Deadly Games - Cate Noble [32]
“What do you want?” she managed to ask.
“You’ll find out soon.” The man shifted his grip, pressing his fingers into the fleshy part of her upper arm in a quick show of strength. “Now, we are going to walk out of here together, like old friends. If you see someone and give any indication of trouble, I’ll shoot them. Comprende? It’s up to you to protect them.”
So he had a gun, too? She recalled her neighbor outside, scrubbing her car, with her children.
The man squeezed harder, causing her to cry out in pain. “Comprende?”
Gena nodded. “I … I need to use the bathroom.”
“Too bad.” The man tugged her toward the door.
“But my suitcase.”
He ignored her. Dropping his grip to her injured wrist, he tugged her out the door.
Gena bit her lip against the sharp pain but didn’t complain. Better to keep her good arm free.
As it turned out, no one was outside. Had the man purposely waited until her neighbor had gone in before approaching Gena’s door?
“Head for that black truck,” he said.
Walking slow only caused him to yank her arm. She winced and kept pace.
When they reached his vehicle, he forced her around to the driver’s side. “Open it.”
She did.
“Climb in,” he ordered.
The man kept his grip on her wrist as he forced her to slide ahead of him across the bench seat.
He started the engine, but instead of pulling away from the curb, he reached past her, his hand brushing her left knee as he opened the glove box.
Gena’s stomach sank as he removed a pair of handcuffs. “Those aren’t necessary,” she said. Once he cuffed her, it was going to be even more difficult to get away.
“That’s not your call.” He shoved the glove box closed.
“Gena!”
She turned as Rocco’s voice called out.
Swearing, her captor grabbed her shoulder and shoved her down onto the seat. The sound of a gun being fired, at close range, was deafening. She screamed as the man fired two more shots out the truck’s back window.
Rocco. Is he hurt?
“Stay down!” The man dropped the car into gear and spun away, tires squealing.
The handcuffs slid off his lap and fell onto the floorboard before disappearing under the seat as the vehicle made a sharp turn. Gena hoped the man didn’t notice.
He was on his phone now, shouting. “I thought you were watching him! Ah, shit! He’s following me! I need some backup and fast. Head north on Route twenty-one!”
Relief flooded through Gena. Rocco was alive. Was coming after her.
The man took another corner sharply, hitting the curb before accelerating. The truck fishtailed, careening to the left. Gena bounced sideways and slammed into the door.
Go! she thought.
Wrenching the door handle back, Gena threw herself out of the vehicle. The man grabbed for her, catching her shirt, but couldn’t hold on.
She fell from the truck. The ground walloped her, stealing her breath with a wicked punch. She tried to tuck and roll, but control was beyond her. She heard gunfire and waited for the bullet to tear into her body.
Car tires squealed as she slammed to a stop against a tree. Get up! Got to get up! Gotta move!
Her hands, scraped raw by the pavement, stung as she pushed to her feet. Dizzy, she fell back to the ground.
“Gena!”
She heard Rocco’s voice and tried again to get up.
“I’ve got you, sweetheart.” His arms closed around her, lifting her and holding her close.
He was safe. She was safe. But Lupe was dead….
“Why are they doing this?” She no longer fought the urge to cry, to scream.
Rocco carried her to his car and placed her on the passenger seat. She grabbed his collar. “Answer me!”
Gently he loosened her fingers. “We’ll talk in a minute. I promise.”
“I don’t want promises!” But he’d already shut her door.
“How badly are you hurt?” he asked as he started the engine moments later.
“I’m fine! Just take me home!”
“We both know you’re not anywhere close to fine.” He reached for her seat belt and tugged it across her lap, snapped it in place. “For now we need to get out of here before our friend in the black truck returns.