Resurrecting Her Dragon (Dragon Guard Series Book 13) Read Online Free PDF Page B

was all for naught. Metal met asphalt. Her hip and leg were trapped. Claire could do nothing but hold on and pray for the excruciating torture to end. She howled in pain as skin and muscle ripped from her bones while she slid across the asphalt. Flashes of light hit her eyes like a disco ball in the club as her head bounced against the pavement. Rocks and dirt embedded in every uncovered patch of skin. The world became a blur of black and gray as she slid toward the ditch. There was absolutely no escape from crashing and burning. 
    Agonizing pain shot through her body. Tears streamed down her face. Horrifying screams like a dying animal echoed off the surrounding landscape mere seconds before she identified them as her own. Lifting her head as something soft and wet touched her cheek, Claire’s eyes opened just in time to witness her impact with the unforgiving trunk of a large pine tree.
    The sound of crushing metal and splintering wood echoed in her ears. Of their own volition, her eyes slid shut and her body went limp. Time stood still. Chalking up her momentary feelings of euphoria to shock, Claire screamed in agony and her eyes flew open as her Harley was lifted from her body and thrown – literally – over the shoulder of a huge, blurry man-like blob.
    Damn! Wish I could see....
    Attempting to roll over, Claire held in her scream of pain before falling back onto the ground. Her head spun and her breakfast threatened to make a hasty appearance. Two more blurry blobs joined the first and they just stood there, not moving, right out of reach...staring at her from the little bit she could actually see. Rapidly blinking her eyes, Claire tried to focus, but only shadowy figures came into view.
    “Who the hell are you and what do you want?” she demanded, trying to sound as threatening as possible while lying flat on her back and bleeding all over the ground.
    Holding her breath, Claire waited for a response, a movement, anything that said they heard her, or at the very least understood what she was saying. But nothing came. It was as if her words had frozen them in place. Frustration was adding to the pain shooting through every cell in her body, making the phoenix wonder if passing out would be better than laying helpless, waiting to be attacked or abducted while her extraordinary healing abilities mended her broken body. By her calculations it would be at least an hour before she could sit up without throwing up or passing out, and even though she now knew two of the men standing around her were human, she still had no clue of the origin of the hulk who’d hurled her Harley into the woods.
    Ya’ gotta love a head injury and a concussion. They make the worst situation seem manageable. Good times...
    Carefully taking a deep breath, Claire changed her tactics, hoping damsel in distress would work better than commanding bitch. “Hey, guys, can you help a girl out?”
    Apparently, that was their call to action, for in the blink of an eye, the hulk gently but firmly laid her over his shoulder, turned, and headed back toward the road. White hot spears of pain threatened to tear Claire’s body apart. The world spun out of control. Black dots filled her vision. She gagged as her stomach rolled. Talking a deep breath, she tried with all her might not to throw up all over the man hopefully carrying her to safety.
    “Where are you...” A soft, acrid smelling cloth absorbed the rest of her comment as it covered her mouth and nose.
    Struggling to move, she was no match for the strong hand on her face. Just as her world faded to black, a fourth man she hadn’t known was there, spoke. “You guys better hope she’s healed before Mr. Slade gets to the cabin.”
    “Malick...” Claire whispered against the cloth still covering her mouth.
    You stupid son of a bitch...   

Chapter Three
    “D id I not say unharmed?” An ear-splitting bellow, closely followed by the sound of something large and wooden hitting the wall before