Under His Protection (Protect and Defend 1)

They ran alongside the house and out into the front yard. She saw her car parked in the driveway but remembered her keys were in her purse. And the purse still sat inside the house.

Crap. She ran faster to catch up with Mason, wanting to ask him where his car was, when she heard the sound of the front door crashing open. She swore the wood splintered and the hinges cried from the force of the slam.

For such a skinny man, Rich had a ferocious roar. He sounded like a wounded animal and a popping sound filled the air.

“Go!” Mason’s panicky yell told her everything in that one word.

She needed to get away. Fast.

Chapter Fifteen

The man was going to shoot him.

All the air left Mason’s lungs and he whipped his head around, looking for Blake. He saw her retreating back, her long, black puffy coat flaring out like she had wings, the hood flapping behind her head as she ran southbound down the narrow road.

Soaked to the bone, his clothing was heavy with rain and dragged him down but he ignored it. Focused instead on the crazy man who stood on the front stoop of the ramshackle house in just a T-shirt and jeans. His clothes were plastered to his rail thin body, as was his hair and it hung in his face, over his eyes.

The gun he waved in his right hand made Mason fucking nervous, to say the least. The incomprehensible yelling that came from him sent a chill racing down his spine.

The guy was clearly unhinged. Was he high? The rain didn’t seem to affect him whatsoever and he kept saying the same name over and over.

“Amber! Amber! Where the hell are you? Amber!”

Mason ran for cover, diving into the thick bush that sat close to the driveway. It was as if the man didn’t even spot him, he was so focused on finding this Amber—who Mason realized had to be Suzanne.

He noticed her before the man did. Suzanne crouched beneath the large pine tree that took over the entire front yard, hidden almost completely by the low, swaying branches. She hunkered down, her entire body shaking from the cold wet rain and hot fury flowed through Mason’s veins.

She was the reason Blake was in danger. And she had a lot of explaining to do.

If she came out of this in one piece, that is.

“Come out!” the man bellowed. “I see you! Get out here now, Amber!”

Mason watched as Suzanne crawled out from under the tree and came into view. Her long, dark hair stuck to her head and shoulders, her entire body shaking violently.

“Just do it,” she pleaded. Her sobs sounded low and desolate in the falling rain. “Shoot me. Put me out of my misery.”

Mason tightened his grip on the gun, glancing behind him. Where were the deputy sheriffs he called? They should’ve been here by now.

“Damn it, I don’t want to kill you. I want you to come with me! Where’s the pretty little rich girl?”

“Gone. She’s gone, Rich. You’re only left with me now.”

The man—Rich—cursed loudly. Suzanne flinched at the filthy stream of words. “We didn’t get any money out of her besides a measly eighty bucks! How is that going to get us out of town?”

“I don’t know.” Suzanne’s shoulders slumped, wracked with sobs and her head dropped low as she stared at the ground. “Don’t take me with you. I’m begging you.”

“Stupid bitch, you’re mine.” Rich pointed the gun at her with a wobbly hand. “You belong to me.”

It was now or never. Gritting his teeth, Mason stood, aiming his gun directly at Rich’s chest. So much for using the county deputies for backup. “Drop the gun now!”

Rich turned wildly in Mason’s direction, his eyes widening when he spotted him standing in the middle of a bush. “Who the hell are you?”

“Secret Service. Drop your weapon now!”

“Rich, do as he says,” Suzanne said, her voice weary, defeated.

Rich turned back to Suzanne, training the gun upon her and Mason released the safety on his Glock. “Don’t shoot her, she’s not to blame for this. Drop your weapon and no one gets hurt.”