Sudden visions of me running through the trees in nothing but an old ripped t-shirt like a girl in a horror movie flashed through my mind, a crazy man chasing after me with a knife.
No, I told myself, clenching my fists. Jay will take care of it. He’ll take care of you.
Then, as if on cue, a gunshot rang out through the forest. My heart skipped a beat as the echo chattered across the trees. I waited and listened for another but heard only silence.
The cold panic that had seized me began to take hold and threatened to overwhelm me. My stomach tensed and a wave of nausea bucked in my throat. I listened like a prey animal as my guts twisted into a knot of terror.
Of course I was worried about myself, but I was more worried about Jay. He’d kept his distance for five years trying to protect me and now he was out there putting his life on the line to keep me safe.
If anything happened to him…
A second shot rang out—closer this time—and I almost threw up.
He’d told me to stay where I was, but I couldn’t. I got down on my hands and knees and scrambled over to the window by the door and peered out into the darkness.
The moonlight carved slanted shadows through the trees and I scanned the area for movement.
Suddenly, another shot rang out and a muzzle flashed in the black. I heard what must have been a bullet hitting a tree, followed by the sound of a man crying out.
Was it Jay? I wondered. The gun rang out again and all reason fled from my mind. I had to go out there and help him. If I stayed here while Jay went out there and got himself killed for me…well, I’d never be able to live with myself.
I got to my feet and tugged the door open and ran out onto the steps. I wanted to scream for him but kept my mouth shut as I ran in the direction of the gunshot. As I grew closer, I could hear the sounds of a struggle, grunting sounds and leaves and branches snapping.
“Son of a bitch!”
That was Jay’s voice!
My foot caught a stump and pitched me forward. I braced myself but hit hard. The sharp end of a stick stabbed my palm but I was back up and running again before I even had a chance to register the pain.
A gunshot rang out again, almost deafening me, and I whirled to my left to see Jay standing tall above a fallen man, a pistol aimed straight at his head.
“Jay!” I cried out.
“Rachel! What are you doing here!?” he snapped. “I told you to stay inside!”
A line of blood fell from Jay’s shoulder and I quickly raced over to him and pressed my hand over the wound.
“You’re hurt!”
“It’s just a scratch,” he told me, not taking his eyes off the fallen man in front of him. “But that’s more than I’ll be able to say for this son of a bitch if he makes another fucking move.”
“You bastard,” the man hissed. “You’re gonna regret this.”
“Not as much as you are,” Jay growled. “Gimme your phone.”
The man was bleeding from his side, worse than Jay, but still glared up at him defiantly. He looked like a killer. A thick, scraggly, unkempt beard framed his cracked, sneering lips and he had tribal tattoos all over his face, as well as a teardrop hanging from his eye.
“Fuck you,” he snarled.
Jay cocked the hammer back on the pistol.
“Give me your phone, Colin.”
Colin didn’t move. Jay held the pistol firmly aimed at his head while I kept my hand over his wound. Had he been shot? Was it more serious than he was letting on?
My heartbeat throbbed in my ears and the adrenaline raced through my veins like fire. I was on the verge of throwing up or breaking down but had to hold it together. This was a life-or-death moment.
Finally, Colin moved. He reached into his coat pocket, pulled out a burner cell and threw it at Jay’s feet.