Page 98 of Hesi-Dating
"What the hell is this?" Mitchell yelled at the cop who'd brought him here. He held his phone up. "I will have her killed if you don't tell them to back off."
"It's too late. This is multiple departments." The cop ran to the car behind him.
Mitchell pulled me upright and held me in front of him.
On a PA system someone said, "Mitchell, let her go. Drop the gun and put your hands in the air."
So many guns pointed at us. At me.
"Put down the gun." Seth's voice rang out confident and clear.
"Back up or I'll shoot her." Mitchell pressed the gun's barrel into my forehead.
Tears trickled from my eyes, more from pain than fear.
I sensed Mitchell's attention being drawn to our left where several officers crept toward the front of the car. I met Seth's stare for a heartbeat, then knocked my head backward while stomping my heel into Mitchell's foot. His grip released as he yowled and grabbed his nose. I dropped to the ground.Someone stop him. Please.
My ears rang with the sound of gunshots. I curled into a ball on the ground.
All I registered were flashing lights and the distant murmur of people talking. They sounded so far away.
Someone rolled me. I looked up into Seth's face. His fierce expression hid a lot of turbulence. Gone was the cowboy hat. He was still in his jeans and button-down shirt from his date.
I smiled up at him, grateful. "You made it."
"I'll always make it if you call me." His fingers brushed over my face. I flinched when he hit something sore. His hands roamed over me almost frantically. "Anything other than your face? Did he shoot you?"
"Scrapes. Few bruises. He shot my car."
His expression eased slightly.
My injuries were minor and didn't concern me. "Are you hurt?"
"I'm good," he said. "An ambulance should be here in a minute. We'll get the medics to look at you." He used a pocketknife to cut the zip tie around my wrists.
I didn't want to see what happened to Mitchell, but I looked. He wasn't dead, but he looked to be shot in a leg and maybe an arm too. Two lady police officers had disarmed him and restrained him from moving. Either the shots were intentional, or the cops had terrible aim. So much blood.
Mitchell met my gaze. He mouthed, "I will kill you."
Chills skirted along my shoulders.
Seth moved to block me from his view. "What did he want from you?"
"He's got a lockbox that belonged to Nosh." I pointed at the dark case next to him. "He needs a code to open it. I'm guessing it holds a hard drive or something important to their business. Might be a huge break if you can get into it."
"You'd know the code?"
"No, no idea what Nosh might've used. Mitchell said if he forced it open it'd destroy what's inside. That cop he rode with…you need to figure out where Mitchell stashed his wife. Get someone there fast before they kill her."
"They're monsters."
"Violence…fear…it's their way of things." I massaged my wrists. I whispered, "If he doesn't die, he'll come after me. He'll send someone else if he ends up in prison."
Seth swore. "I won't let that happen. Are you sure you're okay?"
"I think so. Just a little banged up."
After the medic checked and declared me fine, I stared at my car. The spider web of broken glass in the passenger side window would probably shatter when I drove the car.
