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Chapter Fifty-four
Charli had known Blake was close by, she’d sensed his energy as if they were wired on the same wavelength. It had given her the strength to drop her gun as ordered.
But once Blake showed himself, drawing fire his way to take the heat off her grandfather, she had no choice but to act.
His ruse worked. Dylan let John go so he could take a shot at the man with the gun. The bullet hit Blake in his shoulder which forced him against the wall.
While this happened, Charli dove for the old man and shoved him down and behind a table while the two girls also took that moment to sprint around a finished panel waiting for pickup.
Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to escape with her gramps because Dylan’s fingers had snatched her hair, dragging her back towards him, effectively stopping Blake from taking another shot.
Though he’d gone down, he hadn’t lost his weapon or the ability to kill. But Dylan’s gun pointed toward a wriggling Charli… that changed everything.
Blake began a conversation, hoping to lure Dylan from behind the post and give his men the chance they needed. “You might as well give up, Ross. We have the place surrounded. Even if you manage to kill us all, you won’t get away.”
Blake had hoped his words would rile the killer and draw him forward. But it didn’t work. What did work was the pooch nobody had remembered saw a chance to get to his friend. When John fell, he came out of hiding, scooted across the space and rushed to the old man on the floor.
The tense atmosphere had worked her up enough so that rather than being timid, her fangs were showing and the growls she emitted were fierce. When Dylan roughly went for Charli, she became incensed. And when Dylan lifted his gun for another shot toward Blake, she flew through the air and attacked.
Not only did her teeth grip the man’s wrist but she’d forced the arm with the gun back so its aim was now to the ceiling.
Suddenly, a shot rang out and everyone froze.
Dylan flew backwards and slid down the wall, blood oozing from the wound in his stomach.
Whimpering, the mutt let go and ran to John.
Charli twisted around and stopped her fist from connecting with its projected target and instead, cautiously grabbed the fallen jerk’s firearm.
Blake swiveled to where the shot had come from.
And Kayla, hair in her face, looking like an avenging angel, let her hand fall; the gun now at her side. Shaking wildly, the weapon slipped from her fingers and dropped to the floor.
Angie rushed to her and gave words to what everyone else felt. “Serves you right, you slimy son of a bitch killing bastard. Good for you Kayla.”
***
Charli was the first to examine if Dylan was dead or not. Though unconscious, the pulse in his throat gave proof he was still alive. She then ran to Blake, who was slowly lurching to his feet, then sliding back to a sitting position. Holding his shoulder with one hand, he waved her off toward Kayla. The poor girl looked spooky, as if in a trance.
Angie had closed in, but she’d stopped from touching Kayla when she saw the bizarre condition of her friend, the paralysis, the spooky appearance of someone in agony… the white-faced, bulging-eyed shock.
Like a statue, Kayla hadn’t moved, hadn’t spoken. It was as if she’d held her breath and hadn’t let it out. Her gaze fixated on Dylan, who lay spread-eagle on the floor, his hand holding his stomach as if in disbelief.
Charli’s arms gathered her close and were the catalyst to bring the girl back. Sobs broke out, and she wailed so loudly, bumps formed on Charli’s body and her hair stood to attention. Her hold tightened.
Understanding the cry released a lot of the terror the poor girl had suppressed for the last few weeks, she rubbed Kayla’s head, smoothing back her hair, and whispered, “Shush, baby, everything’s going to be okay.”
“C-Charli, is he dead?”
“No. He’s alive. You only gut-shot him, no less than he deserves. He would have killed us all. You know that, right? You saved us by what you did.”
“I thought I’d killed him.”
“No. He’ll live to spend the rest of his life in jail. And we’ll all be witnesses at his trial and get the satisfaction of putting the low-life away.”
Knowing that Charli was who Kayla needed, Angie ran to help the struggling old man get to his feet. “Take my hand, Poppa John.”
“Kiddo, that’s not gonna be enough to get this old body upright again. You’re just a mite; a good puff of wind could blow you over.”
