Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 100604 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 503(@200wpm)___ 402(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100604 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 503(@200wpm)___ 402(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
Before Cole finished speaking, I heard the sound of glass shattering mixed with quick pops. The more those pops sounded, the more glass shattered. I froze. Everything in me paused. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t move.
Cole pushed me to the ground, turning himself back to the window. As soon as my face hit the floor, I knew what those pops were. Gunfire. My brain took another beat to catch up. Someone was shooting at us, but no, that wasn’t quite right.
A buzzing sounded in my ear, starting to drown out the repeating shots and glass, but eventually the glass stopped breaking. They had broken everything.
Cole left.
I couldn’t cry out. My throat wasn’t working, but I didn’t want him to go.
In a moment he was back and pressing something into my hand. “Can you shoot?” he asked, hurriedly.
“No.” My hand closed over metal.
He cursed, but lifted my hand. “Sit here. Keep your back to the wall. If someone comes up those stairs, you pull the trigger.” He spoke quietly, but fiercely. “Do not point this gun anywhere except at the stairs. If you do, get your finger off the trigger. Okay?”
I nodded. I had no idea what he was saying.
“Stay alive.” He pressed a hard kiss against my forehead. “And don’t shoot yourself.”
Stop! My brain kicked back into drive, and I grabbed his arm as he started to leave. “Where are you going?”
“Those men aren’t done. Carl came out from this barn. They’re going to look for us. They’re coming.”
They’re coming. His words echoed in my mind. I was still processing that when he was gone. He’d slipped down the stairs before I could say anything. Now that it was just me, I looked at what was in my hand: a gun.
My eyes widened, but that was it. That was my only reaction until everything snapped back into place. When my brain caught up, I knew what was happening. There were men here. Men who’d shot something, and were coming to shoot me.
I scooted back against the wall and bent my knees. Resting my arms on my legs, I held the gun with both hands, and I did what Cole said. I kept it pointed right at the stairs. I couldn’t save Cole. He knew how to save himself, but I’d be damned if I was going to go down quietly. I’d piss my pants later. For now, I was going to stay alive.
COLE
I could see six of them, but that didn’t mean that was it. I watched as six men surrounded Carl’s car and shot out every window. They’d done this before, but with only four shooters. I’d survived that attack, but I knew Carl hadn’t survived this one. And as the six men turned toward the barn, I knew they’d be thorough.
They were coming for me, but I knew they’d find Addison, too. That couldn’t happen.
Addison had given me shoes, but I kept them off on purpose. I padded barefoot down the stairs and through the stalls. I needed to hit them with the element of surprise. I hoped they’d split up to search for us, and after I slipped into one of the geldings’ stalls, keeping a calming hand on the horse, I heard them call softly to each other and knew they’d done just that.
The door opened slowly with a squeak, and I saw the silhouettes of two men coming inside. I lowered myself and pressed against the stall’s door. The horses started neighing as the men approached, and a few began kicking at their stall doors. They could feel the tension in the air. My horse stepped from side to side, but he never pawed at the door. He wouldn’t hurt me, but his eyes were growing wild in the moonlight, and he began to shake his head.
“Every fucking stall has a horse. What are we supposed to do with that? Search each one?” grumbled the guy closest to me.
“I don’t know,” his companion replied. “I guess so. Markay and Gus are going to sweep upstairs. They’re waiting for our signal that this level is clear.”
They would come from the side door, then head upstairs.
I couldn’t wait.
The men turned on flashlights and shined them in the stalls. They were making quick work, not bothering to go inside. I watched as they kept coming, clearing the stalls next to me, and then pointing their lights at my horse. They lit him up, and he reared back from being blinded. I held my breath. Right that second, the horse was more dangerous to me than the men. They passed their flashlights over the back corners of the stall. The gelding moved toward them, and toward me, but they turned their flashlights to the stall behind them.
It was time.
I slipped over the stall’s door and dropped to the floor. I came up behind them and pulled a knife out of my pocket, keeping it tucked against the palm of my hand.