“Travis! No!”
The truck fishtailed as buckshot hit the rear gate. Travis racked the shotgun again and took aim.
“Stop!” she screamed. “No more violence. Not here.”
“You want them to get away?” Travis asked, shock on his face.
“The police are looking for them. I know their names, and Rena’s brother is here. I removed buckshot from his abdomen, but he’s in poor shape. I don’t know that he’s even going to survive, but because I helped him, they gave me information. I know who hired them. I just don’t know why.”
Travis lowered the shotgun. The taillights disappeared from view. “Who?”
“Mitchell Robinson.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
As soon as they stepped into the house, Ellen looked around. “Where’s Bobby?”
“At my house,” Travis said. “We weren’t sure we’d be able to get through and we didn’t want him walking. He lost his shoes.”
“Is he okay?”
“Yes. He’s great,” Travis said.
“Uncle Travis found Cleo,” Jake said. “She had kittens.”
“Bobby must be so happy.”
“Timber and Titan are with him, the house is secure. He’s safe,” Travis said. “What is this about Mitchell Robinson?”
Before Ellen could explain, she saw Penny getting up out of her chair after taking a fierce hug from Avery. “You doing okay, Grandma?” Ellen asked, concerned about the dark circles under her eyes.
“I’m tired. But I’m okay.” She kissed Ellen’s cheek. “I’m proud of you. Now you and Travis figure out how we’re going to prove that Mitchell Robinson, that bastard, is behind all this.”
Penny hugged the boys, including Ryan, then hugged Avery again. “I’m glad you’re back in one piece,” she said, then shuffled down the hall to her room.
Ellen turned to Margery. “I’m going to take you upstairs, back in bed. You need sleep.”
She got Margery settled, checked her blood pressure again—elevated, but not as high as before—and brought her water. She was asleep almost before Ellen left the room.
She let Whiskey out of her room. He ran circles around her feet and jumped up to lick her. “We’re okay,” she told him, giving the dog a hug, mostly to reassure herself. She went downstairs. Ryan and Jake were looking down at Sam, who lay on the dining-room table, still unconscious. Travis was checking the bandages she’d put on.
“You did a good job here, Ellie,” Travis said.
“Is he going to make it?” Ryan asked.
“I don’t know,” Ellen said honestly. “I did what I could. He needs a hospital, but until the rain and lightning stops we’re not going to get a lifeline out here.”
She put a quilt over him, and a pillow under his head. Then they all went into the kitchen. “Travis, I need to get Bobby.”
“He can stay with me tonight.”
She desperately wanted to see and hug her son, but she knew that going there and back would be foolhardy, especially in the dark.
Travis could see that she was still worried. “I’ll bring him home as soon as the sun comes up.”
“You’re right,” she said. “He’s safe with you.”
“We need to figure out what Robinson is up to,” Travis said.
