No One to Trust - Iris Johansen [84]
“I won’t be taunted into doing something stupid, Elena.”
“Will you remember this later and regret it, Chavez? Oh, I know you probably wanted me helpless and unable to defend myself, but that would just prove how ineffectual you are.”
“You didn’t find me ineffectual when I was driving between your legs.”
Don’t let him shake you. Memories were also a weapon.
“The only way you could beat me was to tie me down. What kind of victory is that?”
Silence. “You bitch. Knife?”
She drew a deep, relieved breath. “Knife, hands, feet. Throw your other weapons out into the clearing. I’ll do the same.”
“The knife at last. Not that I didn’t enjoy our less lethal bouts. Do you remember lying on the mat and—”
“Throw out your weapons.”
“You first.”
“And chance getting shot by one of your men in the forest?”
“You have to take your chances. Maybe I told them to leave you to me. Maybe I didn’t. You’re so sure I want to redeem myself. Are you certain enough to throw out your guns?”
She had hoped to place him in a position of weakness. She wasn’t sure if she’d shoot him when he stepped out into the clearing, but it was definitely a possibility. Hand-to-hand was always a risk, and she had to think of Barry. Now she had no choice. If there was another man in the forest, she had to trust that Galen would take him down. She felt a sudden surge of confidence. Yes, he wouldn’t fail her. She could trust Galen.
She threw her rifle and pistol out into the glade. “Now you.”
Would he do it?
He stepped out of the forest into the moonlight and threw a rifle and handgun down. “Come, Elena.” His tone was mocking. “Show me how you beat me all those years ago.”
Elena and Chavez circled each other, knives drawn.
Elena sprang forward. Chavez ducked aside and his knife darted out and raked her. She spun away before he could follow through.
“First blood, Elena,” he murmured. “You should have expected that.”
She whirled and gave him a roundhouse kick to the stomach. “I did.”
He grunted in pain and sank to his knees.
She knew better than to close in on him. She had seen him fake weakness too many times and then take advantage of an unguarded moment.
He lunged to one side and regained his feet. “Good move. Now let’s see you counter.” He made a series of lightning-quick karate moves she was barely able to counter. God, he was fast. Too fast. The attacks had brought him close enough to her that he got in a punch to the chin.
Darkness.
Hot pain in her arm as his knife lunged forward.
She staggered back.
Clear your head.
She had only seconds before he would be on top of her.
Buy time.
She kicked and connected with his groin. She was vaguely aware of his grunt of pain as she fought off faintness.
Chavez didn’t fall, but she was in no shape to follow through.
Dammit, she had to follow through. Now. Ignore the dizziness. She would never have a better chance.
She did a sidekick to his throat and he fell to the ground. She stepped forward to stomp on the side of his head, but he grabbed her ankle.
She was down.
She rolled over and straddled him, her knee pinning his knife hand while her own knife hovered over his throat.
“Very good,” he whispered. “But you can’t do it, Elena. You’ll never be able to do it.”
“The hell I won’t.”
“No, you won’t. Do you know why? Because I’ve told my man if he sees me down, he’s to slit your son’s throat.”
“You’re lying.”
“Can’t you see the blood spurting? I can—” He spat in her face.
She instinctively flinched and his pinned arm broke free. His knife thrust toward her.
She was able to escape it by inches as she rolled over and away from him.
“I almost had you. You could have killed me then, but that convenient maternal instinct raised its head again.” He was on his feet and coming toward her. His foot lashed out, connecting with her wrist, and her knife fell to the ground. She scissored his ankles between her legs and brought him down again.
He recovered and was on top of her, his knife coming toward her chest. She quickly brought