High-Stakes Holiday Reunion. Christy Barritt

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      FOUR

      Christopher approached the intruder from behind, veering off the main staircase at the last minute and taking a second set of stairs on the other end of the house. There was still one person in the house. Just one, best he could tell.

      It was dark, void of any light. The air was hazy, evidence of a smoke bomb. And the smell of ammunition hung heavy in the atmosphere.

      The sounds, the smells...they all reminded him of another time, another place.

      A time and place he was trying to forget.

      He rounded the corner and spotted someone crouching beneath the first staircase. Crouching, ready to attack?

      He cocked his gun, drawing on all of his training. It was time to get some answers.

      “Don’t move,” he commanded. “Or I’ll shoot.”

      The figure twirled around, a stick in hand. Wide, familiar eyes met his. Fear stretched across their depths.

      His muscles relaxed a moment, but the relief was quickly replaced with agitation. “Ashley? Are you crazy? I told you stay in the garage!”

      “Christopher?” Ashley blinked, her stick still hoisted over her shoulder as if she might swing.

      He lowered his gun and glared at the woman in front of him. Even in the dark, Christopher could tell that her face was void of any color or life. “Yes, it’s me. It’s a good thing I didn’t shoot you. I heard the glass crunching downstairs and thought the men were back to finish the job.”

      “I saw the blood on the stairs. I thought you were...dead. I...”

      He raised an eyebrow. “You were coming to defeat the bad guys with a dowel rod?”

      She shrugged. “I had to do something. I couldn’t stay up there forever.”

      He stepped closer so she would be sure to see the irritation in his gaze. “I told you I’d be back.”

      She didn’t look away. She was still as stubborn as ever. “You’ve been gone for hours.”

      “Twenty minutes.” He sliced his hand through the air. “Twenty minutes is all.”

      She frowned and lowered her stick before jutting out her chin again. “It felt like hours.”

      He scowled again and ran a hand over his face as he dragged in a ragged breath. Images of war continued to beat at him. They tried to transport him back in time. He wouldn’t let them. Still, Ashley coming up on him like that could have been ugly. Really ugly. That was the second time he’d pulled a gun on her in less than four hours. “Are you okay?”

      She nodded, strain pulling at each of her features. “I’m fine. Are the men gone?”

      “Best I can tell. They messed this place up, didn’t they?” His gaze roamed around them. It looked like a massacre, only thankfully, the only casualties were his furniture, belongings and the house itself.

      “I’m sorry,” she blurted. “I should have never come.”

      “Don’t be ridiculous. This is just stuff. It can be fixed. Besides, you weren’t the one with the gun.”

      Big, luminous eyes looked up to meet his. “Who was? Who were those men?”

      He looked away before he got lost in the depths of those baby blues and shook his head. “I have no idea. But they mean serious business.”

      “Why’d they leave?”

      “That’s what I want to know, also. They didn’t do all of this damage just to send a message. They used a smoke bomb and everything. They came here to kill us. I want to know why they left before finishing the job.”

      “And where did the blood come from by the garage?”

      “Another great question.” He put his hand on her back. “I know one thing. We’re getting out of here before they decide to come back. I called Eyes and they’re sending some men out. They should be here any minute, but we’re not waiting around.”

      “Where are we going?”

      “I have an idea.” He led her toward the front door.

      She reached back. “My phone. It was in the living room.”

      “Forget СКАЧАТЬ