Chapter 85 Overpowered
JASON'S POV
I was fighting three men at once and I knew I was losing. Blood was dripping from my nose and my ribs felt like they were on fire. Every time I hit one of them the other two would grab me from behind.
"Where is Caitlyn?" I demanded between punches. "What are you doing to her?"
"That is none of your concern anymore," one of them said. He was the biggest one with tattoos covering his arms.
He swung at me and I ducked but the guy behind me grabbed my arms and held them. The tattooed guy punched me in the stomach and all the air left my lungs, i doubled over gasping.
"Let me go," I said fighting against the arms holding me. "I need to get to her."
"Not happening," the guy said. He punched me again. This time in the face, my head snapped back and I tasted blood.
I threw my head back hard and connected with the nose of the guy holding me. I heard a crunch and he yelled and let go, i spun around and punched him in the face as hard as I could. He went down hard and did not get back up.
But before I could do anything else the other two rushed me. One of them tackled me low and we both crashed into the coffee table. Wood splintered and broke under us. Pain shot through my back where I landed on the broken pieces.
I rolled and managed to get to my feet. My whole body was screaming in pain but I ignored it. I had to keep fighting. Had to get to Caitlyn before they found her.
"Just give up Cross," one of them said. He was circling me now. Looking for an opening. "You are outnumbered and you know it."
"I do not care," I said. Blood was dripping into my eye but I wiped it away. "I am not giving up, not while she needs me."
I charged at him and managed to land a few good punches. Got him in the jaw. In the ribs but he was bigger than me and he absorbed the hits like they were nothing.
He grabbed me and threw me into the wall. My head hit hard and everything went fuzzy for a second. When my vision cleared he was coming at me again.
I ducked his punch and hit him in the kidney. He grunted and stumbled. I followed up with an uppercut that connected with his chin. His head snapped back and he went down.
Two down. One to go.
But then I heard more footsteps. More men are coming into the cabin. How many did Hayes bring?
The third guy grabbed a lamp and swung it at my head. I tried to duck but I was too slow. It caught me on the shoulder and pain exploded down my arm, the lamp shattered and I stumbled backward.
That was when I saw him. Collin Hayes is standing in the doorway of the cabin watching everything with a smile on his face. He had a gun in his hand.
"Hayes," I said. My voice was rough. "This is between you and me. Leave Caitlyn out of it."
"She made herself part of it when she decided to betray me," Hayes said. He was calm. Too calm. Like this was all a game to him. "When she decided to work with the police. When she decided to testify against me. She sealed her own fate."
"She did not betray you," I said. "She escaped from you. There is a difference."
"Not to me," Hayes said. "To me, it is all the same. She tried to destroy me and now she pays the price."
"I will kill you," I said. I meant it. "I swear to god I will kill you for this."
"You can try," Hayes said. He raised the gun and pointed it at me. "But I do not think you will succeed."
I looked at the gun and knew I was in serious trouble. I was too far away to reach him before he pulled the trigger. Too hurt to move fast enough. No way to stop what was about to happen.
"Any last words Cross?" Hayes asked. He was enjoying this. I could see it in his eyes.
"Yeah," I said. "Go to hell."
Hayes smiled. "After you."
He pulled the trigger. The sound was deafening in the small cabin. I felt the bullet hit my shoulder. The impact spun me around and knocked me off my feet. I hit the floor hard and my vision went black for a second.
When I could see again I was on my back staring at the ceiling. My shoulder was on fire. Burning like someone had pressed a hot iron to it. Blood was spreading across my shirt fast. Too fast.
"Jason!" I heard Caitlyn scream from the bedroom. Her voice was terrified.
"Caitlyn," I tried to yell back but my voice came out weak and rough. "Run. Please run."
Two of Hayes' men grabbed my arms and dragged me across the floor. They were not gentle about it. My injured shoulder screamed in protest but I could not do anything to stop it. They positioned me so I was facing the bedroom door.
"Let him watch," Hayes said walking over to stand above me. "Let him see what happens when you cross me. When you think you can protect what is mine."
I tried to fight but I had no strength left. The bullet had taken everything out of me. My shoulder was not just bleeding anymore. It was pouring blood. I could feel it pooling underneath me. Warm and sticky.
"Caitlyn," I said again. My voice was getting weaker. "Please run."
But I knew she could not run. I knew she was trapped in that bedroom just like I was trapped here bleeding on the floor. And there was nothing I could do to save her.
Hayes walked toward the bedroom. His men followed him. I heard them going back in there. Heard them searching again.
"Please," I whispered to no one. "Please let her go. Take me instead."
But no one was listening to me. No one cared what I had to say. I was just supposed to lie here and watch while they found the woman I loved and killed her.
One of Hayes' men came back and stood over me. "Boss says you need to stay awake for this."
"For what?" I asked. Even though I already knew the answer.
"For watching your girlfriend die," the man said. He kicked my injured shoulder and white-hot pain shot through me. I screamed and nearly passed out. "Stay awake Cross. The show is about to start."
I heard someone yell from the bedroom. "Found her. She was hiding in the closet."
"No," I said. Tears were mixed with the blood on my face. "No no no."
I tried to get up but my body would not cooperate. The bullet wound was too much. I was losing too much blood too fast. Everything was starting to go fuzzy around the edges.
"Stay with me Cross," the
The man standing over me said. He kicked me again. Lighter this time. "Do not you dare pass out."