“No clue, lady.” His gaze raked from her freezing head down to her chilling toes. “Care to tell me?”
Somehow she didn’t think that would help her cause. The wind picked up again, lifting her hair and biting her ears. She glanced around at the barren area, not sensing anybody else near. “Who hired you?”
He shrugged. “Don’t know and don’t care. Received directions via the Internet, and payment via the Caymans.”
That was all right. She knew who’d hired him but truly hadn’t expected retaliation quite yet. “What’s your plan?”
He kicked back on the seat. “We’re going to take a nice ride around the coastline, go north, and meet transport on the other side of the island. I’ll radio from there.” He gestured her forward with a gun.
She stepped toward him, forcing her muscles to go lax. “If somebody wants me that badly, you won’t shoot me.”
He lifted both eyebrows. “I was specifically told I could shoot you in the leg if necessary.” His grin widened. “We both know that ain’t gonna be necessary, don’t we?”
She nodded. “We both do know that fact.” Leaping up, she kicked out with both feet, nailing both the gun and his chin. His head snapped back, and he flew off the snowmobile. The force knocked her onto her back, and she flipped up, hampered by the heavy coat and boots. Her sunglasses went flying.
He shot to his feet, blood dripping down his chin. “Bitch.”
“Well now, that’s just not nice.” Her breath panted out, and adrenaline burst through her veins. Bunching her knees, she leaped across the vehicle and slammed into him, one fist plowing into his trachea. He bellowed, twisted, and threw her hard.
She landed on unforgiving ice and rolled, snow gathering in her hair. Pain rippled up her elbow and to her shoulder, but she shoved the sensation away, rose to her feet, and ran full bore for him.
He braced his feet, ready to catch her, when she suddenly jumped up and clamped her knees on either side of his face. With a sharp twist, she cracked his jaw and slid around his back to tuck her arm beneath his chin and pull up.
His scream echoed against the buildings, zinged around, and seemed to come from every direction. He reached up and grabbed her hair, yanking hard.
Agony lanced along her scalp, and she loosened her hold, suddenly flying over his head and smashing into the snowmobile. Her vision fuzzed and her ears rang. She fell down, her butt on the ground. It had been too long since she’d been in a real fight. Bile rose in her throat, followed by panic.
He cupped his jaw, fire shooting from his eyes. Real fire, red and angry, danced down his neck.
Shit.
She tried to scramble up, but plasma balls formed on his hands. Damn it.
He spit out blood. “You’re no human.” The plasma morphed and danced, waiting to burn. “Let’s see what you can take.”
She swallowed and tasted blood. “I’ll triple your price.”
“No way. I want you to burn.”
A shadow fell across the sun for the briefest of moments. She squinted and looked over his shoulder, gasping. What the hell? A figure in all black, straight and true, hang glided from the east in perfect formation. Her mouth gaped. The guy had to have jumped from the high peaks of the jagged mountain. Crazy.
Vegar half turned to see the figure.
Cee Cee launched herself off the snowmobile, hitting the witch mid-center and throwing him on his back. He clamped her arm, burning through the material. Pain cut into her, and she cried out, shoving against his chest to stand. Crying, swearing, she stomped onto his hands, throwing snow.
He clasped her ankle and shoved her back toward the snowmobile. She no sooner hit than she jumped up and aimed for him, punching and kicking strategic points. The traitor defended himself, hitting back, but not getting enough time to form more fire. If he created more, he might incapacitate her. His fist connected with her jaw, and she dropped, her head spinning in sharp pain.