Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 60848 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60848 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
The attacker reached for Kira’s door, likely thinking he’d taken me out with the kick he’d delivered to my thigh when I’d staggered. He’d just managed to get his meaty fingers on the door handle when I slammed into him with the full force of my body. The impact drove the air from his lungs in a satisfying whoosh. Pretty sure I heard a rib snap. I didn’t hesitate, following through with an uppercut that snapped his head back. The familiar crunch of cartilage under my knuckles told me I’d broken his nose.
“Tiny!” Penny’s voice cut through the air, sharp with terror.
I spun to see the second man had her by the arm, trying to drag her from the passenger seat. Her feet scrabbled against the floor mat as she fought him, her free hand clawing at his face. The sight of him on her sent a fresh surge of rage through me.
Zelda appeared like a demon from the back seat, her small body launching over her mother’s shoulder. She latched onto the man’s arm, teeth sinking into his wrist while her fingernails raked across his eyes. The man howled, his grip on Penny loosening just enough for her to wrench herself partway free.
“You little bitch!” he snarled, backhanding Zelda hard enough to snap her head back.
Something primal broke loose inside me at the sight of her head rocking back from the blow. I lunged toward them, but the guy I was fighting grabbed me from behind, his arm locking around my throat. I drove my elbow back into his solar plexus once, twice, three times until his grip slackened.
“Get off my mom!” Zelda screamed, her voice cracking with rage and fear. On the other side of the Bronco, I caught a glimpse of Andy yanking open the rear door. He reached in, grabbing for Zelda’s ankle as she kicked wildly at his face. Kira’s terrified shriek filled the air as she scrambled across the seat, away from Andy’s grasping hands.
“Kira, lock the door!” I shouted, then grunted as this guy landed a blow to my kidney. I spun, delivering a headbutt that connected with his already broken nose. Fresh blood sprayed between us, hot against my skin as it painted my face. He staggered back, giving me a precious second to assess the situation.
Penny was half out of her seat now, still struggling with her attacker. It looked like the only thing keeping her in was her seat belt. Zelda had been pulled from the vehicle, her small frame twisting like a wildcat in Andy’s grip. Kira remained in the back seat, Mr. Hoppers clutched to her chest, her eyes wide with terror. I needed to end this fast.
I grabbed my attacker by his jacket and drove my knee into his groin, following with a right hook that dropped him to one knee. Without pausing, I pivoted toward Penny and her attacker, aiming a kick at the back of the man’s knee that buckled his leg. As he faltered, Penny wrenched free of his grip and scrambled backward.
“Get back in the car, lock the doors!” I yelled to her.
But Andy had already circled around, dragging a struggling Zelda with him. “You really thought you could hide from me?” he sneered at Penny. “You think this fucking gorilla can protect you?” He yanked Zelda’s arm hard enough to make her cry out in pain. “Tell your boyfriend to back the fuck off before I break her arm.”
Zelda’s eyes met mine over Andy’s shoulder, wide but determined. I saw the calculation there, the decision forming before she made her move. Smart kid. She went suddenly limp in Andy’s grip, dropping her weight so unexpectedly that, even though she was slight of build and still a growing adolescent, he had nearly lost his hold. In the split second he needed to adjust his grip, she twisted, driving her heel into his instep and breaking free.
“Zelda, run!” I shouted at her. Of course, Zelda darted, not away, but toward her mother.
Penny’s attacker had regained his footing and was reaching for her again. In a move that would have made any action hero proud, Zelda launched herself onto the man’s back, her arms wrapping around his neck, fingers clawing at his eyes. The distraction gave Penny the opening she needed. She drove her knee up between his legs with enough force that I almost winced in sympathy. Almost.
I turned back just in time to see the guy I’d just dropped with a dick shot charging me again, this time with something glinting in his hand. A knife, the blade catching the winter sunlight. I sidestepped, grabbing his wrist and twisting until I heard the bones snap. He screamed, the knife dropping to the ground. I kicked it under the Bronco, then delivered a blow to his temple that saw the man drop like a stone. This time, he didn’t get up.