Page 102 of A First Sight

Dale laughed. “Somebody told the police where you were hiding. And you know one of my gaming friends is an officer. I asked him to take a look at your file. You make it too easy for me, sugar.”

“You’re a fuckin’ scumbag. Go back to the city, Dale. Stay away from us.”

“No!” He slammed the door and stalked into the room. “You don’t get to tell me what to do. I tell you!”

I could feel the anger rolling off him. There was no talking our way out of this. But I could take Dale’s in a fight. I would not simply stand by while the woman I loved was threatened.

I totally and completely loved Maggie McCrae.

And no one was going to hurt her as long as I was alive.

“Maggie, the key to my car is hanging next to the garage door,” I said, without taking my eyes off Dale. “Go get the police. I’ll take care of this fucker.”

“I’m not leaving without you,” Maggie said, her voice almost too low for me to hear.

“Aye, you are. Go to the Bed & Breakfast. Call the police from there.”

“Drake.”

“I mean it, Maggie.”

The three of us were circling around the room. He would rush me soon.

“You can tell her to run all you want, but she’s only going the same direction she always does. Back to me.” Dale smirked. “She can’t help herself.”

“Keep dreaming, asshole. You’re a fuckin’ lunatic.” I shot back, shifting my weight in preparation.”

I heard Maggie’s breath catch a split second before Dale let out what I could only describe as a roar of fury. He launched himself at me, but I was ready.

His body crashed into mine, and I slid back a few inches, my shoes unable to keep traction on the floor. I didn’t fall. It threw him off, and I pushed back. Maggie was still behind me. She needed to go when there was an opening.

“Is that all you got?” I said.

Infuriated, he swung at me. I ducked his punch, and he stumbled but somehow came around with his fist, landing a solid blow to my jaw.

The impact knocked me sideways, and I caught a glimpse of Maggie’s horrified expression.

“Run!” I shouted.

Dale was on me again, slamming his forearm into my back. I staggered under the blow but kept my feet under me. I twisted toward Dale, driving my fist into his stomach.

Air whooshed from his lungs, and I took advantage of his momentary incapacitation to hit him in the face. The force of the blow knocked him into the counter, and he grabbed at it, cursing. Pain flared in my knuckles, but the adrenaline pulsing through me diverted its intensity. I straightened, keeping my eyes on him.

The knife came out of nowhere, only the glint of the blade warning me to move. But not enough for me to get entirely out of the way.

“Fuck!” I pulled back, my side burning. Instinctively, my hand went down. When I looked, it was slick with blood.

Fuck.

I could still save Maggie by giving her the time to escape.

“You’re through, Dale,” I said through gritted teeth. “You’ve made too many mistakes to get out of this, don’t you see? The best you can do is turn yourself in and hope for leniency.”

“Fuck leniency,” Dale snapped. “I’m going to gut you, old man.”

“Or I could shoot you, you fucking rapist.” Maggie’s voice came from behind me, the rifle in her hand.

Dale laughed. “You’ve never shot a gun in your life.”

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