Chapter 106 Carrie

Chapter 106 Carrie
The blood flow back down my arm and into my fingers was almost as painful as the thumb, but I’d gotten used to it enough that I could push it to the back of my mind. I popped my thumb back into place by pushing it against my chest, and then I reached up to the other restraint. They weren’t made for keeping actual prisoners, so from the outside, they were quick to release. It took only a few seconds to get my left hand and both of my feet free. I thought for sure Gavin or Howard would’ve noticed what I was doing, but both men were still focused on each other.
“I’m not going to let you hurt her,” Gavin said.
“And if you try to stop me, I’m going to shoot out your kneecaps.” Howard lowered the gun. “It won’t kill you, but it’ll be painful as hell and you won’t be able to run.”
Gavin took a step forward and I knew he was going to rush Howard. I didn’t know how well Howard could shoot, but I wasn’t about to take any chances. I grabbed the first thing I could lay my hands on and swung it as hard as I could at Howard. The giant, heavy, and solid rubber dildo hit him in the back of the head hard enough to make him stumble to the side. I then shoved him as hard as I could and he fell back against the wardrobe. The sound his head made when it hit the wood was loud and satisfying. He slumped to the ground, unconscious.
“Carrie.”
Gavin’s arms were around me before I could react. He pressed me against his body tight enough that I almost couldn’t breathe, and I felt hope stirring inside me.
“I am so sorry.” His face was pressed against my neck and I could feel the wet of his tears. “I am so sorry.”
I closed my eyes and slid my arms around his waist. I desperately wanted this to mean that he felt what I felt, but I couldn’t give in to that, not yet. For all I knew, he could just be apologizing for getting me into this mess.
He pulled back and put his hand on my cheek. His eyes were still shining with tears. “If he’d have hurt you, I never could have lived with myself.”
“I’m okay.” That wasn’t entirely true, but it was the best I could do at the moment.
He stared at me for a moment, then bent his head and took my mouth in a kiss so fierce that I gasped. He took advantage of my parted lips and slid his tongue inside my mouth. His hands ran over my body, reminding me that I was still naked, but I didn’t care. This wasn’t the kiss of a friend or a kiss of apology. His lips and tongue, his entire body, held the same primal need as mine. The need to know that the other one was alive and safe. I ran my hand down his arm, and he hissed, pulling back. I looked at my fingers and they were slick with blood.
“You’re hurt.” My voice came out a little dazed. My head was still spinning from that kiss.
“And you’re naked.”
I looked up at Gavin and gave him a half-smile. “You just now noticed?”
His expression was serious, bringing me out of my lust-induced haze. Right. This wasn’t the time or place. He pulled off his shirt and held it out to me. I slipped into it. He was enough bigger than me that it actually covered everything important. In fact, it was longer than some dresses I’d seen.
“I meant what I said.” Gavin brushed his fingers along my cheekbone. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if he’d...” His eyes narrowed. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”
I wasn’t about to tell him what had happened before he’d arrived. Not now, anyway. I opened my mouth to lie, but the words died before they reached my lips.
Gavin let out a cry of pain and looked down. Howard smiled up at us as he yanked his knife out of Gavin’s calf, raising it to strike again. I kicked out, knocking Howard away, but he rolled with it this time and came up with his gun in hand.
“Move!” Gavin grabbed my hand even as I saw Howard raise the gun.
My legs obeyed before my mind processed what was happening. I let Gavin pull me out the door and we ran down the hall. I heard a muffled sound of a gunshot behind me. The room was soundproofed all right. We headed straight for the stairs. Howard was shouting after us as we disappeared through the door. Fear was sharp and metallic in the back of my throat, and the sound of blood rushing in my ears was almost deafening.
We ran into the main room and started to cut across. We were less than a third of the way across when Gavin stumbled for the first time. I grabbed his arm, trying to help him.
“Go,” he said.
I shook my head. “No.”
“Dammit,” he swore. “Carrie, please.”
His leg buckled as we reached the middle of the floor and his foot slid on the blood that had been trailing behind him. Howard’s knife had gone deep. I bent to try to help him up and heard the stairwell door slam open.
“Go!” Gavin shoved at my hand. He looked up at me, pleading. “Please.”
A gunshot echoed and I felt the air above me move. Howard was getting closer, and the next shot might not miss. But I couldn’t just leave Gavin to die. An idea – something completely and utterly insane – popped into my head. I stuck my hand in Gavin’s pocket, ignoring his questions and look of complete surprise. I grabbed what I wanted, then turned and ran.
I hit against the wall, jarring my hands and sending a jolt of pain up my injured thumb. I turned, praying that Howard would wait until he got closer to Gavin to do anything. Gavin pushed himself backwards, but didn’t try to get up. Without him saying a word, I knew it wasn’t because he couldn’t stand, but because he was trying to draw Howard’s attention away from me, giving me time to escape.