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SEVENTY-TWO
“NEGATIVE EYES ONANDI,”Deckard replied. “The only one I see is Ethan driving.”
“No Cyrus?”
“Not up front.”
His chest squeezed, cutting off his breath. He could be in the back with Andi.
“Everyone hold still,” Deckard said as the van came into view.
Deckard was right. Only Ethan sat up front.
Christian’s heart thumped.
Ethan pulled the van parallel to the house, cutting off his line of sight to the door.
This was not good. “They know we’re here. This is”—he squeezed his eyes shut, the words sticking in his narrowing throat—“a hostage situation. I just need eyes on Andi to confirm.”
“I see her,” Riley said. “Through the windshield. She’s wrestling with the man in back.”
Cyrus. “Do you have a clear shot at Cyrus?” he asked.
“No,” Riley said. “Their heads keep coming in and out of view. But it looks like she’s giving him heck.”
That’s my girl.
He took a steadying inhale. Their objective had changed. Andi was the priority. He’d get her back no matter what it took.
Ethan turned, looking over his shoulder, talking toward the back of the van, his motions frenzied. After what looked like a freak-outmoment, Ethan turned back around and cut the ignition. He unbuckled and shifted to exit from the passenger side.
He’d left Christian with no choice and only the briefest of windows. Waiting for the natural pause between breaths, Christian squeezed the trigger and held the recoil firm.
The van window shattered, and a loud pop echoed in the air as Ethan flailed forward. The turkey buzzards, hissing that awful sucking sound, flew up with large flaps of wings as Christian shot out the van tires on his side of it. Harper blew the back rear, and Riley took the front one on the house-side of the van. They were grounded.
“Any eyes on Cyrus?”
“Yes,” Riley said.
“You have a shot?”
“No. He’s holding Andi in front of him. He opened the rear van door and is moving for the house. The front door is opening.”
“Do you have a shot?”Please let Riley have a shot.If Andi got pulled into the house ... His breath caught. He wouldn’t even let his mind go there.
“No. Not the way he’s holding—” She sucked in a breath.
“Riley? What’s wrong?”
“Andi just elbowed him in the nose. He’s pulled back. She just shoved her finger in his eye, and he...”
His pulse whooshed through his ears so loud it was hard to hear Riley. “And he?”
“She dropped to the ground and is rolling under the van.”
Smart lady. “You have a shot on Cyrus now?” he asked Riley.
“He’s opened the passenger door and is using it as a shield. Hang on ... I might ... if he just...”
