Page 30 of Swallow Your Fear
He tried to fight back, but he had no leverage. He wouldn’t fucking get any. After a dozen or so punches, he started to slump, but I grabbed his arm, slamming it against the wall. With his palm exposed, I whipped the switchblade out of my jeans, sending the blade straight through the center of his hand. He screamed out in pain, his eyes both swollen. His face was already a deep galaxy of purples and reds.
With the knife sticking out of his palm, I grabbed his chin with my free hand, pushing his head back against the wall. “You touched the wrong fucking girl.”
“Her boyfriend owes us,” he croaked.
The term made my hand move on its own accord, squeezing around his fingers so they’d close over the knife in his skin. He yelled as the sharp edge ground against the tendons.
“If I let you walk away from this alive, you’ll tell your boss to leave her the fuck alone.” My voice boomed through the space, leaving no room for argument. “But unfortunately for you, I’m not feeling very generous tonight.”
I ripped the blade from his hand, then sank it into the skin of his neck. Red splattered the wall, blood spurting to the ground as I let the man fall at my feet. I watched as he bled out,choking on the liquid. If I’d had the time, I’d have made him suffer longer. Pulled more information from him. But Brynne was behind me, potentially hurt, and for some fucking reason, I wanted to go to her more than I wanted to torture him.
As he struggled on the hard floor, I finally turned to Brynne. She was curled up in a ball, her breathing so fast, I was sure she’d pass out if she didn’t calm down. I crossed to her, kneeling in front of her. Her eyes were vacant as she stared at the man on the ground.
I needed to get her out of here.
I grabbed her hands, forcing her to a stand, then wrapped one arm around her shoulder, leading her out of the locker room. Halfway across the gym, her steps faltered, and I pulled her closer to my side. “Almost there, Brynne.”
As if the sound of my voice spiked her panic, her breathing came faster, and she tripped. Instantly, I scooped her into my arms, not missing a beat, and shoved out the door with my shoulder. “Few more feet.”
Grabbing the handle, I opened the door to my truck and gently set her on the passenger seat. I buckled her in, then closed the door and went around to my side, sliding in beside her. As I started the truck, her breathing seemed to slow the slightest, though it wasn’t much better than before.
I pulled onto the main street, speeding back toward the ranch. Austin and Henley would clean up the mess, make the body disappear, and it’d be like nothing ever happened. It wasn’t the first time we’d had to hide a body.
As I turned onto the main highway that led to the ranch, Brynne’s breathing picked up again, her chest risingand falling as I glanced over to find her hands shaking uncontrollably. She wouldn’t make it.
Pulling into a turn-off, I kept the engine idling as I got out and went around to the passenger side. I opened the door, unbuckling her to pull her knees my way so that she was facing me. My palms, red and smeared with the man’s blood, cupped her cheeks. The dim light of the cab exposed her red cheek, and it made me want to go back there and skin him alive.
“Hey. Hey,” I said, softening my tone. Her eyes were frantic, tears spilling from them. My thumb stroked the soft skin of her face. “Brynne. Look at me.”
She did, and I fucking hated the pain I saw in them.
“You’re safe. I’ve got you.”
Her hands came up to wrap around my forearms, her shaking limbs worrying the fuck out of me. The feeling was foreign. Why the fuck did I care so much if she hyperventilated and passed out? It’d get her to calm down. I mentally cursed myself for even thinking that. That’s not what I wanted.
“Deep breaths, okay?” She tried, and I talked her through it. “Swallow your fear, Darlin’. Don’t let it control you. Bend that fear to your advantage and use it as fuel.”
Because if she didn’t, she’d never make it through this life.
She tried to swallow, tried to nod, as she inhaled through her nose.
“That’s a good girl,” I murmured. I inhaled slowly, then released it through my mouth to show her, but I didn’t know what the fuck I was doing. I’d never talked someone off a ledgebefore.
Once her chest was rising and falling at a slower rate, I noticed a portion of her hair was caked in blood. She was bleeding.
“I’m going to get you home so I can take care of you, okay? Only ten more minutes.”
She nodded, her fingers digging into my arms. I let her. I’d let her do whatever she wanted if it meant she was calm. That she was okay.
I slid my hands from her cheeks, situating her back in her seat and buckling her in. After closing her door, I got back in on my side and continued on toward the ranch. Barely ten minutes later, we were pulling up the driveway and I was turning off the truck. My boots hit the dirt, and I opened her door a moment later. She’d unbuckled, her fingers unhooking from the belt as it retracted back into place.
Sliding my hand into hers, I helped her down from the truck and closed the door behind her. Keeping it grasped in mine, I led her up the porch steps and into the house. Austin and Henley were in the kitchen cooking something, and the moment they saw Brynne’s current disheveled state, they paused their movements. I gave them a warning look not to say anything, and tilted my head in the direction of the door. They knew it meant they needed to clean up the mess. Usually, I’d go with them, but right now, Brynne was my top priority. I’d send them a text with the details once I got her upstairs.
Austin nodded his understanding, then tapped Henley’s elbow. Brynne and I headed up to the second story, and not for the first time, I brought her to my bedroom instead of the one she was staying in. I hated thatit was my first instinct, but I wanted her close and in my space.
I led her into the attached bathroom, not releasing her as I turned on the hot water faucet for the tub. I plugged the drain, then turned to her as I gave it time to fill. Her eyes were vacant, lost in space as she stood there staring at the water. I finally dropped her hand to come around behind her. The back of her hair was matted with blood, but thankfully, it was dry now, indicating the gash had clotted. I pulled her hair loose from her ponytail before coming back around to gently grip the hem of her crop top and pull it over her head. Letting it pool on the ground, I worked on getting her out of her sports bra. Once she was topless, I knelt before her to unlace her shoes, then slipped those off along with her socks. Staying crouched, I slid her leggings down, then her underwear, and helped her step out of them. By the time I undressed myself, the water was halfway up the tub. I turned the handle to stop the water.
I grabbed her hand again, helping her step into the steaming water. After she sank in, I got in behind her, placing my legs on either side of her hips. With my back to the porcelain, I eased her to my chest, wrapping my arms around her. My intention was to get her clean, but for a few moments, I could hold her. Just for tonight.
