Page 95 of Protecting Kelli
But Flash only had eyes for the window. Bree was right, it wasn’t too high off the ground and the glass was completely broken out. He and Smiley would be able to get inside easily. Especially since they weren’t hindered by the packs and gear they usually carried while on missions.
Taking a few seconds to listen, Flash didn’t hear anything from inside the house, which scared the shit out of him. Had Williams already hurt or killed Kelli? Was he even in there?
There was only one way to find out. If Kelli was hurt, she’d need medical attention. Hell, she wasalreadyhurt; he needed to get in therenow.
Without waiting to consult Smiley, Flash grabbed the windowsill and pulled himself up. He was inside the house in seconds, crouched by the window, trying to work through what to do next. He had no weapons, nothing but his hands. Which were as deadly as a gun inotherpeople’s hands but he’d still need to get close, and if Williams panicked, he could hurt Kelli before Flash could get to him.
The knife he’d held at her heart was enough to make Flash pause before. He couldn’t afford for Williams to get away a second time. He had to take the man out once and for all.
“Are you going to run again?” Flash heard Smiley ask Bree.
“No.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“I know you don’t. But I’m not lying.”
A heartbeat later, Smiley was at Flash’s side in the house.
Gratitude toward—and sympathy for—his friend and teammate filled Flash. It couldn’t have been easy to leave the woman he’d been searching for so hard. The chance to get answers was literally in his grasp, and they were both aware that leaving her on her own outside was an open invitation for her to bolt yet again. She’d done what she set out to do, led Flash and Smiley to where Kelli was being held. She had nothing holding her there.
Nothing except the fact that she was still being hunted by a brutal sex trafficker.
“I’ll go right, you go left,” Smiley said in a barely there whisper.
Flash nodded—and just as they both moved, they heard a voice from a room to the right.
The plan shifted in a heartbeat. Both men turned to the right.
They paused outside the next door and Smiley held up a hand. He counted down on his fingers.
Three…
Two…
Before he got to one, a terrified and desperate scream came from inside the room.
Both Flash and Smiley moved at the same time.
Flash took in the scene at a glance. Kelli was against a wall, kicking at Williams, who was doing his best to stab and slash at her with the knife.
A red haze fell over Flash’s vision.
He lunged for Williams, who was so focused on killing Kelli that he hadn’t even realized they were no longeralone. Flash hit him from the side and they both went down. Hard.
Flash was immediately up and punching Williams over and over. He slammed his fists into his head, his throat, even his chest, hoping to hit hard enough to stop his heart.
“Flash, get Kelli!” Smiley yelled.
It took a minute for his words to penetrate, but as soon as they did, Flash turned.
Kelli was lying on the floor, not moving.
Scrambling on his hands and knees to get to her, Flash barely registered Smiley taking over where he’d left off on top of Williams.
“Kelli?” he croaked, as he hovered over her.
Nothing he’d ever experienced had ever brought him more relief than when her beautiful eyes opened, and she stared up at him.
