, her slack frame and closed eyes delivered a savage punch to his solar plexus. He seized her, but she didn’t stir.

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