Page 92 of Tabitha

I grit my teeth against the need to castrate the fucker. I’m so busy glaring that I almost miss the way Tabitha lowers her hand to the side of the chair. No emotions cross her face as she presses her thumb against the wood with so much force that her finger pops out of joint. With just a flick of her wrist, she slides her hand out of the cuff.

She looks right at me, then coyly tilts her head to the side and smiles. I can’t help but return her grin. Without warning, I stand up with the chair still attached to my ass and swing it to the side, the legs of the chair taking Steward out at the knees.

Tabitha calmly snaps her other thumb out of joint, yanking her hand free, then she slams both of her palms against the chair, using her body weight to push the thumbs back into place with a little twist. I’m so busy watching her that I almost miss the blade swinging my way. I barely throw myself aside in time, the knife flashing past my face with just an inch to spare.

I land on my side and watch in awe as Tabitha leaps at the man, then absolutely destroys him, landing blow after blow, and I’ve never been so turned on in my life.

* * *

TABITHA

Ipunch numb nuts in the throat, drop to my knees to keep his knife from rearranging my face, then nail him in the balls with my fist, just because he pissed me off by hurting River. He crashes to the ground, feebly swinging the blade at my throat. I punch his wrist, breaking his hold, sending the knife clattering across the room. Not giving him time to think, I launch to my feet, bring up my knee, and smash it right in his face.

I smile at the satisfying sound of bones crunching.

I’m not an expert at hand-to-hand combat, much preferring my usual methods of disposing of my targets. Fighting has too many variables and a greater risk of failure.

But I’m an adept pupil.

It took me only one lesson to discover the secret to winning—no holding back.

Hesitation can get you killed.

You have to fight like your life is on the line, using any means necessary to win.

Failure is not an option.

The guys are counting on me, and I won’t let them down.

Grabbing his arm, I wrench it back, then hook my knee around his neck and drop backwards. Steward yelps as I bend him back at an impossible angle. I tighten my leg around his throat, locking my foot against my other leg, and use my weight to choke him. He thrashes, but his legs are pinned underneath him, leaving him virtually helpless.

He punches my thigh with a blow hard enough to bruise, but his reach is ineffectual.

Each blow becomes slower.

Weaker.

Until his arm falls uselessly to the ground and he finally stills.

Even after he stops moving, I don’t let up, not until I’m sure he’s good and dead. I won’t leave him alive so he can rise from the dead to stab me in the back later. He’s on my list, so I don’t bother with feeling guilty.

I finally release him, panting as I fall back against the cool ground. Though it wasn’t a long, drawn out fight, it was intense enough that my muscles still tremble. I search the dead body for weapons and grumble, a little put out when I only find one 9mm gun with a single spare magazine.

What a pathetic looser.

I pop out the current mag, check the bullets, pleased to note that it’s full. I slam the mag home, pull back the slide, then load the chamber. Turning, I freeze when I see River still tied to the chair, gazing at me with such fascination that warmth fills my cheeks.

“I’m totally, completely in love with you.” Sincerity shines in his dark brown eyes, and a lump forms in my throat, my heart fluttering so wildly that it actually hurts. “You are my dream girl, everything I never knew that I wanted.”

I roll to my side, then crawl toward him, drawn to the man against my better judgment. When I look at him, I see the broken pieces of me reflected back.

A lost soul.

Just like me.

But I don’t feel lost anymore, not when he looks at me that way.

I avoid River’s gaze by grabbing the knife Steward dropped and go about sawing at the ropes binding him. I grimace, then fling away the ropes, annoyed at their part in hurting my man. With one hand free, River grabs the back of my neck and drags me closer.

---