Page 105 of Beguiled

“Is he alone?”

“I think so.”

“What was he driving?”

“Um,” she murmured. “Black SUV. Tinted glass, but I was able to see inside when he was sitting under a streetlight. He’s wearing all black, including a baseball hat. He was there. He was there when I saw her and…”

She was calm in her recollection, reciting what she’d memorized as if taught to do so. Whatever she’d seen was close to driving her into shock.

“Good girl. You stay inside this house and do not open the door until you know it’s me. Understood?” How in the hell had she known where I lived?

From the office. From breaking into my files.

Clever girl and I should be upset with her, only I had a distinct feeling her insistence on learning more about me had saved her life. Now the question was why was someone actively trying to kill her?

She nodded several times and with the exterior light streaming in through the open door, I was clearly able to see both terror and the usual anger spiraling in her system.

I didn’t waste any additional time, flicking a switch on the security system. The outside was pitched into darkness, the motion lights shut down until I turned them back on.

Her breathing remained ragged. “Don’t forget to come back.” Her whisper was full of trepidation, but she closed the door, the lock clicking into place immediately.

I moved quickly toward the trees surrounding the property, creating almost no noise. Crouching down, I remained silent, listening for any sounds. While I didn’t live near the highway or a commercial area, there was always noise.

I’d learned to weed out traffic noise and dogs barking, neighbors who might be up at this time of night and even someone returning home after spending a night out on the town.

There was nothing indicating that the perpetrator remained close. Then a single sound, a slight mistake by the perpetrator stepping on a twig.

I knew where he was but wouldn’t risk firing a weapon until I was certain of the origin of the sound. With a split second to catch a glimpse, I knew the man was dressed in all black. Whoever he was, she’d been his intended target.

There was no discounting the rage furrowing inside of me. Whoever the motherfucker was, he wasn’t going to make it off this street. I swung around, moving through the trees toward the sound.

He obviously realized he was being followed, moving more quickly. When he broke through the trees onto the street, I was only yards behind him.

As soon as I burst through the last line of trees, a shadow jumped from the side. I was clocked on the side of the head and knocked down. The asshole managed to drive his foot into my stomach before I could react, lunging toward him.

He tried to avoid the attack, swinging his arm. I issued a hard blow to his face, pitching him backward by several feet. Before I could fire off a shot, he spun in a circle, kicking me again. Well, goddamn it. He’d knocked my glasses off.

Sure, I could see. I did it all the time when fighting. However, in the dark my depth perception was fucked.

But I noticed he was grinning, believing he had an advantage.

His martial arts training had come in handy, enough to knock the weapon from my hand.

The bastard had no idea what type of training I’d put myself through, grunting in shock when I kicked him in the face twice, tossing him to the ground. Being involved with the MMA worldhad opened an entirely new method of engaging in a physical fight.

When he tried to fire off his weapon, I threw another punch, the weapon flying from his hand into the darkness. Things took a darker turn at that point. I managed to pin him down with my legs wrapped around his neck, but the asshole knew how to get himself free.

His brutal push was followed by another maneuver indicating he’d had the same damn training. While that didn’t necessarily indicate he was involved in the Irish world of fighting, the coincidence was one I couldn’t shove aside.

I kneed him in the groin, almost breaking his arm before he smashed the heel of his hand under my chin. The connection broken, I was pitched backward, his brutal backhand jarring as fuck.

But he was in as much pain as I was, struggling to stand at the same time, falling on his ass twice.

After we both fought to get to our feet, he made a surprising move, kicking my legs out from under me and dropping me to the ground.

Fuck that.

One savage punch turned into four in rapid succession, the last coming with a loud crack then crunch. I’d crushed his damn nose.