Page 49 of The Chance

He slammed it into Michaels’s head.

The younger man went down, bloody.

“Justin! No! Oh, God. Do something!”another woman yelled.

Guthrie looked.

Mandy Kirby. Guthrie just stared. This… what in the hell was going on here?

Mandy cowered in the corner, clutching her clothes to her chest. Naked as the day some poor innocent obstetrician had brought her into the world and cursed mankind for eternity.

She had a freaked, overwhelmed expression on her face he would never forget. She was terrified.

But it was Aubrey he cared about. Aubrey he was there for.

And Howard was going toward her now.

With that wrench in his hand.

41

Guthrie was there,fighting. Fighting for her.

And there was another man in the room with him.

In the dim light, Aubrey could make out enough of him to recognize Dr. Laird. Relief mingled with the chaos roaring in her ears.

Guthrie was there.

Dr. Howard knocked into her. His hand tangled in her hair. And he yanked her closer. Her good hand shot out, aiming for the most vulnerable part of a face. His eyes.

Her nails raked across his skin, digging deep. He howled.

He shook her off. Aubrey flew into the heating ducts running along the back of the room. Her head smacked against the frame. The metal edge bit into her shoulder as she fell to the floor.

It was enough to stun her, just for a moment.

But only a moment.

She scrambled to her feet. As he slung the wrench in his hand at Guthrie. It landed—on Guthrie’s shoulder.

He yelled out. In pain. In rage.

That was all it took. Howard wasn’t going to hurt him.

Aubrey struck out with her left foot. She kicked—against his knee. As hard as she could.

Guthrie swung out,harder than he had ever punched someone in his life. Howard almost staggered forward. He grabbed a pipe or something and swung it in a wide arc.

Right at Guthrie. Guthrie dodged, stepping between Howard and Aubrey, who still hadn’t backed down.

The woman he loved was kicking at Howard like a demon.

Enough of that bullshit. Guthrie’s woman was hurt, and this asshole kept trying to get to her. Guthrie was going to end this. “Aubrey, get over behind Laird, now!”

“He broke her arm!” Michaels yelled, trying to sit up and holding a hand to his bloodied forehead. “He hurt her!”

Guthrie barreled right into the bastard. Howard went sprawling. Too damned close to Aubrey for Guthrie’s comfort.

---