Page 25 of Force of Nature

Martin dodged at the last second, but I managed to hit his shoulder hard enough that he yelped. I leapt over Zeb’s body as Martin turned tail, fleeing down the stairs faster than a guy his size had any right to move. I made it two steps before a hand closed around my ankle. I fell, landing hard on the stairs, sending a shock of pain through my already sore ribs. But I didn’t let the pain stop me. I was rabid. Feral. The only thing that could put me down was a bullet to the brain. I prayed it wouldn’t come to that, for Willow’s sake.

I rolled over, using the rod and the stair railing to help me get back on my feet. Zeb’s face looked like something out of a funhouse mirror. Both the metal rod and the wooden stairs had done a bang-up job rearranging his pretty-boy features. His nose was crooked, his eyes practically swollen shut, and it appeared that most of his teeth were now scattered to the wind.

Blood poured from Zeb’s mouth as he screamed at me. The sound was barely human. My stomach churned. I hesitated for a second, letting my conscience weigh the potential damage that killing another man would leave on my soul. But the memory of Zeb shoving his cock down Willow’s throat was too fresh in my mind. I brought the rod down on his head twice, busting his skull open.

I licked my lips and tasted metal.

Now… Where the hell did Martin slink off to?

Dawn was fast approaching. I scanned the clearing and spotted Martin heading for the trees. I jogged down the stairs, grateful that my encounter with Zeb had only cost me a couple of minutes. As soon as my feet hit the ground, I broke into a run. For a guy who didn’t like climbing stairs, Martin had a ton of stamina. I chased him through the trees, dodging fallen limbs and underbrush, until we burst out into a grassy area. I didn’t notice the steaming hot spring until Martin finally came to a stop beside it.

When I reached him, he was bent over and wheezing, but I didn’t let his showing of weakness make me soft. I tackled the winded son of a bitch to the ground. He landed with a huff, and recovered surprisingly quick, slamming his elbow into my chest and knocking me off his back.

I lost the dowel rod somewhere in the dark, but that didn’t matter. I was ready to kill Martin with my bare hands if that’s what it took. Back on my feet, I aimed a kick at his head. His hands shot up to block me, knocking me off balance. It gave Martin just enough time pull himself together.

He took up a fighting position, raising his fists in front of his face and weaving back and forth.

“What?” Martin panted. “You thought Ox was the only one who knew how to fight? There’s a reason we’ve been able to do this year after year. We train for it.”

“You’re full of shit,” I said, trying to gauge his reaction. Maybe Martin did know how to fight, but if he was so confident in his ability to kick my ass, why did he waste so much energy running?

“You got lucky at the campsite, caught us off guard when we were too distracted by your kid’s tight pussy. But that won’t happen out here. It’s just you and me.”

I barely dodged his right hook. Okay, maybe he wasn’t bluffing. I didn’t have any formal training myself, but what I did have was more important. I had something worth fighting for, someone depending on me. I had to get back to the tower before Duke found Willow, which meant I needed to put an end to Martin quickly.

With that thought in mind, I took a swing at him. He managed to duck, and I stumbled. Martin jammed his boot into the side of my knee. I cursed as I went down, pain radiating throughout my leg. This fucker wasn’t holding back. I had to roll toward the steaming hot spring to avoid a kick to my already battered face.

With the arrival of the dawn, I could now clearly see the bright orange ring around the edge of the pool, and the rolling boil spitting foam at its center. Stones glinted in the loose dirt close to my face. Martin moved to straddle me just as I grabbed a handful of dirt and flung it at his face.

“Shit,” he cried out, covering his eyes.

Taking advantage of his impaired vision, I shoved him away, slipping out of his reach. He rubbed his eyes and staggered to his feet.

“Hey, asshole,” he shouted, throwing punches at the wind when he thought he could sense me nearby. “You’re wasting your time on me. Duke’s probably got your girl on her knees already.”

Technically, Martin was right. I needed to get back to Willow. In an instant, the solution to my current problem became clear as a crystal spring.

“You’re right,” I said. “It’s time to end this.”

Charging forward, I rammed him with my shoulder, sending him flying into the hot spring. I scrambled back to avoid being splashed by the scalding water. Martin flailed and shrieked, struggling to swim in the shallow water. But the superheated temperatures fried his nerves and he quickly lost control of his limbs.

I’d heard a story once about a hiker who slipped and fell into one of these hot springs. He died almost instantly. Due to the acidity, his body dissolved before rescuers could fish out his remains.

Martin’s screams only lasted a few seconds.

When I was sure that he wasn’t coming out of there uncooked, I turned and sprinted back toward the tower. I didn’t have a weapon or a plan for facing Duke and I debated whether I should return to Willow or head in the direction that she threw the radio in the hopes of confronting him far away from her. But a high-pitched shout drew me straight to the clearing. I saw the tower in the distance and two figures at the top.

No, no, no.I had to get up there.

I pushed my body to its limits, tearing through the trees as fast as my legs could carry me. A fist closed around my heart as the sounds of the commotion grew closer. Duke was up there with Willow. I watched, helpless once again, as they struggled. It was impossible to make out the details of the fight from the ground. Fear slid down my spine like oil as I leapt onto the stairs, taking the steps two at a time.

Willow screamed. I’d only made it halfway up the tower when I saw a body go flying off the edge of the platform.

For a second, it was only a dark form against the blinding dawn. I clutched the railing—the only thing stopping me from collapsing under the weight of my own fear.

Why did I leave her alone?

Then I heard Duke’s deep bellow of terror.

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