“Fucker.”
Just like before, it didn’t matter. Begging didn’t work. Pleading didn’t work. And still he tried.
“Please leave her alone. I’ll come with you. I’ll do what you want. I’ll be your fucking dog.” He’d never felt so small, but watching Danielle die would be worse.
“Oh, yes, you’ll do everything I say, Julian. I’m the Master now.” Jeremy flicked on the cattle prod. The sound sizzled through the air menacingly.
It was nothing compared to the scream that came out of Danielle’s mouth.
Finn heard the scream. It seemed to echo through the forest.
“Holy shit,” Jimbo said beside him. “That sounds like Dani.”
He started forward, but Finn stopped him. He understood the impulse. He wanted to run through the fucking forest like a barbarian and kill everything in his path, but he had to control it. He had to stop and think it through. The worst thing he could do was rush in without any knowledge of what was going on. The old Finn would have blustered his way in and probably gotten himself caught in the same web. The new Finn held his breath for a second. Julian was out of commission for all he knew. He could only count on himself. He was their best shot.
“How many windows are there in this place?”
Jimbo checked himself, too. “Two. There’s a big window on the side facing us and a smaller one in the back. If you’re thinking about sneaking in through the small one, don’t. We’re both too damn big. Though we oughta be able to shoot through it if the target is visible. But what if she’s already gone?”
Finn refused to believe it. “I don’t think so. Julian couldn’t have been there long. I think this Jeremy person wants to torture him before he kills him. The way to torture Julian is to hurt Dani. He’ll play with her for awhile.”
“Fuck.”
Fuck was right. It tore him up that Dani was being hurt. She would have to take it while he set up her rescue. After, he’d love her so much she’d heal. Dani was strong. She’d had to be.
The hunting cabin came into view as he and Jimbo quietly slunk through the trees. Every sound made Finn wince. He had a rifle in his hands. He could see the big window, and what he saw made his heart clench. Dani was clearly visible. Her back was to them.
“Is that Val, too?” Jimbo’s soft whisper held a note of desperation.
“It looks like it.”
A long, tortured sigh came from Jimbo’s throat. “Damn it. When the time comes, I’ll take care of Val. She’s a bitch, but damn it, she’s kind of my bitch. I don’t know why, but I got a thing for her. If we make it out, I’m going to make sure she understands.”
Poor guy. He didn’t envy anyone who had the hots for Val.
A slender male figure came into view. Jeremy. He could see him through the glass. His hands stroked Dani’s hair almost lovingly. Bastard. He’d pay for touching her. Finn strained, but he couldn’t see Julian. Was he even here yet?
“Hand me the binoculars.” Finn held out his hand for the slim binoculars. Jimbo’s truck had proven to be a treasure chest of hunting aids. He kept rifles and ammo, knives, vests, and binoculars. Finn looked through the binoculars. He could see Dani’s lovely form hanging limply. Jeremy had some sort of baton in his hand. Finn stared for a minute before his gut churned. He passed the binoculars to Jimbo. “Is that what I think it is?”
Jimbo’s face went white. “Cattle prod.” He brought the binoculars down and put his hand on Finn’s shoulder. “It’s actually good news. Unless he modified it, it won’t kill her. It hurts like hell, but she’ll be fine.”
“How the hell do you know?” The thought of someone treating his Dani like a cow had him clawing at the rifle. Jeremy was too close. He’d never make the shot without hurting Danielle.
“Hell, Finn, I’m a redneck. You think I’ve never been hit with a cattle prod? That’s a regular Saturday night around here. My point is we have a little time.”
Finn nodded, now happy he’d spent his childhood on the outside if cattle prods were regular weekend toys around here. His mind raced. “We need a distraction. I need to get Jeremy to a place where he’s not so close to Dani. If he just moves to the left I can get him.”
“Yes, can you use that rifle?”
“Of course.” On that Finn was completely confident. The only time his father had spent real time with him was on the shooting range. He’d never liked hunting, but he’d always had a fondness for target practice. “Three years as the 4-H Sharpshooter.”
“That’s what I like to hear. Now I’m going to give you a distraction. When that bastard heads for the door, be ready.”
“What kind of a distraction?”
Jimbo shrugged. “I thought setting off some firecrackers right outside the door oughta scare the shit out of him.”
“Why the hell do you have fireworks? They’re illegal here.”
“That never stopped a redneck from celebrating.”
Jimbo set off, silently making his way toward a shed on the back of the property. Finn got into position and prepared to wait.
He promised himself he wouldn’t miss.
Chapter Nineteen
Dani shook. Every inch of her body felt bruised and battered from the inside out. It felt like someone had twisted her insides around over and over until nothing seemed to be in the right place anymore.
“He’s in agony you know.” Jeremy had taken to talking to her like they were girlfriends gossiping. “Not over you. He hates the fact that he hasn’t protected someone he’s contracted to protect. You’re like property to him.”
“We don’t have a contract.” Dani heard the words coming out of her mouth, but they sounded foreign. Her eyes were on Julian’s form. She couldn’t stand to see him like that. The last ten minutes had been hell. Jeremy had shifted his attention between the two of them. He would work Dani over with the prod and then zap Julian. Watching her big, strong man shake and writhe was worse than feeling the pain herself. She could take the pain, but not the agony of watching Julian’s pride fall away.
Jeremy stopped. “What do you mean?”
Dani tried to focus on him. “No contract.”
“I thought you were sleeping with him.”
“I didn’t write a contract on her, asshole.” Julian’s words sounded weary. He leaned back. “I never meant to keep her. She’s a vacation fling, nothing more.”
The words stung, but she knew what he was doing. He was trying to protect her.
“You don’t have flings.”
Julian laughed, but it was a shallow, bitter sound. “Shows what you know. I only came after her because you pissed me off.”
“Really?” Jeremy moved toward Julian. “I think you’re lying. I think you actually might give a shit about her. Why fucking her? Sally was more beautiful, and I hated Sally. Why women at all? Why do you need a fucking hole? I never understood that. I never understood why I had to share you with a fucking cow. Do you know how that made me feel?”
His bucket was completely full of crazy. Even his eyes were wild now. He was building. She could feel it. Val cowered as much as she could. Dani tried to catch her eyes, but she was lost to terror. Lexi was unconscious in the corner. Julian was firmly bound, and even if he managed to get out, Dani doubted he would be able to move. He’d been hit several times with the Taser.
Dani managed to shift her feet. Her arms felt numb above her. The pain had gone away a long time before, but if she concentrated she could still move. She turned her head up to the ceiling. The crack was there, perfectly visible, simply too small to give her what she needed.
“I don’t care how you felt, you little prick. I never cared.” As tired as Julian sounded, the bile just kept spewing out. Since that moment when he’d begged Jeremy to spare her, she’d watched as he retreated further and further into himself. There seemed to be nothing left but an indefatigable rage. And then she saw it. He moved his foot with purpose when Jeremy turned his back. He flexed and pointed it straight her way. The hardness was still in his eyes, but he wasn’t giving up.