Page 404 of Under Her Skin

She was breathless and half-crying. Enda flicked on the tv and they allfroze.

Selima Rai, tears pouring down her face, was flanked by two female police officers, begging them all to save hersister.

Ama saton the cool bathroom floor, her head in her hands. Pregnant. How? She had been on the pill for months now …only she had missed the last few days for obvious reasons. Did that mean the baby was Jackson’s?God…

But she couldn’t hate the little life inside her, because there was a chance, a verysmallchance that it could be Enda’s child. Earlier, before she knew about her pregnancy and after Selima had gone, she had come to terms with the fact that she would probably be killed soon. She acceptedit.

But now? She had to try and save herself and the baby. That was evident. She started as Jackson came into the suite and called hername.

“In here. I’ll be out in asecond.”

She flushed the toilet and splashed water on her face. When she went back into the bedroom, Jackson smiled at her. “Time to watch a little T.V.,darling.”

In the bondage room,where Ama deliberately didn’t look at the bed where she had been so hideously violated the night before, Jackson switched on the television. He flicked to the news channel, and when Ama saw her sister’s face, safe, with the police, she burst into tears.Thank god. Thankgod…

She felt Jackson put an arm around her. “Ama …from now on, we will be a happy couple. Together. Tonight, we will be flying to another place, somewhere they will never find us. Thank you for giving me this gift, mylove.”

Christ, he really is insane, isn’t he? A happy couple? Play along,her subconscious toldher.

She looked up and smiled at him. “Thank you, Jackson. Thank you for keeping yourword.”

Jackson kissed her and she forced herself to respond. He pushed her dress away from her shoulders and stripped her, and Ama went along with it, kissing him passionately and freeing his cock from his pants. Clarity had come to her since the doctor told her about the baby, and she’d figured out that this room, this terrible room, was her way out of thisplace.

That and Jackson’s arrogance. She smiled at him. “I want to taste you.” She nearly gagged on the words, but Jackson, smiling, nodded and pushed her head down to his lap. Ama took his cock into her mouth. As she teased and sucked him, she flicked her eyes around the room, taking in every chance she had to get an advantage. His rack of knives was the most obvious, but they were over on the other side of theroom.

Anything. Anything will do…adrenaline coursed through her body as she realized this was the moment. This was thetime.

Jackson grunted and grinned down at her. “That feels so good, baby. So, good. Let me cum in yourmouth…”

And as he came, groaning, Ama clenched her jaw and bit down as hard as shecould.

As soon asSelima confirmed that they had been held somewhere near Fresno, the F.B.I. and Enda, Raffaelo, and Olivier flew out in helicopters to the place where Olivier and Jackson played as kids. Inca had wanted to come, but Raffaelo forbade it, telling her, “No way. I don’t want you within a million miles of guns and JacksonGallo.”

She had protested, but gave up when Raffaelo made it clear he was serious. “And besides,” Raffaelo told her. “Selima is being brought here. You’ll need each other if …anything goes south.” He lowered his voice so Enda couldn’t hear him. “Keep away from the news. Obviously the F.B.I. have ordered a news blackout until after the operation, but you neverknow.”

Now,as he sat in the helicopter beside Enda, he could see his friend was beyond anxious. Enda jiggled his legs constantly, staring out of the window as California passed beneath them. But Raffaelo felt optimistic for the first time in days. They had alead.

As they reached the small, isolated place called Humphrey’s Station, an F.B.I. Agent met them. “We’ve found it. It’s buried in the hillside, and we would have missed it, except that we spotted a car coming out of one of the valleys leading to it. A doctor. We picked him up, and he caved and spilled his guts to us. Mr. Gallo, your partner is being held inside. We’re concerned that there are many armed guards in there with her, as well as Jackson Gallo. We need to approach thiscarefully.”

Enda could have screamedin frustration.Just go in there and get her.But he knew they were right. If Jackson were alerted to the fact they had been found, he would kill Ama and shoot his wayout.

Raff put a hand on his shoulder. “We’re nearly home, Enda. Staystrong.”

Jackson screamedas Ama’s teeth clamped onto his penis. Ama tasted blood, and when she saw him buckle, she released her grip and staggered back away from him, over to where he kept the knives. In horror, she saw that a glass lid had been placed over them andlocked.

Fuck.

Jackson was recovering now—as best as he could with only half a penis. Ama had spat him out. Now he was staring at her with murder in hiseyes.

But instead of being scared, Ama found herself angry. Furious. Raging. She grabbed whatever she could find and hurled it at him as he lunged at her, ducking out of his grip. She found a paddle in her hand and slammed it into his face. Jackson reeled, but just as Ama thought she might have the upper hand, Jackson grabbed a whip and caught her on her face before looping it around her neck and pulling it tight. Ama choked, twisted, and turned, trying to free herself, but her airways were cut off, and she felt unconsciousness coming. Desperate—giving into the darkness would mean certain death—she grabbed at anything she could. It was a studded harness, leather and heavy. She flung it back, again and again, hoping to catch Jackson in the eye, and when he gave a howl and the whip around her throat eased and fell to the floor, she knew she’d hit her mark. She dived across the bed and threw herself onto the glass-topped credenza, hoping her weight would smash the glass. It cracked, but didn’tbreak.

“You fucking bitch! I’ll kill you. I’ll kill you!” Jackson was lunging at her again, and in desperation, she plowed her elbow into the glass with all her strength. Both her elbow and the glass smashed, and despite the agonizing pain shooting up her arm, she grabbed what she could—a shard of glass—and as Jackson grabbed her, she lashedout.

Jackson staggered back as Ama was covered in a mist of blood from the gushing wound in his neck. Jackson fell to the floor, his carotid bursting from the pressure of blood escaping the wound. Ama dropped to her knees, gasping for air and searching for the keys in Jackson’s pockets. He grabbed her arm. “I’ll killyou…”

She shook his hand off. “Go to hell, Jackson. Which is where you’ll be in a few more seconds, I’m guessing. You’re bleeding out, idiot, and no one,no one,will mourn you.” Her anger was still ruling her as she grabbed a knife from the smashed cabinet. “This is for Selima, for Inca, and for Penny.” She slammed the knife into his chest, straight into his heart. Jackson made a gurgling noise in his throat, then his head fell to the side, his eyes staring butunseeing.

Ama sat back, catching her breath. Now what? She had to find the exit, unarmed and facing god knows how many armed guards who would shoot her in a second. She placed a hand on herbelly.