Page 60 of Murder at Rescue Ridge

As he moved within arm’s reach of Lukas, the man rolled several times, moving out of reach. He popped to his feet and produced a handgun, aimed at Conrad.

“Heath, no!”

Nikki’s words were the last ones heard before a bullet split the air.

20

Nikki jumped from behind the tree the second she recognized her stepfather. A shot rang out. Time moved in slow motion.

Conrad dropped to the ground and then rolled. She scanned his shirt for any signs of red. Fear that he’d taken a bullet sent panic rocketing through her.

“Put the gun down,” she shouted to a surprised-looking Heath.

Before she could run to Conrad, who was now somewhere behind the tent, a hand came over her mouth. Another wrapped around her midsection like a vise.

“Be quiet, bitch,” the unfamiliar voice said.

“Not her, Lukas,” Heath warned. “Leave her out of this.”

“And do what?” Lukas asked. “Let her call for help? Hell no.”

“She doesn’t belong here,” Heath said. Should she be happy that he seemed to care whether or not she died today? His fatherly love should have come with a warning label.

Nikki bit the fingers over her mouth. Hard.

“Shit,” Lukas said, squeezing her even tighter with his free hand. He released a slew of curse words as he whispered, “You’ll get paid back for this, you little—”

She banked on Heath not wanting her to die. Therefore, he wouldn’t shoot her himself. She dropped down and jabbed an elbow in Lukas’ ribs. A feral growl tore from him as his grip slipped enough for her to break free.

“Don’t be stupid, Nikki,” Heath warned as Lukas quickly regained composure, aiming the barrel of a gun directly at her heart. “Do whatever he says.”

“What’s going on, Heath?” She took a step toward him, trying to create a distraction so Conrad could either get away or get in a position to fight. His shotgun, unfortunately, had flown out of his hands. It was lying on the ground ten feet in front of her.

Could she make a move for it?

“Don’t,” Heath warned, following her gaze to the shotgun.

Conrad had disappeared from view. Was he bleeding out behind the tent? Coming up with a plan? She hated the helplessness embedding in her chest at not knowing if he was alive or dying without being able to do anything about it.

Hands fisted at her sides, she locked gazes with her stepfather. Being a good litigator was about taking the right risks, pushing the right buttons.

“Why did you kill my father?” she asked. Those words were knives to the chest. She didn’t want them to be true. She shouldn’t care about Heath. She shouldn’t love her stepfather. But her loyalty ran deep, and her feelings toward the man were a mix of disgust, fear, and as much as she hated it, love.

Lukas walked up to her side, pointing the barrel of his gun at her temple. This time, he was smart enough to stand just out of reach.

“How did you figure out it was me?” Heath asked, clearly taken back.

“I didn’t,” she admitted. “Until just now.”

“Harrison made everything complicated,” Heath said, and she could hear the exasperation in her stepfather’s voice. “He didn’t do anything to deserve your loyalty except donate sperm.”

She couldn’t argue there.

“But you still loved him,” he said with a sour expression, like the words tasted bitter. “You were loyal to him.”

“I came here to tell him that I wanted to be your daughter, Heath.” Those words hurt now. So much about their relationship would involve painful memories now.

“You did?” Heath’s surprise caught her off guard. “I overheard you talking to your mother, saying you didn’t know what you were going to do.”

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