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Adrenaline coursed through Mia’s veins. She couldn’t just sit and watch Bobby get shot. If she could make Eddy doubt his plan, it could buy them some time. “But Chet knows you took me.”
Eddy pressed the end of his gun to Bobby’s temple. “No. Chet knows you’re gone andthinksI took you. But when he finds you and Bobby dead, sees that Bobby killed himself and left an apology note, I’ll show up bruised and battered. Claim I tried to stop him. Tried to save you. He’ll be so destroyed by losing you—knowing his good pal Bobby was to blame—he won’t stop to guess any of it.”
Bobby puffed out his chest and met Eddy’s stare head on. “You won’t get away with this. It’s too late. You need to do the right thing. I know you want to. I know you’re a good boy. You don’t really want to do this.”
Eddy faced him, his back now to Mia. Gun still trained on Bobby. “You don’t know shit, old man.”
Biting into her bottom lip, Mia steeled her nerves and slowly rose to her feet. The ancient floorboards creaked with every movement. Bobby needed to keep Eddy engaged if she had a chance of sneaking up on him.
“I know I love you and you love me,” Bobby said, picking up the conversation as though he understood exactly what Mia needed him to do. “I know you’ve had some hard times in life that weren’t your fault. We can get you the help you need. I’ll stand by you, son.”
“Don’t call me that.” Eddy spat the words with so much venom she was surprised steam didn’t spew from his mouth.
Creeping forward, she made herself as small and stealthy as possible. She pressed her mouth into a firm line to stop her teeth from chattering. Sweat coated her palms. She swiped her thumb over the engraved initials on the knife, feeling Chet’s presence with her—giving her strength.
“Time to say goodbye. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of Aunt Missy.”
Mia lunged forward and plunged the knife into the side of Eddy’s neck then yanked it back out.
A piercing scream tore from Eddy’s mouth, and he dropped to his knees, clutching the gun to his chest before falling forward. Blood poured from the wound and stained his shirt, dripping to the floor. He scrambled to his knees, trying to climb to his feet before falling forward again.
Tremors shook Mia’s body as she hurried to Bobby’s side then sliced the knife through the ropes around his ankles. She helped him to his feet. “Can you run?” She asked, her shaking breath coming out ragged and heavy.
“Don’t worry about me. Go!”
“We should get the gun,” she said, scanning the ground.
Bobby ran toward the door then stopped to stare at her. “Don’t waste time girl. Let’s go.”
He was right. She needed to get out of there. Her cabin wasn’t far. Maybe Eddy had left the keys in the four-wheeler. It couldn’t be too hard to drive. Adrenaline shot through her, clawing her from the inside out and urging her to move. The rain hit her face as she stepped outside, the fire still dancing in the pit under the tarp. Her heart thudded against her chest.
The sound of labored breathing caught her ears, and she pivoted back toward the fort.
Eddy stood with the gun pointed at her. “Now you’ve pissed me off. I’ll shred you to pieces before I kill you. Make you beg to end your pathetic little life.” The pale skin of his face had gone two shades lighter. He staggered from one foot to the other, as though the slightest breeze could knock him to the ground. He had one hand pressed against the flow of blood on his neck.
But he had the gun. She had nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide.
“You sonofabitch!” Bobby screamed, running full force at Eddy with his still-bound hands raised high in the air. The poker she’d spied earlier by the fire pit in his grip.
Eddy turned to face him just as Bobby brought down the circular end of the branding stick on Eddy’s cheek.
Eddy’s scream of pain made her stomach roll and the hairs on the back of her neck stand tall. He reared back, aimed the gun at Bobby, and got off one shot before he fell to the ground, the gun dropping at his feet. The sound piercing the sky and splitting her eardrums.
Bobby’s flesh erupted with blood and he fell to his knees. He cursed, alarm and panic widening his eyes. He pressed a hand to his side then collapsed on the ground.
Indecision slowed her mind, halting her movements. She couldn’t just leave Bobby here to bleed to death alone, but lingering could be the end of both of them.
Eddy groaned and crawled toward the weapon that had dropped from his hands. His fingers wrapped around the handle.
Bobby covered his chest with his hand, blood covering his skin, and yelled, “Mia! Run!”
24
The feel of the gun in his hand calmed Chet’s nerves a fraction. He hadn’t had much use of a weapon since he’d left the force, and the familiar curve of the handle nestled against his palm shifted something inside him.
Something he hadn’t realized he missed.
Wrigley’s fierce bark penetrated the glass of Mia’s front window. He jumped up and down, wanting to be part of the group, but Chet couldn’t risk springing him loose. Not when he needed to focus on finding the fort and getting to Mia, not making sure her damn dog didn’t wander away and get lost.
