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She eased forward, intent on getting between the man and her grandmother when she spotted another man a few feet behind the first. This man was taller than the one waving the gun and was dressed similarly. His hair was blond and he appeared bored with whatever was going on.
“Stay here,” she whispered to Liza. “Find somewhere to hide.” Her gaze shot toward the front and spotted Shannon peeking around a rack of clothes, her eyes huge in her pale face. Bellamy motioned for her to stay put and get down.
“Like I just explained,” her grandmother started, but Bellamy cut her off.
“I’m Bellamy.” She stepped out into the open, drawing the lead man’s attention. “What do you want?” No point in pretending to be polite when the man was standing there pointing a gun at her grandmother.
“I want you to come with me.”
“Why?” Bellamy’s heart hammered in her chest. She was trying to figure out how to keep everyone safe—Cathy, Grandma Martha and Race’s girls—without getting anyone, including herself shot.
“Don’t ask questions. You’re coming with us. Let’s go.” He waved the gun impatiently for her to move toward the door.
Oh crap. Bellamy desperately did not want to go with these men. She’d watched enough T.V. to know that was a bad, bad mistake.
“No. She’s not going with you, asshole,” Grandma Martha declared, her fists clenched tightly at her sides.
“Shut the fuck up, old lady,” the man with the gun growled.
“No. I will not shut up,” Grandma Martha growled right back.
Bellamy could see Shannon easing toward the front door. So far neither man had noticed her. Oh shit. If she got caught trying to sneak out, what would happen to her? Her stomach rolled at the thought. In her peripheral vision, she looked for Liza. She prayed the girl stayed back and found somewhere to hide like she’d told her to do.
“Get your ass over here now, Bellamy, or I shoot the old lady.” The man’s temper was rising and he appeared to be losing patience with them. The man behind him still looked completely bored. What was wrong with him? Was he some kind of robot? Did he not have any emotion at all?
Turning to Bellamy, the man with the gun asked, “Well, what’s it gonna be?”
“No! Don’t shoot Martha!” Liza popped out of nowhere. Bellamy’s eyes closed briefly as she clenched her teeth. Damn it. Why couldn’t Liza listen to her? What was she supposed to do now that Race’s daughter had gained the man’s attention? Liza’s hand slipped into her own. She gave it a squeeze as Liza clutched her hand tightly. She could feel her tremors of fear through their connection.
“Look. I don’t know who you are or why you want me, but,” the rest of what she was going to say was cut off by the sound of a gun firing. She jolted at the noise exploding in the room. The noise so loud, her ears were ringing. She vaguely registered Liza jumping and squealing in shock or that Cathy was screaming as they all watched helplessly as Grandma Martha fell to the floor.
“You bastard!” She ran to her grandmother, intent on stopping the bleeding. She almost made it when the man with the gun reached out and yanked her to his side, nearly pulling her arm out of socket.
Liza screamed and ran toward them, hitting him in the back, trying to force him to let Bellamy go.
“No! Stop, Liza!” Bellamy had to get her to stop before the girl got herself shot, too. She wouldn’t put it past the bastard to kill a teenage girl.
The sound of the bell tinkling over the door had all eyes jerking that way. Shannon had made her escape. Bellamy knew without a doubt, she’d get to her father. She’d be safe. The second man started to go after her, but the man in charge stopped him. “Let her go. Get this girl off my back!”
The bored man peeled her away from the man holding Bellamy captive. He grabbed her by her shoulders and shook her roughly. Bellamy feared he’d break her neck. “Calm down!” he ordered.
That was the wrong thing to say to the teenager. Her face turned bright red and she kicked him hard in the leg. Mr. Roboto, as Bellamy thought of him, grunted, then backhanded Liza across the face. She would have fallen to the floor if he hadn’t maintained a tight grip on one arm.
Race would be proud of his daughter. Despite the pain she must have been in, she gritted her teeth and never let her angry tears fall. If looks could kill, Mr. Roboto would be ashes.
“Bring the girl. She’s the president’s daughter.”
The bored man jerked her into a headlock and started pulling her toward the back door. The man with the gun quickly ran after him, dragging Bellamy behind him, shouting over his shoulder, “Tell Race we’ll be in touch.”
She prayed that Cathy was able to get an ambulance to her grandmother in time. If something happened to her, Bellamy didn’t know what she would do. More importantly, she didn’t know what her brother would do. God help her kidnappers if Preacher found out. There would be nothing left of them if Race didn’t beat him to it.
She didn’t put up a fight as she was shoved into the back seat next to Liza. For now, no matter what happened, she had to protect Race’s daughter.
* * *
“Dad!”
Race had been facing Derrick, discussing his plans for when he graduated high school when the sound of a gun firing down the street, followed immediately by the shrill scream of his baby girl calling out for him caused his chest to tighten. For as long as he lived, he would never forget the stark terror in her eyes as she ran like the hounds of Hell were on her heels.
