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It hadn’t been so had been from her

He hauled her to her feet and dragged her toward the door She fu, her vision blurry Blood dripped from her nose down her chin He paused by the hostess stand, squatted down and swiped the phone and flash drive off the floor The small devices disappeared into his fleshy hand

She couldn’t go out into the parking lot Hank had always told her the biggest et into the killer’s car She had to fight to her last breath

“You’ll never get aith this”

“I already have”

He pulled her out into Harvest’s dihts A sedan idled near the Duht, another violent predator, and once again she was prey

He didn’t look at her His focus was on the sedan She could tell froe that he had disht back anymore

Damn, it pissed her off She ht she was; most people did But e They were only a few steps from the car It was now or never She held her breath and let her whole body turn to jelly

The action jerked the goon off balance, brought his face closer to hers She slaainst his nose Blood squirted everywhere

Flush with success, she pulled away fro to her wrist

Jake’s eyes snapped open At first he had no idea why he was on Harvest’s kitchen floor Then the memories rushed in

He had pulled on his jeans when Claire had called his naht had captured his attention and he had shuffled down the hallway, pulling his shirt on as he moved He’d only uy slaistered as a blur

An ih was Claire’s concerned face looking down into his His heart had lifted at the sight of her But his spirits had sunk faster than the Titanic when he had spotted his assailant loo behind her tiny frame And he hadn’t been able to help her

His body tensed and his pulse went into overdrive He tried to push hi position but dizziness enveloped him and he collapsed onto his back She needed hiain Furious at hi position A wave of nausea washed over him He held his breath until it passed

He hated hiuy had beaten the crap out of hiusted, he realized, he had no idea how long ago that had happened But he had to find her He’d promised her she’d be safe with him Some protector he’d been