Marcus

Chapter Forty

 Marcus ~

Marcus watched it horror as the men pulled Caroline to a standing position. Hashim leaned in attempting to press his disgusting mouth against Caroline's lips but she spat in his face before he could get close enough.

Flexing his upper body against his restraints, Marcus knew exactly what was about to happen, watching as if it were in slow motion.

Hashim raised his hand and delivered a hard back handed strike across her face. Her head flung to the side and when she turned to face him again, deep red blood trailed down her chin from her busted lip.

The sound of Hashim's hand striking Caroline's face flipped a switch in Marcus, one that was primal and animalistic.

Marcus grabbed the ends of the zip ties with his teeth and wrenched them as tight as they could go, lifting his hands over his head then throwing them down against his abdomen in one quick motion. The pressure and force of his arms on either side of his torso split the ties and he immediately attacked the man standing beside him, sucker punching him before taking him to the ground by the throat, grabbing the mans weapon with lightning speed and raising it, aiming it right at Hashim.

Hashim looked relatively unfazed by Marcus' actions and all fifteen men had their guns trained on Marcus as he huffed furious breaths. He wanted to watch the life leave Hashim's eyes and the blood drain from his body, but he was outmanned and outgunned with Caroline on her knees between them. 

"Go ahead. But just know, if I die, so do you...and so does she."

Hashim flicked open a small blade and approached Caroline from behind, taunting Marcus by grabbing her by the hair and placing the tip of the blade against her throat.

Don't you fucking touch her. 

Blood had dripped from Caroline's mouth making a deep red trail down her chin and neck, but she didn't look scared. She looked pissed.

Understanding that he was in a lose-lose situation, Marcus chose the option that left both himself and Caroline alive  for the time being. He lowered the weapon and tossed it across the dusty ridge at Hashim's feet, letting the men restrain him once again, but with his hands behind his back this time.

Hashim grinned at Marcus' defeated posture and willing surrender as he jerked Caroline up by one arm.

Caroline stood, but the second she was upright her eyes started to glaze over slightly and her head bobbed on her neck as she took an unsteady step forward.

She had several bruises forming on her face which meant she probably fought like hell before being restrained like that. It was obvious that she was feeling the effects of her multiple beatings because as soon as Hashim started to lead her away, Caroline stumbled, going down on one knee as if she were going to pass out.

Ah God baby, I want to come pick you up and take you home. I can't fucking stand this.

Carline took another wobbly step but went down again.

"Fucking help her!" Marcus screamed at the men standing beside her, watching her struggle to walk.

Hashim looked down at Caroline over his shoulder and signaled to one of his men to pick her up and carry her the rest of the way to the vehicles at the bottom of the ridge.

Marcus watched Caroline's body go limp over the man's shoulder and realized she must have passed out from the blows to her head and face.

Her strawberry blonde hair swayed back and forth and for a second Marcus was filled with temporary relief that she wasn't in pain at the moment.