Chapter Thirty-one
SHE WAS TOO LATE.
That was Ruthann’s only thought as Sissy’s beau grabbed her arm and dragged her inside the studio, kicking the door shut behind them with his foot. His fingers dug into her arm as she tried to take in all that was happening.
There was Sissy, pressed against the wall with tears streaming down her face. And then Nate, his arms raised just slightly in front of him with an anguished look upon his face.
“Paul,” Sissy sputtered from where she stood.
But the man who held Ruthann paid her no attention.
“You’re just in time for your husband’s great decision,” he said, pulling her against him. “Leave or die, Harper. What will it be?”
But Nate just stood there, that tortured look in his eyes—the one Ruthann recognized. The one that came when he was remembering whatever it was that haunted him from the past. He couldn’t have answered the man, not while he was in this state.
But hehadto, or else . . . Ruthann pushed the thought from her mind. Now was not the time to go to pieces, as easy as that would be. Sissy had already done that as she wailed from her corner, and so it was up to Ruthann to somehow get them out of this situation—alive.
“Nate,” she said softly, hoping to stir him from wherever he’d gone in his mind.
“Hush,” the man holding her said, and he shook her a little.
Ruthann ignored him. If Paul was focused on her, he couldn’t hurt Nate. “Nate!” she said again, louder this time.
“I said—”
“Nate!”
Nate blinked. Ruthann barely saw it before Paul had yanked her around to face him. “I told you to stay quiet.” He held her in place with one arm, so close she could feel his breath on her face. “I didn’t come here intending to hurt you, but if you get in my way, I can’t promise you won’t be.”
Ruthann’s stomach clenched, and she instinctively closed her eyes. This all seemed so hopeless. How could she save them all? If only Sissy would rouse herself, or Nate—
All of a sudden, she was flung back as Paul’s hand slipped from her arm. Ruthann opened her eyes just before she hit the floor. There, before her, Nate had knocked Paul backward.
She barely felt her own fall. Sissy finally pried herself away from the wall and ran to her side.
“Are you hurt?” she asked.
Ruthann shook her head, barely comprehending Sissy’s words or presence as she watched the two men in front of her.
Paul still held the gun as Nate tried to wrestle it away from him. When that didn’t work, Nate landed a blow square against the other man’s cheek. The impact made Ruthann flinch, but it didn’t appear to loosen Paul’s grip on the pistol at all.
Nate swung again, but this time Paul blocked the blow with his other arm. At the same time, he raised a knee and managed to push Nate off him.
“You’re a coward who can’t even fight!” Paul’s taunt made Ruthann clench her own fists.
Nate’s eyes clouded for just a moment, and he paused.
