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I spot Zeke on the bed and slip into the room, keeping the gun at my side.
“Zeke,” I whisper.
“Mr. Gruco?” he wipes his nose and jumps from the bed, making more noise than I’d like. I glance toward the closed door as he runs up to me and throws his arms around my waist. “Mr. Gruco, you have to help my mom. She’s… she’s hurt.”
My heart stops in my chest.
Pain seeps into my lungs and I only realize I’ve been holding my breath when it rushes past my lips.
I set the gun on the floor and check out Zeke first, my hands going to his shoulders and my eyes roaming his face and neck.
“Areyouhurt?”
He shakes his head.
“Your mom… How badly is she hurt? Is she walking?”
He nods. “Yeah, I think so. But earlier she was screaming. I heard it. Please.” Zeke grips my shirt, tears in his eyes.
“It’s okay,” I assure him. “You wait here and I’ll go get your mom. Be ready because we’re going to leave soon, okay?”
Zeke wipes his nose again and nods. I pick up the gun, and his eyes lock on it, going wide. His body stills.
“Hey, look at me.” I tilt his chin up and he trembles. “I promise you everything is going to be okay.”
“Are you gonna kill my dad?” Zeke’s eyes fill with fresh tears and his lip quivers. Pain splashes me in the face, but it isn’t the physical kind this time. My father’s death hardened me. It made me the cynical, untrusting man that I am today. I was a man when he died.
Zeke is only a boy.
“No,” I whisper, praying it isn’t a lie. “I’m going to go get your mom now. Wait right here.”
“Okay, Mr. Gruco,” Zeke whimpers.
“It’s Colter.” I squeeze his shoulder and crack the door just enough to leave the room. I walk to the other end of the hall and press my ear against the door. This time, I hear nothing.
With my gun ready, I open it. Abi is sitting up in bed, her hands behind her back. There’s a gag in her mouth that muffles her whimpering. I take two steps into the room before I realize she’s alone. And she shouldn’t be.
“Coetaw!” Abi cries though the gag.
I whip around just as the butt of a gun comes crashing down on my head. I fall to the ground, and the world around me spins. I come in and out of darkness and only make out bits and pieces. The thump of my gun as it’s kicked away from me. Abi’s crying. Devin’s voice, farther away. He’s saying something to her, but I can’t make out what.
She needs me.
My mind screams it, but my body won’t listen. There’s a ringing in my ears and pain in my skull that makes me think it’s split in half. Zeke appears in my blurry vision, standing over me, his eyes wide. He says something, but it’s garbled.
He steps back with his hands raised, and Devin comes into my line of sight, stalking up to Zeke until he’s backed into a corner.
Abi screams, and it’s a little clearer than before. Devin shakes Zeke roughly, and he must have untied and taken the gag off Abi because she lunges at him. Her arms curl around his neck, and she scissors her legs around his waist. She growls and Devin thrashes, trying to get her off, but she doesn’t let go.
I can hear clearly now.
Devin backs Abi against the wall hard, once, twice, and her grasp loosens. She crumples to the floor, and he spins and kicks her repeatedly in the stomach and ribs.
Now it’s Zeke’s turn to try.
He goes at Devin with his tiny fists in the air and punches him several times in the back. Devin turns briefly and throws Zeke down. The boy gets back up and tries again, but this time Devin doesn’t settle for a push. He punches Zeke in the face, and Zeke flies back. He screams in pain, and Devin’s eyes go wide like he can’t believe he just did that.
Abi shoves herself forward, her hand on Devin’s ankle as she sinks her teeth into his shin.