And then she saw the rifle leaning against one of the trees. Damn him. What if she could get to it while Jessup watched Hunter's fight?
Hunter shapeshifted, but no one moved until he targeted Yoloff. Then Jessup made a move toward the Humvee. He motioned for her to get out. Like she'd listen to him. Then she had another idea. Could she run any of them over? Probably not because of all the trees. Jessup could easily duck out of her path, she'd ruin the Humvee, and be stuck.
The tire iron. Surely, Leidolf would have one to use in case he got a flat and had to change a tire. Had to be in the trunk.
Hunter ran at Yoloff and Jessup's attention switched to the fight. Typical male. Forget the girl when there's a good fight going on.
She didn't want to take her eyes off the fight either, but she climbed into the backseat and looked into the trunk. Hell, if there was a tire iron, it must be hidden. She glanced back at the windshield.
Hunter and Yoloff clashed, their teeth bared and connecting, the growls reverberating through the woods. They fell to their pads and separated. Her skin prickled with anxiousness, her heart racing. She thought Yoloff's brother might attack next, but he seemed to be waiting for the fight to be decided first. He was probably thinking he wouldn't have to participate if Yoloff killed Hunter first.
But then Hunter did the unexpected. He whipped around and attacked Yoloff's brother, startling him so badly, he dashed off in the wrong direction, close to the edge of the cliff with nowhere to back up, nowhere to run. Hunter rose on his hind legs, his teeth snapping at the gray and with no room to maneuver, the brother slipped off the cliff with a yelp.
Shocked, Tessa stared out the window. Everyone else seemed as stunned. Yoloff didn't make a move toward Hunter and Jessup stood frozen in place. Yeah, bastard. After Hunter finishes off Yoloff, you're next.
She climbed into the trunk and began lifting the carpet, looking for the tire iron she hoped was here.
But then Hunter targeted Yoloff, and Jessup went for the gun. Oh, hell. Not finding a tire iron, Tessa scrambled over the backseat and then into the front and started the Humvee.
As soon as Hunter bit Yoloff in the face, Jessup aimed the rifle. Tessa couldn't reach him with the Humvee the way he was standing protected between the trees, but if she rammed the pines, she might be able to distract him enough. She threw the vehicle in drive and roared toward Jessup. He swung around and for a moment, she thought he might shoot her. But instead he jumped back, realizing he was protected by the trees, and turned the weapon on Hunter.
"No!" she screamed, and ran the Humvee into the pine. Because of the constant rain in the area, the roots were shallow enough that when she hit the tree, it toppled, but Jessup got off a round right before it fell.
Hunter yelped this time and she saw the blood on his hip. Ohmigod, no, Hunter. If nothing else, she'd wrestle with Jessup until Hunter destroyed-- Yoloff bit at Hunter and he retaliated, but they were too close to the cliff's edge. Back up, back up!
Jessup aimed the rifle again, and Tessa jerked the door open and lunged at him, throwing her body at him, trying to knock him off balance to give Hunter time to take care of Yoloff.
And then her heart nearly gave out when she and Jessup stumbled over the felled pine, falling to their knees as Hunter took another bite at Yoloff's face. Yoloff suddenly went for Hunter's leg. They were both too close to the cliff edge! She wanted to warn Hunter away from the drop-off, drag him from the danger herself. But everything happened so fast she couldn't react quickly enough to do anything.
Yoloff bit into Hunter's leg, and Hunter snapped at Yoloff's neck. But Yoloff's back paws lost purchase on the crumbling soil. He slipped off the edge, pulling Hunter with him.
"Hunter!" Tessa screamed and ran for him, but Jessup grabbed her arm and yanked her back. She kicked and thrashed back and forth, trying to break free, to save Hunter.
"Butch will be pleased," Jessup darkly said, and jerked her toward the edge of the cliff.
Only when she saw the direction he was going did she go willingly to see Hunter, to ensure he was all right. She prayed he was.
Down below, both Hunter's and Yoloff's wolf forms lay still as death. Yoloff's brother was gone. Her heart splintering, she stifled a sob.
"Come on. Time to clean up the last of the loose ends. You'll tell us where the gold is hidden on your property, and we'll let the others go."
With tears streaking down her face, she didn't believe it for a minute, although it wouldn't have made any difference because she didn't have a clue if there was any gold anyway. All that mattered was whether Hunter had made it or not.
Jessup tugged her in the direction of Bethany's house, but she fought him every step of the way, wanting to climb down the cliff to Hunter. He had to have survived the fall like before. He had to have. And she had to go to him.
But Jessup tightened his grip on her, cutting the circulation off in her wrist, her hand numbing. He hurried her faster to the house, forcing her to run to keep up. What about Hunter's pack? Where were they when they needed them most?
Jessup shoved the front door open and yanked her into the house. "She's yours, Butch. Just like you wanted."
"The others?" Butch asked, offering Jessup a beer.
Jessup forced Tessa onto the couch next to Meara and Cara, their hands and mouths bound, their eyes wild. Ashton and Rourke were bound, but unconscious on the floor. Meara looked at Tessa, trying to read her expression, but Tessa sobbed, attempting to appear so inconsolable that she was useless, and so that they wouldn't tie her up also, while she looked for another weapon. Not that her tears and upset weren't genuine, but she tried to keep a clear head until they were able to destroy the men before they harmed anyone else. And then she had to go to Hunter.
She spied a poker next to the cold fireplace as Redmond took a seat at the dining table. If she could just slip over to it.
"Hunter took care of Yoloff's brother first. Although he worked on Yoloff in the beginning. His tactics threw all of us. Especially, when Hunter forced Andreas off the cliff." Jessup took a swig of beer.
But then Tessa worried that if she got the poker, Jessup still had the rifle and three men against one woman wouldn't do. If she could free Meara, she could shapeshift, whereas no one else could. Tessa had to chance it. She moved closer to Meara and began working on her bindings.
"But Yoloff's gone also?" Butch asked.
"Yeah, Hunter got him, too, only he had the last laugh. He pulled Hunter off the cliff and both hit the rocks below."
"You're sure Hunter was dead? He survived before," Butch warned.
"Yeah, he was dead. Last time, he hit the water and managed to swim to Tessa's beach. Not this time."
Her heart in her throat, Tessa felt the ties loosen on Meara's wrists. Meara quickly yanked them free, then tugged her clothes off. Tessa dove for the fireplace poker and Meara shapeshifted.
As a wolf, Meara targeted Jessup, the leader, and Tessa went for the rifle, poker in hand.
But no sooner had Meara's teeth clamped down on Jessup's arm, making him drop the can of beer, than Butch dove for the rifle.
No, no! Tessa swung the poker at Butch's head and knocked him out cold. But somehow Redmond had managed to slip by her in the shuffle and went for the rifle.
Growling furiously, Meara lunged for Jessup's throat, while he grabbed onto her muzzle to keep her from killing him. Tessa froze as Redmond grabbed the rifle and pointed it at her. He could shoot her, but she wouldn't die. Yet, Tessa couldn't let go of the fear that Meara could. Meara was their only real chance at survival, and Tessa had to protect her. She prayed her lupus garou genetics would save her and leapt forward, swinging the poker at the rifle.