“I don’t—”
Trent didn’t wait for her to finish, lunging for her and shouting, “Bullshit! I know this is because of you. You told them to do this, you stupid fucking cunt—” The wind went out of him when Matthew landed a punch to his gut, sending Trent doubled over and onto his knees.
I’d be lying if I didn’t feel a not-so-small burst of satisfaction seeing that asshole brought down a notch.
“Fucker—”
My satisfaction dimmed when Ben launched toward the downed man, taking advantage of easy prey. He swung the butt of his gun into Trent’s face, who went sprawling into the muddy ground, and thennailed his boot into Trent’s stomach. The beaten man curled into a ball, emitting a pained groan that was almost too low for me to hear.
“Enough,” Matthew warned his partner.
Trent was clearly no longer a threat, but neither that nor Matthew’s caution stopped him. Like a switch had been flipped, Ben grabbed a limp and moaning Trent by the back of his collar and punched the side of his head. If the first blow didn’t completely knock him out, the next one would. But Ben wasn’t going to stop there; I could see it in his eyes, a sadistic kind of savagery that was too evil to hide. He wasn’t going to stop brutalizing him until Trent was dead.
I stepped out from behind the tree, my fist tightening on my weapon, my heart pumping for a fight. Two against one wasn’t my favorite for odds, but I’d certainly fought in worse.
“Stop!” Sarah yelled and stepped out from the tent and I stilled, too, waiting to see whether my intervention was necessary.
Ben’s head jerked to her. “Stop?” He laughed, and through the rain, his expression twisted. “Soon you’ll be thanking me for knowing how to get rid of him and not leave a trace.”
A coldness swept through me, and I carefully moved closer to them, my pace slower now that the rain had started to ease.
“Enough, Ben. This is done.” Matthew grabbed his shoulder and shoved him back. Ben finally, begrudgingly, took the hint. “Go inside, Sarah,” the guard ordered. “You don’t have to worry about him anymore.”
Bending, Matthew grabbed Trent and dragged him to the ATV I could now see parked beside the tent, draping the unconscious man over the back.
“What—where are you taking him?” Sarah demanded.
“He broke the rules for hitting you. It’s protocol to remove violent participants from the retreat,” Matthew replied as the ATV’s engine coughed to life.
Ben couldn’t resist adding, “Soon you’ll learn not to question a man when he is taking care of you.”
“But—”
“Get some rest. You’ll be leaving for the Garden in the morning.”
Shit.
Matthew revved the engine and then drove off, the headlights ping-ponging along his path through the woods.
Once Matthew and Trent were out of sight, Sarah’s head collapsed into her hands, her shoulders shaking with loud sobs.
I straightened for a second time, my plan already decided; first, wait for Ben to leave. Then get Sarah, go back for Lara, and leave the campsite tonight. It was too risky to stay; we’d figure out where the Garden was another way.
Except Ben didn’t leave.
“Sarah.”
“Go away.” She jerked from Ben’s touch—the kind of thing that would only infuriate a man like him.
“Me? I just want to make you feel better after that asshole hit you. One day you’ll thank me for knowing how to get rid of him.”
“What?” Sarah backed away, whipping her head side to side. “No.”
“Come on. Let me show you what a good orgasm can do for you. Think of it like an introduction to the Garden,” he said, ignoring her.
Her sad face became stricken with horror.With fear.I didn’t blame her.
Looked like my plan was going to be modified.