One Night Standoff - By Delores Fossen Page 0,67

Clayton had fired the shots, but instead they’d come from below.

Her stomach twisted into a knot.

Quentin had warned them if shots were fired, then his goon downstairs would try to kill them. And that’s exactly what he was trying to do. The bullets began to blast their way through the bathroom floor.

However, those weren’t the only shots she heard. There were others downstairs. Maybe from Declan or maybe from Clayton’s other brothers. She hadn’t heard a vehicle approaching the ranch house, but with everything going on, she could have easily missed it. If so, there could be a life-and-death fight going on one floor beneath them.

She thought of Kirby, of how sick he was. Too sick to fight back. And maybe he wasn’t even conscious yet. He, Stella and Wyatt could be sitting ducks right now, and she doubted the gunmen would show any mercy and keep any of them alive.

“Stay on the bed,” Clayton yelled to her. And he came off the floor and took aim at Quentin.

The man skittered out of sight. Somewhere in the dark hall. But Lenora was betting he wouldn’t go far. No. He wouldn’t give up yet, because it would mean his arrest for attempted murder and God knew how many other charges. That made him beyond desperate and very dangerous.

The bullets from below ate their way through the bathroom floor and into the ceiling. And then the angle changed. God, no. The shooter had moved, maybe because Quentin had told him through the communicator, but now the floor shots were going in Clayton’s direction.

Lenora reached down to pull him onto the bed with her. Not that the mattress and frame would give them much protection, but it was better than nothing. And besides, the bed was aligned with the door, so that they might be able to spot Quentin.

A bullet rammed into the metal bed frame. She heard the plinging sound. Felt it, too. The jolt. But she didn’t have time to dwell on it.

She had to try to save Clayton.

Clayton scrambled onto the end of the mattress, and he positioned himself in front of her. Shielding her in case Quentin came through the door again. But as frightening as that prospect was, Lenora was terrified that the gunman below would get lucky with those blind shots. Heck, it wouldn’t even take much luck because of the sheer volume of bullets that were coming their way.

“He’s behind you!” she heard Declan yell.

And she held her breath, praying that none of Clayton’s family had been hurt.

There was another blast, different from the shots going into the floor. And just like that, that battery of bullets stopped. The room suddenly became so quiet that the only sound she could hear was her own heartbeat crashing in her ears.

“All clear down here,” Declan shouted.

Lenora released the breath she’d been holding and was beyond thankful that the floor shooter was out of commission. But Quentin was no doubt alive and ready to launch round two.

“Clayton, are you okay?” It was Declan again. From the sound of his voice, he was making his way up the stairs.

Clayton didn’t answer Declan, though. He took aim at the door. Waiting.

“Get in the closet,” Clayton whispered to her.

Lenora hated to leave him to fight this battle alone, but she had to think of the baby. She couldn’t risk it, so she scrambled off the bed and reached down to scoop up her gun. However, she didn’t even make it a step toward the closet when she saw the blur of motion from the corner of her eye.

The sound came with it.

Yelling at the top of his lungs, Quentin ran into the room, his gun already aimed not at her but at Clayton. Clayton ducked to the side and they both fired at the same time. Even though she couldn’t see if Clayton had been hit, Lenora saw the bullet tear through Quentin’s arm.

It didn’t stop him.

He squeezed the trigger, his shots blistering through the air, and Lenora dropped to the floor when one of them bashed into the headboard.

She pivoted and took aim at Quentin. But it was already too late. Lenora shouted for Clayton to get down, but it was too late for that, as well.

Quentin fired.

So did Clayton.

And this time he didn’t hit Quentin in the chest or shoulder. The shot went into his head. Quentin seemed to freeze. For a split second his gaze met hers, and then he crumpled to the floor.

The shock paralyzed her for several