Out of Love(73)

I leaned my head back against the wall and closed my eyes, gripping the gun with both hands.

“He’s coming. Jackson. I’m sure he’ll be here soon. I had eyes on him, and he was at your place this morning. We both know he’s tracking her Jeep. But something tells me you planned on that … hence the reason you brought her here in it and not your vehicle. He’s the best at what he does. Even now … he’ll take you out from a hundred yards away with one hand tied behind his back and blindfolded. And that’s not even his specialty. He’s good with his hands. If he gets within five feet of you, he’ll disarm you and snap your neck before your brain has a chance to tell your finger to pull the trigger.”

Taking a deep inhale, I let it out slowly, staying perfectly still.

“Don’t get me wrong. You’re good. Someday you might even be better than him, but not today. He’s smarter. And you have his daughter. I’m certain we’re about to see a version of Jackson Knight … Jude Day … that no one has ever seen before. So put a bullet in the girl’s head and take your place at my side. It’s where you belong. We are family.”

Maybe what he said was true. Maybe it was a lie to scare me. Maybe it was all a game to get in my head.

What we did agree on … Jackson was on his way, and I wasn’t on Abe’s team, and Jackson wasn’t going to be on mine. There would be a fight for Livy, and I couldn’t allow that. Sliding down the wall, I adjusted the strap of the rifle, shifting it to my back. Then I army crawled to the kitchen toward the bathroom so Abe didn’t see me through the windows or the solid bottom half of the screen door. Once around the corner, I stood and turned the handle to the bathroom door. It was locked.

“Livy,” I whispered, gently tapping the door. “Open the door.”

The knob clicked and I turned the handle, easing it open. She and Jericho were on the floor, her eyes swollen from all the tears.

“Come here,” I said softly, holding out my hand.

She stared at it for a few moments, arms hugging her knees to her chest. Without looking me in the eye, she took my hand and let me pull her to standing.

I grabbed her face forcing her gaze upward. “You need to go out the back door. Go into the woods with Jericho. Don’t stop; keep going until you get to a main road. It’s going to be a few miles down the way.” I pulled a burner phone from my pocket and handed it to her. “Call your friends. Call the police. Call anyone you can trust, but no matter what … don’t turn around. Don’t come back here.”

“My dad …”

I shook my head. “He’s not here, but he’s on his way. Abe is outside. It’s going to be too dangerous for you. Abe wants you and your dad dead. I want Abe dead. And your dad will kill anything that tries to get in his way of getting to you.”

Before she could respond, I took her hand and checked around the corner before leading her and Jericho to the back door, easing it open slowly and surveying the backside of the cabin. “It’s clear. Go.”

Jericho led the way, going down the three steps and stopping to wait for Livy.

She clenched the phone in her hand, staring at it for a few seconds before giving me those brown eyes to adore one last time. “Wylder,” she whispered.

“Go, Livy.” I didn’t let my heart sway my determination to get her to safety. I gave her an emotionless expression and a firm command.

“Wyld—” she started to speak again.

“Three shots. You tried to kill me three times. Now get the fuck out of here before I change my mind, put a bullet in your head, and let Abe kill your dad.”

She took in a shaky breath, dropped her gaze, and turned. I watched my whole fucking world disappear into the trees, wearing my favorite T-shirt while following my best friend.





Chapter Thirty-One




Jackson Knight


I parked a mile away and jogged through the mountain terrain to Livy’s location. Abe would know I was coming, and if Slade had even a fraction of the training that Jess and I had received by his age, then he, too, would know I’d be coming for my daughter. So I made my way there knowing they were baiting me.

They’d be waiting for me. They’d been waiting for me for years.

Stalking.

Preying on my family.

And it was going to end even if I had to lose my own life to keep her safe and avenge the death of Ryn.

From the insane number of weapons in Slade’s basement, I knew he’d be heavily armed. Stopping fifty yards out, I used the pair of binoculars I stole from the basement to scope out the situation.

“Fucking amateur,” I mumbled catching sight of Abe hunched down beside Livy’s Jeep with a semi-automatic rifle clenched in his hands. I would have taken his ass out right there on the spot had I known the exact location of my daughter. I couldn’t risk it if Slade had her. Setting him off by killing his uncle before I had Livy under my protection wasn’t an acceptable option.

I continued to survey the area, looking for the slightest movement, a shadow in the window … anything.

Nothing.

Holding a gun in one hand and a knife in my other hand, I trekked closer to the cabin. Why was Abe outside as if he was stalking his own nephew? Something didn’t feel right, but time wasn’t on my side. Pushing that uneasy feeling aside, I veered around to come in from the opposite side of the Jeep, but I still was uneasy about Slade and his whereabouts with Livy. Changing the plan, I trekked a bigger circle to the backside of the cabin. If I could get Livy, I’d use two bullets and head home with my daughter.