Page 12 of Betraying Family Vows

I squeeze her tightly.

The door crashes open.

Two more men come. Guess she wasn't completely lying.

I press the hot barrel of the gun to her temple.

"Stop, or she's dead."

The two men freeze and look at one another, unsure of what to do next.

Good thing I do.

I fire one quick shot at the man on my right. He collapses to the ground. I pull Athena to the side and turn to kill the man on my left. He fires wildly, the bullet crashing into the wall near my head. I squeeze off another round, and blood instantly pours from his throat. He drops, kicking as he bleeds out.

I drag Athena with me, backing toward the wall opposite the door. Her perfume and sweat fill my nostrils. Her breathing is rapid and erratic.

She's scared.

"How many more?" I demand.

"Go to hell." Her voice shakes. Not so tough now.

"Fine. You first."

I press the gun to her temple again.

"Last chance."

She stiffens.

"Okay. Okay. One more. The driver," she says and slams her ass hard against me, twisting as if to get away. I pull her up off her feet and hold her in the air.

"You took me. Now you’re mine," I say as I allow her feet to touch back down on the ground.

"Fucking move."

I drag her through the blood-slick floor, out the door, down a hallway. She goes between whimpering and silence.

As we move down the hallway, I make sure her body is always in front of mine, just in case some hero jumps out ahead of us.

We get to a door with a small window, and from what I can tell, it leads outside.

"So out there is only one man?"

She doesn't answer.

I shake her.

"Yes!" she yells.

"Well, ladies first," I say, and we barge out, her pinned against me, leading the way.

"Son of a bitch," I hear someone to my left say.

I spin around and fire once, catch him in the shoulder. He staggers but stays up. I fire again, and his head snaps back in a spray of red. He crumples against a car.

Athena squirms against me. I can feel every curve of her body, every tremor of terror running through her. She's softer than she looks. Warmer.