Then, with a rush, the Suburban started to pass them.
The gun. If Noah forced them off the road, she had to get her hands on it. She would do anything—
It was alongside them. She turned her head and caught one wild glimpse of Noah’s face, feral with determination, and then metal screamed and the car jolted so hard, her head snapped back.
The next instant, the car swerved sharply. They were momentarily airborne as they left the road.
* * *
NOAH BURNED RUBBER braking. It took him longer than he’d expected to regain enough control to drive off-road himself. The big SUV took a bone-jarring bounce, then grabbed for purchase. The Camry was enveloped in a swirling cloud of red dirt that began to look like a rooster tail. Yeah—son of a bitch, the guy was accelerating, still trying to escape.
Cait, he thought in agony.
Noah pushed it harder. He had better traction. He caught up, started to pass, then swung the wheel hard, connecting with the driver’s side. Please, God, let her have a seat belt on. The sedan went into a spin that brought it around to smash into his rear fender.
The Camry came to a shuddering stop.
Noah threw himself out. The dust filled the air and his lungs. At last he heard sirens. Keep her alive until they get here.
The two in the front seat were grappling. Was she trying for the gun?
“Cait!” he roared, and yanked at the driver’s-side door. Her captor hadn’t been smart enough to lock it. Noah reached in and grabbed, hauling the piece of scum out. He couldn’t do a thing to protect himself when the gun swung his way and barked.
The pain that struck was so immense, all he could do was try to hold on, to fall on the asshole and use his weight to give her time to run.
* * *
CAIT’S DOOR OPENED and she tumbled out, landing on her hands and knees. He shot Noah. Oh, God, he shot Noah. He’ll shoot me next. She found she didn’t care about herself. If Noah was dead, had died for her—
No, she didn’t care what happened to her.
Something was screaming. Maybe it was her. She looked around for anything that could be a weapon, but they were in the middle of a sea of thin grass. Her hand landed on a dry cow patty. She crawled forward, around the front bumper, until she saw the two men.
He was pushing his way out from beneath Noah, who sprawled facedown, unmoving. Dead. Oh, God, he’s dead. The man reached his knees and pushed himself to his feet. With a terrible look on his face as he stared down at Noah, he lifted the gun. From nowhere, Cait found the energy to explode into motion. At the last second he saw her coming and started to turn, but she was already midair, her foot leading. It connected with his arm and the gun spiraled away.
She was falling backward, with him rearing above her, hands extended like claws, his face contorted with rage. For the space of a few heartbeats, time slowed. She saw him that day, staring hard at the fence behind which she huddled. Now. Then.
She slammed to the ground.
“Put your hands up! Do it!” The voice seemed unreal.
The man threw himself toward the gun. Somehow Cait rolled over, thinking she could stop him, but she was too far away.
Even as he lifted it, guns fired—bang, bang, bang—and he fell back like a rag doll, the red blossoming just as she’d imagined it on Noah’s broad chest.
With a whimper, Cait crawled to Noah’s big body, lying so terrifyingly still.
* * *
“I CAN’T STAND it.” Cait shot to her feet. “Why is it taking so long?”
Colin rose with her. The kindness on his face had her close to blubbering. “It hasn’t been that long. I know you’re scared, Cait. Just hold on.”
She was suddenly trembling, head to foot. Her teeth chattered. Her brother swore and stepped forward, engulfing her in an embrace. She leaned on him, eyes dry, trying to close her mind to what was happening somewhere past those huge double doors she could see across the hall from their small waiting room.
He had to be all right. He had to.
“I love him,” she whispered.
“Yeah.” Colin’s voice was as gentle as his arms around her. “I kind of guessed that.”
“He knew what he was doing.”
“He knew.” Her rock-steady brother harrumphed a few times, and she knew he was nearly as shaken as she was. One last throat clearing. “I think it’s safe to say he loves you, too.”