“Zoe’s not going to leave with you,” her father said in a hard voice. “She’s staying right here in our house.”
Ethan’s heart felt as if it would pound out of his chest. He was not letting another guy claim Zoe. He’d gotten this far. He was so close. Zoe was behind that door. Just out of reach. If only this man would go away, he could have Zoe.
Zoe’s father took a step toward him. Then another. He was about three feet away when he stopped. Held out his hand. “Give me the gun, Ethan.”
Ethan shook his head. “I can’t do that.”
Behind her father, the bedroom door opened. Zoe stepped out, wearing a long tee shirt that left her legs bare. As Ethan stared at her, desire swelled into a giant wave that threatened to drown him.
“What’s going on?” she said. “Ethan, why are you in my house? Why do you have a gun?”
Ethan tore his gaze away from her legs. “I came for you, Zoe, but your father said he won’t let you go.”
“It’s the middle of the night, Ethan,” Zoe said in a quiet voice. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“But we need to be together,” Ethan said, his voice rising. “I love you, and I know you love me. We belong together.”
Zoe held his gaze. “Ethan, give my father the gun and leave. We’ll talk about this tomorrow. After school we’ll go to that restaurant you like and talk about it, okay?”
No! This wasn’t right. It wasn’t the way it was supposed to be. Not the way he’d planned it. Getting more and more desperate, more and more agitated, Ethan tapped his fingers again and shook his head violently. “No! You love me! You’re supposed to want to come with me.”
Zoe’s dad put his hand on Ethan’s shoulder, and Ethan spun around to face him. He’d forgotten all about Zoe’s father.
“Listen to Zoe, Ethan. Go home. You can talk to her tomorrow, all right?”
Ethan turned so he faced Zoe’s father. He tightened his grip on the gun.
Zoe’s father reached out to take it. Pulled.
A loud boom sounded, and Zoe’s father stared at him for a moment. Then he tumbled to the floor. Blood poured from his chest.
Ethan stared at him, shocked by the blood.
Zoe screamed, “Daddy! Daddy!” She dropped to her knees beside him and slapped her hands over the blood gushing out of his chest. “Mom! Call an ambulance.”
Ethan turned and bolted down the stairs. Behind him, he heard Zoe scream, “Daddy! Wake up!”
Out of the corner of his eye, Ethan saw a woman run out of the bedroom and grab the phone from Zoe’s dad. She hit some buttons, and Ethan scrabbled for the door.
He swung it open and scrambled out as he heard the woman shout, “My husband was just shot by a… by a home invader! Get an ambulance here. Hurry!”