Page 7 of Wanted

Again.

He completely ignored Alek and Kael, his focus solely on me as hespoke. “Sara. Where are you going? Why are you leaving me?”

His voice was calm, posture rigid, his demeanor threatening.

Alek shielded me with his body, pushing me to step behind him. “Getout of our way, Samuel. We’re leaving.”

Kael added, “We’ve called the cops, so don’t even try anything.”

My captor completely ignored both of them, his attention stillfocused only on me. It was creepy, but had I expected anything less?

It was weird. I could deal with our situation when it was the twoof us. Okay, maybe notdeal, but atleast no one else was involved. But having to watch Alek witness the bizarreback-and-forth between us was unnerving. I knew how much it affected him. Hiseyes were resolute as he stared at Samuel. Even through the dim lighting of theroom, cast by a lamp in the corner, I caught a glimpse of his despair when Iturned to look at him. An action my kidnapper didn’t appreciate.

He took one step toward me.

Toward us.

“Don’t look at him, Sara. Look at me,” he demanded. “You belongwith me. Not him. Why are you trying to run away? All I’ve ever done was loveyou.” His words were slurring the more he spoke. Was he on something? Was hemedicated at all? Because whatever it was didn’t take the crazy out of him.

Alek reached down and gripped my hand in his, squeezing tight. Hisrage was breaching the surface; one wrong word and he would be in full-onattack mode. “Don’t say another fucking word to her. Do you hear me?” heseethed, his muscles tensing in his anger.

Again, Samuel never acknowledged him.

Kael took a step to the side in an effort to make Samuel feel asif he was surrounded. Off in the far distance, I could hear sirens.Hurry up.I wanted to leave as quicklyas possible, but I also wanted to make sure they caught him. His second timekidnapping me was surely enough for them to lock him away for the rest of hisnatural-born life.

He must have heard the sound of the police as well, becausebefore anyone of us could even take our next breath, Samuel advanced, liftedhis arm and pointed a gun at Alek.

I froze.

No. No. No.

This can’t be happening.

As soon as he drew his weapon, Kael stepped closer and raised hisown gun, pointing it directly at Samuel’s head. Nerves racked through me,unaware of how everything was going to turn out. There were no guarantees. Scratchthat. The only guarantee I could depend on was Samuel didn’t care if he livedor died. He only wanted me. I could see it in his dead, blank stare.

“If you leave me, Sara, I’ll kill him.” He wasn’t paying anyattention to the gun Kael had aimed at him. It was almost as if he hadn’t evenseen it. Or him.

“Then you’re going to have to kill me, because sheisleaving and you’re never going to seeher again,” Alek goaded. I tried to warn him with my grip not to antagonize Samuel.He ignored me.

“Samuel,” I started. “Please, don’t harm him. He has nothing todo with this.”

“He does!” he shouted, his voice ringing out in the air aroundus. “If it wasn’t for him, you would be with me. We would be so happytogether.” The tension in his voice became more strained as the situation unraveled.

I remained silent. I had no idea what to say to him. Uttering thewrong words would surely cause him to explode, and I couldn’t take the chance. Notwith Alek’s life.

Taking a step forward so I was positioned directly next to Alekproved to be a fatal mistake. I saw the recognition in Samuel’s eyes. He saw meas standing up for Alek, and it didn’t sit well in his crazy mind.

His posture straightened.

He inhaled a deep breath, and I knew it was coming.

I couldn’t see his finger on the trigger, but I sensed he was aboutto pull it.

So I did the only thing I could.

I jumped in front of the man I loved as the shot rang out.

As I was thrust to the side, then to the ground below, all I keptthinking was,Is Alek okay? Is he hurt?

---