Mercy (Sin City Outlaws #2)(3)

“I’ve had enough of this shit.” Zeek pants behind me, his tone angry.

My head throbs rapidly, my vision blurring from the amount of adrenaline coursing through my veins. I’m a goddamn deputy, I have had training from some of the best. Zeek is about to learn I’m not one he can just push around. This ends now!

Twisting my body I kick the back of his knee hard, and he drops to the ground. Snapping upright, I deliver a fist right to his jaw, a loud crack vibrating through my hand from the contact. He yells, and tries to grab at my hand, but misses. Jumping to my feet I raise a foot ready to kick him in the chest and he grabs it, twisting it, causing me to flip and fall on my chest, hands first. I roll, and fish for my gun. I should have grabbed it long before this, and ordered him to pull the f*cking car over. I didn’t because it hadn’t occurred to me until now that he wasn’t going to let me go.

Freeing my gun as I come to my feet, I lift my arm and aim it the same time Zeek aims his at me. Feet apart we stand with our guns aimed at one another, both of us out of breath.

“Just go, just leave me behind.” I breathe heavily.

“Not happening,” he replies.

Lowering my weapon I fire a warning round into the ground, right next to his feet. He doesn’t seem fazed.

“I swear to God, I’ll shoot you.” My voice cracks, and my hand begins to shake as I palm the cold steel.

“No, you won’t, or you would have done it already.” He steps forward, and I focus my gun on him once more trying to reaffirm my shaking hand. What is wrong with me?

“Don’t test me!” I push through clenched teeth, a tear slipping across the bridge of my nose.

He chuckles, throwing his head back, he f*cking laughs!

Taking the opportunity, I drop, and side kick his ankle, making him lose his balance and fall hard. Before he can snap back, I crawl on top of him and I aim my gun at his neck, tears falling from my eyes so freely I can barely see.

“Just because you have balls, doesn’t mean mine aren’t bigger.”

He inhales a large breath, his dark eyes piercing through my bravery as one of my tears fall on his cheek. “You got thirty seconds to lower your gun, Rookie,” Zeek states, his voice low and gravelly.

“I’m going to get up, and I’m going to walk away and you’re going to let me.” I warn, ignoring his demand. My heart pounds against my chest, because I don’t want to walk away from him. I have no choice though, I have to head back to Vegas. My mother needs me, and I have to set my department straight before I’m killed on sight.

Slowly I stand, pressing my gun in the underside of Zeek’s chin forcing him to stand with me. Just as I’m about to pull my gun away from him, he drives his elbow right into the crook of my arm causing me to drop my gun. He shoves me out of the way. I land on my back with a thud, my shoulder blades biting into the hard ground unforgivingly.

Grabbing my dropped weapon, Zeek aims both guns at me. I’m f*cked.

“I gave you thirty seconds to have your tantrum. Now this little charade,” derision marring his face, he gestures between us with one of the guns, “is over.”

He squats in front of me, and grips both my cheeks harshly, his fingers digging into them, making me look right at him. My breath catches in my throat, he looks beyond fearsome. The way the moon just behind his head casts the perfect silhouette around his toned body is breathtaking. I could say I’m sparring with the boogie man himself. “You can try and beat my ass all you want, baby. You ain’t going anywhere.” His voice is rough, alarming even. Goosebumps lick up my arms. Letting go of my face, he runs his hand through his hair, resembling the Zeek I know and not the monster that was in my face moments ago. He looks over his shoulder once, and then he stands and slowly begins to walk away.

I don’t move as tears crest at the corner of my eyes. I look up at the stars of the night, willing the dark sky to just eat me up. To take me away, and devour this pain in my chest. To give me direction, because I have no f*cking clue what the right thing to do is right now.

His footsteps get farther and farther away, and hope fills my chest that he’s just going to give up and leave…but that’s only for a second, ‘cause the sound of his boots thudding against the ground head back towards me.

His face appears in my line of sight, and cold steel clinks around my wrists snapping me out of my sorrow. Looking down I find myself handcuffed. He cuffed me?

“Get these off, right f*cking now!” I seethe, peering up at him from under my lashes. The look on my face hard, and daring him to say otherwise.

“No.”

“No?” I give a wry laugh. Fear filling my chest as I pull against the cuffs. I pull and pry, the bones in my arms ready to snap if I don’t ease up.

Zeek growls, grabbing my wrist and keeping them still. “Knock it off! You’re going to break your wrist, damn it!” Panting, I grit my teeth willing my mouth to spew words of utter hatred. Pulling his dark eyes from my hands he looks at me with a softer look than moments before, one that says he cares if I hurt myself or not.

“Then take them off.”

“Not a chance, not after that fight. I’ve fought a lot of men in my life but that was…” he shakes his head like he can’t believe it.

I close my eyes, ignoring him. I’m so angry, so beyond pissed that I could care less.