Page 102 of Ashes of the Past
“She’s scared. Let her go.”
“You’re going to shut your damn mouth and stop interfering in my relationship with my daughter,” he hisses. “You’re also going to give my brother his job back. Because you owe us that much.”
Olivia struggles in his grip. “Let me go,” she says softly at first.
Barney gives out a low growl. Clay stomps at the ground to scare him off, still holding on to Olivia tightly. Barney snaps, growling more, his eyes locked onto Clay fiercely.
“Let me go!” Olivia screams this time, fighting hard to get away from her dad.
Barney lunges, flying through the air. Clay screams as Barney latches onto his arm. Olivia shrieks, barely getting out of her dad’s grasp. I lunge for her, just as Lane starts screaming.
“You stupid dog!”
A shot rings out.
“NOOOOOOO!!!!” I scream.
Chapter Forty-Two
Jack
Time slows as the sharp crack of the shot punches through the night, sending terror slamming through my chest. My instincts take over before my mind catches up. I lunge without hesitation, my body acting on pure adrenaline as I tackle Lane to the ground. My hands shake as I wrestle for control, my heart hammering wildly.
Nick is right beside me, and both of us are trying to keep Lane down. I hear Brynn scream, a raw, gut-wrenching sound that makes my stomach drop.
Who got hit?
My fury burns hot, but I force myself to stay focused. I grip Lane with all my strength, using every ounce of control to keep him pinned. I want to punch this man until he’s no longer breathing for all the stress and bullshit he’s caused, but I can’t. I don’t have that luxury. My breath is ragged as Nick and I wrestle the gun away from him.
The gun is loose. I dive, grabbing it as Nick keeps Lane pinned to the ground. I stand up, holding the nine millimeter in my hand.
I turn—and my world tilts. Brynn is on her knees, screaming.
Is she hit?
Panic grips me as I rush toward her. Clay is on the ground. Blood pools beneath him. Olivia is sobbing. Lane, the bastard, is screaming his brother’s name in denial. Brynn grabs her daughter in her arms before I get to them and races toward the porch just as John comes barreling through the front door.
“What in the hell is happening? I heard a gunshot!”
His eyes go wide as he sees Clay motionless on the ground. Lane is wailing now as the reality of what he’s done comes crashing down on him. It’s like I’m watching from afar, seeing everything unfold on a movie screen.
Paulo and the other ranch hands are skidding to a stop in front of Clay.
“Go help Nick get Lane restrained until the police get here!” Paulo shouts as he rips his shirt off and tries to stop Clay’s bleeding.
“Did someone call the police?” Nick calls out as he and the other ranch hands pick Lane off the ground.
He’s fighting them, straining to get free. He’s not even trying to run to his brother.
He’s trying to run so he doesn’t go to jail.
“I did. They’re on their way. The only officer was on the other side of the county.”
“I’ll call again and tell them we need an ambulance,” Nick says as he pulls his phone out.
The other ranch hands have a tight rein on Lane; he’s not going anywhere. He’s fighting them as Nick calls 9-1-1. He quickly hangs up the phone and turns back around.
“All you had to do was give me my job back!” Lane slurs as he screams into the night. “It’s your fault that the barn burned down, Brynn. It’s your fault that the cows are sick! All the money that your ranch is losing is on you! When you go bankrupt, it’s all your fault!”
