Settling an Old Score - Delores Fossen Page 0,66

Do you really want to see someone you love die right in front you again?”

No. She didn’t. In fact, just mentioning that triggered some flashbacks that she had to force away. She couldn’t let that play into this now. She had to keep her focus. Ashlyn shook her head, not sure of what she should do, but Eli spoke before she could figure it out.

“Let Dominick shoot me,” Eli said, his voice calm and hard at the same time. “That means he’ll have to take the gun off you, and when he does, Gunnar will kill him with a shot to the head.”

Ashlyn felt the muscles tense in Dominick’s arm and chest, and even though she couldn’t see his face, she thought maybe his gaze was firing all around.

“Yeah,” Eli added. “Gunnar’s got sniper skills, and he’s got a gun aimed at you right now. All he’s doing is waiting for you to move. An inch is all he needs to end your worthless life.”

“You’re lying,” Dominick spat out, but he didn’t sound as if he was so certain of that.

Neither was Ashlyn. She knew it could be a bluff, but Gunnar was indeed out there somewhere, so it was highly likely that he had Dominick in his sights.

“You really think I’m lying?” Eli taunted. He kept his gaze nailed to Dominick. “If you honestly believe that, then you should be checking out the window to see for yourself who’s watching you.”

Ashlyn saw Eli shift a little, leaning out from the sofa as if daring Dominick to take aim at him. That caused her heart to jump to her throat. She didn’t want Eli putting himself in the line of fire like this. She definitely didn’t want him hurt or dead because he was protecting Cora and her.

Again, she felt Dominick tense, and maybe he did glance outside. If so, it wasn’t for long, and he didn’t shift his position enough because Eli stayed put. He didn’t get that shot that he was no doubt hoping for.

“Ashlyn and I will go and get Cora,” Dominick finally growled. “Tell your deputy friend that he’d better back off.”

Neither Eli nor Kellan did that, and she saw both of them move again when Dominick started down the hall with her. He kept her in a chokehold and took slow, cautious steps backward. He was almost certainly glancing behind him as well as keeping an eye on Kellan and Eli.

It didn’t take long, only a few steps, before Ashlyn lost sight of Eli. Kellan was still there, though, but that was because he inched to the side of the table. That’s when Ashlyn noticed the gun he was holding. His backup weapon, no doubt. Good. He had a way to fight back if it came down to that.

Even with the porch light still on, it was hard for her to see in the yard, but she searched through the darkness to try to spot Gunnar. Still no sign of him, but she heard movement. Apparently, so did Dominick, because he stopped.

“Just remember that at any time, I can put a bullet in Ashlyn,” Dominick called out as a warning. “It won’t kill her, but she’ll be in a lot of pain, and it’ll all be your fault.”

No, it wouldn’t be. The blame for this was solely on Dominick, but Ashlyn doubted anyone would convince him of that.

Dominick stayed still several more seconds. Clearly, he was listening, but Ashlyn was thankful what he wasn’t hearing were any sounds coming from the bathroom. Cora wasn’t crying, and Gloria was keeping quiet. Of course, that might change once they made it to the door, and she figured that wouldn’t take much time. There wasn’t much space between the hall and that bathroom.

“Don’t do anything stupid,” Dominick warned her again, and he started moving. Walking backward until they made it to the doorway of the bedroom.

Ashlyn glanced inside and didn’t see anyone, but there was light spilling from beneath the bathroom door. She also noticed that the room seemed warmer than the rest of the house. For one terrifying moment she thought maybe the fire from the car had spread back here, but the fire wasn’t spreading. Plus, it wasn’t that kind of heat. It was just the humid hot air from the night.

And that’s when she noticed the bedroom window.

It was open, causing the curtains to flutter in the breeze. Since it had been closed before this whole ordeal had started, it meant Gunnar had likely opened