Page 146 of Proof of Guilt

She pressed her left hand to her heart to try to steady it. Also tried to rein in her too-fast breathing. If she panicked now, it certainly wouldn’t help them. No. She needed to keep a clear head and try to figure out how they could all get out of this alive.

But how?

They couldn’t shoot at the men, and if they sped off, then they’d kill Al. At least Theo and she were in a bullet-resistant car, but that wouldn’t help anyone else out there—especially Al. Ivy didn’t know the hand that well, but he was out here because he’d been trying to protect her. That reminder twisted away at her, and once again she had to remind herself to stay calm.

“Step out of the cruiser,” one of the gunmen shouted.

“Stay put,” Theo told her, and he didn’t hesitate, either. However, he did lower his window a fraction so he could yell back an answer to the men. “Put down your weapons. There’s no way you can get out of this alive.”

If Theo’s threat bothered them in the least, they didn’t react to it. They certainly didn’t put down their guns. Ivy had to wonder if these men had been in similar situations as Morris. Had their loved ones been taken as well to get them to do this or were they merely hired guns?

Either way, this situation could be deadly.

“Get out of the cruiser,” the thug repeated. “If not, we start puttin’ bullets in your friend here.”

“Hell,” Theo said under his breath, and he glanced around, probably looking for Gabriel or the other hands.

Ivy looked for them, too, and she spotted Gabriel still near the shed. He was at the wrong angle to have a shot to stop this, and if he stepped out from cover, one of the gunmen could easily shoot him.

Maybe someone could come through the front of the house to get to the men. But then she had to mentally shake her head. The house was probably still filled with tear gas.

“Who hired you?” Theo called out to the men. “Because whatever he or she is paying you, it’s not enough for you to lose your lives. That’s exactly what will happen, too, if you don’t stop this now.”

Even though she couldn’t see their faces, Ivy thought the one who’d been doing all the talking laughed. “Just get out of the cruiser. I don’t think you want your woman to watch as we shoot this guy.”

No, Ivy didn’t want to watch that, but she figured the moment Theo and she stepped out, these thugs would gun them down. She didn’t want to see that, either, but they didn’t have a lot of options here.

“Who exactly is it you’re after?” Theo asked. “Me or Ivy?”

The two didn’t jump to answer but did have a short whispered conversation. “Ivy. If she wants to save you or anybody else, then all she has to do is open the door and come to us.”

“You’re not going out there,” Theo told her right off. “They won’t want any of us alive because we’re witnesses.”

Because her mind was whirling with fear, she hadn’t actually realized that. But it was true. Heck, the thugs probably had orders to kill them all.

But why?

That was the million-dollar question. And they still didn’t have the answer. Because any of their suspects could have hired or coerced these men into doing this. It was even possible that their boss was nearby, waiting to make sure his or her orders had been carried out.

“I have men all around here,” Gabriel called out.

Her brother had moved his position just a little but was still thankfully behind cover. Or at least he was unless someone came from the back pasture. Hopefully, though, there were still hands out there to make sure that didn’t happen.

“So do we,” the thug answered back. “And time’s up.” He lowered his gun to Al’s arm. “Either she gets out of the cruiser, or I fire the first shot. Just how much blood do you think he can lose before he dies?”

It was impossible for her not to think of Belinda Travers. She’d been shot and certainly hadn’t survived. The same could happen to Al.

“I can’t just sit here and watch him die,” Ivy said.

Theo cursed again, glanced around as if trying to figure out what to do. “Get lower on the seat,” he instructed. The moment she did that, he added to the men, “Give us just a few seconds. Ivy was hurt when we ran into the barn, and I’m trying to stop the bleeding. She’s not in any shape to stand right now.”

Ivy doubted the men would buy the lie, but it seemed to give them a little time because the thugs had another whispered conversation.

“They’re wearing masks,” Theo said, but it sounded as if he was talking to himself more than her. “The man who attacked Morris’s family didn’t wear one.”

She considered that for a moment. “You think these are men you know?”

“Maybe.” Theo shook his head. “Or maybe they’re just cocky enough to think they can kill us all and escape.” He turned back to the window. “Ivy needs an ambulance,” he shouted to the men.

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