Page 40

He needed another hit, straight to the shoulder or head.

His features twisted with fury. “You fucker,” he wheezed.

I gripped the shovel and rammed the sharp edge at him, but he expected the move this time. When he jumped backward, his heel came down on a patch of duck shit, and his foot slipped out from under him.

He hit the ground hard, the back of his head smacking the bottom verandah step.

I went still and stared, heart thundering. Was he out cold?

Kirby reappeared in the front doorway.

Ava stopped mid-step and locked eyes with me. “Is he…?”

“I don’t know.” With the wind rippling his shirt, I couldn’t tell if he was still breathing. The rifle lay just out of reach, his fingers loose and open on the ground.

I kept the shovel handy, moisture seeping into my socks as I approached. Braced for sudden movement, I grabbed the gun and tossed it to Ava.

She snatched it from the air, pointing it at him while I crouched and checked his pulse.

“So?” Kirby asked, coming down the steps to join us.

“He’s alive.” His chest rose and fell with shallow breaths, and his pulse thudded against my fingers.

“Damn it.” She crossed her arms and glanced at Jeremy, then at me. “You don’t think we should… you know?”

“What?” I raised my brows and pushed off the ground. “Pop him in the head while he’s lying there?”

“Well, when you put it like that.”

Ava lowered the rifle and came closer, her hair swirling around her head. “He won’t be out for more than a few minutes. We should get out of here while we can.”

She was right. Every second we stood here, we risked having to deal with him again.

“Stay here with the gun,” Kirby said to me. “I’ll go with Ava and grab our stuff. The keys to the car, too.”

Ava handed the rifle to me. “I guess we’ll just have to leave him lying here when we go. What do you think?”

Kirby didn’t waste another second. She bolted straight for the front door and went inside.

I huffed out a loud breath. “I can’t think of any other option that doesn’t end with him dead, and I—”

“I get it.” She stared at Jeremy. “We’ve never had to make a choice like this before.” Her eyes lifted to mine, and she gave me a barely-there smile. “It could have gone wrong in so many ways, but we’re all still here, and no one who matters got hurt. You did good, Luke.”

“We did good.”

With a small smile, she turned away, running up the steps to help Kirby.

I held the rifle steady, watching for the slightest twitch from Jeremy. The ducks chattered and waddled, one of them rummaging in the grass and snapping up a snail like nothing had happened.

Footsteps thudded inside. Drawers opened and closed. Kirby let out a whoop when I assumed she’d found the keys. She didn’t have to sneak around anymore.

My pulse slowed as I kept the gun aimed at Jeremy. Still no signs of stirring, but his breathing had steadied, so it wouldn’t be long.

Ava came back outside first, some of our gear clutched tight in her arms.

Kirby was right behind her, dangling the keys from her free hand with a wide smile. “We’re good to go. Found fresh socks, too.”

They were both wearing their shoes. Ava carried mine.