Page 132 of Forever After All

Ryan lifted his hand, aiming a gun at the center of the door.

A cold wave ran down Linc’s spine as he registered the trajectory of the bullet. Jess stood on the other side of the door and couldn’t see the threat waiting for her.

The playful smile on Ryan’s face was gone, replaced by a sinister stare. “Let me in, or I’ll blow her head off.”

Chapter41

Jess

Jess froze at Ryan’s words.

I’ll blow her head off.

Linc hadn’t moved either, and she took her cues from him. He knew Ryan, and she had to trust Linc’s judgment on this.

She still couldn’t piece together what they’d been talking about. Linc had killed someone. A woman. Was Ryan telling the truth or just trying to get her to do or say something stupid?

Either way, Linc hadn’t denied that a woman was dead, and a cold foreboding rushed down her spine. It didn’t make sense. She didn’t understand.

Confusion always kindled her anger, and here it was, right on time.

Blow her head off.Ryan had a gun, and from what she’d heard about him, calling his bluff wouldn’t turn out well for her. She was close enough that a bullet would go straight through the door.

Run. Fight or flight?

Stupidly, her body chose to freeze. Ugh, that wasn’t what she wanted. She wanted to punch Ryan in the face, but her limbs wouldn’t move, and every breath was harder to take in than the last.

Linc stared out the small opening in the door, and she watched him for any signs. What should she do?

Please, God. Help us. Help us. Help us.

Then he moved. Linc’s hand gripping the door twitched and his finger pointed. He wanted her to sneak away.

Okay. No more freezing. Linc said to move.

But she couldn’t leave him. She couldn’t save herself and leave him in Ryan’s crosshairs.

The air in her chest whooshed out. She couldn’t leave him. He could die.

“Last chance,” Ryan said.

Linc’s finger flexed again, pointing adamantly toward her safety.

She had to move. Linc was asking her to, and she had to trust him. Shedidtrust him.

Slowly, she took a measured step to the right. Then another. With the next step, she crouched and crawled toward the sofa. Scanning the room for anything to use as a weapon, she came up empty.

Drat. Now would be a great time to have a pointless figurine or a candle at least.

“You were always selfish,” Ryan said. “You should have been upfront with her about that.”

The shot rang through the house. She covered her ears and ducked her head as pieces of the door went flying.

Her heart pounded, and she reached for the phone in her pocket. She pressed her back against the sofa and looked from left to right as she typed out a message.

Jess: Help. Call 911. My house.

There was a thud behind her followed by scuffling. All the movement meant Linc hadn’t been shot, but her panic didn’t ease.

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