really hadn’t wanted it to come down to this because the guards likely knew some critical information that would help him find his nephew. And Rosalie’s baby. That wouldn’t happen if he had to kill all three of them.
Or if they managed to kill him first.
Austin adjusted the grip on his gun so he’d be ready in case the bullets started. He’d have to shoot the one on the right first, dive to the side and hope he got lucky enough to take out the second before the guy got off a shot.
Risky at best.
But his only option now.
Austin brought up his hand, ready to fire, but it was already too late.
The guard pulled the trigger.
Rosalie and the nanny barreled up the stairs toward the nursery, but the sound of the blast stopped Rosalie in her tracks.
Oh, mercy.
Had the guards killed Austin?
It didn’t matter that he was essentially her enemy. She didn’t want him shot, especially since he’d been trying to cover for her.
Rosalie hurried into the nursery, running past Janice to get to the window. She braced herself to see a dead Austin lying on the ground, but the only person she saw was Walter. He was crawling back toward the porch. No sign of Austin or the two other guards.
“What’s happened?” the nanny asked, and she scooped one of the sleeping newborns into her arms.
Rosalie shook her head just as she heard another shot. It was so loud that it seemed to shake the entire room.
She managed to get a glimpse of Austin. He was still armed, but he was pinned down near some shrubs on the side of the house. The guards had taken up cover behind what was left of the tractor and hay baler.
“We need to get out of here,” Janice reminded her.
Yes, they did. But Rosalie watched as Austin had to scramble away from yet another shot. He was doing this to give them a chance to escape, but it could turn into a suicide mission for him.
“Let’s go,” Janice pressed. She put both of the tiny babies in a single carrier seat and looped the handle over her left arm.
“Is there another gun in the house?” Rosalie asked.
Janice’s head jerked up. “There’s one on the top of fridge. It’s in the way back, so it’s hard to see and reach. But you can’t be thinking of helping him.”
Yes, that’s exactly what she was thinking. Rosalie wasn’t sure she wanted to trust this woman with the truth about what she was really doing there, but the bottom line was that Austin might be her best bet in finding her daughter. Because it was personal for him, too, since he was on a mission to find his nephew.
Plus, there was the part about his owing her for Eli’s death.
It wasn’t exactly fair to play the guilt card, but she was many steps past being desperate. She’d do anything to find Sadie.
“Here,” Rosalie said and pressed the truck keys into the nanny’s right hand. Too bad she didn’t have a phone to give her, as well, but the guards had taken those from them. “The truck’s out front, away from the gunfire. Get the babies out of here.”
“But what about you? The boss said we should leave,” Janice reminded her.
Rosalie ignored that and got Janice moving. Thankfully, the sound of more shots caused the woman to hurry, and they made their way down the stairs and to the front of the house.
“Drive toward the interstate,” Rosalie instructed. “And stop at the first police or fire station you see.”
Janice gave a shaky nod and one last look before she raced out the door and to the truck. Rosalie didn’t wait to watch her leave. She figured the moment the guards heard the roar of the engine that they’d try to stop the nanny from fleeing with the babies.
That couldn’t happen.
Rosalie hadn’t been able to protect her own child from being taken, but she could do something about these two. She went to the kitchen, slapped off the lights and stood on her tiptoes so she could search the top of the fridge.
She found the gun.
It didn’t take long, just a few seconds, before she heard the truck start. The guards heard it, too, and one of them lifted his head, ready to bolt toward the vehicle.
Austin stopped him.
He fired a shot, sending the man back behind the tractor. But he didn’t stay put. The guard and his partner started firing. Nonstop.
All the bullets were aimed at Austin.
Walter kept crawling, coming closer to the house, and Rosalie saw him lift his rifle toward Austin. She wasn’t sure Austin would be able even to see the man, and it was a risk she couldn’t take.
Rosalie didn’t think beyond giving the babies the best possible chance at escape. She opened the kitchen door, and the fridge, as well, so she could use it for cover once she fired.
Walter spotted her right away and pointed the gun at her. However, she pointed her gun right back at him.
And she got off the first shot.
She hadn’t aimed for any particular part of him, but the bullet slammed into either his chest or his shoulder, causing him to drop back to the ground.
God, had she just killed a man?
As horrible as that thought was, it would be worse if Walter had managed to shoot Austin, Janice or the babies.
The other guards cursed at her, and both fired into the house. Even over the sound of those shots and her own heartbeat crashing in her ears, she heard Austin.
“Get down!” he yelled.
Rosalie didn’t do that. She fired another shot at the guards. Austin did the same, and it kept the men pinned down long enough that they weren’t able to stop Janice from escaping. Rosalie caught just a glimpse of the truck taillights as the nanny sped away.
The relief flooded through her.
And the fear.
What if the guards had already managed to call someone to get them out there to the road? And what if they managed to stop the truck? She doubted they would hurt the babies. There was too much money to be made from them.
But they’d kill Janice.
“You’re both gonna die!” one of the guards shouted.
The threat had no sooner left his mouth when Austin fired again. Two shots. One for each guard. And both men dropped to the ground.
Everything seemed to freeze. The cold rain. The echo of those
