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“Shoes on.”
While she fumbled into her shoes, Sawyer’s mind ticked over. He needed to get her out of there. He guessed the elevators weren’t working, so they’d need to take the stairs.
When he reached out a hand to open the front door, that’s when he realized it was ajar.
The hairs on the back of his neck rose. That could only mean one thing.
He spun and shoved Hollis to the side.
The man attacked, coming out of nowhere.
Their bodies collided. Sawyer’s gun went flying. He slammed a punch toward the man’s head. The guy was big, the same size as Sawyer, and he was fast. The asshole jerked his head to the side and rammed his own fist up. Sawyer blocked the blow. They traded several punches and shoves.
Fuck this. He hadn’t used all of his skills in a long time.
But he would now.
For Hollis.
Sawyer rammed his elbow up in a vicious blow. Bone crunched and the man grunted. Sawyer followed through with two brutal jabs. Ribs cracked and the man made a pained sound.
It only took Sawyer seconds to disable the man. He dropped the unconscious man to the floor.
Chest heaving, he pulled in a breath.
He looked up and saw Hollis standing there, holding a vase over her head.
“I was going to help.” She lowered it. “It looks like you didn’t need it. That was…”
He waited for her to say something. For her to tell him it was brutal, horrible…
“Badass,” she said.
His chest inflated. “Come on. This guy will have friends.”
He took her hand, and they headed out into the hall. He searched for any movement in the darkness, but didn’t sense anything. The thick carpet muffled their footsteps as they moved toward the stairwell. An emergency exit sign glowed in the darkness. He opened the door.
More low emergency lighting gave the stairwell an eerie glow.
“This reminds me of a movie where youshouldn’tgo down the stairs,” Hollis whispered.
They had no choice.
“I’m not letting these assholes have you. Now, let’s move.”
Couldher life get anymore crappy?
Hollis couldn’t believe she was hurrying down a scary stairwell in the dark with someone else out to kill her.
Sawyer’s broad back was in front of her, the soft fabric of his T-shirt stretched over his hard muscles. He was her lifeline in all this craziness.
She was so glad he was with her. Once again, he was protecting her.
He stopped suddenly, and she caught herself before she ran into the back of him.
There was a bang of a door. It echoed from above. They both looked up, and Hollis heard voices—urgent and angry.
Sawyer muttered a curse, and grabbed her hand. He glanced around, then pushed open the door to the floor below their apartment.