Montana SEAL (Brotherhood Protectors #1)(35)

Sadie had to assume Hank lay somewhere unconscious, or he’d have been there when Carla pulled the gun on her. She refused to think for a moment he’d fallen into the burning inferno that used to be her family home.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Carla push off the ground, rising to her feet and holding the gun in front of her. “I’m not going to let you condemn me to some stinking Montana jail, while you two go on about your charmed lives. I put up with years of living in this hell. I’ve done my time. Now, it’s time to make you pay.”

“Then do it,” Sadie said. “Shoot us and get it over with.” She glared at the woman, heat from the fire warming her face, anger searing through her soul. “But you won’t get away with murder.”

“Sure I will. You two had a quarrel—a falling out.” She sneered. “I’ll leave the smoking gun in your hand, sis, and a note written in your handwriting.”

“Only one flaw in that plan,” Sadie said. “You’re not going to do it. You can’t shoot straight, and you’re too much of a coward.”

“Is that what you think?” Carla held the gun out in front of her. “Just watch me.”

“Hey!” A deep voice called out over the roar of the fire.

Sadie’s heart leaped with joy and then crashed with fear. “Hank! Watch out! She has a gun!”

Carla spun to face Hank, the pistol pointed at his chest. She backed toward where Sadie knelt beside Fin. “Stay back or I’ll shoot Sadie.” Carla stood between Sadie and Hank, the hand holding the weapon shifting between them, pointing at Sadie.

Hank ground to a halt and held up his hands. “Give it up, Carla. It’s over.”

“The hell it is. As long as I have this…” Carla waved the gun at Sadie, “I’m still in the game.” Her eyes narrowed.

A cool wind blasted between the barn and the burning house, lifting the flames higher. The first flakes of snow mixed with falling ash. Sadie shivered, wearing nothing but a shirt and jeans, she was exposed to the chilled air.

Carla reached out and grabbed a handful of Sadie’s hair, pulling her to her feet, while pointing the gun at her head. “Come one step closer to me, and I’ll shoot a hole in her head so big, there won’t be anything left to put back together.”

“Carla,” Fin said. “Put down the gun. You can’t shoot us all. One of us will get to you before you finish the job. You’ll go to jail for murder.”

“I’m not going to jail for anything. I’m leaving, and Sadie’s my ticket out of here.” Holding onto Sadie’s hair, she shoved her toward the front of the house where the cars stood in the light of the fire. Carla leaned close to Sadie. “And if you’re thinking of tripping me or making a break for it…know this: I’ll shoot Hank first, and then I’ll finish off Fin. You can run, but you won’t have anyone left to come home to. Got it?”

“Sadie,” Hank said. “Do what you have to do. Don’t worry about us.”

“Shut up!” Carla jerked the gun toward Hank, and fired off a round.

Taking a chance, Sadie twisted, and slammed into Carla, hoping to knock her over. But, Sadie couldn’t get enough leverage, and Carla still had a hand in her hair.

“Bitch!” Carla screamed.

She pulled so hard, Sadie’s head snapped backward and her eyes filled with tears of pain, temporarily blinding her. She couldn’t see if Hank or Fin had been hit. The snow was now coming down in earnest, and the house fire raged on. Carla shoved and pushed her forward, kicking her shins and kneeing her in the sides. “Move!”

When they were close to Carla’s car, the woman let go of Sadie’s hair.

Sadie twisted around, flinging out an arm hoping to catch Carla’s hand holding the gun.

Carla was ready for her to fight back and got in the first hit, knocking Sadie in the temple with the butt of the pistol.

Sadie staggered backward, pain knifing through her eye. Out of the corner of her uninjured eye, Sadie saw Carla’s trunk pop open. Before she realized what Carla had in mind, she was shoved. She lost her balance, and fell backward, the trunk catching her beneath her bottom. Sadie threw her arms in the air, flailing for purchase, finding none.

Another shove sent her falling into the trunk, her legs shoved in after.

“No!” Sadie grabbed the edges and tried to pull herself out, but the trunk lid was slammed downward. She had less than a second to pull her fingers back before the lid crashed down and crushed them.

Complete darkness enveloped her.

The muffled sound of Carla yelling came to Sadie through the metal surrounding her, “Come near me, and I’ll fire into the trunk. I swear I’ll kill her now.”

The engine revved. Shots were fired, and the vehicle jerked backward, spinning around. Then they were moving forward.

Shivering, her eye aching, the tissue around it swelling, and her sockless feet so cold she could barely feel them, Sadie refused to give up. Her only saving grace was Carla was a lousy shot with a pistol. Hopefully, she’d missed Hank and Fin. She prayed Hank would stay with Fin and make sure he was all right before attempting to do anything about finding her.

Carla’s vehicle lurched along the gravel drive leading out of the ranch, driving faster than was advisable on the sloping road. She slowed slightly, bumped over the metal cattle guard at the entrance and veered sharply, the tires sliding across pavement as she turned onto the highway, heading away from Eagle Rock.