Page 60 of Ultimate Freedom

“Yeah? So you say, but I saw you. Don’t bullshit me.”

“Hey, you two. Hel-lo! We have a crazy person outside shooting at us. Maybe we should concentrate on that for now.”

Bella pushed Tanner again and tried to get to the window, only to have Demi move in front to stop her. “Don’t go there. You’ll get shot for fuck’s sake. Tanner, control her.” Demi pulled out her phone and made a call to Dawson. In seconds, she let him know their situation. “Okay, we have help coming.”

Before she could say more, another barrage of bullets peppered the front of the cabin, this time breaking the front window. Thankfully, the thick wooden logs were protection for them.

Tanner spoke up. “Do you have a back door?”

“No. There’re windows in the back but they’ve been frozen shut all winter. We’d have to break the glass to get out that way, and we’d be in the open trying to get to the vehicles.”

“Nito, stop the noise.” Demi spoke to the wolf who paced back and forth, his growls savage enough to make them all nervous.

Suddenly, Demi smelled the smoke. “Son of a bitch. Whoever is out there isn’t fooling around. They’re trying to torch the place.”

Tanner moved to the window and peeked out. Stiffening with rage and filled with venom, he growled in disgust. “It’s that fucking Sadie. The bitch has been trying every trick she could think of to get me to be with her. Christ… fighting off that sicko has been a nightmare. Now she’s followed me here.”

He turned to look at the women and added, “I watched a fool speeding past me on the highway. I never saw the driver. A few minutes later, I noticed the same vehicle at the store. She stayed out of sight but could have overheard Whit and Glen talking about Bella and my baby. Must have been what’s put the psycho over the edge.”

Bella stared him down. “She followed you?”

“Looks that way.”

“Cause you gave her reason.”

“Cause I crushed her hopes every time, and Sadie the sadist gets what Sadie wants. Her words not mine.” He looked at Demi. “What are you doing?”

She’d gone to the roof opening and pulled down the steps with the rope that was tied to a hook on the post at the far side of the living room.

“We have a door where we can go out on the roof and watch the northern lights. I know that Whit oiled the hinges a few days ago so we could start using it again.”

When she started to take the stairs, he forced her down and pushed himself in front. “Not you. Me. I’ll get the drop on her from up there. She’ll never expect anyone to be on the roof.”

Demi grabbed his arm. “Stop. Use my parka. It’s white and you’ll blend in with the snow up there better.”

“Good thinking.” Tanner removed his own heavy shirt and pulled on the smaller item looking quite silly in a coat so small that the sleeves didn’t come near his wrists. Before he could start up the stairs, Bella flew towards him, wrapping her arms around his waist. “Be careful.”

He kissed her hard and then forced her away from him toward Demi. “Take care of my little woman.” Bella’s scoffing sound made him grin, and he winked at Demi, a loving gesture she’d seen from him many times.

He made his way up and over the sill, and Demi waited to be able to close the door, not wanting the cold or snow inside. When she turned it was to see Bella at the window again.

“Get away from there.”

“No. I need to cover him. You heard what he said. This bitch is irrational, has a screw loose… no telling what she’ll do if she sees him.”

“You realize she’s the one you thought he cheated on you with. Now he’s willing to shoot her to save you.”

“Yeah, well, no one’s perfect. I blame my lapse of judgement on raging baby hormones.”

“Noted and accepted. But your hormones won’t get you past me and out that door, so stop plotting. I can see your mind working. I remember your hotshot ways.”

“Shit. You know I could never let him go out there alone if it wasn’t for them.”

“I know and thank God you’re being sensible. But so you know, I’m not pregnant.” While she’d kept Bella talking and watching out the window, Demi had been getting herselfprepared to go outside. When she snatched the gun from Bella’s hand, the woman seemed stunned. “Demi. What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

“Saving my brother and my cabin. If that bitch thinks she can attack us like this, she’s wrong.” Before Bella could say another word, Demi slipped out of the front door with Nito on a lead beside her. They pushed through the smoke and made it to where the fawn slept. Ducking down, they were hidden.

Within minutes, a smaller female figure came running once again toward the cabin with another loaded gas can. As she approached, Tanner stepped out from the edge of the wall and called out. “Drop it, Sadie.” He held the rifle pointed at the woman. She lifted her own AK 15, and they stood at a standstill.

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