Page 85 of Deserving Cora
“Absolutely,” Owl said.
Cora watched as Owl carefully slid his hand from Lara’s and took his shirt off. Before she could ask what he was doing, Owl pulled back the blanket and carefully started to put the shirt over her friend’s head.
“Listen to me, love,” Pipe said, grabbing Cora’s shoulders and physically turning her toward him. “No matter what happens, know that the happiest I’ve been in a very long time was last night with you. Understand?”
Cora nodded.
“And if this goes right, I’m gonna give you that family you’ve always wanted. You have a problem with that?”
Did she have a problem with Pipe being her family? Hell no. She shook her head.
“Good. Let’s do this.”
Taking a deep breath, Cora walked over to the door—then started pounding on it and screaming at the top of her lungs.
CHAPTERTWENTY
This had to work. Ithadto. If not, they were all screwed.
This was nothing like Cora ever thought would happen to her. When she’d decided to try to win a date with one of the owners of The Refuge, she never expected to end up here. From traveling to New Mexico, clicking with the women there, being here in Arizona with Pipe, having the best sex of her life, falling in love, being gassed, finding Lara alive—but in much worse shape than she’d imagined—and now playing the role of a lifetime.
Cora screamed as loud as she could, pounding on the door so hard, she knew she’d have bruises on her hands. They needed someone to come investigate what the hell was happening before Creepy Guy blew up their Jeep. They had to assume he’d then kill Pipe and Owl, and steal away with Lara and Cora in the confusion of all the firetrucks and police cars that were sure to arrive en masse.
And she had no doubt Creepy Guywouldtake her and Lara. He was a rapist and a murderer, and she didnotwant to imagine what he’d do if he was able to kidnap them both. They didn’t know the details of everything he’d done to women he’d killed in the past, but Cora had a very good imagination, especially after seeing Lara’s condition.
It finally occurred to her, as she pounded on the door and yelled for all she was worth, that it probably wasn’t Ridge who’d hurt Lara. Yes, it was possible he’d come home from the strip club every night and messed with her, but she guessed it was more likely Creepy Guy the whole time. Maybe he was the one who’d convinced Ridge to bring Lara to Arizona in the first place. It made her sick to think that this kind of abuse had been premeditated.
They had to get out of this damn room.
Cora looked over at Pipe as she continued screaming. He was standing behind where the door would open, every muscle ready to act. To defend all of them. They’d talked about who might show up before she started her playacting. They hoped the second bodyguard, Arlo Harvey, would be the one to arrive. Or literally anyone else who worked in the house. If they didn’t know what was happening in the basement right under their noses, they wouldn’t be prepared for Pipe to attack when the door opened.
But if Creepy Guy made it back to the house and heard the commotion,he’dbe ready.
Even though her throat hurt, Cora didn’t stop screaming. She’d yell herself hoarse if that was what it took. She gave the performance of her life, which it literally was.
Finally, after what seemed like ages, she heard the dead bolt scrape along steel as someone began to unlock the door.
Her heart beat a million miles an hour as she glanced at Pipe. To her amazement, he gave her a reassuring nod. Here he was, about to fight whoever was on the other side of the door with nothing but his bare hands, andhewas reassuringher.
“Please! Let me out! My friend needs help! I think she’s dying!” Cora yelled, moving back, letting Pipe get in front of her. His muscles were tense as he stared intently at the opening of the door.
To her surprise, instead of waiting for whoever was on the other side to actually enter the room, as soon as the opening was wide enough, he lunged forward, reaching out and pulling the person into the room.
Cora’s heart fell to the floor when she saw Pipe wrestling with Creepy Guy. The one person they didn’t want to come investigate.
Pipe and CG fell to the floor with a grunt and the fight was on. Cora knew Pipe had hoped to subdue whoever entered the room quickly, but it was immediately clear that CG wasn’t going down easy. In fact, as they exchanged blows, it seemed he had way more hand-to-hand combat experience than the average person.
For every blow that Pipe landed, Creepy Guy was getting in one of his own. The impression Cora had gotten while back at The Refuge was that there weren’t many men who could match Pipe when it came to fighting. But it was taking all his concentration not to be overpowered or disabled by a blow to a kidney.
Owl leaped into the fray, doing his best to assist Pipe, but Creepy Guy was a monster with muscles. Fighting off both men as if it was nothing. The thought flashed through Cora’s head that no woman would have a chance against this guy. She was certain he had either a military background or some sort of martial arts training. The thought of him touching Lara made Cora grit her teeth and want to throw up.
The men were all grunting, none of them speaking as they literally fought for their lives. It was eerie. And brutal. Pipe and Owl weren’t pulling their punches, but neither was Creepy Guy. They were all fighting dirty, doing everything they could do to take the other down.
Cora gasped when Creepy Guy landed a hard blow to the side of Pipe’s head that had him stumbling back and momentarily stunned. He then kicked Owl in the stomach, which sent him careening across the floor, landing hard on his ass.
In seconds, he’d turned his attention toward her—making Cora’s heart stop. The look in his eyes was chilling.
If he got his hands on her, he’d use Cora as leverage to make Pipe and Owl back off. She knew that as well as she knew her name.
