Part 14 (1/2)

That woman.

I immediately moved towards the door and twisted the doork.n.o.b. It wouldn't budge. Elle was holding it tightly on the other side.

What was she up to?

I gripped and re-gripped my axe. I was dying to use it. I wanted more than anything to bust through that door and decapitate the lot of them. But Elle obviously had a plan of some sort that she didn't confide in me and I didn't want to risk f.u.c.king it up.

I muttered her name like it was a cuss word. It took everything I had to just stand there and wait until the opportune moment to make my move. I would have to read her mind to know when to make my entrance, and unfortunately for us both, I wasn't gifted with ESP.

”h.e.l.lo there.” That voice-it was the one Elle feared most. What was his name? Oh yeah-Leonard. My axe became an extension of my arm.

”Leonard,” Elle said. I put my ear up to the door and closed my eyes. She was only inches away from my touch. I thought I could hear her breathe, steady, sure. Be brave, Blondie.

”Have you changed your mind?” He moved closer. My teeth were grinding against each other; my nails silently dug into the wooden door. ”Where's your little boyfriend?”

”He's not here,” she said a little too quickly. ”The sandstorm got him.”

”You're lying,” Leonard drawled. I heard the other men-two of them-snicker. ”We saw men's clothing by the waterfall.”

Elle loosened her grip on the doork.n.o.b, but she didn't completely let go. I took that as a sign and readied myself.

”I'll go with you if you leave him alone and promise not to hurt him.”

It was silent.

”We have no use for him. We would, however, love to make this our home.”

Elle! This was going way too far. I could only imagine the look on that son of a b.i.t.c.h's face. He was probably drooling over the thought of having her all to himself. She was readying herself like a cow for slaughter. I couldn't just stand there any longer and listen to them talk about this s.h.i.+t. Pretty soon, he'd be speaking about the children they'd make together. I leaned over and dropped my head between my knees. I felt like retching.

I was tired of waiting and guessing when to make my move. I quietly moved across the room, silent and deadly. The window was open, so I slipped through it. I held my axe with both hands and edged myself around the cabin, ducking under windows to keep from being spotted.

I stood on the other side of the back door, hoping that they hadn't noticed this entrance yet; it was pretty well concealed by the wardrobe. My hand steadied over the doork.n.o.b.

”I said I would come with you, not that you could touch me!” Elle yelled and there was a loud bang, like something was thrown against the bedroom door.

Those words were all it took for me to make my move. My blood began to boil in my veins, making my heart pump faster, my hands grip tighter. I busted through the door and I a.s.sessed the situation. Elle was sitting against the door, looking confused, messed up. Leonard was above her, holding her by a hunk of her white-blonde hair. The dark-skinned man stood beside the loveseat. The other guy remained missing, but I couldn't process that at that moment. I ran towards the couch and readied my axe.

The dark skinned man turned around just in time to see the blade slice through the air and meet his neck. He dropped to the ground, his head hanging on by raw sinew. Blood poured and spurted from the mortal wound. He twitched for a few seconds until he finally stilled. It didn't faze me for a second. Maybe it would later, but I doubted it. My eyes found Leonard.

He was slack-jawed. His face filled with blood. My smile was deadly.

”Gabriel!” Elle screamed.

I had forgotten about the absent man. His arm was around my neck and the barrel of his pistol was pressing into my skull.

f.u.c.k. I'm sorry, Elle.

Chapter 22.

[ Gabriel ]

I was paralyzed. I wanted to move; I wanted to turn and swing the blade into the man's gut, but I knew I wouldn't be quick enough. He'd pull the trigger before the axe could even hope to meet his stomach.

I looked at Elle. I wanted her to be the last thing I saw. Her eyes-wild, large, and intensely green. Her lips-full and parted. Her hair-everywhere. Her skin-pale and flushed.

She mouthed my name.

Chapter 23.

[ Elle ]

The first thing I noticed was Gabriel.

The second thing I noticed was Leonard's gun, sitting snug in the back of his jeans.

The third thing was the scar on Morris' face, the creep who was holding my man against his will.

The fourth thing I realized was how well two and three could go together in order to save the life of one.

The problem was: I wasn't sure if my aim was quite good enough.

”Orders, Leonard?” Morris asked, his finger resting on the trigger.

Chapter 24.

[ Gabriel ]

I watched in slow motion as Elle grabbed the pistol off of Leonard.

There was a gunshot. I squeezed my eyes shut.

Chapter 25.

[ Elle ]