Avery launched herself into him, knocking him to the floor.
The gun dropped from his hand and skittered across the concrete, coming to a stop just out of reach.
Avery dove past Dan.
He swung out an arm, knocking her to the side. He twisted, reached and wrapped his fingers around the gun.
Avery dove toward him as he rolled over with the weapon.
Bang!
Avery landed on the ground beside Dan, waiting for the pain, the rush of blood leaving her body, and, ultimately, her death.
When none of that happened, she rose on her hands and knees and stared down at the dark stain across her front.
She touched it, searched for the wound and couldn’t understand why she felt no pain.
“Avery!”
The shout made her look up.
Grant raced across the floor toward her, his brow creased, his face pale. When he reached her, he dropped to his knees in front of her. “Oh, sweetheart, were you hit? Where does it hurt? You should lie down until the ambulance arrives.” He tried to ease her down, but she shook her head.
“I’m not hurt,” she said.
“But the blood,” Grant touched her shirt. “There’s so much.”
Again, she shook her head. “Not mine. She pointed to the dead young man. “It was Seth’s. My brother. He tried to kill me.” She spun toward Bree.
Her twin sat up, shaking her head. “That was close.”
Melissa ran up to them, followed by Sheriff Taylor.
“The ambulance is on the way,” the sheriff said.
Avery leaned over her father and touched fingers to the base of his throat. After a long moment, she nodded. “He’s not going to hurt another woman.”
“So, Dan was the serial killer?” Melissa asked.
Avery nodded and tipped her head toward Mr. Logsdon’s former caregiver. “He and his son, Seth. They did it all to punish my mother.”
Avery struggled to stand.
Grant helped her to her feet and slipped an arm around her waist.
She held out a hand to Bree.
Between Grant and Bree, Avery limped over to the old man on the ground.
Grant bent to feel for a pulse.
Avery held her breath, staring down at Sarah’s father, her grandfather, and she prayed.
Grant glanced up. “There’s a pulse; it’s weak.” He searched for the wound and found it in the old man’s side. Ripping his shirt over his head, He quickly folded it into a thick pad and pressed it firmly to the gunshot wound.
Melissa knelt beside him. “I’ll take this. You’re needed with the twins.”
Avery gave Melissa a grateful smile and waited for Grant to rise. He took her hand and walked with her and Bree to where the other victim of that horrific day sat, trapped in her chair, having witnessed the tragedy unfold before her, incapable of doing anything to stop it.
