“I don’t need you to protect my back. What I need is for you to stay out of my way while I deal with these fools!”
Her only response was the sucking of her teeth. Then he was out of time, their assailants rushed them in what Josh immediately saw was a coordinated attack.
The first man to come within his reach, he kicked directly in the balls. His kick was so accurate that even as the man went down, it made his own eyes water. Sparing a quick glance he noticed that the woman in their group was lagging back. Her actions instantly set him on edge. What worried him further was that he recognized her.
Unable to understand what she was doing in the mix, Josh only just managed to side-step a punch thrown his way. Feigning to the side, he moved in close to his attacker and delivered a direct hit to his opponent’s kidney, he hoped hurt as much as it did his fist. The big lug grunted in pain, but he didn’t go down. Josh twisted around, caught hold of the man’s arm and wrenched it upwards with so much force it snapped. One more jerk and the man passed out from his pain.
Having only two more to deal with, the sound of someone being hit caught his attention. That was his undoing. Turning he saw Lux crumpling to the ground. With an almighty roar, he moved with lightning speed. In a blur of arms and legs, in a matter of seconds the remaining men were down.
Turning to a fallen Lux, he dropped to his knees and gathered her into his arms. Pain exploded in his head and he realized he’d underestimated his final opponent. As the blonde woman stood looking expressionlessly down at him; his final thought before unconsciousness claimed him was of Lux, and how badly he’d let her down.
Chapter 23
Her head was pounding. As her eyes fluttered open their attack on the path rushed back to her. The side of her jaw hurt and she knew that was where the man had hit her. Looking down her body, Lux saw that she was lying on a mattress her hands and legs tied. Pulling herself upright, Lux looked around and saw she was in a nicely decorated bedroom.
A feeling of desperation assailed her as she thought about Josh. At the same time, she twisted her hands in an attempt to release her bonds. It only took her a few minutes before she managed to pull the chafing rope from her wrists. Whoever had tied her up must be completely inept or had deliberately tied her in such a way as to make it easy for her to get loose.
Setting to work on the rope around her legs, Lux fared even better and they too were quickly undone. Jumping from the bed, she cautiously easing across the room. Ear against the door, she listened intently for sounds of activity from outside. When she heard nothing, she turned the handle to test for a lock. The door was unlocked. It didn’t make sense; why go to all this trouble to capture her only to make escape so easy. It was obviously a trap.
Withdrawing her hand, Lux took a moment to gather her thoughts. The way she saw it, she had two choices; wait around for whoever was involved to return, or find Josh and get as far away from these people as possible.
She was no great thinker, but she knew her brother had something to do with their situation. Even after all this time, and countless years of introspection, it still bothered her that he turned out the way he had.
Her mind made up, Lux heaved open the door with more force than caution, and looked up and down the hallway. The sensation of being watched caught her attention. Jerking her head around, she made eye contact with a stranger. The woman was stunningly beautiful and she was looking directly at her. Raising her hands and flexing her knees in a defensive pose, Lux fixed her gaze on the woman who took her time looking her up and down before smiling.
The blonde woman’s smile was so condescending it angered her. Without thinking, Lux told the woman exactly what was on her mind. “Let’s see if you’re still smiling after I shove your head up your ass and turn you into a brunette!”
In response to her rudeness, the stranger did the most peculiar thing; she raised her index finger to her lips to indicate silence. The woman then tilted her head to the right; after which she took a stepped back into her room and closed the door.
Lux had no idea what to make of the incident. What she did know however was she wasn’t about to stand around contemplating the workings of a stranger's mind. Rationally she knew she could be walking into a trap, but somehow she didn’t think so. Taking a deep breath, she pulled the bedroom door closed behind her and set off down the hall with cautious steps.