Page 68 of Sawyer
“Look, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, my mind scrambling for a way out. “If you have an issue with the rent, we can figure it out tomorrow.”
He chuckled, a deep, unsettling sound. “Oh, this isn’t about rent anymore, Casey.” He leaned in closer, his breath hot on my face. “Your mate pissed me off. It’s unfortunate, but you’ll have to pay the price.”
Before I could react, he reached out and grabbed my arm. I flinched, instinctively trying to pull away, but he was stronger.
His grip tightened on my arm and yanked me to my feet. I stumbled, trying to regain my footing, but he was too strong.
Panic surged through me, but I managed to grab the silver-coated scissors from the desk, slipping them into my sleeve. I had no idea if they'd make a difference, but it was all I had.
Benny’s frantic barking echoed behind us, his tiny paws scrambling as we moved from the pet cleaning area, past the office, toward the back door.
My thoughts were a mess, racing to figure out how the hell Garth knew about this exit. But then it hit me—of course, he would. This was his property, after all. He owned every inch of it.
I kicked out, desperate to get some leverage, trying to slow him down, but it was like kicking a brick wall.
He didn’t even flinch, his grip iron-tight as he shoved open the door. The cool air from the alley hit my face, but the icy knot in my gut only tightened.
Benny barked louder, his high-pitched yelps cutting through the night. Garth snapped his head toward him, shouting, “Shut up!”
Fear shot through me. I couldn’t let him hurt Benny.
Desperation kicked in, and I yanked back on Garth’s arm, trying to pull him away from the door.
“Don’t touch him!” I shouted.
Garth whipped around, his hand shooting to my neck. His fingers clamped down hard, slamming me against the brick wall at a brutal angle.
The force knocked the breath out of me, and before I could react, I felt a sickening pop in my shoulder—a sharp, white-hot pain shooting through my arm as it dislocated.
I gasped, vision blurring, as my head smacked against the wall with a thud. Garth’s face was inches from mine, his breath hot and foul against my skin.
Everything about this: the pressure, his body so close, brought memories flooding back. Old panic clawed at me, but I forced it down.
No. I wasn’t there. This wasn’t happening again.
I had to focus. Garth’s grip on my throat tightened, his breath brushing against my ear as he growled something I couldn’t make out. But it didn’t matter.
My stomach churned, the pain from my shoulder nearly blinding, but the nausea grounded me. I couldn’t let him win.
I shifted slightly, just enough to get a grip on the scissors hidden in my sleeve. The searing pain in my shoulder burned through me, but I pushed past it.
With a grunt, I shoved myself off the wall. The motion sent a fresh wave of pain shooting through my body, but it gave me the momentum I needed.
In one quick motion, I slashed the air in front of me, managing to catch Garth across the cheek.
He howled in pain, his hand flying to his face. Blood welled up instantly. I didn’t need to see the look on his face to know it hurt.
I didn’t have time to think, didn’t have time to hesitate.
My breath came in ragged gasps, and I readied myself to strike again.
But before I could make another move, Garth’s fist slammed into the side of my head, sending me crashing to the concrete below.
My head hit the ground hard, stars bursting behind my eyes as pain exploded through my head.
Everything went fuzzy. The last thing I saw was Garth’s shadow looming over me before everything went black.
Chapter 18