Rules of Survival (Entangled Embrace) Read Online Free Page A

stumbled upward, dragging me along. He’d learned from Shaun’s mistake. Wrapping both arms under mine, he secured my head by locking his hands behind it and started toward the car.
    I kicked and flailed every step of the way, effectively slowing him down—but not stopping him. Patrick was a big guy. One small-framed girl wasn’t too much to handle. No matter how determined.
    When we reached the car I gave one final, valiant effort to escape by bracing both feet against the door and shoving out with as much force as I could muster. I succeeded in sending him off-balance, his arms slipping from under mine as he tried to stay upright, but Shaun was right there to take his place.
    Fine. Time to get drastic. I sucked in a deep breath and let out a toe-curling scream in his ear. It ripped from my throat, scratching its way free like a handful of glass, and echoed through the trees, the sound carrying for what I hoped was miles. Sure, the guys at the cabin might hear it, but right now, Shaun and Patrick were the priority. Another rule: prioritize according to peril.
    Shaun let go and covered his ears, stumbling away.
    Patrick yelled and Shaun cursed. It all happened so fast. One of them rammed me from behind and I shot forward, forehead kissing the corner of the open passenger’s side door.
    Everything went dark.

Chapter Three
    “You okay?” someone asked. It took me a moment to realize it was Patrick’s voice. There was an odd sort of hum in the background and a measured kind of thumping. Occasionally there was a gust of hot air. I could feel it on my cheek, and I wanted to open my eyes to see what it was, but couldn’t. They were just too damn heavy.
    “Yeah. Nothing a couple aspirin won’t help.” That, from Shaun.
    “You need to be more careful. I warned you beforehand. You didn’t listen,” Patrick mumbled. “You never listen.”
    “I didn’t expect her to headbutt me!”
    Hah. Damn right I did. I was proud of that moment. The surprise in those gorgeous hazel eyes was well worth the pounding in my head.
    “That’s my point. That little girl back there learned from the best. She’s capable of anything. Don’t forget it.”
    Except for the humming, there were a few minutes of silence—or maybe it just felt that way. Everything was hazy and numb. I was awake, but not really.
    Something rattled. It sounded like a plastic bag. A minute later, there was crunching. Suddenly I was aware of how hungry I was. “So was she right? Did you know her mother?”
    Their voices were getting lower. Moving farther away. I tried to cling to the waking world, desperate to hear his answer, but oblivion claimed me.
    …
    When I heard their voices next time, it was different. Louder and more clear. The humming and thumping noises were gone, replaced by an odd kind of silence that made me nervous.
    “I’m meeting with one of his men at noon. This needs to be straightened out before we go any further,” Patrick growled.
    There was a high-pitched squeak, and then footsteps. Muted. They were walking around on a soft surface. Probably a carpet. “You think Jaffe double-booked the job?”
    “At first I thought so, but that wouldn’t explain the shooting. I was told this guy wanted the kid alive.”
    Shaun snorted. The footsteps stopped. “Well, maybe he actually met her?”
    Patrick clucked his tongue. “Watch it, kid. That’s how it starts—before you know—”
    I willed my body to move. Cough. Twitch. Anything to keep conscious. But their words grew faint and I was being pulled away again.
    …
    The next time I woke up, I could actually feel my body—which wasn’t necessarily a good thing. My head ached, my wrists were sore, and my throat felt scratchy. That would teach me to scream like an idiot.
    I took stock of everything, wiggling my fingers, toes, and neck in turn. Things seemed to be in working order. The only limb that felt slightly off was my left hand. The fingers were numb. Pins and needles like they were on