Page 61 of Clara's Secure Hideaway

Clara fought not to let her gaze drop to Heath laying on the ground at her feet. Blood pooled around her shoes, seeping onto her white sneakers. Fear hitched high in her throat, but she held back fresh tears. Refused to give Mitch a flicker of satisfaction.

Mitch kept his Glock focused on Heath. “Nah, I’m not the stupid one. She is. She’s the one who got me into this mess. I won’t walk away, and if it were up to me, neither would she. But having this dumbass deputy laying in a puddle of his own blood under her is pretty damn poetic. Makes me wonder…”

As his voice trailed off, he spun and got off a shot that tore through Owen’s shoulder.

Owen stumbled backward.

A gun sounded and a bullet ripped into Mitch’s leg.

Clara screamed, confused by the source of the shot. She stared down at Heath, whose eyes slid shut and his body went lax.

Mitch fell to the ground, a growl ripping from his throat. He dropped his weapon and fire lit in his eyes. “You’ll pay for this.” He lunged for the gun.

Clara swiped Heath’s sidearm from his limp hand, aimed at Mitch, and squeezed the trigger.

Mitch’s body stilled and his eyes went wide before collapsing in a heap on the fake hardwood floor.

Ragged breaths tore through Clara and shock chattered her teeth. The gun turned hot as lava, and she dropped it to the floor.

Owen climbed to his feet and hurried to Mitch to pressed two fingers to the side of his neck. When he dropped his hand and frowned, he didn’t have to say a word for her to know the verdict.

Mitch was dead.

She should feel shame or guilt or sadness at taking a life. But in this moment, she couldn’t bring herself to care. She’d deal with the trauma of tonight and all the previous years later. For now, her mind was consumed with one thing.

Heath.

She dropped to Heath’s side and molded her palm to his face. “Heath. Wake up. It’s over. It’s all over now. You found me and saved me. You need to open your eyes and show me you’re okay. You can’t leave me now. I love you.”

Tears flowed over her cheeks. Agony sent shockwaves through her system.

A gentle touch of her shoulder lifted her gaze to Owen. “Ambulance is on the way. I need you to move back so I can try to stop the bleeding until they get here. He’s strong and has a hell of a lot to fight for, so let’s give him the best chance possible.”

Linking her fingers with Heath’s, she shifted her body to block out the view of Mitch’s lifeless form. She needed to train all her energy, all her love and prayers, on Heath. She watched as Owen found the source of the bleeding. Horror penetrated the cloud of shock as he pushed down on the side of his abdomen where blood stained his shirt.

She squeezed Heath’s hand then pressed his knuckles to her lips. “Come on, baby. We need you. Me and Avery and Davey. We still have to take them on that camping trip, remember? It’s going to be a nightmare but one we’ll remember forever. We can’t do that without you.”

His eyes remained closed, but the side of his mouth twitched the tiniest bit and buoyed her spirits. Her hope lifted and she clung to it, because if Heath had given his life to save her, she wasn’t sure how she’d continue living.

23

The feel of Clara’s children in her arms after they were reunited stayed with her as she sat in Heath’s hospital room and waited for him to wake from surgery. Leaving them sleeping in their beds had torn her heart in two, but she had no doubt they were safe.

Heath’s prognosis was more uncertain.

Time ticked by and she’d give anything for him to open his eyes. The seconds stretched into minutes along with her nerves. He’d put his body in front of hers—took a bullet to save her.

And now he fought for his own life.

Needing to touch him, to feel his warmth, she settled her hand on his. The stiff blanket covering him to his waist scratched her arm, and she folded herself over the bedrail, resting her chin on her forearm.

“If you could just open your eyes and let me know you’re okay, I’d quit all this worrying. I told the kids how brave you were. They can’t wait to see you. I promised them they can see you tomorrow, so you better not make me a liar.”

He remained still, his body unmoving.

She sighed then winced at the pain in her side. A reminder of what she’d endured—what she’d survived.

Guilt swept in and stole her breath. Not everyone had survived, and she’d been the one who’d taken the kill shot. No one would argue that she had any other option. She and Heath would both be in the ground right now if she hadn’t acted. But that didn’t make the knowledge that she was responsible for taking a life any easier.

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