The man drew her hands together behind her, sending her into panic mode. She knew how much rape could devastate a person. She’d witnessed it firsthand with her sister. No way would she go down easy. Not as long as she had any fight left. Alexa kicked back, connecting with her attacker’s shin and eliciting an enraged howl.
“Bouzin!” he yelled, calling her a bitch. He knocked her feet out from under her and she slammed to the ground, hitting her cheekbone and hip on the solid wood before he landed on her.
She bit back a whimper and flailed like a madwoman. All of the self-defense moves she’d learned were useless now that she was down.
“No more moving.” Rugby ended her fight with a knee to her back and shackles around her wrists and ankles.
Shouts came from the storage room that doubled as her sleeping quarters. She turned her head to see Garfield in the doorway, a rifle trained on him from behind. His lip was split and bleeding, and his dark eyes blazed with anger when he spotted her.
Hands out, palms up, he stepped forward. “Why do you fight us? We’ll let you take whatever you need. We’ll treat your men. No need for violence.”
Rugby stood. “You’ll let us take her.” He kicked Alexa in the ribs and she hissed in pain.
“Stop!” Garfield lunged toward her.
A soldier in a yellow shirt jumped forward and plunged his knife to the hilt in Garfield’s side, then pulled away. Blood ran through her friend’s fingers as he gripped the wound and sank to his knees, his eyes wide.
“Garfield!” Alexa jerked against her restraints. “Let me help him.” Her voice turned shrill as Rugby gripped her under the arms and tossed her over his shoulder, setting off a firestorm of pain in her ribs that left her gasping.
Her captor strode to the door, pausing to call directions to his crew, who appeared in the doorway of the back room with their arms full of medicine, blankets, and syringes.
Then he stepped outside into the moist Caribbean air, and Alexa watched through the doorway—absolutely powerless—as Garfield’s blood drained from his body, sliding into the cracks between planks in the scuffed wooden floor.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Writing a book is never a solitary endeavor. First, I have to thank my husband and college boys, who were incredibly understanding as I worked on revisions during our stay in a temporary beach house while house hunting just several days before Christmas. Thank you for the dinners, dishes, dog walks, and sunsets.
Also, to awesome author and good friend, Rachel Grant, whose keen insights—as always—helped me sort out some key issues in the book. Thanks for the notes and the cheerleading!
Writing this book wouldn’t have been as much fun without Ellie Ashe and Lily Danes forcing me to leave the house every now and then. I’m going to miss you, ladies!
Thanks to my Kiss & Thrill sisters, for having a ready cheer or virtual hug as needed. XOXOXO
Gwen Hayes and Sonnet Fitzgerald helped me make this story stronger, and Kim Killion conjured up another awesome cover. You ladies rock.
Tessa Murphy, I finally got your name in a book. Enjoy!
Tremendous thanks to prosthetist Dave Scurti, who was generous with his time and expertise. He helped me immeasurably with the technical details on Kurt’s legs and capabilities. Any mistakes are definitely my own.
Finally, thank you readers for your enthusiasm for Kurt and Caitlyn’s story. I’m sorry this one took so long, and I hope I did it justice. You’re the number one reason I write, and I appreciate you.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Growing up, Gwen Hernandez wasn’t brave enough to share the stories in her head with other kids, but they usually involved intrigue and romance. She was raised in the Army and Navy, and married an Air Force engineer, so it’s natural that her Men of Steele series features military heroes and heroines who must overcome danger to find true love.
Blending writing with her tech background and love of teaching, Gwen has also helped thousands of writers all over the world find the joy in Scrivener through her popular online courses, in-person workshops, and books like Scrivener For Dummies. In her off time, she likes to travel, read, jog, flail on a yoga mat, and explore southern California, where she currently lives with her husband and a lazy golden retriever.
RUNNING BLIND
ISBN: 978-0991607334
Copyright © 2018 by Gwen Hernandez
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the author is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from this book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the author at [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
First edition: January 2018
Cover design by Kim Killion.
This book was written and formatted in Scrivener.
www.gwenhernandez.com
Running Blind Page 19
