I resume my duties in DC with you following me as we originally planned? Or what?”
“I guess so, since I don’t have a better idea. But if you have one, I’m all—”
A car backfired and Nikki fell backwards. A sharp pain in her arm suddenly spiked through her skin. She looked down at the spreading wet spot that turned one side of her shirt red.
“Nikki,” Lucas yelled from somewhere—it sounded very far away.
Why was she lying on the deck?
Another explosion. Not a car backfiring—they were too far out to hear cars. A gunshot.
“Get down, Lucas. Someone’s shooting at us.”
Another bullet whizzed through the air.
The deck rattled as Lucas fell.
13
Dear God, not again.
Lucas dropped to the deck floor, then crawled around the table as more gunshots exploded.
Nikki was sprawled on the deck, her shirt bloody. Her eyes were closed. She wasn’t moving and hadn’t said anything since she’d yelled they were being shot at.
His mind flashed to Victoria lying on the floor of that convenience store. He blinked the memory away. Had to stay in the present. Had to help Nikki. When Lucas finally reached her, he put two fingers on her neck. A pulse—she still had a pulse. Thank You, God. He touched her cheek. “Nikki.”
Her eyes fluttered open. “Someone’s shooting at us.”
“I know. You were shot. I need to stop the bleeding.” He reached up to grab napkins off the table. Another shot exploded.
Her eyes fluttered shut once again. Don’t think about it. Just do what you have to do. He tore off his shirt and pressed it against her shoulder. “Nikki. Nikki. Wake up. Open your eyes. Please.”
Her lids opened, but her gaze was unfocused. She moaned.
“Nikki, you’ve been shot.”
“Kind of thought that.” A weak smile.
“Lucas…house…need…to get…in the house.” Her words burst out in short blasts.
“I’ll carry you.”
She grabbed his arm. “No. Can’t…gotta… stay…down. Don’t…give…target.”
How could he move her? He didn’t want to drag her. That might cause more damage, but they had to get off the deck. “Can you crawl?”
“Think so.”
He helped her to her knees.
A path of blood marked her trail as she crawled towards the door.
Lucas hovered close behind her, shielding her from any more bullets.
Once they were in the house, Nikki sat back against the wall. Breathing hard. Sweat beaded on her forehead. So pale—just like Victoria.
He shook the thought away and knelt beside her. “Let me—”
“Lock the doors. We can’t let them get in.” Her words came out between the gasps of pain. “And stay away from the windows.”
“I need to—”
Her voice was adamant. “You need to make sure they can’t get in the house.”
He bolted the door they came through and then ran to the front door to bolt it. He’d not opened any windows, so they were as secure as they could be. Which wasn’t much security at all.
Nikki still leaned against the wall when he came back, taking deep, slow breaths. Her eyes were closed.
He stared at her shirt, now covered in red. Please, God, don’t let her die. He leaned down to her. “I’m right here, Nikki. The house is secure.” Locked doors wouldn’t stop them if they really wanted to get in. “Wake up. You can’t go to sleep.”
“Not asleep…trying to think. Did you call 911?” Her emerald-green eyes were cloudy with pain.
“Can’t. There’s no cell-phone signal out here. And the cabin doesn’t have a landline.”
She gave him a weak smile. “Well, I think we can assume I was right about the man with the gun.”
“You’re a tough one, huh? Making jokes after getting shot.”
“Don’t feel tough. Feel tired. Arm hurts. Need to rest.”
“I know it hurts, but you can’t go to sleep right now.” He touched her cheek. “I’ll take care of you. I promise everything will be OK.”
She stared at him with those beautiful green eyes, a lifetime of hurt and mistrust reflected back to him. Finally,
“I guess so, since I don’t have a better idea. But if you have one, I’m all—”
A car backfired and Nikki fell backwards. A sharp pain in her arm suddenly spiked through her skin. She looked down at the spreading wet spot that turned one side of her shirt red.
“Nikki,” Lucas yelled from somewhere—it sounded very far away.
Why was she lying on the deck?
Another explosion. Not a car backfiring—they were too far out to hear cars. A gunshot.
“Get down, Lucas. Someone’s shooting at us.”
Another bullet whizzed through the air.
The deck rattled as Lucas fell.
13
Dear God, not again.
Lucas dropped to the deck floor, then crawled around the table as more gunshots exploded.
Nikki was sprawled on the deck, her shirt bloody. Her eyes were closed. She wasn’t moving and hadn’t said anything since she’d yelled they were being shot at.
His mind flashed to Victoria lying on the floor of that convenience store. He blinked the memory away. Had to stay in the present. Had to help Nikki. When Lucas finally reached her, he put two fingers on her neck. A pulse—she still had a pulse. Thank You, God. He touched her cheek. “Nikki.”
Her eyes fluttered open. “Someone’s shooting at us.”
“I know. You were shot. I need to stop the bleeding.” He reached up to grab napkins off the table. Another shot exploded.
Her eyes fluttered shut once again. Don’t think about it. Just do what you have to do. He tore off his shirt and pressed it against her shoulder. “Nikki. Nikki. Wake up. Open your eyes. Please.”
Her lids opened, but her gaze was unfocused. She moaned.
“Nikki, you’ve been shot.”
“Kind of thought that.” A weak smile.
“Lucas…house…need…to get…in the house.” Her words burst out in short blasts.
“I’ll carry you.”
She grabbed his arm. “No. Can’t…gotta… stay…down. Don’t…give…target.”
How could he move her? He didn’t want to drag her. That might cause more damage, but they had to get off the deck. “Can you crawl?”
“Think so.”
He helped her to her knees.
A path of blood marked her trail as she crawled towards the door.
Lucas hovered close behind her, shielding her from any more bullets.
Once they were in the house, Nikki sat back against the wall. Breathing hard. Sweat beaded on her forehead. So pale—just like Victoria.
He shook the thought away and knelt beside her. “Let me—”
“Lock the doors. We can’t let them get in.” Her words came out between the gasps of pain. “And stay away from the windows.”
“I need to—”
Her voice was adamant. “You need to make sure they can’t get in the house.”
He bolted the door they came through and then ran to the front door to bolt it. He’d not opened any windows, so they were as secure as they could be. Which wasn’t much security at all.
Nikki still leaned against the wall when he came back, taking deep, slow breaths. Her eyes were closed.
He stared at her shirt, now covered in red. Please, God, don’t let her die. He leaned down to her. “I’m right here, Nikki. The house is secure.” Locked doors wouldn’t stop them if they really wanted to get in. “Wake up. You can’t go to sleep.”
“Not asleep…trying to think. Did you call 911?” Her emerald-green eyes were cloudy with pain.
“Can’t. There’s no cell-phone signal out here. And the cabin doesn’t have a landline.”
She gave him a weak smile. “Well, I think we can assume I was right about the man with the gun.”
“You’re a tough one, huh? Making jokes after getting shot.”
“Don’t feel tough. Feel tired. Arm hurts. Need to rest.”
“I know it hurts, but you can’t go to sleep right now.” He touched her cheek. “I’ll take care of you. I promise everything will be OK.”
She stared at him with those beautiful green eyes, a lifetime of hurt and mistrust reflected back to him. Finally,
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