Jesse took off, pushing his body to move faster than he’d ever moved before. It was just around the corner, but it felt too far. He had to make it to Aspen before it was too late.
CHAPTER 32
Aspen pressed a hand to her chest as if that could somehow slow the thumping of her heart.
Breathe, Aspen. Just breathe.
She had a plan for when he found her—squirt soap into his eyes, then run. It was a good plan. If he had a weapon, which she was sure he would, he might even drop it, and she could make a grab for it.
So why was the fear making her heart want to jump out of her chest?
The crunch of his footsteps as he stepped into the bathroom made her fingers tighten around the soap. When her teeth began to chatter, she clenched her jaw. She couldnotgive her position away too early. Her advantage was that she could hear him, but he couldn’t hear her.
He continued to grow closer. A couple more steps and he’d be right there. She lifted the bottle and aimed.
Suddenly, a subtle noise sounded from somewhere else in the building—the squeak of a floorboard.
Dylan’s footsteps stopped…and when they started again, they moved away from her in quick succession.
Oh no, had whoever left the front door unlocked come back?
She inched her head up to see Dylan turning into the hall.
She couldn’t let someone else get shot because of her.
She crept to the hall and stuck her head out to see Dylan still moving away from her, but slower now, gun raised.
Suddenly, someone popped their head out of a room—a woman. Her eyes widened and she quickly ducked back inside as Dylan fired.
Aspen flinched.
She had to do something. She couldn’t let him kill her.
Without caring for her own safety, she ran out of the wet room and sprinted down the hall. Dylan turned his head just as she got close, and she squeezed the soap bottle, nailing him in the face. He growled and swiped at his eyes but didn’t drop the gun.
Quickly, she kneed him between the legs. When he hunched over, she kicked the wrist holding the gun. The weapon fell to the floor and Aspen lunged for it and wrapped her fingers around the wooden stock before rolling to her back.
Before she could take aim, Dylan dropped on top of her. His eyes were bloodshot and full of rage, and blood dripped down the right side of his face.
“I’m going to fucking kill you!” he growled as he grabbed her wrists and threw an elbow into her cheek.
Pain radiated through her skull, and her head fell back onto the cold floor. Her vision blurred as the gun was ripped from her grasp.
“It’s time you learned a fucking lesson.” He was lifting the gun even as a shadow appeared behind him.
Something hard came down on Dylan’s back, followed by a loudcrack. He grunted, his weight dropping onto her. The air was knocked from her lungs, but Dylan was only down for a second. He twisted at the waist and pointed the gun at the woman behind him as she lifted the chair a second time.
Aspen punched him in the gut at the same time a gunshot sounded.
Aspen flinched, expecting the woman to drop. But it was Dylan who collapsed, his body once again suffocating her. She tried to push him off but it was impossible. He was deadweight.
Fast, pounding footsteps sounded, and a second later, Dylan was shoved off her. Air rushed into her lungs and she rolled to her side. Someone dropped to their knees beside her.
“Aspen!”
Her entire body relaxed at the sound of his voice.
Jesse.
