Page 48 of Target Me
Avery.
17
AVERY
Iwoke to the sound of Logan’s voice drifting through the open window. His tone was light as he talked about what sounded like a baseball game. He sounded less stressed than he had been earlier, and I felt my own anxieties lessen, knowing he was okay. It had been one hell of a day. I relaxed into the softness of the nest I had made for myself, surprisingly comfortable despite my position on the floorboards.
Sleep was pulling me under when I heard a soft clatter, followed by a scuffling that made my heart freeze. Knowing better than to call out, I slipped out of my sleeping bag and eased up toward the window. Outside, the light of the full moon showed a suspiciously human shaped lump lying in the dirt.
My breath caught. Was that Logan? More importantly, was he alive?
Adrenaline dumped into my body, making my hands shake and my legs cramp as the fight-or-flight response tried to take over. Breathing deeply through my nose, I reminded myself I would fight if and when I needed to. For now, I needed my wits about me. There was no sign of the attacker through the window, and as much as I wanted to run straight out to Logan, I knew he wasn’t the target. I was. He could have been taken out to lure me, or to avoid him interfering with whatever this person had in mind. Either way, I refused to play their game.
Moving as quietly as I could, I slipped out of the bedroom and hurried down the hall toward the kitchen. I needed room to move. Room to fight.
The wooden boards on the porch squeaked loudly, and I froze, straining my ears for the next footstep. When it came a moment later, I sent up a quiet prayer of thanks that the run-down state of the house was working in my favor. Moving as lightly as I could, I eased across the kitchen and slipped out the back door into the garden.
A cool breeze brought the scent of fresh dirt and grass to my nose as I moved in a crouch along the shadowed wall of the house. A slight hint of diesel was also present. Had this person brought a car with them? Or was I smelling Logan’s truck?
Shit, Logan.
I couldn’t leave him here in God knew what condition, but getting caught by whoever this was wouldn’t serve anyone either. I scrubbed at my face, indecision rooting me to the spot as I considered my options.
The subtle roll of rocks underfoot alerted me to the threat. Straightening, I turned as a fist glanced painfully off my left shoulder. Damn it. Distraction could get me killed.
The figure before me was dressed in black. A long-sleeved shirt strained over a heavily muscled build, cargo pants riding low on their hips. Their features were covered by a black ski mask, and I wished for daylight so I could at least see the bastard’s eyes. I never forgot a person’s eyes. Had my mother hired a goon to abduct me?
The next punch came at my face, heavy as a hammer, and my training kicked in.
Don’t fight force with force. Master William’s words whispered through my mind as I deflected the blow, aiming a punch at the ribs of the person in front of me. They were solid, and I rethought my game plan. Weak points. I’d never been particularly good at pressure points, though they worked a treat when I managed to find them, but there were other things I could do.
As the next punch came at me, I moved around it, grasping the wrist and pulling the arm straight before slamming my palm against the back of their shoulder. The ball came out of the socket with an audible pop, and my opponent let out a very masculine shout of pain.
Shoulder dislocations were a vicious, but easy maneuver when you were up against it.
The man swung with his other hand, catching me across the face in a stunning blow that made my ears ring.Don’t get hit, idiot.I stepped inside the next swing, blocking the arm as I aimed a strike at the side of his throat. Soft flesh gave way beneath the blade of my hand, and I grimaced as I slid the hand behind his neck and brought his nose down on my knee. He drove forward, lifting me over his shoulder, and I shrieked. Without my feet on the ground, I couldn’t gain any leverage.
“Shut up, bitch. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be,” he growled, squeezing my legs painfully.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked, not expecting a response.
“Because it has to be done.” The words were dark. Completely self-assured. This wasn’t someone who had been hired to help with a job, nor was it someone unstable. This person was completely confident in their actions.
He headed away from the road, toward the paddocks, and I wondered how far he planned on taking me. I hadn’t seen another car, and surely Logan would have heard it approach.
Struggling to catch my breath, my eyes felt ready to pop from the blood running to my head, where I hung over his shoulder. Enough of this. I needed to get away. Forcing my body straight, I brought my elbow down on the base of his skull as hard as I could, following it up with a blow to the shoulder I’d dislocated earlier.
“Fucking bitch!”
I hit the dirt hard as he recoiled in pain, cursing as he lumbered toward me.
Crab crawling away from him, my wrist rolled as it encountered something smooth and flat in the dirt beneath my hand. A rock. Gripping it tight enough to feel the pulse in my hand, I waited until the man was looming over me. Waited as he leaned down. Waited as he gripped my other arm in a painful grip. As he pulled me to my feet, I twisted and brought the rock down on his temple as hard as I could manage. He crumpled beneath my hand, and I spun away, breathing heavily.
Not waiting for him to recover, I bolted back toward where I had seen Logan’s body, praying he was all right with everything I had. Skidding on the dirt beside him, I checked his pulse and heaved a sigh as it thumped steadily under my fingers. Asleep then… or maybe drugged? I glanced over my shoulder but couldn’t see any sign of my attacker. Had I knocked him out? No time to worry about it.
I slapped Logan’s face, hoping for a response, an eye flutter, anything. The farmland, which had appeared peaceful only hours before, now seemed full of secrets. Eyes staring from dark corners, ready to consume me whole.
“Logan.”
