Fighting for Flight by JB Salsbury (best books for students to read .txt) 📗

over my breast to the button of my shorts. With one hand, he pushes them down my thighs. Unable to get them past my knees, he lets go of my wrists and sits up.

Opportunity.

I say a prayer for strength and move quickly. I grab his right wrist with both hands. His eyes dart to mine. I throw my leg over his arm, straddling his shoulder. He jumps in surprise. Bracing my weight on my shoulder blades, I cross my legs at my calves. His arm runs the length of my body, from knees to chest.

He struggles and grabs at me with his free hand. “You little bit—”

One powerful thrust of my hips turns his words into a scream. I pull his arm tight and flex my hips deeper into the hold. I feel and hear a sickening snap at his elbow. Vince howls in pain.

I did it.

With a tight hold, I refuse to let go. I keep my hips thrust forward and he continues to yelp. Power surges through me. He’s crying out for me to release him. I’m locked down with an unrelenting grip. He kicks and hollers on the bed.

Light pours into the room, blinding me. I push my hips harder, making Vince shriek. Something wraps around my neck . . . hands. They clamp down, choking me. I gasp and writhe. My vision adjusts to the light. I stare into the blue-green eyes of Dominick. His face is red with anger, jaw clenched tight.

And he’s not letting go.

Thirty-two

Jonah

My truck eats up highway as we blaze down the interstate. Hands vise-gripped to the wheel. Eyes scanning. Exit signs fly by in a blur of green and white. Blake is silent beside me. His head dips to the hand-drawn map then forward and back again.

I play out my strategy. No more polite conversation and deal-making. I know Dominick won’t give up Raven easily. Not after what he went through to get her. He had this planned all along, including hiring Candy to do his dirty work. I should have known.

Inwardly, I berate myself for buying into his bullshit. How could I have been so stupid? Well, that shit ain’t happening again. There are only two ways this confrontation will go. Dominick beaten into a bloody pulp, left begging for his pathetic life, or Dominick dead. And I’ll have to accomplish this while keeping Raven safe, or more importantly, alive. Fuck.

“Turn left here.” Blake’s direction calls me from my thoughts.

A quick turn and we’re on an unpaved road. I hit the four-wheel drive and lay heavy on the gas. Dirt and rocks spit from my back tires as we weave through the narrow mountain roads. My eyes focus on the path ahead.

“Fork in the road.” Blake points ahead.

I don’t have to look at the map to know which way to turn. Milena’s handwritten instructions are branded in my mind.

“Pull off. Park in the trees.” He drops the directions on the dash and grabs the handle for a quick exit.

“Pop the box and grab my Eagle.” I toss him the key to my glove box.

Within seconds the cold metal of my fifty-caliber Desert Eagle warms my hand.

I check the clip. Fully loaded. We hop from the truck and hustle back to the dirt road. I shove the gun into my waistband at my back.

We jog down the tree line, making sure to keep to the shadows. The cool mountain air invigorates me. It’s close to two in the morning. The title fight was only a few hours ago. It feels like ages. I should be exhausted, but I’ve never felt more alert.

We cross to the other side of the road where a small light shines like a beacon through the trees.

“That’s got to be it.” I don’t wait for Blake’s response, and take off toward the light.

The rickety A-frame cabin stands alone in the mass of pine trees, a one-lane dirt driveway leading to it. It’s small, probably two bedrooms at most. This shit shack looks like it’s made of scrap wood and spit. If I weren’t convinced Raven was inside, I’d drive my truck full speed through the front fucking door.

We step closer, cautiously keeping to the dark in the trees. She has to be here. Some deep part of me whispers she may not be, but I choose to ignore it. This is my only chance of getting her back.

Something catches my eye from the side of the shack. I creep closer. Bingo.

“They’re definitely here.” I motion to the hundred-thousand-dollar Benz parked in the trees next to a black Lexus sedan.

“What do you want to do? Just knock on the door and start busting caps in his pompous ass?” Blake’s idea would usually make me smile, but there isn’t a hint of humor in his voice. He’s dead fucking serious.

“Let’s check out the windows first, try to get an idea of what we’re dealing with. If I can’t get a handle on what’s going on in there, I’ll kick the motherfucking door down.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Blake moves toward the cabin.

I grab his shoulder, needing to say something before we do this. “Whatever happens in there, you get her out. Understand?”

His eyebrows drop low. “If shit gets ugly, I’m not leaving you—”

“Don’t worry about me. Just get her out and far away.”

Blake puts his hands on his hips and drops his head, a string of curses flowing in a whisper.

“Promise me.”

He meets my eyes, his jaw tight. He shakes his head.

“Blake, please.”

His gaze swings to the treetops for a second then back to me. “All right. I’ll get her out.”

“Good.” I nod. “Now let’s take this fucker out.”

We run low to the ground to the cabin. I motion for Blake to take one side of the shack, whispering for him to check the windows. We’ll split up and meet in the back.

I edge up under the first window and peek inside. An empty living room. No furniture except for a wooden-framed couch. The embers from an old fire smolder