Slow Release (Ebony and Ivory Book 1) (21 page)

Skye

My leg felt like it was on fire, and I was losing a lot of blood. In a pathetic attempt to get further away, I half walked and half dragged myself, using my arms to pull my body along the wall I just scaled. I could still hear the dogs growling on the opposite side. I’m sure they could smell the blood, and it was spurring them on.

I had no idea where I was or when my abductor would return, and though the pain was excruciating, my fear predominated. I reached back to lightly touch the bite mark and was horrified when I felt an open, gaping gash in my leg. I had to find a main road and get out of here before the woman I assaulted woke up and contacted her boss.

My vision was blurred and I was fighting off lightheadedness, both of which told me I was close to passing out, probably due to blood loss. I decided the best plan of action would be to secure a hiding place and wait out my enemy if my symptoms got any worse.

I could hear traffic and fought to make my way towards the sound to try and get help. After coming so far, the thought of failing in my escape attempt sickened me. There were just too many people depending on me. I had to make it out of here, and I had to make it out alive. I didn’t want my mother to endure the loss of another child; she’d been through so much already. I was also saddened by the thought that I might never see Damon again. In such a short time, he had come to mean so much to me.

The sound of traffic was closer now and, step by agonizing step, I made my way towards the road I could now see up ahead in the distance. I retched as bile rose in my throat, and I had to bend over to spit out the bitter taste. Over and over, I just kept telling myself one more step… just one more step.

Damon

“If I were you, I’d tell him where his woman is. Motherfucker looks pissed off,” Antonio laughed. “Yep, the way I see it, you’re out 1.5 mil just for fucking around with me. I can’t believe you’re stupid enough to think I’d do business with the IRA. Fuck you and your cause. I’ve got my own cause to think about. Seriously though, you probably ought to tell him where you stashed his woman. He looks like he wants to kill you, and far be it from me to stop him. All it would mean to me is one less competitor if he does it.”

“He’s right, you know. My trigger finger is itching. Where. Is. My. Woman?” I leaned in to get in his personal space and growled the words in his ear.

It felt good to see him trembling beneath the barrel of my gun. What kind of man goes after a woman because of a vendetta? He would have done much better if he’d directed his hatred towards me, not Skye. Now, I’m tempted to kill the bastard just to have the assurance he won’t ever hurt her again.

However, through my rage, there was a small part of me still capable of logical thought, and I knew if I killed him, there was a chance I could go to prison. Honestly though, I doubted anyone would find him after Antonio Wayne disposed of his body. I knew Antonio Wayne’s reputation well enough to know he would never leave loose ends when his name was involved. He would also have no problem with me taking him out because he meant what he said about less competition in the gun running business. He played a ruthless game, and he was one of the most merciless players. Having his approval and encouragement was making it not only very easy for me to kill Aedan O’Hara, but also very tempting. If I went through with it, though, this would be the first time I’d ever killed anyone. Then again, it was the first time I truly wanted to end a man’s life and could picture myself pulling the trigger.

The Stalker

“You son of a bitch, you set me up!”

“Yes, I did, and now I’m over a million dollars richer. You fucked up when you took his woman. I don’t blame him for wanting to kill you. I know I would if I were in his shoes.”

“You’ll never get away with this, you arrogant Colombian bastard.” I watched Antonio smirk as he answered.

“I’m sure you’d like to think that, but let’s put things in perspective, shall we? Right now, you’re the one with a gun jammed up against the back of his head.”

I grappled for the only salvation I had. “If you kill me, you’ll never find the bitch.”

The last thing I felt was the butt of the gun slamming into the side of my head before I passed out and crumpled to the concrete floor.

Skye

The heat of the afternoon was wreaking havoc on my already taxed system. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before I passed out either from the heat or from blood loss. I needed medical help, and I needed it soon. I didn’t want to die out here, but with every minute that passed, the likelihood of it happening grew. I was worried that if the blood loss didn’t kill me, the inevitable infection would.

I forced myself to hurry and make it towards the traffic I could see speeding down the highway. I was so close to freedom. I pulled my body along and then half dragged myself up the side of the small hill. If I lost the fight here, I’d be hidden from view, and there’s no telling when I’d finally be discovered.

Cars sped past, unaware I was fighting for my life. I was finally able to peek over the top of the hill to see asphalt. I pulled my body along and forced myself to get to flat ground, hoping someone would see me and get me to a hospital.

The last thing I remembered was the heat of the asphalt and the screeching sound of brakes. I readied myself for the impact of metal crashing into my already beaten down body. Instead, I heard the voice of a man calling my name, and then there was darkness… just blessed peace and darkness.

Damon