Chapter 12
SEATON
The longer they stood there, the more she felt that her chance of getting out of this was shrinking by the minute.
Turning her head in one direction, she saw Yun standing resolutely beside her and when she turned toward the window, she saw a police car pull into the lot.
The lights weren't on.
She drew in a breath and held it.
Maybe the officer was just pulling into the parking lot to write reports or to get something to eat.
Her heart slammed against her ribs wondering if the officer would walk in without knowing the danger inside.
The police car stopped, but instead of being in a parking stall, he stopped blocking three of the spaces.
Seaton turned away, hoping that Daryl wouldn't see what she was looking at.
He wasn't looking at her, thank goodness, he was glaring at Yun.
"You think that knife would do any good against me?"
Yun lifted the cleaver up and nodded. "Given the chance, I could do a lot of damage with this."
Daryl snorted a laugh and waved the gun in their direction. "You wouldn't get close enough to use that thing! I'm not stupid."
He held out his hand and turned his gaze in her direction.
"Come on, let's go home."
Seaton's instinct was to tell him to... Well, none of the words in her head were decent.
She wanted to tell him exactly what she thought of him, but given the handgun he was holding, she also held her tongue.
She cast a sidelong glance at Yun who was still standing at her side. He showed no signs of backing down.
She was grateful for his help, she just didn't want him to get hurt because of her.
If she didn't go with Daryl, would he use that gun?
"Come on," Daryl's voice was tighter, more controlled.
Seaton felt the blood drain from her face.
She knew that tone.
"Let's go, Seaton! I'm tired of waiting for you to come to your damn senses. You're nothing without me! Look at you. Working in a fucking diner! At home you have it easy."
"Easy?" She laughed out loud before she could stop herself. She pressed her lips tightly together knowing that she wasn't just endangering herself, she had Yun there with her.
Since she'd left Daryl, she'd added more and more people to her life.
She'd heard people talking about a Circle of Friends and thought it was just wishful thinking.
Since she'd left Daryl and moved in next to Sam, she had more than a Circle of Friends, she felt she had a whole family around her.
"Daryl, please, we're over. I'm not going to leave with you. It's time for you to walk away. That's the only way this can end without things getting worse."
He shook his head. "Your mother warned me..."
She didn't know if it was his words and had more of an effect on her or his tone.
It struck her like a sucker punch.
"She told me you were like this. She told me to get you to knuckle under if I didn't want to have to deal with your shit."
Seaton felt a little dizzy at the moment.
Her mother.
As far as she knew, her mother hadn't really talked to Daryl much. They'd met with her right there, and maybe one more time along the way, but her mother had been on her best behavior then.
They both had.
She just couldn't imagine how much interaction they had.
Is that the reason that Daryl seemed to know how to make her life so restrictive?
Daryl walked toward her and Seaton felt her gaze fall to the gun in his hand. He was holding it out, steady and pointed at her chest.
She wondered if this was how her life was going to end.
"Are you coming with me, Seaton?"
She wasn't sure she could actually answer.
It wasn't just her life and safety in jeopardy here. Yun was standing beside her.
A knock at the window turned all of their heads.
CADDO
When he saw Duval lifting his hand to knock on the window, Sam felt her heart squeeze in his chest.
He knew that Duval was a member of SWAT, but he hadn't heard much about him as a negotiator.
Sam looked at Hayden standing beside him. "He's got this, right?"
Hayden didn't quite smile, Sam understood that there wasn't much to smile about at the moment. "He's got more experience in situations like this than anyone else on scene." She turned to look at him, her eyes oddly calm. "He'll get her out. We're lucky he was nearby when the call came in."
Someone touched his arm and Sam turned.
Chloe had a death grip on his arm. "Caddo! What are you doing here?"
"I came from the fire."
Chloe looked back over his shoulder. "Where was it?"
He looked at her and when she met his gaze, he swallowed. "Seaton's house. Someone set fire to it."
Chloe turned back to look at the diner. "It's got to be connected. Seaton's house burns down and her asshole ex shows up?"
Sam nodded. "That's what I'm afraid off."
Hayden shook her head. "Love can be wonderful, but it can also be toxic."
Sam lowered his head. He remembered what happened to Hayden's husband, Boone. People didn't even need to be in a relationship with someone for the other person to go absolutely nuts and come after them.
There was a ripple of voices through the gathered onlookers and Sam leaned forward, narrowing his gaze on the situation ahead.
Duval was still standing at the window, the lower half of his body obscured by the wall. They all saw him unholster his weapon and slip it into the back of his pants.
His movements were furtive and it was likely that no one inside knew that he was doing it.
Then he stepped up in front of the door so that he was visible from head to boot.
He put up his hands and Sam held his breath, hoping that Seaton's ex wouldn't make him turn around to show his back.
Sam held his breath as Duval turned slightly to the side showing the empty holster at his hip.
He was almost starved for oxygen when Duval undid the Velcro straps of his Kevlar vest and pulled it off of his body.
Everyone there knew what this could mean.
Beside Sam, Hayden cursed and shook her head. "West is going to be pissed."
Sam agreed. Weston Cooper, the head of SWAT in San Antonio wasn't going to be happy that one of his team had taken off his safety vest.
"You better come of this safely, butthead."
Sam looked at her.
Hayden gave him a lopsided grin. "Duval is famous for being an ass. But he's damn good at his job, Caddo."
SEATON
When Duval turned to show Daryl his empty holster, she felt her heart sink.
When Daryl took a step forward and pointed his gun at her head, demanding that Duval take off the vest, Seaton felt a little faint.
It was one thing that Yun was putting his own safety on the line.
But Duval was a Texas Ranger and a SWAT member. The kind of skill he had in helping the community was immense.
She didn't know how she would feel if he was hurt because of her.
"Daryl." She swallowed and took a step forward. "Don't do this."
He turned to look at her as the front door of the diner opened up.
The jingle of the bell above the door made him turn his head whip fast.
The gun swung toward the doorway and the man stepping inside.
Seaton stepped in front of Duval, her hands held up. "Please, Daryl."
Yun made a grab for her, but she stepped out of reach.
"Don't hurt anyone else," she implored. "Please, just put down the gun." She swallowed and felt the blood drain from her face. "If you don't hurt anyone, I'll... I'll walk out of here with you."
"Seaton, no."
She heard Yun's voice and the warning behind it.
She knew she had to be crazy to do this, but there were lives at stake. She couldn't let someone else sacrifice for her when Daryl was doing this because of his fixation on her.
Why should others have to give up their health or their lives just for her.
If she knew one thing deep in her heart, it was that she didn't feel like she deserved that kind of sacrifice.
Duval was suddenly beside her. His hands in front of him but closer to his hips.
"You're Daryl Buchanan, right?"
"How do you..." Daryl narrowed his eyes at the Ranger. "You were in the courtroom that day."
Duval straightened a little and Seaton saw him smile a little. "It's my handsome face, right?"
Seaton was surprised at Duval's glib comment, but it looked like Daryl was even more surprised.
"What the fuck are you doing here?"
Seaton sucked in a breath at Daryl's harder tone.
"I was passing by and wanted to come in for some One Star diner Chicken Fried Steak." Duval looked over at Yun. "I really want it with your country gravy over your mashed potatoes. Can we do that?"
Yun looked back at him and nodded. "Sure. That's a good idea." He gestured toward the kitchen. "I also have some sausage gravy I made this morning."
"What the-"
Seaton had to agree with Daryl. She was standing between Duval and Yun and she was completely confused.
Daryl was feeling the same confusion.
"Sausage gravy..." Duval sounded like he was pondering the question and then he turned back to look at Daryl. "What about you? How about some food. I'm starving."
Seaton didn't know what to think. She just stood there.
Yun was smiling. "Food is always good."
Duval reached out a hand and pointed to the table between himself and Daryl. "We can sit down, have a bite and talk this out."
Seaton knew that Daryl was cruel.
She also knew that he was more than a little crazy, but she didn't expect him to look down at the table in front of them and reach out a free hand to pull the chair out from the table.
Was he really that far out of his mind?
CADDO
Sam wished that he had binoculars so he could see what was happening in front of him, but when he saw Seaton turn to look at Duval beside her, he was glad he didn't have them.
Even from this distance, he could see the terror on her face.
He wrapped his arms around himself, gripping his arms tightly, waiting for the chance to hold her again.
He had to believe that it would happen.
He couldn’t lose her.