Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 44932 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44932 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Hoping the neighbors living in that house weren’t at home, she sat down on the pavement to regain her energy for the long walk back. Pippa turned back to consider how far away she was from Zale’s house. It suddenly seemed a marathon worth of steps away.
“Hey. Are you okay?”
Pippa looked up and nodded at the man who talked to her from the road. “I’m fine. Thanks for checking on me.” The hair on the back of her neck bristled when he shifted slightly, and she noticed he stood in front of a large white SUV.
“I think I should help you home. Come on. Let’s get you in my vehicle.” The man walked forward and extended his hand, seeming to want to tug her up to her feet.
“No, thank you. I’m fine.” Pippa fumbled for her phone and discovered her hoodie pocket was empty. She’d forgotten it at home.
Forcing herself to appear calm and collected, she told him firmly, “Just leave me alone. I don’t need any help.” She scanned the area, hoping to spot someone who could help her, but the street was deserted. Most of the neighbors worked on the base and would already be gone for the day.
“Now, that’s not a nice way to talk to someone who’s come to your rescue.” He reached down and grabbed her arm, squeezing it painfully.
Tears popped into her eyes as Pippa struggled against his hold. His superior strength overpowered her as he hauled her upward. Pippa screamed hoarsely, cursing her still-sore throat that croaked instead of blared. As he dragged her toward the SUV, she desperately tried to remember any self-preservation tips.
Don’t allow yourself to be taken to a secondary location.
Pippa lifted her feet from the ground and winced as she crashed to the concrete. She continued to yell and thrash to buy herself additional time to attract someone’s attention.
“Fucking bitch! You’re going to regret being such a problem when I pick the most deranged of our buyers to get you at a discounted rate.”
Scared beyond belief, Pippa heard her jeans rip as he dragged her across the concrete. Ignoring the pain, Pippa focused on surviving. She lunged forward to wrap her arms around the mailbox when he got her close to the curb. Holding on with the last of her strength, Pippa tried to duck her head down between her arms to protect it as he kicked her.
“No, no, no!” repeated in her brain as she clung to consciousness. Everything faded away.
A familiar scent filled her nostrils. Pippa didn’t want to open her eyes and leave this dream. She knew that whatever awaited her when she woke up fully would be the stuff of nightmares. The man’s threat to sell her to the most unhinged buyer ricocheted inside her aching skull.
She didn’t sense any movement. He must have gotten her into the SUV, and they’d reached some destination. She hadn’t even left a note for Zale. He would just come home to find her gone. A tear leaked from the corner of her eye.
“She’s in pain. Can you give her something?” a harsh voice demanded.
“Sir, she has a head injury. Until scans show it’s okay, we can’t give her anything. I need you to back up now so we can check her for injuries.”
“Daddy?” she whispered, stubbornly resisting opening her eyes in case this was a dream.
“I’m here, kitten. You’re okay. You’re safe.” A familiar hand stroked over her arm. She grabbed it and held on for dear life.
“Sir, I need you to step back.”
Pippa opened her eyes and found her vision limited. Why wouldn’t her eyes open? “Please. Let him stay. I’m so scared,” she pleaded as she tried to move her head to see what was happening. Her throat rebelled, and she started to cough.
“Settle down, little girl. Hold still.”
The steel in his tone made her freeze. “Okay,” she whispered.
“She was at home recovering from a bout of strep throat. Could she have a sip of water?”
“Better not until we get the okay from the doctor.” That same voice continued, but was directed to her. “Pippa, I’m your nurse, Daniel. You’re here at the hospital. You are safe. We’re going to take good care of you.”
“I can’t see,” she whispered. Her voice sounded harsh to her ears.
“Your eyes are swollen. That’s what’s keeping you from seeing. You also have a head injury. We’re going to get you up for a scan in just a few minutes. Here’s Dr. Abbott. He’s the best we have,” Daniel told her. “This is Pippa, Doctor.”
“Hi, Pippa. That’s such a cute name. You look like you’ve had a rough day. Can you tell me what happened?”
“He tried to take me. I was stupid and went for a walk. My daddy told me I wasn’t ready to go back to work, and I had to prove him wrong.” A sob interrupted her story, and she tried to get herself back under control. Her awful cough started.