Page 24 of Fire of the Fox

“Go to hell!” I spat.

My chest rose and fell in heavy gasps. Fear coursed through my veins as the gravity of my situation hit me. I was being restricted by two men and faced down by Allen, who no doubt planned on making good on his promise from Friday night. Tears pricked the corners of my eyes.

I wouldn’t be leaving here alive.

One of the other guys started laughing when he saw how frightened I was. He nudged Blake and said, “Hey, look at that. I love it when they cry.”

Blake went pale and swallowed hard as he met my pleading eyes. “Maybe we should go, guys.”

Allen laughed and spat, “You’re such a pussy, Blake. She may have tattled before, but she won’t be doing that again.”

Allen reached into his pants and flipped open a pocketknife. The loud snap of the blade opening made ice freeze my veins, and one of his friends quickly covered my mouth as I went to scream.

Allen laughed and ran the blade of his knife along my cheek, just hard enough to incite fear but not actually break skin. I squeezed my eyes shut, tugging against the two strangers’ grips on me. They laughed at the sight of my horror and rejoiced at my inability to fight back.

Somewhere in the distance, I heard what I thought was a car door closing. I prayed that whoever was there would see or hear the scuffle and come running to help me, but as the seconds ticked by, doubt seeped into my hope. I was alone. No one was coming.

“I’m going to have fun slicing you up. Then Blake can have a turn. Then Jake and Garrett can have a go. Your boyfriend isn’t here to save you this time,” Allen taunted.

“Think again,” Rune snapped.

Rune emerged from behind my car, his eyes alight with sheer rage. He yanked Allen back by his hair before swinging his fist hard against my attacker’s stomach. Allen doubled over in pain, and while he was bent down, Rune swung his fist at Allen’s face. Allen collapsed beside my car as Rune arched his leg back in the air, smashing his heel in Blake’s face. Blake fell backward, landing unconscious on the ground. The other two rushed Rune at once, but he easily dodged them before smashing their heads together with a dull thud. They fell to the ground in a heap until all four lay unmoving on the asphalt.

My body shook uncontrollably, and tears made a mess of my face.

Rune looked back at me. His anger dissipated into a worried frown as he slowly bent down in front of me. He reached for me, but I was so shaken that I recoiled from his touch. My face fell into my hands as I hiccupped my tears.

This was so much more than being scared. This was an almost tangible, paralyzing terror that stole my ability to breathe or think rationally.

“Bria,” Rune whispered, his voice laced with concern.

My eyes met his through my fingers.

He reached for me again, hesitating a moment to silently ask for permission to come closer, and I held still as he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. He slowly came closer to me, and only after gauging if I was okay, he gently wrapped his arms around me. He hugged me to him, and I let him, despite my previous frustration with him.

The sudden feeling of security I got in his arms was like the first rays of sunlight breaking through the clouds after a storm. It was what I needed in that moment, and the unexpected rush of safety filled my eyes with fresh tears. They fell along his shoulder, and he let me cry there. He made no move to push me away, and he made no snarky comment. He held me close, trailing a soothing circle along my back.

After grabbing my phone from the asphalt, Rune scooped me up, bracing me against his side so I could walk on my shaky legs. He turned away from my car and walked through the parking lot until we came to a black McLaren. After opening the passenger side door, he sat me down in the seat. Coming around to the drivers side, he got in before starting the car. He pulled out of the parking space and took off down the road.

“Why didn’t you call me and tell me they were chasing you?” His voice was surprisingly gentle as he broke the minutes of silence.

I closed my eyes, swiping at another escaped tear. All I could do was shake my head. I couldn’t find the strength to stop trembling, let alone the ability to speak in coherent sentences. Anyone else would have thought I was freezing, but it was pure shock that caused my body to keep shivering. I didn’t know if it would ever stop.

I had almost died.

Rune gave a heavy sigh. “It’s okay. I can take you to the police station to put another report in on those assholes. Or, if you want, we can go to my house until you feel better. Just tell me what you want me to do.”

I closed my eyes and tried calming down as we drove. The sinking pit in my stomach made me want to vomit, and my attempts at breathing slowly didn’t help. My nerves were rattled. I could still feel that cold, metal blade against my skin.

“I don’t want to talk to anyone right now. I’ll call the officer later. I just want to get away,” I whispered.

He paused, then gave a small nod. “My house it is then.”

Chapter Twelve

WHEN WE REACHED what I assumed was Rune’s house, he got out and came around to my door. The home was situated in a private section of land shrouded in the cover of trees. The home was a single-story brick house. It was quaint, peaceful, and not at all what I was expecting.

My legs still felt like jelly as Rune guided me out of the car, so I had to catch myself on the door. He quickly helped me get my footing before walking with me to the house. As soon as we walked in, we were greeted by a huge smile and Japanese greeting from his friend I remembered to be Akira. When Akira saw the state I was in, though, his face fell.

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