Page 89 of Winning His Wager
“There he is!” that guy Toby shouted.
Her brother grabbed her and pushed her to the car. “Get in.”
“Go. I’m gonna grab my truck,” Hayden said. Hayden put her dad and his in the back seat. Abby climbed into the passenger seat. As Will took the driver’s seat.
And drove them away from her family legacy forever.
Abby really had nothing but her dad and her brother left.
79
Quade had never beenon a high stakes rescue mission like this. Not in real life. Movies just didn’t count. He was afraid. He knew what kind of consequences they were all facing now. Dylan could be dead.
There were six men, at least, who had her now.
Fear threatened to make him puke, but Quade just kept walking. He was sticking close to Fletcher. His friend wasn’t going to face this alone. Quade wasn’t about to let him.
Quade was a fourth dan in taekwondo. He had been trained literally by the world’s best. Slater had won the world title twice. Quade had never competed at that scale, but he would never forget what it had felt like to watch the brother who had been the closest thing to a father Quade had ever had achieve that honor.
But competitive martial arts was far different than hiking through the cold, dark woods to save a friend.
“There. There’s the house,” Ben said. “That’s Braelyn’s car, two other vehicles I don’t recognize.”
But they could see people moving. Barely. There was just a small, single bulb porch light glowing. It wasn’t enough to even identify the people.
And two of them were obviously hurt.
Quade’s breath caught when he realized one thing: none of them were small enough to beDylan.
None.
Ben shifted closer. “Neither of you do anything stupid.”
“We need to get closer,” Quade said. He and Ben understood each other. They weren’t letting Fletcher do this alone.
80
Dylan coughedwhen the scent of chemicals and citrus burning around filled the air. Why did it smell like lemon disinfectant? She was never usinglemonanything ever again. He had lit the cardboard boxes like birthday candles, and the flames flickered around her. Something exploded from the first box. She screamed—it was just right there next to her. Sparks melted part of her favorite purple coat.
“Okay, sweetie pie. Time to run off into the sunset together. Which do you prefer, a vacation in the south or a vacation in the north? It’s all up to you. We will discuss your infidelity with my very own nephew later. Cheater, cheater. You are going to get spanked for that.”
He slung her over his shoulder like she weighed nothing at all. His hand cupped her rear end and kneaded, and he laughed.
His laugh was the craziest sound she had ever heard.
“Just let me go, you lunatic. Fletcher is coming for me, and when he does, he’s going to kick your ass so hard your cheeks will be bruised for a century. Get your sick hands off me!”
“Would you prefer I just leave you inside here to burn? I don’t think so. Remember this, little Dylan Talley: Bruce Tyler is not and has never been akiller.I am not about to start with you, my nephew’s very own woman. A Tyler doesn’t roll like that.”
He just carried her out the rear door like he abducted Dylans every single day.
She was still over his shoulder when the first gunshot sounded.
Fire burned through her left leg. She had felt that same flame once before. Bruce roared.
Dylan screamed.
And arched her back.