Conspiracy Game (GhostWalkers, #4)(26)

“Stay prone. You’re too high; they won’t be able to spot you,” Briony hissed. She eluded his outstretched hand as she caught the rope more firmly and slipped halfway down to the floor. She was still dangling a good fifteen feet in the air as she began to perform a series of slow moves, changing positions with flowing precision, each move requiring tremendous strength and skill.

What the hell do you think you’re doing? You’re driving me out of my mind, woman.

We don’t want them searching the place, and my brothers and I come in to practice all the time. Just stay still. If they find you, they’ll kill me and my brothers. She broke off abruptly, praying he wouldn’t go psycho on her.

Jack bit back any retort. There was no use arguing with her; she was already out in the open. He could kill the rebels, was fully prepared, but it would bring down a hellstorm on them. Damn her. She had no right to take chances with her life—not to protect him or her brothers.

Three men entered the building. Their movements were furtive, as if they were afraid of being seen. They weren’t dressed in uniforms, but they carried themselves like the soldiers she’d seen on every street corner. They stared up at her for a long moment, and something in the way they looked at her made her shiver. She stopped in mid-somersault and sat up, looping her foot through the rope to peer down at them.

Rebels, he warned.

You think? Her mouth was dry, heart pounding. “I’m sorry, you’re not supposed to be in here while we practice.”

“Come down now,” one called to her and pointed to the floor. He let her see the gun inside his jacket.

Briony allowed fear to show on her face. It wasn’t very hard—she was afraid. “I’m telling you, security will be here any minute, you’d better leave.”

He drew the gun and aimed it her. “Get down here.”

Even with the heavy accent, Briony understood. She slowly made her way down the rope. “I’m with the circus act performing at the music festival. My brothers will be here any minute. I have no money… ”

Jack’s heart pounded with fear for her. He slid the gun out of the backpack and laid it on the platform, his finger on the trigger. Sweat beaded on his brow. The rebels made artwork out of raping women as brutally as possible. When he killed them, it would bring not only the rebels down on him, but the soldiers as well.

“Close your mouth,” the rebel snapped, stepping toward Briony. He deliberately loomed over her to intimidate her.

They’re used to everyone being afraid of them.

Briony swallowed hard, stopping herself from nodding in acknowledgment of the information as she watched the shortest of the three shut the door.

“We’re looking for an escaped prisoner.”

Briony put her hand on her hip. “You aren’t soldiers or security, and take a look around, does it look like I’m hanging out with prisoners?”

The leader slapped her hard, knocking her backward. Briony staggered, but kept on her feet. For a moment her ears rang, and then she felt the blast of rage, so deep, so intense it snapped her to attention. Don’t you dare go berserk and shoot him. She breathed deeply to try to calm Jack, knowing he was a heartbeat from killing the man.

Briony put her hand to her stinging face. The big man advanced on her, deliberately aggressive, shoving his gun at one of his partners. He said something in his language she shouldn’t have understood, but it was all too clear. He thought she needed a man to show her who was in charge. Knowing Jack was close by was oddly comforting.

The man caught the front of Briony’s shirt and she caught his wrist, locking on, exerting pressure, staring straight into his eyes. At the same time she pushed hard into his brain, forcing her mind into his. If you touch me, you will die. Leave now. Take these men and go before it’s too late.

He let go of her as if she had burned him, muttering the local word for “witch.” He grabbed his gun from his companion and spun away from her, hurrying out, snapping a command to the others. They followed him out, slamming the door hard.

Briony sagged with relief, covering her face with shaking hands. Jack slid down the rope and strode toward her, his features hard and set, eyes glittering dangerously.





CHAPTER 5





Jack locked the deadbolt on the door with a resounding thud and just kept coming, walking right up to her, hands gripping her arms hard. He gave her a little shake. “What the hell were you trying to do? He was going to rape you. If I felt it, you had to be swamped with his intentions. What’s wrong with you?”

“Everyone underestimates me because I’m so small. I knew I was stronger than he was. I wouldn’t have let him touch me.”

“He did touch you. He f*cking hit you, while I hid like a dog up on that platform. He wanted to hurt you. He reeked of it. You had to have smelled him. He was excited by the idea of hurting a woman like you.” His palm covered her red cheek.

“And I handled it,” Briony snapped, her own temper beginning to rise and mix with the nearly mind-numbing fear. She jerked her head away from him because his touch affected her way too much. “I handled it. I’m capable of taking care of myself. I wouldn’t just let a man rape me.”

“Hence the word rape.” His eyes narrowed. “You weren’t safe, Briony. Not then and you aren’t now either. You should be screaming your head off.”