Page 4 of Rescuing Carolyn

“Two codes. Got it.” He switched the gun to his left hand. “What are they?”

I rattled off the first code as he keyed it in. The glass door slid open.

“Get in,” he ordered.

“It won’t close if we’re both in there. It senses body temperature,” I explained.

“Get in,” he repeated, sticking his gun into my side.

I stepped into the small space with the robber tight behind me. This close, I could feel the heat from his body and smell his sweat. Nausea hit me, but I forced myself to be calm.

“What’s the other code?” he demanded.

“It won’t work,” I said in a calm tone.

“What is it?”

I gave him a series of numbers to key in, but the door remained open behind us and the exit door in front of us didn’t move.

“All right, get out and don’t touch anything,” he said, giving me a shove. As soon as he was alone in the small space, the glass door slid shut, and he hit buttons on the keypad to open the exterior door.

Ignoring his threats, I quickly keyed in an emergency override code designed to trap someone between the doors. The code I’d given him was invalid anyway, but better safe than sorry.

He screamed at me, beating his fists against the glass. I stepped back, knowing he could no longer hurt me but still frightened by his erratic behavior. When he aimed and shot at me multiple times through the glass, I flinched, even though I knew the material was bulletproof. Instead of punching through and hitting me, the bullets seemed to be ricocheting off the walls. I saw a spray of blood, and he collapsed.

“Oh, God,” I whispered before turning to run back to the showroom. “He’s…not going to hurt anyone,” I declared, mustering my strength. I didn’t want to announce he was dead, but I suspected he was. “Anyone have a cell phone?” Jenna pulled one from her pocket. “Call the police and let them know we’re coming out.”

The mantrap had muffled the sound of the gunshots, or I imagined that the police would have already entered. If they didn’t know the threat was over, there was a chance they’d fire at anyone who came into view. I wanted it to be clear who we were and that we weren’t armed or dangerous. I heard Jenna talking to the dispatcher before I let myself reach for Austin. I took him from Nina, hugging him to me and dropping kisses on his dark hair. My actions were a comfort to me as much as they were to him. He wasn’t crying or upset, but I started to tremble when the rush of leftover adrenaline hit me.

The police entered, guns still raised, to clear the store, but I couldn’t give them my attention since I was too wrapped up in the relief of knowing my son and everyone else in the store was safe.

“Carolyn.” A voice reached me, shocking me out of the moment. Zach? I lifted my head as he strode toward me. Blinking, I took him in. Was I hallucinating? How many times had I imagined him coming back into my life? The fantasy was always the same. He’d hold me, promising I was the reason he rose in the morning and nothing mattered but our love. He looked just as good as he always had in my fantasies—just as tall, just as powerfully built. And those eyes…how many hours had I spent staring into them?

The sniper rifle in his hand snapped me back to reality in a hurry. Time seemed to still as he made his way to me. Noise and confusion were all around us, but all I knew was he was coming closer. I met his stark blue gaze, and our eyes held until Austin lifted his head. Zach stopped cold, staring at my little boy and then at me. A shell-shocked expression froze his face.

I’d known this moment would come, that Zach would return home and our paths would cross. Oh, God, why today when I was already reeling from the robbery and being held at gunpoint? I didn’t have the strength left to confront him about our son.

“Where’s the perp?” a cop on my left asked.

“Through there.” I shook myself out of my distraction to point the way. “He’s caught in the mantrap. I think he’s…” I didn’t need to finish my sentence as the police officers barreled past me. They’d soon see for themselves. I slipped the ear protection from Austin’s head, ruffling his jet-black hair. Could Zach doubt for even a second this child was his?

“Are you okay?” Zach had finally reached me. I glanced down at the weapon he carried as if it were an extension of him. “It’s secured. Carolyn…”

“I’m fine. Just a little shaken.”

“Mama,” Austin whimpered, finally sensing the tension.

“It’s okay, baby. Mama’s here. It was a strange game we were playing, wasn’t it?” I went for a soothing but cheerful tone. “Look how many people came to play with us.”

He took in the number of strangers in the room before resting his head against my shoulder. Zach stood nearby, watching us but saying nothing. For once, I was grateful for his silence. So many times I’d been frustrated by his taciturn exterior that covered the emotions he refused to reveal. Even in our most heated arguments, he’d retreat into himself like blinds pulled tight on a window, shutting me out.

Just as well now. I couldn’t discuss our son, not without losing my temper. Rather than be a part of Austin’s life, Zach had chosen to disappear, and I hadn’t even realized how deeply hurt and angry that had left me until right now, seeing him again. The worst part was how surprised he looked. I’d told him we were having a baby, so why would seeing our son be such a shock? And why didn’t he leave my side? He must have something he needed to do. Everyone else seemed busy.

“You…both of you need to get checked out,” Zach said when paramedics came through the front door.

My sister was right behind them. Charlotte was working at All That Sparkles part time while pursuing her MBA. She engulfed me and Austin in a hug. “I thought my heart would stop when I saw the message from the security company. I was sitting in class, and?—”

“Let’s talk about it later,” I interrupted, tilting my head toward Austin. I needed everyone who surrounded him to be calm. I didn’t want this to be a traumatic experience for him.

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