Page 118 of Unhinged Kallie

“It’s not yours. The bank owns this place,” I said. “I have as much right to be here as you do.”

“Is that what you’re looking for, a free meal and a place to sleep?” He looked me up and down. The man was vile. I’d read his extensive file and knew why my mom had insisted on bringing this guy in. I also knew that twelve years free was a long time to do a lot more damage.

“Maybe I am,” I said.

“If that’s the case, I’m happy to open my home to you, but you’ll have to suck my cock as payment.” He snorted and laughed, his muscles relaxing slightly. “Get it? Cock, and this is a chicken farm?”

“I wouldn’t give up your day job.”

“Shut up, you’re the one that’s at my home.” I didn’t bother to reiterate that he didn’t have the right to be here. He brushed that off the first time around. “We gotta deal?”

“Deal.” I made a show of putting my knives away.

“That’s pretty fancy, all ninja styles. Where did you learn that,” he asked, holding out his arm for me to follow him.

“My dad. He loves his knives.”

“Strange thing to love. Did he ever use them on you? You’re not all mutilated and shit, are you?” He opened the screen door, but there was no way I was walking ahead of him.

“Does it matter? I’m only sucking your cock, right?” I crossed my arms, but every muscle was ready to act if he moved.

“I guess so.”

“You can go ahead.”

“A skittish one. You’ve been around the block a few times.” I was looking forward to cutting his tongue right out of his head.

“How did you know I was here? I was planning on stealing your steak when you went back inside,” I lied smoothly.

“Camera,” was all he said, but my eyes flicked around looking for the hidden piece. I hadn’t thought about him having cameras with the electricity cut off to the property. That was a mistake I wouldn’t make again.

Darryl stepped through the door into the kitchen, and he had a revolver sitting on the table. I couldn’t chance him reaching it, so I pulled my knife and threw it at his back. Even with the short distance, my aim was strong and true.

“Fuck!” Darryl roared as the metal sank midway up his back, just under his ribcage. I pulled out my second knife as he spun around, trying to reach the blade.

“Bitch, we had a deal,” he growled as I ran forward and landed a jump kick to his gut. He grunted and stumbled back, hitting the table and sending it and the gun flying across the small room. But he didn’t go down like I hoped. Diving in low, I aimed for his knee and the pressure point that would cripple him, but for a man built like a bear, he moved fast and stepped out of the way, catching me in the face with his boot.

Pain ripped through my jaw and down my neck as I fell onto my side with a thump. I was used to taking hits to the face with the defense training, so thankfully, despite the pain, my eyes didn’t fill up with tears, and I saw his foot coming for my head. I rolled out of the way and pushed myself up.

Darryl crashed into the wall, and the force shook the entire house. I coughed as little pieces of the ceiling broke away and fell on my face and in my eyes.

“Shit.” I stumbled back, trying to get some distance as I wiped the crap away. Darryl yelled like a madman, and I avoided his fist but wasn’t so lucky with the knee to the gut that drove the air from my lungs or the punch that gott me square in the ribs. The pain was instant and sharp. He filled the entrance like a looming shadow, and despite the lack of oxygen and pain , I landed a kidney shot and an uppercut to his jaw that forced him back. I still couldn’t catch my breath. My only choice was to get back outside and put some space between us.

“You’re dead. I’m going to fuck you, then kill you.”

Running for the door, I burst outside and down the step, but Darryl was after me like a train. I turned and ran for the barn as fast as I could. Wheeze in, wheeze out, why couldn’t I catch my breath? I was a good runner, but it was like someone stabbing me in the lungs with every intake of air. Wrapping my arm around myself, I quickly felt for a broken rib but couldn’t tell. I remembered seeing a spade shovel by the door of the closest barn and aimed for it.

I wrapped my hand around the handle just as Darryl grabbed the back of my sweater and jerked me off my feet, slamming me into the barn wall. All I could think was that I had a collapsed lung as the pain in my chest got worse.

“Ah,” I cried as he forced my arms against the barn.

“You’re no runaway. Who the fuck are you?”

I spit in his face. “Fuck you,” I said with short breaths. I knew release moves, but the slightest movement was paralyzing with the pain in my side and chest. He slammed me into the wall again, but I brought my knee up, and his momentum drove it into his crotch and doubled him over.

“Jesus fucking...,” he swore but didn’t let go of my arms. I lunged for the side of his face, prepared to bite his cheek off, but he pulled back just enough that my teeth only grazed the skin. “What the fuck?”

His meaty hands gripped my arms tighter as he shook me like a doll. “What the hell is that,” Darryl asked as he stared at my arm. “Why the hell do you have that tattoo?”