AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Another shot hit the siding on the front of the house. Hunter flinched and dragged Kate farther along the slate of the entrance hallway. They got to the rear of the foyer, to where he could see the front door, but they were partially obscured by the stairwell.
“I’m okay,” she said. “I’m okay.”
She was not okay. Blood was everywhere, a long streak on the floor, a spreading stain on her jeans, a lengthy smear along his forearm.
“Jesus,” he whispered.
He pulled his sweatshirt off and balled it up. “Where are you hit?”
“Hip,” she said, and he heard the strain in her voice. “I think it’s just a flesh wound.”
He couldn’t tell—too much blood. He shoved the sweatshirt where most of it was. He would totally give anything for Hannah to walk through the door right now.
Another gunshot. Hunter jumped. Somewhere outside, Casper yelped, then whined.
Hunter struggled to position Kate more upright, to get her heart above the wound. “Casper!” he shouted. “Hierr!”
Then he held his breath. Kate held hers.
He heard nothing.
“Damn it!” he cried. “Casper! Hierr!”
Nothing.
“Casper!” His voice was breaking.
“Cops,” said Kate. It sounded like she was speaking through clenched teeth. “Call the cops.”
He could barely get the phone out of his pocket. His fingers were sticky with her blood and his brain wouldn’t stop thinking of Casper bleeding just like this, somewhere in the yard.
The touch screen didn’t want to work and his breath wouldn’t stop hitching.
“Casper!” he yelled again, and he heard the desperation in his own voice. He was ready to punch a hole in the floor.
Finally, the phone gave in to his panicked swipes. He dialed 911.
The line rang forever.
Someone was out there shooting. Calla? Silver? He had no idea.
The car was at least thirty feet from the front door, and Kate couldn’t walk. It wasn’t like this person was firing a musket. Hunter couldn’t exactly wait around for a reload so he could carry her to the jeep and back down the driveway.
And he couldn’t leave Casper.
Casper.
Casper. Casper. Casper.
The dog had been licking his hands a minute ago, and now he was—
Stop.
He had to stop. He had to focus. Or none of them would make it out of this alive.
Finally an operator picked up. “Nine-one-one emergency, do you need police, fire, or ambulance?”
All the words fell out of Hunter’s mouth in a rush. He sounded about twelve years old.
