Page 42 of Guarded from Treachery

I shriek, “No! Stop it! Put me down!”

Behind me, I hear flesh hitting flesh. Soft grunts. Muttered curses.

God. Matt. He’s being hurt and it’s all my fault.

I keep kicking and yelling until a meaty hand clamps over my mouth. And a voice hisses in my ear, “Shut the fuck up or I’ll do it for you.”

NO.

This can’t be happening.

The man carrying me picks up his pace, almost to the back exit already. And I still can’t reach the earrings, my arms are pinned and no amount of struggling will get them free.

From behind us, there’s a loud thud. The floor shakes. A pained groan trails off.

Matt.

NO. Not Matt.

Oh please, let Matt be okay.

I’m sobbing, but I can’t get air in through my mouth. My nose is all stuffed up. My lungs burn.

I’ve never been this scared in my life.

I thought the parking lot was bad. But at least it was just me. Now it’s Matt. And this little baby.

Oh, God. Please don’t let them hurt the baby.

Gray dots are edging into my vision as I fight to breathe.

Oh, please.

And then.

A click.

Now that I’ve been around Matt and Erik and Rhi, I know what it is.

A trigger cocking.

“Put her down right now.” It’s cold. Deadly. “Or Iwillshoot you.”

Matt!

For a second, the man holding me freezes.

“Now,” Matt growls. “You have three seconds.”

Nothing happens.

“One.”

The arm around me loosens a little.

“Two.”

Oh, God.

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