37. Fighting In The Woods II

Why am I overthinking this? I can read his mind, for crying out loud, and anticipate his moves, Cara reminded herself.

She steadied her stance as Victor approached with reckless speed, his rage clouding his judgment. Just as he reached out to grab her, Cara sidestepped with precision, dodging his attack. The momentum of his charge sent him stumbling forward. His foot caught on uneven ground, and he pitched face-first onto the dirt, groaning in frustration.

Before Cara could take advantage of Victor's fall, Rodney, one of the other Scott brothers, lunged at her, swinging a fist aimed at her face. Cara had already anticipated the move. She ducked under his swing and retaliated with a sharp punch to his stomach.

Rodney staggered back, clutching his abdomen. But before Cara could press her advantage, Vincent caught her off guard. His punch landed squarely on her cheek, pain exploding across her face like she'd been struck with a metal rod. The force of the blow sent her reeling, leaving her vulnerable to the swift kick to her stomach that followed.

Doubling over, Cara struggled to regain her breath. Her chin throbbed, and her midsection ached, the pain radiating with each breath. Vincent stood over her, sneering.

"We've been treating you with kid gloves, you nasty cunt," Vincent growled. "You think you can mess with us? You're about to find out how wrong you are."

Rodney, still recovering from her earlier punch, sneered as well. "She is weak, just like every other woman. We should tie her up, have our way with her, and then kill her."

Vincent turned toward his brother with a glare. "You know we can't do that. We promised the mayor we'd leave her alone. And why do you and Mylo always bring that up?"

"Fuck the mayor," Rodney snapped. "We're the ones doing all the work anyway. Why shouldn't we enjoy his horrible stepdaughter before we finish her off?"

Cara had heard enough. Wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth, she straightened, her voice cold and biting. "Come at me, bitches!"

Before either man could respond, Cara charged at them with the knife. Her first strike slashed across Vincent's wrist, drawing a deep cut that made him howl in pain. Without pausing, she pivoted and drove her knee into Rodney's pelvis. He crumpled to the ground, clutching his groin and writhing in agony.

[It seems you enjoy hitting men in the groin?]

'Hagrit, not now. But yeah, it is the most vulnerable part of their body, I should know, I was a man not too long ago.'

[Sorry, I won't disturb you, carry on.]

Vincent stumbled back, clutching his bleeding wrist in a desperate attempt to stop the flow of blood. His face twisted in pain and fear as Cara glared at him.

"You better run before you bleed out or stay here and die, the choice is yours," she warned, her voice laced with menace.

Vincent hesitated, weighing his options. Finally, he turned and fled into the darkness, leaving his brothers behind.

Rodney was still on the ground, groaning in pain. Cara loomed over him, her eyes blazing with fury. She delivered a series of punishing kicks to his side, her anger boiling over.

"So, you wanted to rape me, huh? You white trash wanted to rape me?" she spat. "Well, how about I make you feel what it's like to be raped?" She raised the knife, hoping to penetrate him with it, her expression unyielding.

Before she could act, Victor appeared out of nowhere, grabbing her wrist in a vice-like grip. "This is the end of the road for you, bitch," he snarled.

Cara writhed against Victor's grip, her muscles screaming as she fought to break free. His hand tightened like a vice, cutting off any chance of escape. Just as Victor raised his fist to strike, a massive German shepherd burst out of the shadows, a deep, guttural growl rumbling from its throat.

The dog moved with precision, its powerful jaws clamping down on Victor's arm before he could react. Victor's scream pierced the night as he staggered back, shaking his arm in a desperate attempt to dislodge the animal.

The dog held firm, its teeth sinking deeper. Cara watched in stunned silence, her pulse racing. The chaos unfolding before her felt surreal, yet one thing struck her as strangely familiar.

The scent. Cara's mind caught it, sparking recognition. This smell… it's like Jackie, she realized, her thoughts spinning.

Victor finally managed to wrench his arm free, blood dripping from the fresh bite wounds. Gasping and clutching his injured arm, he stumbled backward, his rage and pain giving way to fear. Without another word, he turned and fled into the woods, his curses fading into the distance.

The German shepherd turned its attention to Cara. Its piercing eyes locked onto hers, a silent communication passing between them. Cara froze, her breath caught in her throat. For a moment, time seemed to stand still.

Then, just as abruptly as it had arrived, the dog darted away, disappearing into the dense woods. Cara stood motionless, her chest heaving as she tried to make sense of what had just happened.

The night fell silent once more, the only sound breaking the stillness being Rodney's faint groans behind her.

"Hey, you! Come and help get these chains off me," Joana's voice snapped Cara out of her daze.

Cara turned to find the vampire glaring at her, her voice commanding despite her vulnerable state. The silver chains burned against Joana's skin, the faint sizzle and acrid scent of scorched flesh filling the air.

Cara's lip curled in irritation. Even in need, Joana's tone carried that same haughty arrogance. Very typical of this bitch, she thought, suppressing the urge to roll her eyes. Cara knew she had to save Joana, it was her mission to do just that, but she couldn't help being reluctant.