Page 65 of Teach Me
A glance toward the opposite side of the room showed the middle section of the bookcases open, a gaping hole beyond. Brit had found the tunnel.
That answered one question.
The image of several cops lying outside, drugged, unable to report in…the thought of the complete helplessness a tranquilizer would leave her with sparked another round of adrenaline. Clawing, flailing, she gave in to the panic for long seconds. Brit raised his free arm, circling over hers and clamping both of them tight against his ribs. No matter how she moved, nothing worked. What good were Conlan’s lessons if she couldn’t use them?
Stop! Think!What had Con said to do?
Panic, then get over it. He won’t expect you to fight back.
Focus on where he’s vulnerable, targets you can reach.
Brit was talking, a low, menacing snarl battering her control. “You didn’t think I was going to let you just disappear, did you? You didn’t think you could just walk away, pick up some asshole off the street, and fuck him to your heart’s content without consequences? You. Are. Mine.” Every word was punctuated with a sharp shove of his hand over her mouth, forcing her head to ram into the arm of the couch and crushing her lips against her teeth. “Always. I don’t give up what’s mine. It stays mine or it dies.”
Jess shook her head wildly. “Nnnn—”
She couldn’t get the whole word out, but Brit understood. His once-cultured smile was now small, mean as he leaned closer. “Yes. Looks like you’re going to have to learn that lesson all over again.”
Jess slammed her head forward, into his smothering hand, then back sharply. Brit’s grip slipped. Jess opened her mouth and bit down hard.
“Damn it—” A heavy smack hit the side of her face, breaking her grip. Stars shone in front of her eyes. When she opened her mouth to scream, a thick rubber ball took up the space.
God almighty, a ball gag. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Brit had her gagged in seconds. In short order he had a zip tie around her hands. He subdued her so easily, so quickly. How did he know just what to do? How could he think when all she could do was panic?
Practice.
Even as the thought hit her, Brit settled a hand between her breasts, pressing down, a hundred-and-eighty-pound weight she couldn’t shake off. He hovered over her, crushing her lungs, and stroked her face where he’d struck her moments before. The tenderness in his touch had her shuddering with fear.
“Don’t make me do that again. I’ll punish you when the time is right.” His hand traveled to her hair, grabbing a handful in a hard, hateful grip. “You won’t like it if it comes too early. Be patient.”
Forcing herself to breathe through her nose, Jess concentrated on her options to block out the sound of his threats. The satisfaction in his voice as he talked about punishing her was sickening. She would do everything she could not to be taken, even if it meant dying. She’d much rather it happen here and quick than what she imagined Brit had planned for her.
Jess shot her bound arms out to one side of Brit, swinging them out and around, catching his shoulder and shoving him toward her lower body. At the same time she brought her knee up and landed a solid strike to the side of his head. He dropped like a stone. Jess was up before he hit the floor.
Lungs gasping, heart pounding, she ran toward the hall for all she was worth. There had to be a way out, a place to hide, a door she could put between her and Brit.Go go go go!
The bedroom loomed to her left. She darted toward it, so close she reached out her hands to grasp the doorknob, but a tackle hit her from behind, taking her to the floor and stealing her last wheeze of air in a single instant. Her head bounced off the door.
“So you learned something from your little lover, hmm?”
What felt like a knee landed hard on her spine. Jess screamed behind the gag.
“You passed our exit, little mouse. Didn’t you know that?” The metallicsnickof a knife opening sounded near her ear. Jess rethought trying to buck Brit off.
“That’s right. I think you’re going anywhere I say you are, little mouse. Now move.”
Brit dragged her up. The library was halfway down the hall, several feet and mere moments away. Brit pulled her inside and slammed the door shut. Dread tightened her muscles until every step was barely a shuffle. She couldn’t let him take her down the tunnel. No one outside but Gaines knew it was there; no one would know where to look for her. She couldn’t go with him. She couldn’t—
The tip of the knife dug into the muscles of her back as she resisted, each movement shooting twinges of pain around her middle, warning her to comply. The first few steps down into the dark were the hardest she’d ever taken, not just because of the threat of the knife, but because of the fear. It scurried through her brain like rats on crack. She couldn’t stop remembering, couldn’t stop wondering, what would Con do? Would he be able to find her in time? Would he blame himself if he didn’t?
Hell no. She was not leaving him with those kinds of scars. She wasn’t going to let Brit do that to either of them. She just had to find the right opportunity.
It came about ten steps into the tunnel.
Her foot hit a shallow depression. The misstep shifted her weight forward. Brit’s tight grip on her pulled him off balance too. Jess went with the motion, ducking down into a tight ball, allowing Brit’s momentum to trip him.
He rolled right over her back.
