Settling an Old Score - Delores Fossen Page 0,65

even more, causing her to make a gasping sound. A sound that made Eli want to do that charging that Dominick had already warned him about.

Eli moved back behind the sofa and waited for any chance he had to put a stop to this.

Dominick stooped down, dragging Ashlyn with him. “Pick up the keys,” he told her.

She did, closing her fingers around them, and when her gaze met Eli’s, he wanted to curse. Because he could tell that Ashlyn was about to make a move. A move that he prayed wouldn’t get her killed.

Before Dominick had fully stood back up, Ashlyn turned, ramming the keys into his face. The metal gouged his cheek, causing him to shout out in pain, and he cursed her, calling her a vile name. However, the injury wasn’t enough for him to break the hold he had on Ashlyn. He yanked her, hard, against him, and this time she did more than gasp.

Dominick was choking her.

“Gloria?” Dominick called out. “I know you’re back there, and you have Cora with you. Bring her out to me now, or Ashlyn dies.”

Chapter Seventeen

Ashlyn prayed that Gloria would stay put in the bathroom. She started to shout to the sitter to do just that, but the chokehold Dominick had on her was so tight now that she couldn’t speak.

Couldn’t breathe.

Plus, Dominick had threatened to shoot Kellan. And she was certain the man would do just that. In fact, he’d be looking for any excuse right now to eliminate the lawmen in the room, because that would give him a clearer path to killing Gloria and her. That had to be his end goal, to get them all out of the way so he could walk out with Cora.

It sickened Ashlyn to think that his plan could possibly work. No way was anyone going to risk firing shots at Dominick if he had the baby in his arms. Then, once he had Cora in Eli’s truck, he could simply disappear.

Even if she managed to stay alive, Ashlyn might not ever find her baby. That’s why she had to stop Dominick now. It didn’t matter if Cora and he had DNA in common. She was Cora’s mother, and Dominick was a monster and had no right to take her.

She clawed at Dominick’s hands until he finally eased up on his grip. By the time he did that, Ashlyn’s lungs were aching, and she gulped in several quick breaths, causing herself to cough. However, she did manage to hold on to the keys, and she hoped she got a chance to use them again. She poked the largest key through her fingers, turning it into a weapon, but she also kept it down by her side so that Dominick hopefully wouldn’t see what she’d done.

“Gloria?” Dominick yelled again. “I start shooting if you don’t come out here now with Cora.”

Again, Gloria didn’t answer, but Ashlyn was positive the sitter had heard the threat and was no doubt debating what to do. Ashlyn was doing the same, and maybe Gloria would just stay put until Eli, Kellan or she could stop Dominick.

Or maybe Gunnar could.

Ashlyn had been glancing outside but hadn’t spotted the deputy in the last five minutes or so. Certainly, Gunnar had heard what was going on and had hopefully called for backup. Or else he was waiting and trying to work out a way to get inside and sneak up on him.

She didn’t think Dominick had brought any hired guns with him. If he had, he would have already used them. So that meant Gunnar wasn’t likely to be ambushed. That was something, at least. But she had to wonder if Dominick was working alone in this.

“Did you team up with Oscar or Remy?” she managed to ask, though it was still hard to talk with his tight grip on her neck.

Dominick made a quick sound of surprise. Or maybe disgust. “No. Both are idiots.”

So Remy’s kidnapping had been just that. A kidnapping that’d stemmed from desperation.

“Oscar might be useful, though, if I can set him up for this,” Dominick added in a mumble.

Ashlyn hoped it didn’t come down to that. Because if it did, it would mean she, Kellan, Eli and Gunnar would be dead. So would any of the hands who’d witnessed any of this.

“Tell Gloria to come out,” Dominick snapped to Ashlyn. “Tell her Eli will die if she doesn’t. I can put a bullet through that couch and straight into him. He’ll die because of you.