Vigilant

TWENTY FIVE

“How’d you get out of your cage?” Jace asked, pushing her down the hallway and into a bedroom. This one held a bed with tacky red satin sheets and wide mirrors on the wall. He looked at the blood splattered across her shirt and shorts. He frowned. “Is that yours?”

“No. It’s Desmond’s. He may still be alive,” Ari retorted. “If you get him help now.”

“I don’t give a rat’s ass about Desmond.” Jace took a step forward and grabbed Ari by the chin. “I’ve wanted to get you alone for a long time.”

Ari stomped on his foot, and used her elbow like she’d seen the boys when they had their demonstration at her program, but Jace had a lot of weight and height on her. He smacked her across the mouth, so forcefully, she landed across the bed with a bounce. “Nick will kill you if he finds out,” she said, licking the blood off her lip.

“Once he finds out you tried to escape and killed one of his men? He won’t think twice. He’s gone anyway.” Jace stood over the bed and pulled off his shirt. His chest was covered in scars and just like Sydney said, a shiny silver key hung from a long chain. Ari lunged for it, and he swatted her back, proceeding to unbutton the top button on his jeans. “Don’t worry. I’ll kill you when I’m finished.”

Ari grimaced when he lowered his pants and she saw how aroused he was. The violence turned him on, and that incapacitating feeling of panic washed over her. At what he wanted to do. She thought back to what Davis told her. Always fight.

She waited until his pants were down to his ankles. Using all her weight, she rolled off the bed, crashing into the bedside table, toppling a lamp to the floor. Ari landed hard on her hip.

“You’re always a feisty bitch, I’ll give you that,” Jace yelled from the bed.

She scrambled to her feet and took a swipe at his chest, reaching for the key. Grasping her fingers around it, she yanked until it broke.

Jace reached for her and grabbed the back of her leg. Wriggling free, Ari used every ounce of energy she had left and kicked him between the legs.

“Motherfuc—” he cried, falling to a heap on the floor.

She ran.

* * *

The afternoon sun had faded and the hallway was darker than before. Ari ran as fast as she could down the stairs, stumbling down the final three. She slammed into the wall, but managed to stay on her feet, while holding onto the key with an iron grasp.

Her hands shook, making it almost impossible to get the key in the lock. Looking over her shoulder, she watched for Jace, wasting precious time. She cried out, “Thank you!” when the key finally unlocked the door, just as Jace came roaring down the stairs. Cool winter air slapped her across the face and she fell forward, desperate to get outside.

“Help!” she screamed. Jace had his hands around her ankles, pulling her back inside. “Help me!”

“Shut up,” Jace said, dragging her backwards. Ari fought, clawing her way across the front porch. She wouldn’t go back inside. He’d have to kill her first.

“What the—?” he said, dropping her feet. Something or someone flew over her head. Ari used the break to move as fast as she could, on her hands and knees, across the yard. She didn’t get far, because she was suddenly lifted in the air, carried bridal style.

“Let go!” she cried, kicking her feet. Her hands flew out, scratching and attacking.

“Ari, stop!” The voice triggered something inside her and she halted her attack “It’s me. I’m here.”

“Davis?” she finally looked at the man holding her instead of trying to get away. “Don’t take me back in there…please.” She’d already been betrayed once, by Nick. She couldn’t bear it if this were also a trick.

“You’re safe,” he told her, pressing his forehead to hers. He continued walking, carrying her away from the house.

“We can’t leave! They’re in the house! The girls, Hope! She’s in the basement and Shanna, she’s upstairs hurt. Nick did this. Reggie. He’s the one that did this,” she blubbered, tears falling down her cheeks. “We have to go back in.”

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nbsp; “We’re going, but I need you to go to the hospital, okay?” He handed her off to someone else, Peter, who picked her up like a ragdoll in his giant arms. “Peter’s going to take you. I’m going to deal with this. And Reggie, okay?”

“No! Don’t leave me!” Fear gripped Ari at the thought of being away from him. Away from assured safety.

“I have to. I’ll see you soon.” Davis kissed her gently. “Tell Detective Bryson everything. Only him.”

“Why him?”

“He knows enough to give me time. Remember, don’t talk to anyone else, okay?”