Hold You Against Me (Stripped 4)

Her eyes are wide like saucers. “How do you know?”

“You were the one who said he wouldn’t hurt us. That goes for letting us get hurt too.”

“That was before I saw him holding you down over a desk!”

“There’s a story behind that,” I say, gesturing to the man on the floor. “Check him for other weapons? We might need a backup plan.”

“Okay,” my sister says, breathless. “They contacted him. He’s on his way.”

“Great. Listen, Honor. I love you. You’re the best big sister a girl could have.”

Her voice is trembling. “Clara, what’s happening there?”

The details would only freak her out worse than the vague things she can guess now. “We’ll hug later, I promise. But just in case I’m wrong, name the baby after me. Even if it’s a boy.”

I hang up, knowing she’ll kick my ass for that later. I’m just praying that she actually gets to.

Maria comes up with a knife from the man’s boot and pepper spray from Juliette’s clutch. Not exactly an arsenal, but it will have to do. At least there are only two of them. And we have the element of surprise.

“Between the two of us, you’re the one who can fight, so you’re the one who needs to play dead.” I detail a short and sweet plan to Maria, who nods but doesn’t say much.

Should I use pepper spray on my eyes? That’s probably overkill. Instead I slam the soft flesh of my arm into the corner of the bench, making tears spring to my eyes.

Then I open the door.

There are immediately two very large guns pointed at me by two very angry men. “I’m sorry,” I say, crying. “Please don’t hurt me.”

One of them leers at me. “You’ll be wishing you hadn’t done this in about an hour.”

I back up, almost tripping on Juliette’s body. “Giovanni Costas kidnapped me. I just want to go home.”

One of the men follows me into the truck, reaching for me.

That’s when Maria strikes, hitting him on the side of his knee in a way that sends him sprawling to the floor. I follow up with the pepper spray, making him howl and flail. I jump onto the bench to avoid being snatched by him and hop out of the van.

The last man has his gun trained on Maria. I aim for him, but we’re at a stalemate.

“Drop it,” he warns. “We don’t need this bitch. Just you.”

Shit. I know I don’t have a choice. I’ve seen those eyes before. He won’t hesitate to shoot her. I couldn’t have stood by and let her get hurt even before she was going to help me escape.

Reaching down, I slowly lower the gun to the floor.

“No,” Maria says, snapping out of her trance. “It’s not worth it. Shoot him.”

I set the gun on the ground and nudge it away with my foot. “And let you get hurt? I don’t think so.”

The man gives a cruel smile. “Javier only needs you, sweetheart. I was going to have some fun with this one. But now I think the two of you are too much trouble.”

My mind barely interprets his meaning before I see his finger twitch. Then I’m throwing myself onto Maria. A loud bang blasts through the air; pain blooms like crimson flowers as I land on the hard-packed dirt.

Tires squeal, and I wonder if the van is leaving. From the corner of my eye I see the black limo speed away, filling the air with dust. It floats across my vision like glitter.

More shots ring out.

I stare at the blue, blue sky above us and wonder if it’s always been that wide. Where is the sun? It seems bright out, but it feels incredibly cold. I’m shivering.

“Clara. Clara!” Giovanni’s face appears above mine.