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“NO!” I rattle the gate with all of my strength, even knowing the futility. If Conner can’t budge it, I certainly won’t be able to. “Micah, NO!”
“Conner.” Micah smacks at the gate to get his cousin’s attention. “You have to save Tess. That’s what I need you to do. So you better fucking do it.”
Conner charges at the gate the way he would charge down the football field. It stays intact.
“I’ll put up a fight,” Micah says. Another step back. Already conceding that he’ll go to his death if that’s what it takes. “I love you, Tessie Belle. Damn, I never knew I could love anyone the way I love you.”
I blink and he’s gone, vanished into the night. I cry out his name and hang on the gate, trying to force the bars apart.
When I’m lifted off the ground I can’t figure out why.
Conner pries my hands off the gate with ease. He’s taking me away. Away from Micah.
“STOP!” I flail and try to get free. “No, I’m not leaving him!”
Conner’s muscled arms cradle me and it’s like being wrapped in bands of iron.
“Stop, Conner. PLEASE! Let me go. LET ME FUCKING GO!” I beat my fists on his shoulders and my chest craters with a painful howl of grief.
He’s not listening. He walks rapidly, nearly running, ignoring my pleas and my fists.
My lungs hollow out. “I have to tell him. He doesn’t know.” I choke on the last words. “Micah doesn’t know he’s going to be a father.”
Conner slows to a stagger and I feel his chest heave. Now I realize that he’s crying too.
Headlights flash in front of us and a car skids to a halt. Gage jumps out, gun drawn. His shrewd eyes rapidly assess the situation.
“WHERE?” he demands when he sees Micah is not with us.
Conner jerks his head. “Locked himself in behind the gate. There’s five of them.”
“Keep going, Con. Get her out.” Gage ducks back behind the wheel and hits the accelerator. Within seconds, there’s a colossal crash as Gage barrels into the gate at full speed.
This can’t be real. It can’t be.
But it is. And I know it’s real because I’m still trapped in ridiculously strong arms.
“Conner.” I hope saying his name calmly will do the trick. “You need to put me down now.”
“No.” He keeps marching away with me. “You’ll run right back there.”
He’s right. I would.
“I won’t let him down, Tessie. I won’t.” Conner’s voice cracks and I understand this is killing him.
It’s killing me too.
More lights are up ahead, along with the slow whine of a siren. A police cruiser stops and my uncle jumps out.
“Tess!” He runs over and tries to take me from Conner but Conner refuses to hand me over. “Are you hurt? I heard the call come through on the radio.”
“I’m fine.” I grab at my uncle’s shirt. “But please, Micah is still in there. They’re going to kill him. Please help him, PLEASE.”
“Tess, honey, I’ve got to get you out of here.”
“NO! You have to help Micah. I’m having his baby, Uncle Josh. PLEASE. I’m begging.”
My uncle quits trying to extract me from Conner’s grip. “You’re pregnant?”
