“Get off of me!” I yelled when one of the men roughly grabbed my arm. “Help me!” I screamed when he hauled me out of the seat. My shoulder slammed into the doorframe as he dragged me out. I hit the ground hard, and the impact knocked the breath from my lungs.
My purse fell onto the asphalt, and the gun skidded across the pavement under the car. I rolled over, snatched it up, switched off the safety, and fired into his chest.
The shot rang through the trees, and the man collapsed to the ground. The other men shouted and swore, and by the time they figured out what was going on, I was running for my life.
Branches tore at my arms as I plunged into the woods. My feet slipped on leaves and dirt, but I refused to stop. My lungs burned, and my heart hammered as footsteps pounded behind me. I didn’t look back and kept going until the trees thinned.
I chanced it when I felt I had put some distance between us. I turned and took advantage of the clear line of sight, firingagain. Blood and brain matter sprayed against a tree, and I was running before his body hit the ground.
I lost my footing when someone slammed into me. I screamed when I was thrown to the ground and attempted to fight off my attacker. A direct punch to the face dazed me, and a face I knew too well—a face that plagued my nightmares—loomed over me. His panting breath was hot, and his grip around my wrists was iron-tight.
“You know… I’m pretty fucking tired of the Baker women killing my men,” Todd snarled.
I clawed and kicked at him, fighting with everything I had left, but my head still rang, and my body lagged like it was trying to buffer.
Something struck my temple, and then the world went dark.
Chapter Forty-Six
Grant
“Hey, baby. I got out of court a little later than I anticipated. I should be home soon. Call me back.”
I hung up and checked the security system alerts out of caution. I hadn’t received any notifications after Kiyah armed the system two hours ago. The tension in my shoulders eased when I reviewed the perimeter cameras and was satisfied to find everything in order.
I pulled into my parking spot and noted that Casey’s vehicle was the only one in the lot. I smiled, thinking of how jealous Kiyah was of Casey’s car. She frequently said he didn’t know what to do with it, and that a car like that was wasted on him. The worst part? Casey got an absolute kick out of her envy and revved it obnoxiously when she was around, earning a middle finger that made him chuckle.
I only made it a few steps past Casey’s office when I double-backed. He sat at his desk, staring at his computer monitor with his jaw locked tight and his shoulders rigid like he was bracing for impact. Something was weighing on him, and now that I thought about it, Casey had seemed uncharacteristically withdrawn since the wedding.
“You good?” I asked.
He didn’t answer right away, eventually nodding once. It was barely perceptible and not enough for me to take him at face value.
“You want to talk about it?” I asked, entering his office and setting my briefcase on an armchair.
He swallowed, still staring at the screen and nodded again. “Not here,” he said roughly.
A knot in my chest started to form, tightening into a noose as the silence pressed on.
“Casey… you’re not sick, are you?”
Casey blinked repeatedly before finally swiveling around to face me. His wet, red eyes clashed against pale skin.
“No, it’s nothing like that. Just some heavy stuff.”
“I’d say I’m the expert in heavy stuff.” He snorted and nodded. “I’m just waiting on Dad to throw me back in rehab,” I said, trying to lighten the mood.
“How has sobriety been treating you?”
I loosened my tie on a sigh and slipped it off. “It fucking sucks, Case, but it’s a choice I intentionally make every day. When I tell myself that one drink won’t hurt, then I remind myself what I stand to lose.” I chuckled. “It feels like I’m grieving a friend.”
Casey bobbed his head. “Fair enough. For what it’s worth, we’re proud of you.”
“Thanks. It’s getting late. Do you want to come over for dinner? We can talk over cigars.”
“The ones Uncle Ant gifted you at the party?”
“Yes, sir.”