Her.
She started to pant. Her hands were tingling. “Alastair?” Her voice was a shaky whisper.
“It’s okay, Rainbow, I’m here. Stand still. We’ll sort this.”
The guy gripped her arm tighter as he looked back down at her. “Where is the snowmobile?”
She swallowed, and it caused the knife to press into her. She felt something wet run down her throat. Blood. She was bleeding. He’d cut her and showed no remorse. In fact, his face showed only brutal determination.
There was a roar and Alastair rushed the man. The knife left her throat as the guy swung at Alastair. He knocked Alastair across the room, where he hit his back on the edge of the bed and crumpled to the floor.
“No!” Rainne screamed. She struggled to get to Alastair.
He was lying on the floor, clutching his ribs.
“Alastair!” She couldn’t see blood. He wasn’t stabbed. But his ribs. His lung.
“Stop moving. Your boyfriend is okay. For now.” The knife pressed back to her throat. “I need the snowmobile.”
“What did you do with the doctor and nurse?” Rainne whispered.
He ignored her. “Where is the snowmobile?”
There was the unmistakable sound of an engine. Mitch was back. Early. Inside Rainne’s head she was screaming. Her mouth was dry. Her hands were numb. Her body shook. She had to get to Alastair. She had to make sure he was okay. She had to warn Mitch. He couldn’t come in here.
The guy spun her around, pulling her back against his chest. He covered her mouth with his hand.
Alastair was a groaning heap on the floor. “Damn it to hell,” he snapped. “Let her go.”
“One more word,” the guy said. “And she pays for it.”
Alastair made a strangled noise and Rainne struggled against her captor.
“I have no problem killing you,” he said against her ear in a voice so cold it made her freeze.
The door opened. Mitch stepped in. “I came to get you first,” he said before he saw her. “Betty was busy with the strippers. I couldn’t watch. I’m traumatised enough already. I’ll go back and get her later when she’s finished whatever the hell she’s doing. I hope those guys got paid a bundle for dealing with her.”
He turned and spotted them. Shock registered on his face as he took in the scene. In a split second he’d morphed into someone else. Someone bigger. Stronger. He launched himself at her captor, but he wasn’t fast enough.
The man shoved her to his side as he swung the knife. Rainne hit the wall. She saw the knife go into Mitch. He stopped mid-lunge as though he’d been pulled back by an invisible rope. Then he collapsed.
The guy crouched over Mitch, rifled through his pocket, came out with the key to the snowmobile and ran. Without as much as a backwards glance.
“Help!” Rainne screamed. “Help!”
She rushed to Alastair. “I’m okay,” he said on a groan. “Deal with Mitch.”
She pressed a palm to his cheek before turning to Mitch.
There was a knife sticking out of his side. There was blood. So much blood. She took a deep breath and screamed as loudly as she could. She fell to her knees beside Mitch, sliding in his blood.
“Don’t. Remove. Knife,” Mitch said through gritted teeth.
Rainne heard a clatter outside the door. She didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know how to help.
“Help!” she shouted. “Please help!”
The door crashed open and the doctor ran in. He took in the scene in front of him before rushing into action.