I searched a few more rooms, but found nothing. “Let me text David and ask where he’s at. Hold on.”
We approached the stairs to the second level. George let out a low growl.
“Okay.”
Me: Where are you? I’m here.
David: In the glass room.
The response made me pause and left me with a weird feeling. I started toward the back door, trusting my gut. George stayed close beside me. “Something’s wrong, Kurt.”
“Where are you?”
“I’m in the kitchen headed back to the golf cart.”
I picked up the pace as my heart rate escalated. “Why do you think something’s wrong?”
“David referred to the conservatory as ‘the glass room.’ He wouldn’t do that. And he’d meet me at the back door.”
I was outside and running to the golf cart. “Sawyer, where are you at?”
My heart hammered in my chest when I saw the golf cart. The tires were all flat, and there was a knife sticking out of one.
“Kurt. The tires have been slashed.”
“Don’t hang up. Start heading to Knoah’s house. Run, Sawyer. Run.”
I kicked off my flip-flops and began running, which was hard. Kurt was on the other line yelling for security to get to me. George stayed beside me as I ran. My heart raced faster. I heard the door open behind me, and I looked back to see a woman with dark hair come flying down the stairs. I ran faster, holding my stomach with my free hand.
My breaths came faster, and soon I was panting.
“Sawyer?”
“Yes! A woman is running after me!”
In the distance, I saw three men running my way. My security detail and one of Knoah’s. I glanced back, and the dark-haired woman was gaining on me. But the men were quick.
“Come back here, brat.”
That voice. I knew that voice. Adriane. I nearly stumbled but righted myself. George stopped and took off toward her. “George!”
“Keep running, Sawyer! Keep running!”
My rubbery legs kept moving me as I screamed, “George! Come!”
The men were closer. Kurt kept asking me questions, but I had to focus on running. Two of the men zoomed passed me. The third scooped me up and pivoted back in the direction he’d come.
Bang.
There was a yelp.
“Nooo!”
Bang.
Something ripped through my shoulder like a red-hot poker, and I screamed.
Dustin grunted and stumbled. The pain was incredible. After a few more steps, Dustin fell and tried to break my fall as he went down. I hit the sand and had the breath knocked out of me. The pain in my shoulder intensified. “Dustin?”