No!
“Sophie!” Pushing his legs to their limits, Jason pulled his gun from his holster as he ran.
He was less than two yards away when he saw her.
Sophie had just exited the locker room. The fact that she was alive and appeared to be okay registered a second before he saw the gun.
Moore, the fucker, had her in a choke hold. His gun was pressed against her skull, and his finger was dangerously close to the trigger.
“Don’t come any closer, or I’ll shoot!” Moore warned.
Jason and the others froze in their tracks.
“Let her go!” he yelled.
A few screams and hurried footfalls came from somewhere nearby. But Jason didn’t take his focus off the man in his sights.
“I let her go, I’m dead!” Colton hollered back.
“You don’t let her go, you’ll be dead,” Jason vowed. “You don’t want to do this, Colton. I know you don’t want to hurt Sophie.”
He knew no such thing, but he had to play the game.
“I don’t. I didn’t want to hurt anyone. I just wanted—”
“It doesn’t matter,” Jake chimed in, his weapon trained on Moore. “Whatever you wanted, whatever your plans were, it’s over. The only way out is to let Sophie go.”
Jason thought he was going to do it. He thought Moore was going to let her go and turn himself over.
He should’ve known better. He should’ve anticipated the man’s next move.
He didn’t.
Everything all happened at once. Several horrifying actions occurring simultaneously.
Moore shoved Sophie forward. She stumbled and nearly fell. Jason ran to her as Moore raised his gun and pointed it in her direction.
He’s going to shoot her!
The past morphed with the present. Another woman’s face. Another time. Another shooter.
Not this time! Not my Sophie!
“Get down!” Jason yelled. He shoved Sophie out of the way.
Gunfire blasted through the hall, several bullets flying through the air at once.
Jason saw Moore fly backward as he, Jake, and Trevor filled him with holes. Moore hit the cold, hard tile. His lifeless body bouncing as it landed.
For several seconds no one moved. Jason wasn’t sure he was even breathing. And then...
“Jason!” Sophie was on her feet and throwing herself into his arms.
With his gun still in his hand, he wrapped his arms around the woman he loved and held on for dear life.
“Baby!” He closed his eyes and drew in her sweet scent. “Thank God you’re okay.”
When Jason held her a little tighter, Sophie released a small cry. He recognized the sound as one of pain rather than fear.