AllFreeNovel
Share Us
What was he talking about? Gavin cleared the thought from his mind, along with the pain of his gunshot wound, and took aim. If he could just…
Xavier shifted, and the moment was gone. Sweat dripped into Gavin’s eyes. He didn’t have a clear shot, but there was more than one way to solve that problem. He locked eyes with Claire, pointed at Xavier, and then pointed at the door. She gave a sharp nod of agreement. The worry in her blue eyes nearly undid him. It wasn’t for herself. For him.
Somewhere in the back corner of his mind, Gavin realized an additional weight rested on his shoulders. Every decision he made from here on out affected Claire. It wouldn’t stop him from doing his job—protecting others was his purpose—but it was a deep responsibility to carry someone else’s heart. And a blessing.
Gavin bolted for the back door. Pain punched his arm with every step. He ignored it. Outside, the icy rain numbed his wound. The thunderstorm slowed to a brisk drizzle. Lightning lit up the sky. He raced around the corner of the cabin and approached the bedroom window. Xavier was screaming something at Claire. It didn’t make sense. Something about being framed.
Shivers racked Gavin’s body as he took aim. He forced his muscles to stop and held his breath. Everything faded away as the world narrowed to the man in front of him. Gavin didn’t relish shooting someone, but he would do what was necessary to save lives. He pulled the trigger.
Glass shattered as the bullet flew through the window and slammed into Xavier’s back. Maribelle gave a short scream as the couple tumbled to the ground. Claire rushed into the room, gun drawn. She kicked Xavier’s weapon away from his still fingers. Gavin tossed his handcuffs to her before clambering through the window. Shards of glass sliced at his palm.
Maribelle was tucked into a corner, moaning. Gavin approached her. “It’s okay now. You’re safe.”
She sobbed and grabbed his arm. He comforted the older woman, glancing over Maribelle’s head toward Claire. She had her fingers on Xavier’s throat, checking for a pulse. “He’s alive.”
Relief rippled through Gavin. He didn’t regret taking the shot, but he was thankful it hadn’t ended Xavier’s life. He fumbled to remove his phone from his pocket but couldn’t make his injured fingers work. Maribelle was crying, lost in her own world, her gaze focused on something only she could see. She was going into shock. That was deadly. They needed paramedics. Now.
Claire whipped the sheet off the bed and pushed it against Xavier’s gunshot wound. “Gavin, come hold this while I call for help.”
He did as she asked. The sheet turned red with Xavier’s blood. His hands were cuffed behind his back, and he remained unconscious. Gavin’s head spun as the adrenaline wore off and the throbbing of his wound increased. He glanced at his shirt. It was saturated at the shoulder, but it didn’t look like the bullet had hit anything major.
Claire tucked her phone against her ear. She took another sheet and ripped it with her teeth. Wrapping the bandage around Gavin’s arm, she pulled tight as she spouted off commands to dispatch. Keith’s voice came on the line. His tone was frantic, but his words weren’t clear. Gavin leaned in closer.
Claire froze. The phone dropped from her ear as she whirled. Without a word, she raced from the room. Gavin yelled her name and then scooped up the phone. “Keith, what happened?”
“An emergency call was made from her parents’ house. They’re under attack.”
The house was on fire.
Claire’s heart thundered in her chest as she raced toward the flames. The entire living room was ablaze, smoke belching from the broken windows. Arson. Probably a Molotov cocktail, maybe two. There was no other explanation for how the fire could spread so quickly during a rainstorm.
Panic rippled through her. Where was Jacob? Her parents? Visions of every horrible scenario flashed through her mind.No, God, no.She put more fuel into her legs, wishing Gavin was with her. The memory of him screaming her name as she ran from Maribelle’s cabin echoed in her mind. But there hadn’t been time to explain. Besides, he’d been shot. The injury was serious enough to slow him down, even if he’d wanted to help.
Thinking of Gavin made her knees weak. His shoulder had been bleeding badly. What if…No, she couldn’t go down that road.
Raindrops coated her face and dripped into her eyes. Her tennis shoes slipped in the mud and she hit the ground hard on one knee. Pain ricocheted through her thigh. Claire shoved herself to a standing position and kept moving.
The back door to the house flew open. Smoke poured out and two figures appeared. It took Claire a moment to recognize her mother and father. A bruise and dried blood painted Lindsey’s temple. Daniel had one arm thrown over his wife’s shoulders. His other hand clutched his side. Blood stained his shirt. He took another step and collapsed on the patio, nearly taking Lindsey down with him.
“Dad!” Chest heaving, Claire joined her parents. She bent down to grab her father’s arm. Together with Lindsey, they got him on his feet. Instinctively, Claire knew her mother was headed for the truck sitting in the driveway. Daniel needed a hospital. They headed in that direction.
“There’s no time.” Daniel's voice was hoarse as he tried to shake off Claire’s help. “He has Jacob.”
Claire’s world tilted and spun. “Who?”
“We don’t know. Someone threw bombs through the window and set the house on fire. I tried to stop him and was shot. He ripped Jacob straight from your mother’s arms.”
Tears poured down Lindsey's face, mixing with the soot and blood. Based on her mother’s injuries, she fought to keep hold of Jacob. It was a miracle the intruder hadn’t shot her too.
Claire didn’t stop moving. She opened the passenger side of the truck and shoved her dad inside. “Which direction did the attacker go in?”
“Toward the dock.”
She didn’t think. Slamming the truck door, Claire spun toward the lake. It was a dark shadow. The long dock extending into the water wasn’t visible, the moon obscured by the thunderstorm’s cloud cover. She took off.
Jacob, hold on, baby. I’m coming.
Her heart said prayers even as her mind focused on rescuing her child. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness. The dock came into view. A boat bobbed on the water, secured by a rope to a mooring pole. Claire ducked into the tree line. She couldn’t save Jacob by acting recklessly. Now was the time to rely on her training.
