Bounty Hunter (The Rover 1)

He rushed down the stairs straight at me. At the last second, I flattened against the wall and let him rush right past, then I knifed him in the back. He fell face first.

I turned around to walk up the stairs. Arms came around mine, locking my biceps to the side of my body. I kicked my feet between his legs and brought us both down. Once I got my feet under me, I ran, only the big knife left in my hand now. More men crowded the top of the stairs. The one I’d tripped closed in behind me.

I stopped and panted. “Well, boys, looks like I’m at a disadvantage here.”

I needed to funnel them, but if I returned to the interrogation room, it would allow them to cage me in again. So, I made the scary choice and charged toward the oncoming guys.

The first one I took down with a knife to the gut. Before I could dislodge him, two pairs of hands came around my arms.

I used the tight wall space and their arms to swing my legs up onto the wall, pull the knife out of their friend, and slash at one pair of arms. He dropped me hard onto the stairs. The pain sparking my shoulder told me I probably fractured something with that little stunt.

Someone grabbed my ankle and tugged me backward. I slashed out with the knife. Someone else secured my wrist before I could make contact.

It took five more men to drag me to the ground. A pile of guys laid on my back, squeezing the life out of me. Too many arms pressed me into the carpet. They removed my knife and held my hands behind my back.

My odds of getting out of here alive plummeted, as did my heart.

They carried me back down the hall, this time into a different room. Guess the cleaning lady wasn’t finished with the mess I’d made in the other one.

They tossed me onto the floor with force. I let myself lay on the cold rubber and breathe for a minute. My shoulder still screamed from earlier, and being carried and tossed around didn’t help the shooting pain subside.

I finally managed to sit up. Two men guarded the inside of my room, and two outside. I scanned the two closest guards for weapons. They were in the black fatigues, so all I caught were bulges in the material that could be a cell phone, or they were a little too happy to have me tied up on the floor like the sadist from before.

I arranged my dress so I could sit cross-legged comfortably and tried to relax the muscles in my arms and legs. They were shaking with fatigue and adrenaline, and I wasn’t done fighting yet.

I expected a mage to come question me any minute. This time I wouldn’t let him torture me before I killed him.

I should feel some kind of remorse about the lives I’d taken, and yet, I couldn’t summon anything for a man who got off on inflicting pain. I would bet I hadn’t been his only victim.

Another man entered the room. He spotted me on the floor, walked over, and punched in the face before I could even offer a smart-ass comment.

I lay back, my lip split, bleeding and aching. My heart shot into my throat as I blinked up at him. He stood over me, grinning. Someone had given this dick nugget free rein on his prisoner. Not good, especially since the man hit like a damn sledgehammer.

My entire face pounded, and if I took another punch like that, my nose would break.

He reached down and hauled me back up to sitting. “What, nothing to say to that, bitch? Guess we finally figured out how to get you to shut your mouth.”

I smiled and realized the inside of my lip had cut on my teeth. Blood coated my tongue in a copper tang. “Don’t worry, I’m just waiting.”

He slapped me, open-handed, hard enough to jerk my face to the side. My hair tumbled out of its pins down my back. I captured one of the metal pins under the guise of catching my breath. When I tossed my hair out of my face, he’d already reared back for another hit.

Asshole. You deserve this.

I jabbed the pin, rubber tip and all straight into his right eyeball.

The scream he let out satisfied me on a visceral level. He stumbled backward into the other guards, who escorted him into the hallway.

I jumped to my feet and screamed, “Anyone else want to play let’s be a douche? Because I’m three and O and I’m looking to get to five.”

The guards stared at me, but neither made a move. I used the reprieve to spit the blood from my mouth and settle my heartbeat. Any minute another man would walk in and this song and dance would start again.

Like I’d summoned him with the power of my mind, another guy walked in. This one didn’t launch straight at hitting me. He stood a distance away and stared.

“Can I help you?” I asked. “If we are going to fight, get on with it. If you want to ask questions, fine. Just stop staring. It’s creeping me

out.”

He leaned forward and grabbed my hurt shoulder. I moved to bring my arms up to pound on top of his. The buzz of magic hit the air and I felt the bone crack in my arm. A blinding flash of pain washed through me until I could only stagger back and scream.