Page 150 of Unseen Danger

The muffled sound of two male voices upstairs was all she heard.

But the warmth under her ribs fanned into a hot flame and surged outward. Heat flowed through her veins, pumping in strength and life where she’d been preparing to die.

Hope. Rescue. Was this what it felt like?

Something slammed.

A door. At the top of the stairs.

Walter was coming.

But God was more powerful than Walter. More powerful than Nevaeh’s fear. God had beaten Walter before. He could do it again.

The truth filled her with a sense of power she couldn’t explain.

Even as Walter pounded down the stairs.

Even when he scanned the basement, and his hate-filled eyes found her.

Even when that horrid, gleeful sneer slashed his face.

“Not trying to hide from good ol’ Buzz, are ya, baby?” He laughed and stalked toward her.

She lowered her arms and flipped to her back, lifting her foot high, ready to kick at him if he approached. A ridiculous position in the bridesmaid dress, but at least Cora had picked a loose, gathered skirt that allowed for the movement.

“Oh-ho. Look at you.” He grinned. “Got some fight back, huh? That’ll make it more fun.”

He tried to move around her.

She swiveled, pushing one foot off the ground and keeping the other lifted up in a ready position to block him and kick if he came close.

He did.

She kicked, but he threw his massive body over the low kick, slamming her leg down as he crashed onto her.

She instantly grabbed his torso, her arms locking tight around him as far as she could reach.

Muscle memory. The fear was gone. She laughed.

Walter froze beneath her hold.

He should be the scared one now.

She climbed higher, still holding her body tight to his chest.

He tried to reach for her head, tried to punch. But each attempt required him to lift a hand off the floor, his brace to hold himself up.

She trapped his leg with her foot, planted the other between his legs, and bridged into a roll away from the wall.

She took him with her, landing him beneath her on the floor before he knew what was happening.

His hiss as they rolled told her she’d caught his fingers under their weight at a painful angle.

He swore and swung his fists as he tried to sit up.

She flattened her head against his chest to duck under his blows, then shot her arms up to grip his shoulders and brace his arms wide, preventing the punches.

She waited for a pause between his attempts to punch.