Page 62 of Home Changes
“Turns out he was a serial killer,” Gregg said, shrugging.
Seth blinked. “You’re shitting me.”
Gregg shook his head and looked around the diner. “What do you say we wait for this conversation until after I finish? We can stroll around town, look for that truck, and I can fill you in on all of it.”
“Deal.” Seth took a sip of his coffee. My God, Hollister wasn’t short on drama, was it?
The streetsof Hollister were wrapped in dusk, the kind that stretched long across the prairies. The purple light bleeding into deep shadow. The bakery had closed hours ago, but Allison’s light still glowed above the back door. Seth’s gut had been twisting all day. That weight he got before everything wentsideways. He, Gregg, and Gomer had walked the town all day. That damn truck wasn’t in sight. Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling of dread.
“Did you hear that?” he asked Gregg. Gomer’s ears were pinned forward, and he growled low in his chest. “Come on.” He and Gregg started jogging toward the back of the bakery.
He turned the corner just in time to hear Allison scream, “Let me go!”
He sprinted forward, Gomer at his side, Gregg just behind him. The road behind the bakery stretched out dark and narrow. Halfway down, he saw Allison struggling as she was dragged toward a truck.
And the man dragging her?
It had to be that motherfucker. Eric Danvers.
Big, blocky build. Blond hair with rage pouring off him like smoke off a fire.
Then Seth saw Lottie crumpled on the ground near the rear door. Unmoving.
His vision tunneled. “Gregg, get the women!”
Eric dropped Allison at the sound of his voice. She stumbled back, breath ragged, and Gregg swept in, grabbing her and pulling her to safety.
Seth didn’t slow down.
He slammed into Eric with the full force of hisweight, both of them crashing hard against the side of the truck.
Eric snarled, “She’s mine!”
Seth punched him. Once. Twice. Eric took the hits and answered with a fist to Seth’s ribs, then a wild swing that split Seth’s lip. They grappled, each looking for an advantage. Fists flew when separation happened. Seth’s boots slipped against the gravel, but he didn’t back up, and neither did that fucker Danvers.
Eric drove a shoulder into Seth’s gut, slamming him into the trash cans. The edge caught Seth’s back hard, and he grunted and twisted sharply, elbowing Eric in the temple. Eric staggered, eyes wild. “You think you can take her from me?” he panted. “You don’t know what she is.”
“I know whatyouare,” Seth growled. “A coward who hits women.”
Eric roared, pulling a folding knife from his back pocket and flicking it open. Seth barely dodged the first swipe.
“Gregg!” he barked, never taking his eyes off the blade.
“I’ve got them!” Gregg shouted from the back of the bakery. “Both are breathing!”
The knife flashed again. Eric slashed across Seth’sforearm, cutting deep. Pain flared, hot and bright, but Seth didn’t stop. He stepped in fast, inside the blade, grabbed Eric’s wrist, twisted until bones popped, andslammed his wrist against the blue truck. The knife clattered to the pavement.
Seth kneed the man and lost his balance as Eric swung at the same time. Eric staggered, disoriented, reaching blindly for the truck door with his good hand. Seth grabbed the back of his coat and spun the man down hard onto the gravel. Eric’s head landed with a sickening thud, groaning, one arm twisted beneath him.
Sirens wailed in the distance. Then the headlights. Seth dropped his knees to Danvers’ back and twisted both arms behind the man. He pushed them toward the man’s neck, and Danvers roared, spittle flying as he screamed, “I’ll kill her! I’m going to kill her!”
Ken’s voice broke through Danvers’ screaming, shouting orders.
“Step out, Seth!”
Seth obeyed, chest heaving, blood dripping from his arm. Gomer stood beside him, growling low, unmoving.
Ken and two deputies rushed in, guns drawn.Ken knelt beside Eric, yanked his good arm back, and cuffed him hard.
