it. Maybe so he could get inside, or he could have done it to give himself a better shot.
Dominick stopped, and he cursed when he saw the window. That sent him snapping in all directions, dragging her along with each move he made. He shifted his gun, taking aim at each corner of the room, but if someone was there, they were staying out of sight.
“I’ll kill her if you make it necessary,” Dominick spat out, speaking to no one in particular.
His breathing was a lot faster now, practically gusting, and Ashlyn could feel his heart thudding against her back. She didn’t mind if he was scared, but she didn’t want him to panic and do something dangerous that could get Cora hurt.
She heard someone moving around in the living room. Kellan and Eli no doubt. The only way they could access the bedroom from inside the house was to come down the hall. A hall that Dominick was still clearly watching. But if either Eli or Kellan went outside, they could come in through the open window.
Dominick kept moving, inching his way to the bathroom door, and when he reached it, he used his foot to knock. “Open up, Gloria!” he shouted.
No answer.
Ashlyn tried to tamp down her own pulse so she could hear any sounds of her baby, but nothing. That didn’t help with the fear that was already skyrocketing. Mercy, had something happened?
“Gloria?” Dominick banged his foot even harder against the door, but he stopped abruptly and pivoted her in the direction of the hall. Adjusting her so that she was squarely in front of him. And Ashlyn soon saw why.
Eli.
He was no longer by the sofa but was peering out from the wall that led into the hall. He was close, but he still wouldn’t have a clean shot. Not with Dominick’s position. If Eli missed, the bullet could go through the door and into the bathroom.
“Gloria!” Dominick shouted, and she could feel the rage bubbling inside him. He was quickly losing control.
She adjusted the grip on the keys, getting ready to make her move. Ashlyn figured she wouldn’t be able to go for his face this time, but she would jam the keys like a knife in his thigh. If that was enough to break the hold he had on her, then she could drop to the floor and hopefully drag him down with her.
Dominick’s next shout for Gloria was even louder, and without warning he turned and bashed his body against the door. Again and again. Harder and harder.
Until the door flew open.
Dominick pivoted to the side, no doubt looking around the small room, just as Ashlyn was doing. And what she saw caused her heartbeat to go into overdrive.
The bathtub was empty.
Neither Gloria nor Cora was there, and there wasn’t any place in the room for them to hide. They were simply gone, and not knowing where they were or what happened to them nearly sent Ashlyn into a panic.
Dominick cursed, his words vile and raw, and his profanity only got worse when his attention landed on the open bathroom window. But Ashlyn wasn’t cursing. The relief came because she knew that Gloria had managed to escape. Maybe with help from Gunnar. If so, she prayed that Gunnar had them tucked somewhere safe. Away from Dominick and any shots he might fire.
“Call out for Gloria,” Dominick demanded, strangling her again. “Tell her to bring Cora in here right now!”
Even if Ashlyn could have spoken at that moment, she wouldn’t have done that. Not even if Dominick threatened to kill her again. No way would she do anything to bring her baby back into the middle of this.
Since the strangling was blurring her vision, Ashlyn figured she didn’t have long before she passed out. That meant she had to do something now, especially since Dominick was already dragging her toward the window—maybe so he could take her outside to look for Cora.
Ashlyn pinpointed all her strength into her hand, and she rammed the keys into the side of his leg. Dominick howled in pain, cursing her again, but he also staggered back. It was just enough for him to move the gun away from her head. Also enough for him to ease up on the chokehold. Ashlyn took advantage of that and dropped to the floor.
Even though she was gasping for air and her throat was throbbing, she swung out at him again with the keys, digging them into his other leg. As he