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Taking another step forward, Sundance was finally fully out of the pen, and I was mere feet from Briar and Wayde. “Trade for a trade,” I stated, knowing phase three was about to begin. “I will let go of the lead rope at the same time as you release Briar. Plain and simple.”

He narrowed his beady eyes, sweat glistening on his wrinkled forehead. Dirt stained the creases, marring his features even more. “On three,” he hesitantly said. I could see the doubt rising in his eyes. “I’ll shove Briar to the left, and you hand me the lead rope.”

That would push Briar farther away from me, putting Sundance between me and her. But it would also put Sundance between Wayde and Briar. This might just work…

“On three,” I agreed.

“One,” he began and dropped the knife from Briar’s neck.

Adrenaline shot through my body, setting my skin on fire with flames that licked at wounds not yet there.

“Two,” I said next, tightening the tension on the lead rope and reaching across my body to hold it with my left hand.

His brows twitched.

“Three,” we both said in unison.

He tossed Briar to the side, and she crashed to the ground at the same time that I jerked the lead rope forward with my left hand. The stallion, startled already, trotted forward a couple of steps, and my palm smacked right against his rump. The sting rocketed up my own arm, but it did the job.

Sundance jolted forward with a sharp squeal and reared up, flailing his hooves.

Briar grinned, recognizing what the plan was, and pushed up from the gravel, reaching out for the lead rope.

Wayde’s attention momentarily shot toward the horse, away from me as I locked my sights on him. Another piercing scream, higher pitched, echoed through the air, but I ignored Sundance’s continual fright.

Diving forward, I wrapped my arms around Wayde’s waist and tackled him to the ground. My fists were flying through the air before he registered what was happening, and bones crunched beneath my knuckles. Everything turned black around me. There was no night or day. There was no sun or moon. There was nothing but this face of an evil man meeting the judgements of my blows.

The grim reaper would come to claim his soul tonight.

Blood stained the little sight of skin before me, flowing from every orifice of his face. He had not stood a chance. Not after everything he’d done. His fault for riling up the beast that took more strength to keep restrained than anyone would ever know.

The devil he knew was long gone, replaced by me.

I’d come to collect every due that was owed and then toss him to the bottom of the river.

Limp beneath my strikes, there was no more squirming between my legs as I grabbed him by his ears and slammed his head against the ground.

Again.

And again.

Crunching, whether from his skull or the gravel, met my ears but did not deter my rage.

And my hands vibrated with the impact of his head again.

And again.

He would never touch Briar.

He would never be able to rest a sickening hand on her again or send anyone after her.

Ever again.

Briar…

My movements slowed.

“Briar?” I whispered, the singular thought of her pulling me from the darkness that had nearly consumed me. Light filtered back into my sights, and I immediately let go of the unconscious man below me.