“No!”
Jamie took the next right too sharply, causing Sadie to fall into the door and the phone to drop from her hold. It thudded on the floor, and Jamie’s gaze twisted back at her. “What the fuck are you doing?”
Suddenly, the car swerved as Jamie pulled into a deserted parking lot behind a large building. Sadie tightened her hold on Avery.
“Give me the phone or I shoot her in the fucking leg,” Jamie shouted once the car was at a complete stop.
Surely, she wouldn’t shoot her own daughter. “Jamie—”
She turned the gun toward Avery, and Sadie quickly reached for the cell and handed it to her. She hung up the call and threw the cell to the floor of the back of the car.
“Good. Now get out.” The gun swung to Sadie. “Now!”
“Only if Avery gets out with me.”
“No!” Jamie’s eyes fluttered, and she touched her head like she was in pain. “Don’t fuck with me right now, Sadie. I’m right on the edge.”
Sadie sucked in a long breath before unbuckling her seat belt. As she did, Jamie reached for the bourbon again to take another slug.
Sadie used her preoccupation to her advantage, leaning down and tugging Avery into a hug while discreetly unclipping her seat belt. Then she whispered into her ear, “Be brave, baby girl…and run.”
Jamie was just recapping the bourbon when Avery opened her door and slipped out.
The bottle fell from Jamie’s fingers. “Hey!” She jumped out of the car, but so did Sadie. Then she lunged at Jamie’s legs, tackling her to the ground.
Eastern pulledover in front of Sugar and Spice. He was ready for this day to be over. Past ready. Jarrad had been a fucking ass all day, making snide comments about paperwork and the job load to the point Eastern didn’t even want to hear his voice, let alone see his face.
He climbed out of his car, frowning when he didn’t see Sadie or Avery in the window. Sadie had said they were making dough in the front room and watching out for him. They must’ve moved to the kitchen.
He stepped up to the door and tried the handle…unlocked. The second he stepped inside, he saw it.
A man lay on the floor, blood seeping from his head.
Thefuck?
Eastern dropped down beside him. That’s when he realized it was Scott. He checked his pulse, finding the sluggish thuds. He lifted his radio. “I need an ambulance to Sugar and Spicenow. I have an unconscious man in his mid-twenties with a head injury.”
The words had just left his mouth when Scott’s eyes scrunched tight, and he groaned.
“Jesus, my head…” He reached to touch his temple before opening his eyes. “Eastern?”
“Scott. What happened?”
“I—” He glanced around the shop. “I came to say goodbye to Sadie, then…”
“Then what?” Fear churned through Eastern’s gut. Fear that Sadie and Avery weren’t here. He already knew they couldn’t be. Because there was no way they’d leave Scott like this.
“A woman…” he finally said. “She came in just when I was about to leave. I asked if she was okay because her eyes were red, and she…she hit me. With a gun.”
The fear thickened, fogging his head and turning his world from bright colors to deep, dark shades of gray.
He grabbed his phone and tried Sadie’s number.
It rang once. Then a second time.
Come on, Sadie. Answer. Answer the damn phone and tell me you’re both okay.
She didn’t answer. The call went to voicemail.Fuck.
