Payton had smelled that scent before. Her brain was filtering it when a blur came at her from the left. Payton swung her beer bottle, knocking the fist aimed for her head away, then spun toward the assailant and elbowed them in the face. They came at her again, and she smashed the beer bottle over their head. Good thing she was still wearing her shoes.
She couldn’t see who it was because they were wearing a ski mask, but she knew it wasn’t a random burglar. The man cursed and stumbled back when she kneed him in the solar plexus. Her next swing went wide, and the man used it as his opening to attack. He ducked down and ran into her middle. The momentum sent them crashing to the floor, knocking the wind out of her and causing her to lose her grip on her makeshift weapon.
“You little bitch,” the man hissed and punched her in the face.
Payton swore she saw stars, but she couldn’t let that stop her. She didn’t know if the man intended to kill her or take her away. Either choice wasn’t acceptable. She batted his next blow to the side, grabbed the broken bottle next to her, and drove it into the back of his arm.
The man fell to the side whimpering, clutching his bleeding arm in his hand. Payton slid out from under him and put the coffee table between them so he didn’t try and surprise attack her again.
She looked around for another weapon, but she didn’t have one. Her duffel was in her rental car. She did have her service pistol, but she didn’t want to use it unless she had to. Her landlord would frown upon gunshot holes in his walls. Not to mention scaring her neighbors. “Why did you break into my apartment? What do you want?”
The man stumbled to his feet, pulling a knife out of his back pocket and holding it out with his good hand. “I’m going to kill you slowly and painfully.” His eyes blazed with fury and pain. His mouth wide in a grin that should frighten her, but it didn’t.
This wasn’t the first person to pull a knife on her or even threaten her, and it wouldn’t be her last.
Payton glanced down at her coffee table and saw a pen. It wasn’t the best weapon, but it was better than nothing.
The man just chuckled when she pulled the cap off and held it ready. “That’s it? That’s your big defense.”
Payton didn’t respond to his taunt. She just stood there waiting for him to make the first move. He didn’t make her wait long. With his arm stretched out he lunged, aimed straight for her stomach. Payton pivoted to the side and stabbed him in the arm. He whirled around swinging his knife back. She stabbed him in the hand, forcing him to drop the knife, then spun kicked him in the chest sending him flying back.
“Who do you work for?” she yelled as she stomped toward him. She reached for the back of his head when he mule kicked her and sent her flying back. Damn, that hurt. She coughed trying to catch her breath, cursing her rookie mistake. Never approach an assailant from the back like that.
Payton scrambled to her feet and took a step back, and ran into a solid wall. A solid wall with vise-like bands that wrapped around her neck and lifted her off the ground. Her feet dangled several inches in the air. Payton’s airway closed, and she grappled for air as she clawed at the hands constricting her airway.
There was no doubt in her mind now who these two were. The height of her new assailant was a dead giveaway. Jones and Smith. These were two determined men to keep coming at her.
“Hold her still,” Jones ordered Smith. She could hear his labored breathing. “I don’t want to miss when I drive my knife into her heart.”
“Boss wants her alive.”
Payton tried to keep up with the conversation, but her vision as winking in and out.
“Tough shit,” Jones spat. Payton watched him stumbling toward them. The smell of blood strong in the air. “She’s mine. Look what she did to me.” Payton’s arms began to slacken.
“No, our orders were to bring her in, not kill her.” Blessedly, Smith’s hands loosened around her neck, and she could finally take in a gulp of air.
“I don’t care.” Jones pouted like a child denied a treat then came at her, his knife gleaming as it arched toward her. With renewed energy, Payton kicked out, knocking his knife away then delivering a second blow to his chest.
Smith’s hands began to constrict around her throat again. She kicked her foot into the inside of his knee. His grip slackened, and she crumbled to the ground. Smith recovered faster than her and grabbed her by the hair before she could scramble out of his reach.
Smith turned her to face him and grabbed her by the throat again, lifting her. She cupped her hands and bashed them against his ears and dug her nails in his eyes. No way was she letting him choke her out again. He shook her around like a rag doll, and she lost her grip. Payton was reaching for another vulnerable spot when Smith was torn from her by an unseen force.
She was unceremoniously dropped to the ground again, but she was able to catch herself before she crashed into the floor. What saved her? Who saved her?
She watched mesmerized as Alex danced around the giant, keeping out of his deadly reach and delivering devastating blows before dashing away again before the giant could catch him.
He was so graceful. So lethal. She cringed hearing his fists rain blows to the giant and hearing the giant’s grunts of pain. Alex hit like a sledge hammer. Payton looked around for Jones, making sure he didn’t sneak up on her again. He was crawling toward her coffee table. His focus on what was on it instead of her. The envelope.
Payton lunged for him. He backhanded her so hard she spun and fell on the floor. He loomed over her, deadly intent in his eyes. His knife raised over his head, and he drove it down. Payton crossed her arms and blocked the blade from slicing her. Her arms strained from the exertion. Jones was a strong man.
Payton swung her leg up and hit him in the crotch, knocking him back. She flipped herself up and caught his arm as he came at her again, digging her fingers into his wound and wrenching his arm. He snapped his other elbow back, catching her in the cheek before he reached for the envelope.
Payton hooked his leg with hers and pulled him away from it. No way in hell was she letting him get away with it. They both popped to their feet at the same time; Payton had picked up his knife and held it ready. Jones glared at her then at the envelope. She could see his calculating mind working. Would he get to the envelope before she stabbed him? He took a step back before running out of the apartment. Cowardly snake slithered away again. She had no doubt he’d be back, though.
Alex spun kicked and sent the giant sailing through the air and crash landing on her coffee table, smashing it into splinters. That sucked, her dad had given that to her as a housewarming gift. It had been her grandmother’s.
“You alright?” Alex asked her, rushing to her side.