He turned, eyes narrowing on a single footprint in the dirt. It was barely visible. He inched toward it, Glock close to his body. A thick tree stood a few yards away. It was a good hiding spot.
Two more steps before he darted around it.
A knife flew toward him.
He grabbed Indie’s wrist before the blade could make contact.
Her eyes widened. “Colt!” She dropped the knife and flung herself into his arms.
Relief hit him so hard his knees wanted to cave, like the earth was tugging him down. He forced himself to remain where he was, for his arms to lock around her. “You’re okay.”
“I’m okay. But he’s still out here.”
The words had barely left her lips when a flicker of movement from the right had his gaze shooting around. Coltflung himself on top of Indie just as a bullet hit the tree beside them.
He rolled them so that Indie was protected by the tree.
“You’re not hurt?” he asked, scanning her body.
She shook her head.
“Get the fuck out here, son,” Gordon shouted. “Let’s end this once and for all.”
“You’re still holding on to this ‘son’ shit?” Colt yelled, slowly rising while making sure the tree covered both of them.
“Sorry, kid. You may not like it, but you willalwayshave my DNA in you.”
“Yet I’ll always be better than you. Stronger. Smarter. Tougher.” Colt threw a rock at a nearby tree.
“The fuck you will,” his father growled, firing a shot.
Colt rounded the tree and pulled the trigger, getting his father in the temple.
Jesse, Noah, and Claudia appeared just as his father dropped.
Dead. The asshole was finally dead.
“Colt,” Indie whispered.
He lowered beside her. “Hey.”
“You shot him?”
“I did.”
She searched his eyes. “Are you okay?”
“That man was not my father. A bit of DNA doesn’t make a dad.”
Tears filled her eyes. “I’m sorry.”
“Why?”
“I heard a sound in the bathroom at the hospital. He was behind the door and hit me. I should have gotten you the second I heard something. I was stupid. I—”
“No. You thought you were safe. Youshouldhave been safe in that room.I’mso sorry. Nothing that happened tonight is your fault.”
She looked at his father and back to him. “I’m still sorry you had to shoot him.”
