"She didn't see a weapon," Cord said into the phone.
More noise came through the phone.
"Yeah, I understand."
Cord ended the call, shoved the cell back in his pocket.
"Honey, can you walk?" When she didn't respond, he shook her. “Molly.”
Her eyes flew open, and he must've seen the terror gripping her. His hands softened, pressed against her back.
"I'm not going to let anything happen to you."
She took one sniffling, shuddering breath. Cord wanted her to walk. Where to?
He leaned to the side to look out the window and then got out of the line of sight. "He's still sitting out there. The sheriff's on his way, but it's going to be a few minutes."
She knew what kind of damage Toby could do in minutes.
Cord took her hand. Whistled for the dog, who came padding to him. "Come upstairs with me."
Upstairs was farther from the back door, farther than her truck. It would be harder to escape from up there.
Where could she run if Toby'd found her here on the No Name?
Cord didn't wait for her swirling thoughts to stop. He tugged her hand until she fell in step with him. Hound Dog's nails clicked on the floor as he followed up the stairs.
The familiar hallway was shadowed, and menace slipped over her like a suffocating blanket.
She needed... She needed…
Cord dragged her into his room.
He let go of her hand and pulled the curtains to cover the window, but not before she'd glimpsed Toby's car at the road.
"Sit down, if you want." Cord threw the words over his shoulder, already moving to the closet.
His bed was meticulous, the covers tucked in with military precision.
Her brain kept getting snagged on superfluous details.
She didn't want to sit on the bed. She wanted to hide. To run.
Cord reached into the back corner of the closet. And pulled out a rifle. Quickly, he reached one hand up to the top shelf. A box of shells rattled as he reached inside.
He shot a glance over his shoulder at her. "You okay?"
"I'm scared."
"I'm scared."
The tremble in Molly's voice made Cord want to pull her close. He'd felt the full body shakes, and even now she was so pale that he was afraid she was going to pass out. The dog had moved to lie in the corner at Cord's terse command.
He forced himself to focus on his task. Bullets cool against his fingers as he loaded them into the magazine. Mackie had kept it for varmints like coyotes or cougars that might threaten the cattle. He'd never before considered pointing the weapon at another human being.
No one was going to get to Molly.
He loaded one into the chamber with a flick of the wrist and held the rifle loosely by the stock as he moved next to the window. He was careful to keep the rifle pointed at the floor.
