Page 141 of Criminally Yours

He was metres away! Even in the driving rain, the whites of his eyes pinned her.

“I’m going to fucking kill you, you little bitch.”

Thunder sounded in the distance.

A crack of lightning was so intense that she caught her foot on a stone. She stumbled near the edge, falling to the ground, banging her head. Her hands stung from where the rocks littering the path dug into her skin.

She dragged her weary body upright. Her head throbbed, and she touched it. Blood covered her fingers. She wobbled as she tried to drag her feet forward.

She tripped again.

Her breakfast climbed up her throat, threatening to splash over her clothes.

Her pulse was rampant, and dizziness made it nearly impossible to see clearly.

Randolph loomed over her. Lightning struck again, highlighting his wide eyes and sneering mouth.

“I’d prefer to do this with a shotgun and watch your brains splatter all over this cliff, but I’ll have to use myhands instead.” He dragged her up by her hair, ripping out strands, making her cry out.

“You’ve been a meddling bitch, fucking up my life,” he snarled. “But not for much longer.”

His hands slipped in the blood oozing from her head and the gashes in her hands.

Millie kicked at his shin, and with a snarl, he fell to the ground.

She stumbled, unable to see beyond her hands. Blood soaked her hair, and it hung down her face. She wanted to cry, but that wouldn’t save her.

Her whole body shook as rain stuck her clothes to her body.

Her chest stung from the cold air, and she flinched at every flash of lightning.

“Fucking bitch,” Randolph roared.

She turned and ran headfirst into a solid figure.

“No!” she screamed. He must have had backup.

Strike grabbed her shoulders and pulled her to his chest.

“I’ve got you. You’re safe now,” Strike hollered against the wind. “Take her while I sort him out.”

She sobbed as he turned her.

“No one hurts our Millie,” Elsie shouted.

“I’m going to fuck him up,” Joyce warned as Merryn held her back before wrapping a shaking Millie in a coat.

She watched as Strike slammed his fist into Randolph. Blood splattered as his head twisted from the force of the punch. Strike swiped him again. Even with the rain beating down, she heard the crunch of the blow.

Randolph sank to the floor, and Strike flipped him, kneeling on his back. Swiftly, he wrapped his belt around his wrists, hooking it around his ankles, too, hog-tying him.

He snarled something in his ear and kicked him a coupleof times in the ribs before walking to Millie. As he stared at her, he kept a taser trained on Randolph.

Spittle flew from the Deputy Prime Minister’s mouth as he bemoaned the little bitch and her friends.

“I will fucking end you,” Strike roared at Randolph as he held Millie tight. “I thought I’d lost you for good. Shit, you’re bleeding,” he shouted as lightning lit her face. “Please, get her to the hospital,” he told the three rescuers.

“On it,” Elsie replied, taking the lead.