Cera held on tight, but the extreme fear filling every cell in her body had left her palms clammy and slick. Her sister’s tiny hand slid free from hers, and then…
She was gone.
No!
“Callie!”Cera screamed the name as she pushed herself out from under the bed. The backs of her shoulders scraped along the bed’s metal frame upon her hasty exit.
Ignoring the pain, she pushed herself to her feet. And there, holding a screaming, kicking Callie…was James.
Tall and beefy, his salt-and-pepper hair, signature plaid shirt, and overly worn jeans all in disarray. The man’s face was puffier than the last time she’d seen him, and unless the moonlight was playing tricks on her, his skin and nose looked even redder than she remembered.
The smell of whiskey, sweat, and stale cigarettes hung in the air, the familiar scents turning Cera’s stomach to the point she thought she would vomit. But what left her in a total state of paralyzing horror was the gun held loosely in James’ free hand.
“James, what are you doing?” she demanded. When he didn’t respond, she shouted at him to, “Let her go!”
Sirens came to life in the distance.
James lifted the gun, pointing the weapon’s barrel directly at her. “She’smydaughter,” he seethed. “And she’s coming with me.”
The man’s words were slurred, his wild eyes making Cera wonder if he’d taken something other than a few shots. Unfortunately those same words were also true.
Not that it mattered to either of the girls. For them, there was no half anything. They weresisters.Period.
And right now, her sister’s life was in a madman’s hands.
“Please, James,” Cera pleaded. “You don’t want to do this.”
“Actually, I do.” His swollen beer gut jostled with a deep chuckle. “I’ve wanted to do this for a long fucking time.”
“Please!” Cera begged, her voice high-pitched with fear. “Just leave us alone!”
“Plan to. Right after I finish what I came here to do.”
That gun steadied in the angry man’s meaty fist. His finger slid to the trigger, and he began to squeeze.
“No!”
On reflex, Cera dove to the right as he took the shot. Her breath was stolen, a powerful vibration filling her chest as the bullet entered her body just below her left clavicle. Feeling as if she’d been struck in the chest by a twenty-pound hammer, the unexpected blow lifted her up off her feet, throwing her backward through the air.
She fell painfully against the room’s hardwood floor.
Her head bounced against the unforgiving surface, and for a moment, time and space ceased to exist. Dizziness unlike any she’d ever experienced consumed her, and black spots began to flash before her unfocused eyes.
In the background, she could hear Callie’s terrified voice as the young girl screamed Cera’s name. Her sister’s cries were joined by more sirens, their volume increasing with each frantic heartbeat.
A strange warmth began to spread beneath her, yet at the same time, she had the wherewithal to recognize the slight chill starting to fill her extremities. Blissful unconsciousness threatened to take over, but as much as she welcomed it, Cera knew she had to stay awake.
For Callie.
For them both.
If only she could keep her eyelids from falling shut…
“Cera!”
Her sister’s cry for help had Cera’s eyes opening wide once more. The room was still dark. Everything fuzzy and out of focus. But she could still make out James’ imposing figure, as well as her struggling, determined sister.
“C-Cal…lie.” She lifted a helpless hand in the young girl’s direction.