“Ugh,” she grumbled. She wipedgravel off her clothes and picked it out of her hand. A sharp piece hadembedded itself into her palm, and blood pooled at the point of injury. “Great. Add that to the list.”
She turned her head to look up atwhat had been the cause of her fall, and her vision blurred. She scrambledbackward, but he was on top of her before she moved two feet.
“Did you think I would just letyou leave?” Reid grabbed her arm and hauled her to her feet.
He looked terrible. His clotheswere a mess. His usually perfectly manicured hair was tousled. His eyes werebloodshot, like he hadn’t slept all night. Still, it was nothing compared tohow she looked.
“Reid, stop! Leave me alone,”she said, trying to pull away from him.
He ignored her and starteddragging her down the alleyway. Her balance was shot, and she kept trippingover her feet and falling.
“Stop! Reid, fucking stop!”
“You’re mine, Devon. And I saidI would have what is mine,” he said. “I always keep my promises.”
She knew Brennan would returnsoon, but clearly, it was not soon enough. She didn’t know where Reid wastaking her. If he got her somewhere private, she didn’t know what wouldhappen. Putting all her energy behind it, Devon screamed at the top of herlungs. Someone had to hear her.
Turning around, Reid covered hermouth with his hand and shoved her back against the wall to hold her in place. “Shut up!” he yelled into her face.
Her eyes went wide at theferocity in his gaze. He had gone crazy, completely crazy. Whatever shred ofhumanity he’d had left in him had evaporated.
“If you make another sound, I’llknock you out and carry you back to the car.”
Devon didn’t put it past him. Her heart was beating so hard that she thought it might jump out of her chest. She couldn’t stop staring into his eyes and wondering where the man she hadonce loved was. Where was her greatness? Had he never actually existed andshe had only clung on to hope like a child?
“I’m going to release you, andyou’re not going to make a sound or try to get away. Right?” he askedthreateningly.
Devon nodded slightly. She waslying. She would fight him tooth and nail to get away.
He slowly dropped his hand, andshe kept her mouth clamped shut. She wanted to take him by surprise. Sheheard footsteps crunch on the gravel, and Reid’s head whipped to the side. Devon used the distraction to her advantage, and for the second time in twodays, she brought her knee up into his groin. She hoped he would never be ableto reproduce after this.
Reid dropped over, holdinghimself. She turned to run, but his other hand shot out, catching her in thechest and slamming her into the wall again. The air quickly left her lungs ashe knocked the wind out of her, and she cried out. She heard footsteps runningtoward them, but she didn’t look up to find out who it was. She wasconcentrating too hard on trying to breathe.
“Hey, get away from her!” Brennanyelled as he approached them.
Reid stood and faced Brennan,planting himself between Brennan and Devon. “Stay out of this. She’s none ofyour concern.”
“I beg to differ.”
“Just get the fuck out of here!”Reid cried.
“I’m not leaving her,” Brennansaid determinedly.
“Brennan,” Devon gasped out.
“I’m not going anywhere. Don’tworry,” Brennan said to her.
“Don’t you talk to her,” Reidgrowled. “Don’t even look at my girl.”
Brennan stared Reid down. “Ithink you should just calm down and step away from Devon. She’s hurt andprobably needs medical attention. She suffered a concussion last night. Somehow, her head connected with a table.” He waited for Reid to react, but hedidn’t. “If you care about her,” Brennan said skeptically, “then you’ll let metake her to a hospital.”
“You’re fucking stupid if youthink I’m ever letting her near you,” Reid said. “She’s fine. She doesn’tneed to go to a hospital.”
Devon slowly straightened,feeling air fill her lungs again. She closed her eyes and opened them again,adjusting to the light. She leaned back heavily against the wall for balance. “Reid, stop it,” she said breathily. “Leave him alone.”
“You can stay out of it, too,”Reid said, not even looking at her.
Brennan started walking carefullytoward Reid, like a circus ringleader holding off a lion with a wooden chair.
“What the fuck do you thinkyou’re doing?” Reid asked.
“I’m just going to check on her,”Brennan said, inching in closer.
“Don’t come any closer!” Reidyelled. “We’re getting out of here.”
Reid turned as if he was going towalk away from the scene, and then he countered and swung at Brennan. With considerableforce, his right fist moved toward Brennan’s face, and Devon screamed. Brennanmust have been anticipating it because he deftly blocked the punch as if itbothered him no more than a fly. Reid was thrown off balance with the force ofhis own throw, and Brennan took the opportunity to connect his fist with Reid’sjaw.
Reid cried out in shock andrushed Brennan. Brennan sidestepped Reid’s advance, and then Brennan jabbedhis fist into Reid’s kidney, causing him to double over.
“Not as easy to take on someoneyour own size, is it?” Brennan taunted Reid. “Don’t worry. I won’t tellanyone you were beat up by someone smaller than you.”
Reid glared at him with murder inhis eyes. He was bigger than Brennan, and that reminder made Reid try tocounter with his size. Brennan saw it coming and ducked Reid’s advance,sending him sprawling to the ground. Brennan rushed forward toward Devon,planting himself between Devon and Reid.
Reid scrambled to his feet andcharged Brennan again. Reid threw a wild punch, but Brennan landed a hitfirst, cracking Reid’s nose with a terrible popping sound that rang throughoutthe alley.
“You broke my fucking nose!” Reidscreamed at Brennan.
Devon rushed past Brennan tostand between Reid and Brennan. She wasn’t stupid though. She still stoodcloser to Brennan. “Stop!” she screamed. “Stop it! Just stop it! Hasn’tthere been enough fighting?”
“Devon,” Brennan said, taking astep forward to help support her.
She was wobbly on her feet.
“Reid, just stop. You’ve lost. Youlost me,”
