Page 111 of Hendrix

“Justin’s been gone for hours, Ace. He should have been back ages ago.”A pause, then, “I need you to come and get me. I’m stuck in this dump with Hendrix’s bitch, and it’s only a matter of time until they find us.”Her voice rose with panic. “I’ve been here days, Ace. I’m already sticking my neck out even being in town. Just send somebody and get me, okay?”There was another brief pause, and Daisy’s voice lowered again.“What do you mean don’t kill her? I have to kill her; she knows too much. That was the plan: kill her, and Hendrix hits rock bottom.”

My attention was suddenly pulled away from Daisy’s voice by a soft whooshing sound. I lifted my head, biting back a moan of pain, to see a dark figure climbing through the sash window on the opposite side of the room.

My heart jolted, and a wave of relief washed over me, closely followed by a stab of unease.

The fact he crept through the window indicated he wasn’t working with Daisy, but I couldn’t be sure. In fact, he was more likely to be an accomplice.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to keep my shivering body under control while blocking out the sound of Daisy’s conversation from the next room. My heart hammered so hard in my chest that I could feel the pounding in my ears, and my blood surged with adrenaline.

A hand shook my shoulder gently, and a deep, raspy voice murmured, “Hey. Can you walk? I need to get you out of here.”

My eyes snapped open, and I almost wept with relief as I took in the concern filling the stranger’s blue eyes. His hair was dark and unkempt. It obviously hadn’t been cut in a while because it curled around the collar of his tatty old jacket. He looked to be in his mid-thirties, though his skin was so tanned and weathered I couldn’t be sure.

“Thank you,” I whispered. “I’ll try, but I may need to lean on you. Is that okay?”

A metal blade flashed, and he slashed through the zip ties that bound my hands before pocketing the knife. Then, he reached out and gently grasped under my arms to pull me up. “Come on.”

My sharp intake of breath was audible as I rose from the floor. My knees shook so badly they felt like Jell-O, and I worried they’d give way under me.

“The door’s locked,” he whispered. “So we need to get you through the window. It may hurt, but once we’re out, I can carry you. We just need to lose the crazy chick, and I’ll get your man to you. Okay?”

My heart clenched. “You know Hendrix?”

“I met him today,” the guy murmured, gently pulling my arm across his shoulders and leading me toward the window. “I’m Charlie.”

“Anna,” I replied, my throat heating with emotion. “Thank you, Charlie. Thank you for everything.”

“We’re not home and free yet, sweetheart,” he muttered. “I’m not armed, and the crazy chick is, so we gotta get the hell outta here as quick as we can. I may have to throw you through that open window.”

My lips cracked into a smile. “One more bruise won’t hurt, Charlie, and I’d rather get one from escaping the crazy chick than take another beating from her.”

We approached the open window. “Gonna lift your ass onto the ledge and help you swing your legs over, but you’ll have to drop down yourself. Don’t matter if your legs don’t hold. I’ll be right out after to pick you up. Okay?”

I jerked a slight nod and rested my hand on his shoulders, waiting for him to grab my waist and lift my ass onto the ledge. He stooped down and pulled my feet up, helping me to haul them over until they hung outside the window. Without hesitation, I dropped my body onto the grass and dirt and immediately crumpled into a heap.

That was when the gunshot rang out.

My heart jolted and my head whipped up just as Charlie jumped through the window. My heart began racing, and a sharp ache swept through my belly, making me cry out.

“We gotta go,” he said urgently, stooping down and tugging me into his arms.

A loud shriek came from inside the house, then Daisy appeared at the window, her face as mad as hell, brandishing a gun.

Charlie whipped around, pulled his arm back, and punched Daisy across the temple.

With a cry, she flew back inside, a loud clattering thud reverberating as she landed.

Then, before I knew it, I was lifted into Charlie’s arms, and he was sprinting through the undergrowth away from the house. The sound of running water hit my ears, and I realized we were close to the river.

“Hold on to me,” he ordered. “The terrain’s rough.”

“Are we near The Lincoln?” I cried out, threading my arms around his neck while trying to ignore the pains shooting through my stomach.

“We’re on the same land,” he confirmed, carefully edging his way through some trees so as not to lose his footing. “It’s about twenty minutes on foot. I can do it in twelve, fifteen tops.”

I jumped as another gunshot splintered the air around us.

“That was close,” Charlie muttered, his breath coming in pants. “We should thank our lucky stars that she’s a terrible shot.”

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