Page 48

Dallas…

Still, I saw nothing in every direction. The street was silent and empty.

Maybe someone made a wrong turn. Turned back around…

“Where is it?”

The voice was low and gravelly, and carried by the wind. I couldn’t immediately tell which direction it had come from. But I knew one thing.

It didn’t belong to any of my men.

“I’m giving you one chance,” the voice said ominously. “I take it… or I take you.”

A man stepped out of the shadows. He was ridiculously tall, maybe six and a half feet, with stark white hair and a face that didn’t seem to belong with his body.

“Dallas, listen—”

I folded backwards, whirling and running for the safety of the door. Through the corner of my eye I saw the intruder jerk forward. He lunged for my throat…

“DALLAS!”

Somehow I slipped through. I spun in a tight circle, shoving the door closed. Throwing my hip so hard against it that a spike of pain flashed up my body, even as I reached for the deadbolt with my opposite hand.

But I never heard the click of the lock engaging. With growing horror, I realized the door had bounced back.

There was a booted foot stuck in it.

“All I want is—”

Without thinking I stomped down hard, crushing the intruder’s toes with my heel. There was a scream of pain, but the foot never left the doorway. It stayed exactly where it was, while I ground my heel even harder against it.

“Bitch!”

I shoved again with my hip, and now my shoulder too. The door flexed. It shifted another quarter inch toward the closed position, but it still barely budged.

Then he pushed back… and I was nearly knocked flat on my ass.

Stay strong! The voice of self-preservation screamed. If you fall down, it’s all over!

Gritting my teeth, I widened my stance. My eyes scanned desperately around for something to thrust through the opening. Anything sharp. Anything long…

But there was nothing… so I stomped again.

“FUCK!”

This time I heard a crunch, or rather I felt it. The foot jerked backwards. The door slammed shut.

My heart was pounding. My fingers betrayed me three times fumbling for the deadbolt…

CLICK.

I sighed with relief, slumping against the door. It rattled hard from the other side. I could hear screaming. Kicking…

Then all at once, everything stopped.

The windows!

They were low and wide, easy to break. If this guy wanted in, there was no keeping him out.