Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 24016 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 120(@200wpm)___ 96(@250wpm)___ 80(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24016 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 120(@200wpm)___ 96(@250wpm)___ 80(@300wpm)
“There’s no need for that,” he says with a cool smile as he holds his hands up in surrender. “I just want to talk to my baby girl.”
“Mina is sleeping.”
All I have to do is stall him a little longer and give the sheriff time to get here. I just have to keep him talking and not kill him.
“Oh, that’s sweet, but I meant my Nyah,” he says, and then his smile turns sinister.
So much for not killing the guy.
CHAPTER 17
NYAH
When I hear Cole’s voice, my blood runs cold. I knew it was only a matter of time until he found us. Pulling the cover snug over Mina, I press a kiss to her cheek. I won’t let him take this from us. We can’t spend our lives running, and no one should have to live that way.
Slowly, I slip from the bed as my fear for Fraser takes over. I don’t think Cole would kill me, but I can’t say he wouldn’t harm Fraser, and I’m not sure that’s something I can live with.
Creeping out of the bedroom, I go back into the other room Fraser and I were sharing. The safe in the closet is still open, and I look inside. From the closet, the sound of them talking is muffled. When I sneak to the end of the hallway, I see Fraser standing there with his gun pointed toward the kitchen. I can only assume Cole is at the back door.
“Nyah isn’t yours.”
“She’s been mine since I laid eyes on her. Why else would I put up with her mother for all those years?” My stomach turns thinking about how old I was the first time I met Cole. He married my mother quickly and had us both under his roof in record time. Had this been his plan from the start? He really is a sick man. More than I even knew.
“She didn’t feel like yours while I was inside her,” Fraser says, and my mouth falls open. What the hell is he doing?
“You had her?” My spine stiffens at the possessive tone in Cole’s voice.
“Every which way I could. Matter of fact, I probably put a baby in her too.” I can see Fraser licking his lips. “Can still taste her.”
“You motherfucker,” Cole grits out, and the sound of boots hitting the ground has me frozen in place. All I can do is watch Fraser as I anticipate a shot from the gun. But it never goes off.
I step back when I see Cole running full force toward Fraser. At the last second before Cole connects with him, Fraser flips the rifle around and nails Cole in the head with the butt of the gun. The crack is loud, and all I can do is watch as Cole almost goes down to his knees but manages to somehow stay on his feet. Blood drips from his forehead, and it’s then I see the knife gripped in his hand.
“Had enough?” Fraser’s tone is smug, and it’s then I realize he’s been baiting him. “Go back to our bed, beauty.”
Fraser doesn’t so much as glance in my direction before giving me the order, and I’m kind of surprised he knew I was there. Cole’s head snaps my way, and then his eyes meet mine. They are wild and darker than I remember. I swear they’re almost black because of how big his pupils are.
“Eyes on me, asshole, or I’ll put a bullet through that thick head,” Fraser tells him, and that’s when Cole charges again.
“He has a knife!” I shout right as Fraser sidesteps Cole.
Cole manages to connect with Fraser’s arm, and I let out a gasp. Fraser smirks as if he’s happy Cole got him.
“Beauty, don’t,” Fraser snaps at me.
It’s then I realize I’m pointing the handgun at Cole. I grabbed it out of the safe without thinking, and now I’ve got it trained on him. Blue lights flood in from the outside of the house, and I can see multiple cop cars. Taking a breath, I lower the handgun and try not to shake.
“I’m not going to prison if that’s what you think,” Cole grits out. “But you are going to die.” He charges Fraser again, and once more Fraser swings the rifle like a baseball bat, holding it by the muzzle. I close my eyes when it makes contact with the side of Cole’s head. The sound of crunching bone seems to echo through my ears.
When I open my eyes, Cole is lying on the floor, and there’s blood pooling around his head. Fraser pops the bullets out of the rifle and puts them into his pocket before he places the gun on the table.
“Fraser!” I hear a woman shout from outside.
“I’m all right,” he shouts back as he comes over to me. He pulls the gun out of my hand and sets it down next to the rifle. “Go into the bedroom. Check on Mina,” Fraser orders and kisses my forehead.