Anonymous(31)

“He’s in the woods,” Owen shouts, his voice echoing outside. “Stay here with Ellie.”

Gun in hand, Jake opens the kitchen door, and when he sees me, he huffs. “Dammit, Ellie. What if Bryan was in the house and he tried to take you?”

“Then I’d fight him off.”

Gunshots ring out in the night air and I scream. Jake hovers over me and pushes me to the floor. “Shhh… Don’t move.” Three more gunshots come from outside, but it doesn’t seem to be targeted toward the house.

All I can hear is the sound of my pulse pumping in my ear and Jake’s thunderous heartbeat. Tears stream down my face. “What if Owen’s hurt?” I’m the one who called him to help us. I’d never forgive myself.

“He’ll be fine,” Jake assures me.

Blue lights flash from outside and a hard knock vibrates the door. Jake helps me up and I sit on the couch while he lets the police inside. I don’t recognize the two deputies. Jake talks to them and shows them to the dining room, but all I can think about is Owen, and hoping like hell he’s okay.

About two minutes later, he charges through the door, his pajama pants wet and dirty from the snow. I run over and throw my arms around him. “I was so worried about you.”

“I’m okay, Ellie.” He pats my back and lets me go. Jake and the two deputies join us in the kitchen. Owen nods at the two men and shows them his badge. “The assailant got away. I fired a few warning shots, but it was too dark to see. We have reason to believe it’s Bryan Snyder, one of your own.”

One of the deputies, a young man around the same age as me, with black hair and green eyes, nods. “I’m aware of that. I’ve already contacted Detective Bradshaw. He’ll be here shortly.” He looks at the other deputy and nods toward the door. “Let’s see if we can find anything outside.”

They go outside, and Jake puts his arm around me, kissing the top of my head. “I can’t believe that fucker was here.”

Owen huffs and holsters his gun. “I can. He’ll be back too.”

“What are we going to do?” I ask, feeling the cold, drafty air billowing in from the broken window.

I look up at Jake, who’s looking at Owen. It’s as if they’re having an unspoken conversation and they’re both on the same page. More blue lights flicker through the kitchen door and Owen goes to open it. Detective Bradshaw walks in, his eyes red from what I assume is lack of sleep. He shakes both Owen and Jake’s hands and nods at me.

“I have more men patrolling the roads. Whoever it is won’t get too far on foot.”

“We already know who it is,” Owen snaps.

Terry nods. “We have speculation, but no actual proof yet.”

“I want Ellie to go into protective custody,” Jake blurts out.

With a loud gasp, I turn. “What?”

He grabs my face in his strong grasp. “It’s what’s best. Until that fucker’s found and locked up, I don’t want you anywhere near here.”

I shake my head. “What about you? You’re the one he’s tried to kill. You have to come with me.”

“He can’t,” Owen says, placing his hand on my shoulder. Jake’s hands slip from my face and I look up at Owen over my shoulder. “If Jake disappears with you, we might never catch Snyder. With Jake being here, then Snyder will probably hang around here to get at him.”

“But that’s exactly what I’m worried about!” I hiss angrily, turning back to Jake. “What if something happens to you and I’m not here? I don’t want to be across the country with someone I don’t know, not knowing what’s going on here.”

“You won’t be with someone you don’t know,” he murmurs.

Brows furrowed, I stare at him. “What are you talking about?”

He glances over at Owen and sighs. “I want you to take her away. You’re the only one I trust to keep her safe.”

Eyes wide, I turn to Owen. He looks down at me and nods. “I’ll do it.”

Tears run down my cheeks and I bury my head against Jake’s chest. “I don’t want to leave you,” I cry.

His hands run soothingly up and down my back. “I know, cupcake. It’ll all be over soon. Until then, I need you away from here.”

“What if I say I’m not going?”

He pulls back. “If you don’t go, I’m going to strap you into Owen’s truck and force you.” There’s pain on his face, but his eyes convey the truth. He’ll literally throw me over his shoulder and make me go. Brushing his thumbs over my cheeks, he wipes away my tears. “Please go. For me.”

“I’ll go home and pack a bag,” Owen says.

Still holding onto Jake, I glance back at him. “Okay. And I’ll do the same.”

Owen shakes the detective’s hand again. “Keep me updated, Detective.”

Detective Bradshaw nods. “Keep your whereabouts to yourself. I don’t want any information getting back to Snyder. He still might have access to everything. He was always good with computers.”

Yes, he was. I remember in college when he’d offered to change my C in Calculus to an A. Of course, I’d said no, but I knew he was capable of it.

Owen squeezes my shoulder. “Be ready in an hour.” He walks out, and the timer is set. Jake pulls me into his arms. “Come on, I’ll help you pack.”