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As they ran, Ford pulled his weapon out of his duffle without losing a stride. Knox unholstered his own, and they moved to keep the women between them.

They needed to get them inside. They needed to give Jolie a chance to take off the wetsuit.

Jolie breathed heavily. “Anyone have car keys on them? I feel like we need to get Cyril to the police as soon as we can.”

She felt the worry, too. It was a good idea, but no one had keys. They were all inside the farmhouse.

When the orchard opened up to show the farmhouse, Ford couldn’t see the entire drive from this angle, but there weren’t any unknown cars or people in his view.

Fox barked and veered to the left. Hemsworth followed.

“Inside. Quick. Then we’ll grab keys and go.”

Everyone picked up speed, and he positioned himself between Jolie and where he figured a sniper might be.

Then the first shot rang out.

Chapter18

Battle Royal

Jolie couldn’t contain the yelp when she heard what had to be a gunshot.

Beside her, Ford slipped into warrior mode. She shouldn’t have been able to tell when they were running, but she could.

She wanted to help, but she didn’t have a clue how. This entire mess was her fault.

She was the one who’d found Cyril.

She was the one who wouldn’t let him rest quietly at the bottom of the pond. Her insatiable curiosity might cost them all.

Now, she was putting them in more danger. With her wetsuit on, she wasn’t quick enough. She was holding them all back.

All her fault.

Fear had her heart jack hammering and her feet moving as quickly as she could. She should have taken the extra minute to remove the suit earlier.

Or was someone behind them as well? Would that have made them sitting ducks?

Ducks. Were her ducks okay?

Thea flew up the porch steps and unlocked the door. Jolie gulped in air and forced all her energy into her pace.

Faster.

Another shot sounded, and her heart pounded.

“Go. No one’s hit. Go.” Ford’s word were calm but let her know neither he nor her brother had been hit. And if she could get herself inside, they’d be safer.

When they reached the porch steps, Ford’s arm came around her waist and he lifted her up the steps and inside. Knox followed, and the door slammed and locked behind him.

Ford didn’t put her down until they were in the hallway off the kitchen, out of sight of any windows.

“Change, quickly.”

Gulping in breaths, she nodded and started stripping off her wetsuit. Thea dropped beside her and helped her slip her clothes over her bathing suit and get her shoes tied.

The men were no longer with them, but they hadn’t heard anymore gunshots.