Page 22 of Blast from the Past

Smart girl. I know exactly where she is. I have to hurry. Her voice is getting further away from her phone, and I know she doesn’t have it on her. If he gets her in his car I won’t have any way to find them.

Gunning the engine, I listen as she struggles against Zane. Zeus is going crazy in the background. Rounding the corner, I see them. Mercy is kicking and slapping at the much bigger man as he drags her toward his car by her hair.

Jumping the curb I floor the gas. Zane sees me and jumps out of the way, releasing Mercy and pushing her out of the way. Not that I would have hit her, I’m aiming for him. Gunshots go off as Zane fires at my truck. I keep my head down and pray that Mercy is safe on the other side.

The gunshots stop abruptly but are replaced by horrific screams. I hear the police sirens in the distance and smile, knowing someone heard me and called the cops.

“No!” Mercy screams just outside the door of my truck before another gunshot goes off.

I’m not sure when she came around to this side but my heart stops when I hear that shot go off. I can’t lose her now.Throwing the door open I jump out, ready to fight. The scene that greets me is bloody and heartbreaking.

Zane is on his back. His eyes are filled with fear as his hand presses to his throat. Blood is pooling beneath him from a wound in his neck. Mercy sits on the ground beside him, tears streaming down her face. Zeus is cradled in her lap as she tries to stop the flow of blood from where the bullet penetrated his side.

“Help me!” she screams, her voice broken.

The local sheriff comes to a screeching halt beside us. “Jesus,” he curses taking in the scene. “What the fuck is going on here?”

Zeus whimpers in Mercy’s arms and she sobs louder. “Just help me!” she screams again imploring him with her gaze.

The sheriff turns to face me and nods. He knows me. Knows where my business and my home are, and he will find me to clear this up. I lift Zeus into my arms and place him in the back seat—Mercy clambers in after. Without giving it a second thought or looking back at the carnage behind us, I drive to the local vet like a madman.

****

Mercy West

It feels like it takes forever to get to the vet. Zeus whimpers with every bump in the road while I sob. Crazy beast. He saved me but now Shane is going to lose him, and my heart is being torn to shreds.

“Wait here,” Shane says loudly. He jumps out of the truck, and within a minute a woman is following him outside pushing a metal table.

Harshly, Shane rips the door open and helps me out. Gently he lifts Zeus out of the truck before laying him on the table. Zeus’s eyes are closed but I know he is still alive by theshallow movements of his chest. Just as quickly as she appeared, the woman wheels the table away again. I can hear her shouting instructions inside the building but it’s like I have cotton wool stuffed in my ears. Everything sounds far away.

“Babe…” Shane shakes me lightly and my gaze moves from the closed door to him.

“I’m so sorry,” my voice breaks with the last word.

“Mercy.” He crushes me against his chest. I can hear his heart beating loudly against my ear. “It will be okay.”

“It won’t.” I push him away. “I’m the reason he got hurt. If he dies I won’t ever be able to forgive myself, and neither will you!” I yell, sounding slightly unhinged. I know I’m acting like a deranged person but I don’t feel that sane right now.

“Stop!” he roars.

I turn to glare at him. We face off both breathing hard.

“Kimberley is going to do everything in her power to help Zeus. But he did what he was supposed to do. He protected his loved ones.” Shane is fierce in his belief that Zeus will be fine. My heart is breaking every moment that we don’t know if he will be all right.

We don’t have any more opportunity to argue as the sheriff pulls into the parking spot beside us. Getting out of his car, he studies us for a moment before speaking.

“Zane is dead. He bled out from the wound your dog inflicted.” He stares at us in turn. “Were you aware of his history of mental illness or that he was a long-time drug user?”

We stare at each other as so many of the puzzle pieces slip into place. He was a sick man and it didn’t take much to send him over the edge.

“He had a gun!” I reply instead. “He was trying to kidnap me.”

“I’m aware. I am also aware you had a problem with someone stalking you.”

Taking a deep breath, I calm myself. I’m happy someone had the forethought to let the local sheriff know about my situation, but I also know what happens to dogs that maul or kill people. There is not a snowball’s chance in hell I will let them euthanize Zeus if he survives this shit. I glare at the sheriff, only now realizing that he is Tommy Smith.

“What do you want, Tommy?”

---