Page 73 of Branded
“She cut herself. Will you just get her out of here?” Martina pushed me toward him.
“Who are you?” I asked.
“A friend of a friend.” He lifted me into his arms. “You’re coming, too.” He jerked his chin at Martina. “Let’s go.”
“I can’t go,” Martina stayed put.
Another man appeared in a mask. “You got the goods, I see.”
“Yup. Grab the stubborn one.”
The man nabbed Martina and threw her over his shoulder. Then we were bolting for the exit door. I didn’t bother fighting back. Anywhere would be better than being with Jake.
“When you talk to Cade, tell him I didn’t harm you,” the gunman said as we left the building. “That’s a lot of blood on your clothes.”
Wait, what? “How do you know Cade? Does he know you’re here?”
“Told ya. I’m a friend of a friend, and yes, Cade knows.”
Relief swept through me. Cade sent help. But how did he know?
I turned my face toward the bright sun, thanking God for His divine intervention, and everything went black.
“Honeybee, please wake up. They tell me you’re okay, but darlin’, I need to hear your sweet voice.”
Cade?I blinked my eyes and prayed I wasn’t dreaming.
“I’m going out of mind here. Are you sure she’s breathing?” He sounded angry, or maybe worried. Why would he be worried about me?
“She’s waking up,” a woman said. Was that Martina?
“Shelby, please, baby. Please talk to me.”
“Ca, ca, Cade?” I touched my throat after hearing my raspy voice and slowly opened my eyes. “Where are you?”
He let out a heavy sigh. “Finally. Don’t scare me like that, baby.”
I turned toward the phone against my ear, then looked up at Martina. “What happened?”
“You passed out. Cade insisted on talking to you.”
“How long was I out?”
“Too long,” Cade said. “Talk to me, baby. Why did you cut yourself with a utility knife?”
I glared at Martina. She had a big mouth.
“Sorry, chica. He was going to see the blood on you when we landed in Burntwood. Thought it might be wise to give him a heads up.”
“Shelby?”
“I’m here. Can we discuss it later?” No way would I tell him what Jake had done to me over the phone and with people I didn’t know listening.
“Sure, baby.”
I looked around and realized I was on a small airplane and lying on the floor. “I’m on a plane, Cade. Everything happened so fast, I don’t remember anything.”
“Mack said you were in and out of consciousness after he got you in the van.”
