“Yes, she’s here,” I answer.
Out of the corner of my eye, I search for Mackenzie. Or she was in here. One second, she was standing in the hallway, and the next, she’s gone. Good for her. At least one of us is going to get out of here. Maybe she can give Jake advice on how to take Chad down.
“Good. Come on out.”
“I don’t think that’s going to happen.” Chad reaches to the back of his waistband and pulls out a gun.
“Fuck.” My response is low and dripping in fear that’s taking root deep inside of me. We were in a shitty position to start with. Now, it’s only gotten worse. If Chad doesn’t walk out of here as a free man, he’s going to take us all out with him.
“I can’t,” I say loud enough for Jake to hear, but the quiver in my voice makes it crack. “Chad doesn’t want us to leave.”
I’ve got to do something. My head spins with ideas. Kick his shins and run. He’s going to shoot me and use Grace as a shield. Headbutt him and run. He’s going to shoot me and use Grace as a shield. Run. He’s going to shoot me and use Grace as a shield. Somehow, every possibility returns to the same thing. I’m shot, and Grace ends up with Chad on the run.
Over my dead body. I straighten my spine.
“Yes, Sweetheart, he is going to let me walk out of here.” He grasps the carrier handle and tugs. “And this stupid, worthless baby is going to save my ass.”
“No!” I scream and yank with every inch of strength I have, causing him to lurch toward me. One benefit of being an EMT is the strength required to hoist patients on and off gurneys without hurting them. It’s given me decent muscle tone.
“Bitch,” Chad growls between clenched teeth while settling back onto his feet. The gun waved toward the ceiling and back to the floor. Thank God he didn’t accidently press the trigger. “Give her to me.”
Mackenzie darts out of the kitchen and snatches the carrier before Chad can secure it from me. “Get the fuck back, Asshole.”
“Chad Whitlock, open up! You’re surrounded!” Jake’s voice is clear and commanding. Despite the severity of the situation, he’s somehow in control, which gives me the strength to face what’s going to come next. I can do this. “Come on out with your hands in the air!”
“That’s not going to happen!” Chad’s head is slightly turned toward the front door as he twists his hand sideways, running his finger over the trigger. “I’ve got your bitch in here with a gun pointed at her head.”
Mackenzie’s eyes blaze with anger as she faces her stepbrother while taking a step backward, linoleum cracking under her tennis shoes. “I’ve had enough of your shit to last a lifetime. You’ve made your own bed. Now, you’ve got to lie in it. It’s not Emily’s fault. It’s not Jake’s fault. It’s your own. You drove your stupid car with expired tags.”
Pink tinges his cheeks as she backs up another step. “Shut your fucking bitch ass mouth,” he spits out while alternating between pointing the gun at me and then on to Mackenzie.
My mouth dries as the barrel shifts to Grace’s baby carrier.
Do something. I scan the room for anything to defend us with but there aren’t many options. Empty packages of chips. Discarded beer cans. Stubbed out cigarettes in a glass ashtray. I linger on the ashtray. It holds some promise as it’s probably 6”x6” of cut glass.
The only problem is that Chad is between me and the coffee table. And while he’s pissed that Mackenzie is talking back to him, he has a gun. With his finger on the trigger. Trained on Grace.
Tears fill my eyes. I’ve got to do something. Fast.
Mackenzie’s thigh bounces off one of the mismatched kitchen chairs. “I’m not done. When your father finds out you used his money to get out of jail, he’s going to lose his mind.”
“It’s fine.” A flash of fear hits the edges of Chad’s eyes. He’s terrified of his father. That shouldn’t come as a surprise. I’d be terrified of him, too. Especially if I stole his money. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll pay it back before he gets out.”
“Right.” Mackenzie positions Grace behind her as I did when I was facing Chad, as she continues to put distance between them.
The movement causes Chad to swing the gun at Mackenzie’s head. Here’s my chance. I slide sideways toward the coffee table.
“How’re you going to do that from a jail cell?”
Chad swings the hand holding the gun toward me, stopping me in my tracks. As if we’re in a dance, Mackenzie takes the opportunity to duck around the edge of the open doorway.
“Stop right there!” Chad bellows in frustration as if he can’t believe we’re not doing exactly what he told us to do. I’m sure being the son of one of the most ruthless men around has made him accustomed to people doing his bidding. But not this time. This time, neither one of us is backing down.
The closed door to what I assume is Chad’s bedroom slowly opens. Fuck. That’s what we need. Another person to back Chad up. Right now, with Mackenzie in the kitchen, he can’t shoot us all at once.
My heart drops to the floor. It’s Jake. He raises his finger to his lips. What? How? Somehow, my heart launches back into my chest and thuds like a drum at a football game before the whistle blows.
Bang. Bang. Bang. It feels like my ribs are going to break.
