I sniffle and do my best to choke off the sob and cover my mouth with my hand harder. It’s not enough. He raises the gun at my head and fires. I scream after the bang as it echoes through the room, but it’s muffled by my hand blocking my lips.
Glass scatters on the floor from one of the living room windows and another gunshot rings out. This one is not as close and sounds like a slamming door. I feel around my chest and head searching for a bullet hole. Kevin doesn’t scream but falls to the cabin floor clutching one of his legs. He aims his gun out the window and fires off a countless number of shots.
I wrap my body into the tightest ball possible and scoot farther away. The scene unfolds around me as I watch from a small gap between my knees. Kevin stands and runs as best he can while holding his leg. He makes it to the back door at the same time two men dressed in all black with thick boots kick open the front door. They both stop in the main living room, their guns drawn, their eyes scanning the location.
The taller of the two, Ridge, reaches over, yelling directions into a small walkie-talkie mounted by his shoulder. “Subject escaped out the back. Two men take the rear and cover him.”
The second man, Bennett, rests on his knees on the ground beside me. “Did he hit you?” I shake my head no but it’s not enough as he feels my body up and down. Checking my legs and stomach, he lifts my shirt. “Where did the bullet go? We heard the shot.”
“Above the fireplace,” I manage to get the words out between sniffles and wrap my arms around Bennett. I never plan to let go.
“Is there anyone upstairs?” Ridge asks not moving from his wide-leg stance in the middle of the room.
I shake my head again. “I don’t think so.”
The answer is obviously not good enough when he leans over and issues more orders to the walkie-talkie.
Bennett wipes away a few of my tears. “Hey, it’s okay. We’ve got you now, right?”
This time I nod, my snot and tears wiping all over his black shirt. I attempt to wipe the area away before he notices but he only laughs. “Promise you won’t let me go.”
He squeezes tighter. “I promise I will never let you go ever again.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
The sun is warm in the area on my cheek where my head rests on the pillow. It’s my first clue something is not right. I haven’t been able to sleep in long enough to have the sun wake me up in…too damn long.
Another half a second passes and I remember it’s Friday. Two days ago I survived a kidnapping. I’m allowed to sleep in today. Another stretch to fix the kink in my body so I can sleep longer, but the muscles in my back protest.
The clock on Bennett’s side of the bed reads 10:07.
I retract my earlier statement. I haven’t slept this late since high school.
Another minute happens before my mind kicks in and realizes it’s 10:07 in the morning and nobody has called me. That seems unlikely. Especially since I left Tabitha in charge of Katy while running my bakery. I spent all day yesterday in the bakery cooking. Everything from donuts in the morning to cupcakes, cookies and a few new items I wanted to try. Baking helped to work through the anxiety of my kidnapping. And while Ridge promised my life wasn’t really in danger, since Kevin wanted to use me as a ransom and ransoms are no good dead, I was shot at. I don’t think that’s something you ever get over.
Did Kevin have a good aim and miss me on purpose or was my life saved by a faulty shot? They haven’t caught him yet. Ridge and Bennett believe he’s out in the woods bleeding, but I’m not so sure. What if he comes back and decides I’m not worth the money anymore?
I made a double batch of blueberry muffins to handle the emotions. It’s a reasonable response.
So much food passed through my kitchen yesterday I have enough of a surplus to leave Tabitha in charge of the bakery all day today without her having to turn on an oven. But to be safe I called in Katy for reinforcements. I wasn’t taking the chance.
My cell phone is right where I left it on the nightstand, plugged in but fully charged. When I turn it on there isn’t a single message from anyone.
It’s very concerning.
For all I know my entire bakery and house could be a pile of ash in the corner of Main Street. Tabitha would run out of chocolate chip cookies and Katy would come up with a plan and the next thing you know half the fire department would be called in. It isn’t safe to leave those two around electrical appliances. What was I thinking?
Who let me agree to this?
In fact, I see the two of them doing it for spite. Katy because she hates Pierce and he’s my landlord. She’d probably like nothing more than to see one of his buildings burned to the ground.
And Tabitha.
Tabitha is more than pissed off because Ridge said if she wants to keep working at the bakery, he’s placing a guy stationed inside the entire time. No questions. Way too much has happened for him to feel comfortable with us working there alone. I wanted to put up a fight, but quite honestly I’d feel better, too.
Bennett’s been trying to get me to ask for help since this whole situation started and I finally decided to stop fighting them. This is a case where a girl could use a little help.
I type a quick text message asking if they have enough trash bags. It’s a diversionary tactic because there are two boxes in the cabinet. I want someone to message me back and promise the bakery hasn’t burned to the ground.
