Frost Bite

Chapter 18

Josie

The feet of my chair hit the ground with metallic clanging as the man who punched me rights my chair. My ribs burn and every breath is a battle. It still feels like the instant he kicked me while I was down – like it never ended, like the pain will never get better.

But it will, and I breathe and I adjust my grip around the knife as the men that surround me murmur about what to do about me, how to move me out, how long it will be until back up arrives.

And mean while, I cut through the ropes around my hands, my shoulders aching with the effort. The rope falls to the floor and the blood rushes back into my hands and it hurts. I flex my fingers and wince but I don't make a sound. I remove the gag from my mouth and the relief is so intense it's almost painful.

They all have their backs to me as they watch the door, always the door that will deliver Jack.

Unfortunately for them I'm behind them.

I grip the knife like Jack taught me and I don't think I just throw my arm out and I feel the impact as it lands in someone's neck, right into the side like he taught me and they all jump back in surprise and I throw the door open and run.

My legs burn and they shout and there's the sound of them stampeding after me but I run. I think of all those hours Jack had me spend on the treadmill and even though my throat is dry and my stomach hasn't seen food in too many hours I keep running, force my breath to be regular like Jack taught me.

Shoulders loose, run on my toes, head up.

I turn corners blindly and I know that if I run into another group I'm in trouble. I'm too weak to fight even one of them, much less the five that are trailing me. And I don't know how many Jack has left alive at this point but my guess is too many for me to deal with on my own.

And then I turn a corner and I run right into the chest of the one who hit me the first time – the one the Prick had torture me to begin with.

I jerk my knee up and he howls but keeps a hold on my wrist and my bones burn and I'm afraid they're grinding together in his iron grip.

I force all of my strength into shoving my heel into his nose. It spurts blood and he lets go but now the others behind me have caught up, chests heaving and I'm done for.

They inch toward me, their breath visible in the air. They stumble slightly on their way toward me and I realize the ground is encased in ice.

Jack.

One second they're heading toward me and the next they're completely still.

I whirl around because I can feel him behind me and I want to cry I'm so relieved and tired and in pain.

"You couldn't stay put for like two more seconds? Did you not trust me to come for you?" he demands, his voice razor edged. But I can see the relief in his eyes. I'm in front of him and he can see that I'm all right.

"I didn't think you'd want to worry about dealing with my body if I died." I shrug, like I'm not thrilled that he came for me. Like it doesn't hurt to move. I want to run into his arms but I don't. I'll stay right where I am because the last thing I need to do in this horrible situation is make a fool out of myself.

Jack grins because even if he doesn't know that the sight of him drives me to madness, he does know that I knew he would come for me. "Nah. I mean, if it had been Ryan, that's another story. But you? You I like."

I beam at him. "Great," I say and I'm about to continue when he traps my face between his hands, shocking me to silence and all I can think about is the feel of his skin on mine.