Keeping her eyes on those guns, Avery focused on every step she took. When she got close enough for him to reach her, Garrett grabbed her hand and pulled her to his side before shifting his body to block hers with his own.
“Give me your wallets and phones,” one of the two goons ordered sharply.
Okay, so Garrett was right. All they had to do was give these men their cash, and then they’d be set free.
Pulling his wallet from his pocket, Garrett handed it over to the man. Following his lead, Avery bent at the waist, her trembling fingers struggling to dig into her damp shoe.
She started to pull the small wad of cash out when the second man rushed toward her and jabbed her in the ribs with his gun.
“Hey!” He pushed her to the ground.
Landing chest first, the air from Avery’s lungs was forced out in a roughwoosh.
Panic thundered through her body, her blood turning to ice when the man shoved the weapon’s barrel against the back of her head. Avery cried out in pain.
No! He’s going to kill me!
“Don’t touch her!” Garrett growled.
From the corner of her eye, she could see him starting to advance on the man who’d assaulted her. But he was stopped short when theotherman in black rammed the butt of the long rifle against the back of Garrett’s head.
He dropped to the ground next to her, groaning and fighting to stay conscious.
“Garrett!” she hollered for him, but his only response was another raspy moan.
Oh, God. This can’t be happening.
“He has a gun!” the asshole holding her at gun point yelled. “Back waistband.”
The man who’d struck Garrett bent down and yanked the pistol she’d seen earlier from his shorts. How he’d slipped it back beneath his shirt without her seeing was baffling. It was also irrelevant.
“You planning to shoot me, estúpido?” Asshole number two checked the chamber of the gun before pointing it at Garrett’s head.
“No!”
Before she even realized she was moving, Avery pushed herself onto her knees and flew to the side to cover Garrett’s prone body with her own.
“He wasn’t going to shoot anyone!” she spoke with in a terrified rush. “And I was just getting my money from my shoe! M-my phone’s in the buggy. Please. We’ll do what you say, just…please. Don’t shoot him!”
Half expecting the bastard to turn the gun on her and kill them both right then, Avery was shocked when the man started to laugh.
“Aren’t you a brave little puta? Jumping over your man like that. But what kind of man is he, really, letting his woman risk her life for his?”
The kind of man who will kill you the second he has the chance.
Avery had no idea where the thought came from, but in her gut, she knew it was the truth.
“Take her shoes,” he instructed his partner.
Less than a second later, she felt her water shoes being ripped from her feet. Her money and driver’s license were taken, the shoes tossed aside.
“Avery Webb,” the man who’d given the order stared at her I.D. “A simple name for such as beautiful woman.”
Fear raced down Avery’s spine and her gut churned. She hated the way that man had said her name. She also didn’t like the way he was looking at her from behind his mesh mask.
Even from behind the mask, she could see his heated eyes and sick, twisted smile.
“Get them up.”