AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Now, you’re going to leave?
Why didn’t you try to contact him again before leaving your phone in the canoe?
That had been a mistake. She knew it now. She had to retrieve it and to warn Reed—
Oh, no!
As if by thinking of him, she’d conjured him, she thought she saw him, a dark figure struggling to get to his feet between the Bentley and pickup. But no . . . of course it wasn’t him . . . but . . .
Her heart stilled.
She knew her husband.
And what had she expected. She’d told him to come here.
Heart thudding, she moved closer to the shore. An owl sailed over her head, and she heard the faraway sound of a train on distant tracks. Beneath it all was the faint, but distinctive shriek of a siren. Was it getting nearer? She hardly dared hope and right now, she didn’t have time to wait for it.
Not with Reed struggling to stand.
Oh, Lord, he was injured.
And it was her fault.
She thought of all the pain she’d put him through, of losing the baby, of Morrisette’s death. Now Reed himself.
He’d come here.
Because she’d sent him a text to show up here.
And at the corner of the building, night goggles in place?
Tyson Beaumont, doubled over as if in pain but carefully taking aim.
“Reed! Look out!” she cried.
Bang!
Too late!
Nikki screamed.
Reed fell to the ground.
Oh. God. NOOOO!
Rage bored through her. She plunged through the cattails and reeds, making her way to the shore. On land again, she slunk through the trees, her heart pounding, dread pulsing through her. If Reed were dead . . . her entire world spun on its axis and fell off. She wasn’t going to think like that. He had to be alive, she told herself. Had to.
And she had to get to him before Tyson, wounded though he might be, finished him off.
Her fingers curled over the long gaff.
A ridiculous weapon against two guns.
But it would have to work.
It was all she had.
* * *
