Settling an Old Score - Delores Fossen Page 0,57

Remy or someone else gets inside the house.” Because she had a really bad feeling about this.

She could see the debate going on in Gunnar’s eyes over her request, but he finally reached down, took out a small weapon from his boot holster, and he handed it to her.

“Giving you this doesn’t mean I want you out in the open. If you don’t stay down, you’ll have to answer to Eli. So will I,” he added under his ragged breath.

Ashlyn knew that was true, but if they did have to answer to Eli, that would mean this had all been a false alarm. That the only danger was to Dominick and not any of them.

When Ashlyn started across the hall toward Gloria and Cora, he stopped her again. “Eli wants you to hunker down in the shower,” Gunnar reminded her.

“And I need to prevent anyone from getting to Cora,” she snapped.

Ashlyn made sure her tone and expression let him know that she wasn’t going to budge on this. She moved into the doorway of Cora’s and Gloria’s room. That way, she could easily hear them in the bathroom, and she could keep an eye on the window opposite the bed.

Eli had told her that all the doors and windows were wired into the security system, but she wanted to be there if someone tried to break in. If that did indeed happen, Ashlyn consoled herself with the reminder that Gloria had locked the bathroom. That meant an intruder would not only have to get past her but also break down the door.

Gunnar huffed, cursed and then glanced back at Eli, who was still by the front door. Eli hadn’t moved, and there hadn’t been any other shots, but he was clearly still standing guard.

“Remy?” Eli shouted again. Like before, he got no response that Ashlyn could hear.

“Maybe Remy shot Dominick,” Ashlyn said.

“Maybe,” Gunnar agreed. “Or else Dominick got the gun from Remy and turned it on him.”

That was possible, but if so, then why hadn’t Dominick just come out of the vehicle? She was certain he hadn’t, or Eli would have already told Gunnar.

“I’ll see what I can find out,” Gunnar told her, and he gave her a warning glance to stay put before he hurried back to the front door next to Eli.

Ashlyn wanted to hear their conversation, but she didn’t want to move any farther away from Cora and the bedroom window. So she stood there, the gun gripped in her hand, and she waited. She could tell from Gunnar’s expression that he didn’t have good news when he came back to her.

“Neither Dominick nor Remy is responding,” he said. “Either Remy turned off his phone or it’s not working.”

Ashlyn had no idea which of those could be true, but it was possible the shot she’d heard had damaged the phone. “What happens now?” she asked.

“Kellan’s here in the cruiser, and he’s about to drive closer so he can try to see in Remy’s car. If Remy killed Dominick, accidentally or otherwise, he might be too scared to come out.”

True. Or Remy could be lying in wait to gun down Kellan or anyone else who approached him. If the man truly wasn’t thinking straight, then there was no telling what he would do.

“Is there any way of knowing where the shot went?” she pressed. Ashlyn hadn’t heard it hit the house, but there were plenty of ranch hands patrolling the grounds. She hoped it hadn’t hit one of them.

Gunnar shook his head. “The windshield on the car is intact, but it’s possible the shot went out the back. Kellan’s not going to let this drag on,” he added. “He’s already called for more cruisers, and when they get here, they can box Remy in.”

Since the cruisers were bullet-resistant, that would hopefully mean Remy wouldn’t be able to fire a shot into the house. Also, if he lowered his window to try to do that, Kellan or one of the hands would almost certainly take him out.

Ashlyn hated the thought of someone being killed, especially just yards away from her baby, but Remy might not give them a choice. If he’d truly lost his mind, then there might not be any turning back from this for him.

Gunnar went back to the front, taking up position on the other side of the door from Eli. Ashlyn kept her attention on them, and that’s why she didn’t miss when Eli glanced back at her. Their eyes connected, and she could almost