Cut Too Deep(70)

Ryker kept his voice calm and level. “Listen to me. All you have to do is let go of Jenna, and then we can all walk back downstairs. Jenna and I will go to Mikey, and you can get the hell out of here. We won’t say anything. Just go.”

Garrett barked laughter. “You think I’m just going to walk away from this? I’ve been waiting a whole year for this day.”

Tears of frustration and anger blurred Jenna’s vision. She needed to do something! Garrett was distracted by Ryker and Mikey. He wasn’t paying any attention to her. But the knife was still against her throat, his hand over her mouth. She was barefooted, so couldn’t do much harm by trying to kick him or stamp on his foot. There was only one option left, and she hoped the injury she had already caused him would work in her favor.

She couldn’t let herself think about it too much or she would lose her nerve.

Reacting with as much force as she could muster, Jenna flung her head back. The back of her skull connected with Garrett’s already damaged nose and he let out a scream that sounded like an injured animal. The sound frightened her, but she didn’t give herself time to wonder how badly he’d been injured. His hand had already fallen from her mouth to cover his nose, and she used both hands to shove away the arm holding the knife.

“Ryker!” she yelled. “Get the bat!”

But then she heard Mikey’s voice. “Ryker? Are you up there? What the hell’s going on?”

“Run, Mikey!” she screamed. “Get out of the house.”

Garrett had started to recover himself. She froze with indecision. Should she try to get the knife, or run to warn Mikey? Ryker ran toward the bed, heading for the baseball bat, so she made her choice and ran.

Jenna burst out of the bedroom door and into the hallway to see Mikey running up the stairs. He caught sight of her and frowned. “What’s going on?”

“Turn around, Mikey. Get out of here, please!”

“Why? Where’s my brother?”

A yell of pain sounded from the room and they both turned toward the noise.

Oh, God. That had sounded like Ryker!

Mikey must have thought the same. He shoved past her, shooting her a final confused glare, and ran for the bedroom.

“No, Mikey, wait!”

But she couldn’t stop him. She grabbed for his arm, but he was young and strong and he tugged out of her grip. He ran into the bedroom and she followed.

Her heart stopped.

Ryker lay on the floor, the baseball bat beside him. He clutched his arm to his body, the whole of his forearm covered red. The blood spread across his shirt where he held his arm to his chest. Her eyes flicked to Garrett standing above him, to the red smeared across the silver of the blade, and her mind pieced together what had happened. Ryker had gone for the bat, reached out for the weapon, and Garrett had dived at him with the knife, slicing his forearm open. From the limp way Ryker’s hand fell, Jenna had a horrible feeling Garrett may have sliced through nerves and tendons.

“Oh, God, Ryker,” she cried.

Garrett brandished the knife, blood coating the lower half of his face from where she’d re-broken his nose. “See what I did to your pretty boy, Jenna? And I’ll do even worse to his baby brother.” His voice sounded nasal, as if he had a really bad cold.

Mikey turned to run from the room, but Garrett reached out and grabbed him. Jenna launched herself at him, no longer caring about the knife. “Just kill me, you son of a bitch! I’m the one you want. Ryker and Mikey have nothing to do with this!”

But he’d already caught Mikey by the arm, twisting it behind his back and holding the boy firm. He must have used his time in jail to build his physical strength and learn how to incapacitate people. The person Garrett had been before he did time had been cruel and conniving, but the man who’d come out was terrifying.

“Let go of me, you fucker!” Mikey cried.

“Shut it, kid, or I’ll cut out your tongue.”

“Leave him alone!” Jenna screamed. “Kill me! I’m who you want, not some kid you’ve never met. Kill me, you cowardly piece of shit.”

He wheeled around, brandishing the knife. “Shut your mouth, Jenna, or you’ll feel this blade in your chest.”

She stepped toward him, and put out her arms either side of her body. “Fine. Do it.” She hit herself between her breasts. “Right here! What are you waiting for?”

Ryker shifted, cradling his arm. “Jenna, no …”

She glanced down at him. “It’s okay, Ryker.”

“No, it isn’t!” snarled Garrett. “None of you will be leaving the house alive. Got it?”

“So why haven’t you killed any of us yet?” she demanded. “You’ve had plenty of opportunity. You killed the other two men without flinching.” She sensed Ryker’s eyes flick to her with horror. Who had he killed? she knew Ryker was thinking. She didn’t think this was the time to tell him Sam was dead. “So why haven’t you killed us already?”