Chapter 59
Stephanie pointed her gun at Drew’s knees.
“He’s just a kid,” Tori pleaded. Her hands were almost free.
Tori stilled as Stephanie switched the Glock back to her, the crazed look in her eyes almost as scary as the gun.
Tori turned away, shifting her gaze toward the window.
Was that movement? It was gone so fast she didn’t know if it was real or wishful thinking.
“Then tell me what I want to know.”
When she didn’t answer immediately, Stephanie swung the gun back to Drew.
Everything froze. The hazy room. Stephanie’s face, determination stamped in it like granite, her finger on the trigger, the gun just inches from Drew’s knees. Her nephew’s eyes wide, mouth open. The body against the wall. Eli looking away.
Suddenly the zip tie popped, and Tori lunged at Drew’s chair. The blast from Stephanie’s gun reverberated in her ears. The heat of the bullet seared the side of her head as she shoved Drew’s chair over. The rope binding her loosened and she shrugged out of it.
Her ears throbbed as she spun around and grasped Stephanie’s wrist. The gun fired again. Tori slammed Stephanie’s hand down onto the floor, but she stubbornly held on to the weapon.
The room exploded in a bright flash of light, blinding Tori before a deafening boom rocked the room. Acrid smoke burned her nose and throat.
What happened? Tori blinked, only seeing white spots. Stephanie jerked from her grasp, and Tori blindly dove for her. “No!”
The door flew open.
“Hands where I can see them!” She just barely heard Ben’s voice over the ringing in her ears.
Her vision cleared, but it took a second to register that Scott had kicked the gun from Stephanie’s hand. Tori climbed to her feet and staggered as deputies swarmed into the room.
“I’ve got you.” Scott scooped Tori into his arms. “You’re safe now.”
“Drew—”
“He’ll be okay. Wade is cutting his zip ties. Everything is going to be fine.”
Tori rested her head on Scott’s chest as he carried her outside.
The wail of a siren reminded her just how narrowly she and Drew had escaped death.
If Scott hadn’t shown up when he did with Ben .
. . Guilt swept over her. He’d risked his life to save her even though she’d accused him of drinking.
She had to apologize, even though he would probably never forgive her, and she wouldn’t blame him. “Scott . . . I’m sorry—”
“Not now. We’ll talk later.” He set her on a solid part of the porch. “Ambulances are almost here for Drew and Eli.”
“Eli?”
Scott nodded. “He was shot.”
The gun had gone off while she and Stephanie were struggling over it—the bullet must’ve hit him. “Is he bad?”
“It’s a shoulder wound. Do you know the identity of the other man who was shot?”
“Calvin Russell.”
“Russell?” Scott said. “Why’s he here?”
“I don’t know . . . he was Stephanie’s cousin.”
Flashing red lights announced the arrival of the ambulance, and Scott left her to show the EMTs where Eli and Calvin were.
Once Tori gave Ben her statement and the EMTs checked her out, Scott drove her to the hospital to check on Drew. Amy and the rest of the family met them in the ER.
“Now that this is over and there’s no danger,” Erin said, “you can come back home. And you’re welcome too, Amy.”
Tori nodded. It was time to start mending fences.