Page 65 of Rescued Faith

Then it came to him. “What if Sosa is driving out the competition?”

“What do you mean?”

“If he wants to set up his own cartel here—and didn’t you say that one of the drug dealers is getting pushed out?—wouldn’t it make sense to clear out the competition? Not only that, but instead of doing all the work himself, why not get these groups to turn on each other and do the fighting for him?”

Penny sat up straighter. “You know…that kinda makes sense. So Alonzo moves here, figures out who the key players are, and has them fighting each other while he swoops in and establishes his own little kingdom in Last Chance. Jude is always talking about how we’re so close to the routes between Salt Lake, Vegas, and Denver. A lot of different cargo moves through here.”

“Not to mention you can go straight north for a day to the Canadian border, and there’s not a whole lot to stop you if you want to go international.”

“And in the meantime he targets everyone involved with his uncle’s death to prove himself the new leader.”

“Now the question is, how do we find him? Because I’m not about to let this punk take over. And the sooner he’s gone, the sooner we can talk about us.” He reached over and squeezed Penny’s hand. She gave him a light squeeze back.

He let go to turn the steering wheel as he drove down the street Libby lived on. They pulled into the driveway. Bryce turned the engine off.

“I think I can walk to the front door myself. You don’t have to wait, let alone turn off the engine.”

“I’m walking you to the door, like it or not. Especially since there’s no light on.” He ran around the truck to open her door again.

She smiled. “I always did like that about you.”

Finally, things were looking up. He reached for her hand as they walked to the porch. Her long fingers fit nicely, entwined with his. He would have to?—

“Bryce. Look.” Penny stopped before they reached the step, her voice strained.

The front door of the house swayed open in the wind.

TWENTY-ONE

Penny grabbed her Smith & Wesson Equalizer and shoved the door open with her shoulder. “Libby!”

One of the kids screamed. Sounded like from upstairs.

A deep voice yelled. It wasn’t Dan. He was still on his overseas work trip.

“Harry! Hazel!” She moved toward the stairs, Bryce on her six.

“Get them out of here!”

The sound of the strange man’s voice had her tightening her grip on her gun as they raced up the stairs. She sprinted to Hazel’s room. Gestured to Bryce to check Harry’s next to it.

Hazel’s room was lit with a nightlight. The purple unicorn cast an eerie glow. No lump under the frilly comforter. No one waited behind the door. No one under the bed.

“Where are they?” The words came out a whisper, adrenaline and panic closing off Penny’s voice. She ran and yanked open the closet doors. Nothing.

Two more rooms to clear. A thump sounded from the other side of the wall. Penny ran into the hallway.

She paused outside the doorway of Harry’s room, listening.

Lord, if You’re really there, help. Protect my family. Bryce. Please.

“Bryce?” she whispered.

Gun held in her two hands in standard thumb-forward formation, she stepped into the space-themed bedroom. A force slammed into her, knocking the gun out of her grip as she fell next to Harry’s twin bed. She rolled from her side onto her back. A man with a ski mask stood over her. A shadowed lump lay next to her.

It was Bryce, crumpled on the floor.

This man overpowered Bryce. He wasn’t tall enough to be Alonzo. Who was he? Not that there would be much of him left if he hurt her sister or the kids.

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