Page 86 of Montana Heat

“I’m not going to hurt her. I’m going to fucking kill her!”

Jada fought harder, despite Alan now slicing the knife at her. The two of them fell into the table. Alan’s two men from outside ran in and rushed over to pull Jada off Alan.

“Give me a syringe, now!” Alan demanded, pointing to where one had rolled onto the floor. One of the men grabbed it and handed it to Alan. He didn’t wait a second more as he uncapped the needle and jabbed it into Jada’s skin.

She screamed, trying to pull away from the sting, but Alan pushed the plunger in all the way.

He grabbed her chin. “Now you can move on too, bitch. You can move on to not even remembering who the hell I am. And this means I don’t need to worry about a witness for what I’m about to do to Mackenzie.”

Jada crumpled to the floor. Did it kill her? Cause her to pass out? I didn’t know.

All I knew was that poor Jada’s demise was the opportunity I’d been waiting for.

I yanked again at the zip tie binding my wrists, giddy to find it finally loose enough that I could slip my hands out. I didn’t linger for a second. I turned and took off as fast as I could toward the door.

Both my slippers fell off, but I couldn’t stop for them. I would have to go barefoot.

I knew an attack had to be coming. Alan had a knife, the other two had guns. I braced for agony in my back at any moment.

“No! Don’t shoot. I will be the one to kill her, and I’m going to do it slow.”

I heard Alan’s angry shouts and heavy footfalls behind me as I dashed toward the trees. If Alan wanted to be the one to kill me, I would take it since it gave me more time.

I had never been much of a runner, and running barefoot didn’t help. I shut off my mind and pushed every ounce of strength into my legs. I weaved through the trees, going left and right, hoping to confuse the men following me. I was also hoping to prevent them from having a good target to shoot me in the back, despite Alan’s words that he’d be the only one to kill me.

There was little moonlight, so it was difficult to see exactly where I was going. I tried to stay as quiet as possible, but my heavy breaths still echoed in the silence. I was tiring fast and slowing down. When I tripped and caught myself against a tree, I knew I was in trouble.

“You’ve got five of us looking for you, Mackenzie,” Alan taunted. “You didn’t know that I had two other men keeping watch out here, did you?”

I didn’t reply to give myself away, but I was pretty sure his voice came from the left. I turned right and put on a burst of speed. I knew I had to keep running.

If I stopped, I died.

“I’m going to take my sweet time carving you up, Mackenzie. You know that?”

I fisted my hands and turned left between a cluster of trees. I was hearing sounds and voices all around now. I knew they were closing in and surrounding me.

“I spent months fantasizing about how sweetly you’ll cry and beg for me to spare your life.”

I held back a whimper at his mocking tone. A hard step down on a branch caused me to stumble and bite my tongue to keep from crying out in pain.

“But I won’t!” he yelled. “I won’t spare you a damn thing, bitch. You’re going to die screaming.”

I had to stop, the pain in my foot throbbing. I rounded a thick tree trunk and paused to catch my breath. I felt a sticky substance on the bottom of my foot and realized I had cut it. I was bleeding.

Great. Now I was leaving a trail for them to follow from that damn branch.

I heaved in a huge breath and staggered to fully standing and darted off in the opposite direction. Before I made it more than a few steps, a callused hand clapped over my mouth.

I couldn’t believe Alan had found me so quickly. A few seconds ago, he’d sounded farther away.

I strained, bucking and kicking and twisting to get free. I couldn’t let him win, couldn’t give up.

Then all of a sudden, I smelled it. Past the fear, the sound of my heart pounding in my ears, my ragged breath.

Smelledhim. Clean spruce and mechanical grease.

All man. And all Jensen.

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