Page 95 of A Heart So Savage

Ava stifled a scream of true terror. They were going to rape her all at the same time, without a care for the damage such an act would cause. She would be ripped to pieces by their savagery, and no one would stop them.

“To hell with that,” Carson said, standing up from the sofa with a hand over his bandaged injury. “She’smysister, and I’m going first. When I’m finished, you guys can do whatever you want until Oliver shows up.” Leaning down to look Ava in the eyes now that she stood firmly on the floor, he grinned. “Get her on the floor and hold her down. I want her pussy before I use her other holes.”

“You started without me? How fucking rude.”

Everyone’s attention swung to the den’s entrance, and almost simultaneously came the muffled sound of a gun firing.

ChapterThirty-Eight

Close your eyes.

Fly away

Until death turns his back on you.

Aaron sank to the floor,landing on his knees in slow motion. An almost comical expression of surprise spread across the detective’s features as a wave of scarlet bloomed on his chest. He toppled face-first without uttering a single sound.

“What the fuck?” Carson screeched. “What the everlasting fuck!”

Oliver gestured at the three remaining men, the gun waving in the air. “Back the fuck away from her unless you want to join him.”

“What are you doing, Oliver? If you wanted her first, all you had to do was say so. I mean, goddamn. You didn’t have to shoot the guy,” Judd scowled, stepping away from Ava as instructed.

Ava trembled with both fear and relief. Because while she’d just been possibly saved from a brutal gang rape, her dubious savior was just as psychotic as the men holding her hostage.

“You weren’t supposed to touch her.” Oliver’s impassive, ice-blue gaze raked over Ava’s nude body, narrowing on the blood dripping from her mouth before flicking back to the three men. “I made that perfectly clear.”

“The buyer won’t care if she’s roughed up a little,” Drake grumbled. Glancing at Aaron’s lifeless body, his hands clenched into fists. “I’ve been waiting to fuck this little bitch for over a year. If you think I’m giving up that chance now, you’re crazy. I’m going to fuck her until she bleeds for me like she did for your brother.”

Oliver calmly picked up Aaron’s forgotten weapon, unsnapped the holster, pulled the gun out, and shot a bullet into the middle of Drake’s chest.

The sound was deafening. Ava was so stunned she could not react at all. Smoke from the gun’s discharge swirled over her head as she suddenly snapped back to awareness. Her scream echoed on the heels of the gunshot as she covered her face with her bound hands, blocking out the image of Drake’s face and the ugly shock now frozen on his features.

“What are you doing, Oliver?” Carson shakily demanded. He was ten shades paler now than just a second ago. Blood seeped through the bandage across his midriff, and he staggered a bit as he retreated. “What the fuck are you doing?”

“What does it look like?” Oliver replied, wiping Aaron’s gun down with his coat sleeve. Bending down, he placed the gun in Aaron’s hand, making sure the detective’s finger rested on the trigger. “Creating a trail of evidence.” Standing back up, he gestured at Judd. “Untie her. Now.”

Judd quickly unraveled the rope from around Ava’s wrists. “I don’t know what your new plan is, but it’s smart. Fewer people to split the money with.” He nodded at Carson, who, without being told, had sunk down on the couch. “Might even lose one more. Carson here isn’t looking so good.”

“What happened to him?” Oliver’s head tilted as he regarded the two remaining men.

“I stabbed him.” Now that she was free of the rope, Ava covered her breasts with her hands.Why is Oliver here? Where is Kingston?

A sudden, horrible thought occurred to her. Maybe Oliver had killed him first.

“Fucking bitch stabbed me with a goddamn fork, too,” Carson said weakly.

Oliver shot Ava a glance filled with admiration. “Well, well. I knew you had it in you, darling. That tiny streak of savagery.” Picking up her discarded coat from behind the sofa, he tossed it at her. “Put it on.”

Moving slowly because of the cracked rib, Ava slid her arms into the coat’s sleeves. She buttoned it up all the way, grateful it was long enough to cover her ass. Shivering, she stood in the middle of the room, waiting for Oliver’s next command.

He busily emptied his gun of bullets, putting them in his pocket then wiping the stock clean of prints. Before placing the weapon in Drake’s hands, Oliver pulled a second gun from the waistband of his trousers and leveled it in Judd and Carson’s direction.

Judd wiped his torn bottom lip. “What happens now?”

“Now? Now we wait for King’s arrival. He’s running a bit later than me, but he’ll be here soon enough.” Oliver shrugged his shoulders. “How he knew she was here, I have no idea. Maybe he really is the Devil that everyone says he is.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Judd nervously shuffled his feet. “Man, don’t joke around like that. No way he’s coming here. He’ll know what you did. That you’re in on this, too.”

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