Page 127 of Trapper Road

At first I think that maybe it’s Mandy, moving it out of the way of the emergency vehicles. Then I realize that it’s gaining speed. And it’s coming straight for us.

I don’t have time to think. I clutch Connor and roll. We barely escape the crunch of tires rolling past. I look up, only then noticing the figure caught in the car’s headlights. It’s Willa and she tries to throw herself out of the way, but she doesn’t quite make it.

The front bumper clips her in the hip, sending her sprawling. The brake lights flare and for a second I think Mandy’s stopping to check on the person she just hit. But then the reverse lights come on, and I realize she’s coming back for us.

I’m already on my feet, dragging Connor toward the edge of the clearing. Vee’s there, grabbing us, hauling us forward. We barely clear the first of the trees when there’s a crash behind us. Glass shatters and metal crunches as the rear of my SUV plows into the tree behind us.

The driver door flies open and Mandy staggers from the car. Instinct registers the gun in her hand before my brain is even aware for it. I have no idea where she got it, but that doesn’t matter. I’m already moving, shifting Connor so that I can reach for my own gun holstered under my arm. But bearing Connor’s weight is cumbersome, and it takes longer than it should for me to draw my firearm.

It doesn’t matter, though, because suddenly Vee’s there. She’s standing between us, blocking my shot. “Vee, move!” I shout.

She doesn’t. She stays where she is, facing Mandy head on. She’s feet away from the other girl. If Mandy pulls the trigger, there’s no way she’ll miss.

Mandy realizes this too because she starts to cackle. “You fucking—”

Vee lunges. Mandy pulls the trigger.

There’s nothing but a click. The chamber’s empty.

She realizes it just before Vee’s fist connects with her jaw. Her head snaps back. Her knees buckle. She goes down, out cold.

Vee wavers, then falls to her knee beside her, spent.

I scramble to Mandy’s side, grabbing the firearm and ensuring the chamber is clear before ejecting the magazine.

I spin on Vee. “What were you thinking?” My voice is harsher than I intend, the blood in my body still roaring with the need to fight.

The corner of her mouth quirks. “That I was too lazy to refill the magazine all the way after our last trip to the range.”

It’s a terrible excuse. Horrible. She could have been killed! I open my mouth to argue, but she holds up a hand. “You taught us to always keep track of our rounds, and I did.”

I hear the barest gasp of laughter from Connor. He slid to the ground when I drew my firearm and he’s sitting near my feet, leaning heavily on one arm. Half his face is covered in blood and streaked with soot, but his eyes are open and alert. He tries a smile. It’s a weak one, but it’s still there.

Relief floods through me. He’s going to be okay. Both of my kids are. I slump to the ground between them, holding them both as the first firetruck charges into the clearing.

43

GWEN

The paramedics take quick action once they recognize the severity of Vee’s injuries. One starts an IV to push fluid and pain meds, while another packs her abdomen to try to slow the bleeding as they load her into an ambulance. Another pair of medics tends to Willa, still unconscious and broken from having been struck by my car.

A third wraps Connor’s head while a fourth peers into his eyes with a flashlight, peppering him with questions to test the extent of his injuries. They’re just starting to move him toward another ambulance when a voice calls out, “That’s him! He’s the one who did it! He kidnapped Willa!”

Mandy comes stumbling out of the smoke-choked darkness, a silver emergency blanket clutched around her shoulders and a police officer at her heels. She points toward Connor. “He’s the one who tried to kill us.”

The officer’s eyes narrow, and he starts toward Connor. Every protective instinct inside me roars to life, and I step in his way, my entire body vibrating with rage. “Don’t you dare touch my son.”

The cop’s hand drops to his holster. At least he’s smart enough to recognize danger. “Ma’am, I’m going to need you to step aside.”

My fingers curl into fists. “You’re not touching my son. He had nothing to do with any of this.”

“Arrest her,” Mandy shrieks over his shoulder. “She’s the one who hit Willa! That’s her car!”

The officer already has his firearm pulled. “Is that true, ma’am?”

“No,” I shout, incredulous. I gesture toward Mandy. “She was the one driving.”

Mandy collapses at my accusation, her shoulders shaking with pathetic sobs.