My legs tremble.
A strange, tingling coldness seeps into my limbs, making them feel numb.
I tighten my grip on the gun and reach down to scoop Gizmo up in my arms, hoping to quiet him so he doesn’t draw any unnecessary attention to us as I move to the window in an effort to see anything outside.
Darkness still envelops the mountain, but the rain finally subsided, the heavy storm giving way to allow stars to twinkle and the moon to shine between passing wisps of the remaining few clouds.
The single bulb above the porch directly outside the door remains off like we left it when we raced inside earlier, and all I can make out are the vague shapes of some nearby trees.
They sway softly in the breeze that still carries the scent of rain, and it’s peaceful in a way only McBride Mountain has ever been for me.
That tightness in my spine relaxes slightly.
Only for a split-second, though.
A flash of movement draws my attention to the far side of the road that leads to our cabin, near the barn Liam uses as a workshop and for random storage on the homestead.
And that isn’t Liam.
By now, I know him and the way he moves. The confident way he carries himself as he stalks across the property. And this is different.
Someone dressed in all black…
Attempting to blend into the shadows of the night…
The threat that Giz sensed.
The one that Liam just walked out to face.
Alone.
LIAM
They move like the shadows they try to blend in with, creeping in and out of the darkest places on the homestead, avoiding any open spaces where the moonlight might give them away.
And they’re good.
They know what they’re doing and came prepared for a stealth mission in one of the most remote places imaginable.
But I know the homestead, I know the land and every rock in this place, better than they do their own faces.
Even in the dark, I can see them.
At least three I’ve spotted so far—men dressed in all black and carrying semi-automatic rifles. Who look more than prepared to use them. The way they move seems almost military. Precise and deliberate.
These are the men who robbed the bank.
Somehow, they’ve found us.
They’ve discovered McBride Mountain and come for her, to tie up the loose end and destroy the only evidence of their crime.
My stomach pitches violently, my hands tightening around my shotgun as I inch along the exterior logs of the cabin to where I can peek around the corner and get a better view of the barn.
One of the men pulls open the main door, the sound of the metal rollers moving across the track loud in the unnatural stillness, and pauses, waiting for any sort of response to the sudden noise.
I hold my breath until he disappears inside, releasing it slowly as I scan the surrounding area to try to locate the other men. They must be clearing the homestead, checking to ensure there aren’t any surprises before they hit the cabins and take us all out.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
