Page 80 of Come Fill Me

Her lungs were on fire, her limbs so heavy she couldn’t keep them up. Her thoughts returned to Zeke, her love for him so foolish and hopeless.

The room dimmed. She was aware of sagging to the floor, Carreon shouting something she didn’t hear as he kept strangling her.

Sadness, not fear, overcame Liz for what would never be…living out her life with Zeke, seeing her father free and happy.

Papa, I’m so sorry. Do whatever it takes to save yourself, please. Mama and I will wait for you.

Liz would also wait for Zeke, seeing him again. Along withGabrielle, she’d welcome him home.

Keep safe, her thoughts whispered to him. Protect Jacob and your people. Know that I love you. That I…

She couldn’t think any longer or hope anymore. Everything went still and black.

Zeke stared at the stronghold’s lights, concentrating on them to the exclusion of everything else. The Jeep bounced over the uneven terrain, the steering wheel shivering in his hands. Until the damn thing fell off, Zeke wasn’t about to slow down. He pressed his foot into the accelerator, urged on by his vision.

It wasn’t what the future was, but what it might be if he didn’t intervene.

Because of what he’d done, Jacob hadn’t been shot in the shoulder and chest. His brother hadn’t died and neither would—

Movement caught Zeke’s attention, interrupting his thoughts. He squinted at the dark shape cutting across the outside lights. Metal gleamed beneath them, revealing the vehicle’s shape. A black Escalade.

There was only one path to the stronghold, with Zeke and Carreon on it, headed toward each other. The Jeep’s headlights were off. However, there was enough moonlight pouring into the SUV to reveal Carreon driving. Next to him sat Liz’s father.

Where was Liz?

Zeke didn’t see her in the back.

Dr. Munez tried to open his door, telling Zeke that Liz wasn’t in the vehicle. Her father would never leave her. Carreon shouted something at the elderly man then saw the Jeep and slammed on his brakes.

Zeke brought his vehicle to a quick halt. Leaning out his window, he aimed his pistol at Carreon’s forehead and fired.

Too late. Carreon had anticipated the shot and was alreadyaccelerating in reverse. The SUV went into a skid, the bullet whistling past.

Zeke hit his gas pedal, following.

Carreon spun his SUV to the left until it was on the other side of the Jeep. Dr. Munez’s door flew open. Zeke gaped at Carreon accelerating again while ramming his hand into the elderly man’s shoulder, forcing him from the moving vehicle.

Liz’s father hit the ground, his body rolling toward the Jeep.

Shit.

Zeke rammed his foot into the brakes. The Jeep fishtailed and shivered as it came to a halt.

The SUV barreled past.

Before Zeke could react, a bullet shattered his back windshield. Another whizzed past his shoulder as he exited. By the time he’d lifted his pistol to return fire, Carreon’s Escalade was kicking up dust on the unimproved road, heading to who-knew-where with the coward’s escape.

At the front of his Jeep, Zeke stopped. His front tires were less than a foot from Dr. Munez’s head. The man was struggling to sit.

Zeke pulled Munez to his feet. “Can you stand? Is anything broken?”

“No,” he panted. “I don’t think so.”

“Where’s Liz?”

Munez stared, his face frozen in horror as though he just now realized who Zeke was.

“Answer me,” Zeke ordered, shaking the man. “Where is she? Did Carreon hurt her?”

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