Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 81358 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 407(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81358 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 407(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
The intruder.
Kai pulled in a breath and slowly released it, keeping the gun aimed at the spot where he thought the figure now hid. A deep sense of calm washed over him. This was familiar. A known space in which he was king of his domain. The fumbling and confusion he suffered with Dev was nowhere to be found.
The shadow shifted behind the thick trunk of a ponderosa pine. He squeezed the trigger, firing off two rounds. He knew he wasn’t going to hit the gunman, but he was hoping to scare them into fleeing for cover, giving him a better look at them.
The shooter shifted behind the tree enough to return three rounds of fire, forcing Kai to seek cover behind a couple of metal garden chairs. Not ideal.
As he moved, the attacker ran deeper into the woods, putting more space between him and the house. Snarling to himself, Kai pushed off the building and gave chase. He lifted the gun to fire again, but the person was darting between the closely clustered trees, keeping him from getting a clean shot. Apparently, he was not going to be able to tie this problem up in a neat bow with a quick and easy headshot.
Tucking the gun into the waistband of his jeans, Kai grabbed one of the knives tucked to his body and gave chase.
They wove between the trees, their feet slipping on old leaves and dried pine needles. Kai could see the shadow more clearly now. The person was easily four inches taller than himself with massive shoulders that pulled at the long-sleeved black shirt he was wearing. His pants were black cargo pants, probably hiding a number of deadly instruments.
Unfortunately, his hair and face were covered in a black mask that reminded Kai of a superhero costume. The material appeared soft and breathable. When he looked back, Kai found that even his eyes were shielded from view. There was no guessing the person’s identity, but the shape of his body or maybe his movements left Kai feeling that he knew them, but he still couldn’t guess who it was.
That was okay. Kai would have no problem removing the mask when he was dead.
The bastard was faster than Kai, his long, powerful legs eating up the distance. But Kai was still quick, keeping the space between them from growing. He was built for speed and endurance, able to run like this for miles. There would be no escape.
At last, the would-be killer tried to turn, and he lost his footing. His left foot slid out from underneath him in the pine needles, and he went down to one knee. He tried to push himself to his feet to continue running, his breath coming in great heaving pants, but it was too late.
Kai launched himself at the man, crashing into him, chest to chest. They slammed to the ground and continued to roll several feet in a tangle of limbs. The world tilted, the sky swirling into the ground. Kai tried to position them so that they stopped with him on top, but the masked monster figured out his game and forced them to a sliding stop on their sides.
Kai’s knife flashed out, the blade briefly catching the sunlight as he attempted to plunge it straight into the man’s gut, but it was deflected. Rough hands tore the knife away, sending it flying end over end through the forest. Kai landed a few blows in retaliation, but they didn’t seem to faze his assailant.
Fists pummeling gut and sides. Kai didn’t even try to block. He aimed for soft targets and key pressure points that would give him a quick advantage.
Luck wasn’t on Kai’s side. The man hammered on Kai’s right knee, wringing a scream from Kai’s throat as pain lanced through the joint. It was an old injury from his teen years that had never completely healed. The run had left it aching, but the punch and jerk nearly blinded him with pain. He froze, trying to remember how to breathe through the twisting agony. The attacker slugged Kai once in the face and shoved away, climbing to his feet again.
Gasping for air, Kai grabbed his gun with a shaking hand and raised it. He fired off two rounds at the fleeing figure. He might have caught his shoulder, but the person didn’t stop running as he disappeared into the forest. The only good thing was that he was moving away from Mother’s house.
Kai lowered the gun and dropped his head to the dirt. Each ragged pant sawed through his throat while his right knee throbbed in time with his pounding heart. As much as he’d like to follow the fucker, he wasn’t running anywhere for a while.
The confrontation had answered one question. This person had no interest in killing Kai right now. Maybe later when he was done making his point, but they weren’t there yet.