"It's not too late. It can't be too late."
"The police are coming. They'll shoot you, Tom. They'll kill you and not think a second about it. Do you want to be dead? Or do you want to live? I don't think you want to die."
"I'm not going to die."
His head swiveled so that he was staring at the back of the house.
"You can't run," she said, the adrenaline rushing through her veins. She wanted to run too but he was holding her far too tightly. "They'll catch you. It's too late."
"Shut up. Just shut the hell up."
This time he sounded far more frightened and desperate. She could practically hear the wheels turning in his brain, trying to figure out his next move. The world had slowed down to a crawl, and the seconds felt like hours as she waited for what he was going to do. She could hear her own heartbeat like a marching band in her ears, yet she could also hear and see every single breath that her brother took. Every twitch of his fingers, his furtive glances. She just needed him to lower his defenses for a single moment.
"Give yourself up, Tom. Maybe they'll go easy on you if you surrender. We can tell them that the gun went off and it was an accident."
His head jerked back and forth between the front door and the back, his entire body shaking. The gun muzzle slid lower onto her jaw and she was able to pull her head away slightly.
The sirens were louder than before, definitely coming closer. Tom’s face contorted, his throat making a garbled sound that wasn't any recognizable words. With a loud yell, he shoved Jenna down onto the floor before bolting for the back door.
Stunned, she didn't move for a moment, still not believing that she was alive. But she was alive, and Tom was on the run. She was going to go in the absolute opposite direction. Levering up from the floor, she stumbled out of the front door and into the long driveway before pain and exhaustion drove her to the ground. Her limbs weren't taking orders from her brain anymore. Her body was shutting down.
The sirens were incredibly loud now and vehicles began to fly onto the property, careening to a stop near her. She sobbed in relief when she saw Knox's SUV and then he was jumping out of it, running straight for her. He lifted her into his arms, his hands cradling her head, examining the wound.
Nothing in this world had ever looked or felt better than this man holding her at the moment. She'd thought she'd never see him again but here he was. She was alive and she could feel him. His touch, his nearness. She could trust him and lean on him while she was weak. Later she'd be stronger.
"Are you alright? Are you okay? Fuck, we need to get you to the hospital. You need to see a doctor."
She didn't disagree, but there was one more pressing thing to be done first. She pointed toward the backyard, trying to speak but what came out didn't even resemble a coherent sentence.
Eli knelt down next to her. "Is that where we need to go, Jenna? Do we need to go that way?"
"Tom," she croaked, her throat like sandpaper. "He shot Michelle. He was going to shoot..."
She didn't have the energy to continue but the guys seemed to get the message. Eli took off after Tom, but Knox didn't budge. His hands were soothing, rubbing her back and crooning sweet words softly as if she was a child.
"You...have...to...get...him."
"Eli and the others will get him. He won't get away. We won't lose him. I have to take care of you, babe."
Someone wrapped a blanket around her and Knox lifted her to her feet. She saw a gurney being rolled into the front door and she prayed that Michelle was alive. No matter what she'd done, she didn't deserve to be shot down like a dog in the street.
Clinging to Knox like a life preserver, she laid her head on his chest, his heart pounding underneath her ear. Strong, but fast. He'd been scared too. Had he thought he wouldn't make it in time?
"How did you know?"
"I knew you weren't where you were supposed to be, along with Michelle. I knew for sure that Tom and Brett were in the same history club. Jason called me with that information on the way here. And I don't like coincidences. I also knew that your purse was found on the side of the road and there was blood there. Your mother pulled her doorbell camera footage and we saw that Michelle hit you on the head with a tire iron. From that, we called the police."
"Tom and Michelle killed Lori, but I don't know why."
Knox glanced over his shoulder, his expression grim. "We'll find out why. In the meantime, we have to get you to the hospital."
She didn't argue, letting him sweep her up into his arms and carry her to the ambulance. He gently placed her on the gurney and then stepped away so the paramedics could do their job. But she didn't want him that far away. She needed him close.
"Hold my hand. Please."
Smiling, he did as she asked, his flesh warm and comforting.
"I love you, Knox."
She didn't have any clue as to whether this was the right moment to say it. They had several witnesses but they were acting as if they heard stuff like this all the time.
She only knew that she felt it. So...overwhelmingly. In every bone,
