“Well, she damn well didn’t come through here.Are we sure she was even in the house in the first place?”He muttered a curse and began walking away from her, toward the front of her apartment.
It was the break Bree needed.As soon as he was far enough that it was relatively safe, she began jogging toward the car.If she could just make it there, they would be okay.
But that was when sweet, angelic Beth decided she wasn’t happy with all the sleep interruptions and let out a wail.
“Oh, no, sweetie,” Bree crooned, slowing to bring Beth up to her shoulder and pat her.
But that just caused Christian to start crying.
There was no way the guy on the phone didn’t hear them.Forgetting about stealth, Bree bolted into a sprint, grimacing when she realized the third man was between her and her car.For the first time, Bree wished her apartment wasn’t on the outskirts of town, away from everything else.Even if she started yelling, no one would hear her.
Why hadn’t she called for help rather than destroy her phone?Not that anyone could’ve gotten here in time.
Both babies were crying now, and she was way too slow to get away with the added weight.She glanced behind her and saw the third man was just a few feet away.
He was going to catch her.She wasn’t going to make it.She pushed for one last burst of speed, but it wasn’t enough.
When she felt fingers grasp at her shoulders and slip away, she started yelling.She was still too far out for anyone to hear her, but she had to try.
“Help me!Somebody help me!”
Both babies startled at her yell and wailed louder.Hard fingers gripped her shoulder, this time not letting go.Bree cried out as he jerked her back, fear coursing through her system.
The voice came heavy and dark in her ear.“You’re going to regret making me chase you.”
She pulled away from him, but he grabbed her hair, yanking her back.Bree struggled to hold on to the twins.And knew she couldn’t allow herself to pitch forward—she might crush them.
Beth gripped firmly with one arm, Bree swung around, keeping her elbow out to use her momentum and catch the man off guard.But he was too quick and stopped her elbow before it could do any damage.He twisted her arm in a painful grip.
She got her first look at her attacker.He didn’t look like a criminal.His face was nondescript, friendly even.Bree had no doubt he was from the Organization.They would send people who blended in.
His features might be neutral, but the menace in his eyes was obvious.“I’m going to enjoy teaching you some manners.And I know I’m not the only one.You’ve been making us look bad.”
His hand raised in a fist, and she braced herself to take the punch without dropping the babies, but before he could connect, the guy went flying onto the ground.
Someone had tackled him.
Bree didn’t know who it was, whether it was friend or foe or if karma had just chosen that moment to show up.She wasn’t going to wait around to find out.
She took off toward the main part of town.If she could just make it another couple of blocks, she’d be able to yell for help.When someone rushed out from between two parked cars, she screamed and twisted away, trying to head in the other direction, but arms wrapped around her and held her firm.
“Bree!Bree, it’s me.”Tanner’s voice finally got through to her.And she stopped trying to fight him.
“T-Tanner?”
“Yeah, sweetheart, it’s me.Are you okay?I got a call that you were in trouble.”He pulled her sideways against him, mindful of the babies, then took a crying Beth out of her arms.
“Somebody broke into my apartment.Three guys.”
Tanner muttered a curse under his breath.Keeping Beth secure in one arm, he reached down and grabbed the police walkie-talkie at his belt.
“Ronnie, we’ve got a 10-64 off Lincoln Street.Three guys broke into Bree’s apartment.”
The other deputy responded, but Bree couldn’t hear over the sound of her own labored breathing and the cries of the babies.When Tanner wrapped his arm back around her and began leading her somewhere, she just went.
“They found us,” she said, almost on autopilot.“I’ve got to leave.We’re not safe.They found us.They found us.”
Bree could feel the panic welling up inside her.She had nothing she needed for the babies, no way of knowing if she could even get back to her car safely, and she still didn’t have enough money to survive long on her own.How was she going to make it?
