Page 102 of Found in Wild Sage

I block out Grant, pleased I’ve made it close enough into the fray he doesn’t jerk me back behind him. Sirens wail and all of it is muted when I speak.

“Katrina, please. I beg of you. Let my wife go. Let Charlie go.”

She rears back, holding Evie tighter, pressing her weapon into the side of Evie’s head so hard she flinches. I can’t help making eye contact and seeing the fear there. Fear and fury even as tears track down her dirty cheeks.

I’m not a vengeful man, but if I have any opportunity, I will make certain Katrina Trundle is punished to the fullest extent for what she’s done here.

“Your wife? Like it isn’t all just a show to get this pathetic excuse for a person custody? Please.” She snorts, then sneers, jerking Evie to the side and facing me squarely.

“Put down your weapon, Katrina. We will use force if necessary.” This comes from Diego.

“I’ll use force! I’ll use force!”

She screams this, and I can almost see the very limited strings of self-control she has left fraying by the second.

“You think you have the upper hand? I will shoot this woman, the baby, and him if you get even one step closer!” Her voice is raw from screaming.

“Give her to me and you can go. Just send her my way. You can walk away from all of this. You haven’t really hurt anybody yet, but if you do, there’s no going back.” This is all crap and I’m sure Grant wouldn’t approve of the lies, but I don’t care. I want Evie away from this woman.

Katrina’s enraged expression falters, so I keep going, stepping closer.

“Everything can work out, but not if you hurt her. Just let her go and we’ll figure it out.”

I’m three feet from her, almost close enough to lunge at her. But she’s still got that gun against Evie’s head and I can’t risk it. No one who’s here yet can take a shot, either—not until she eases up at least a little.

“Please. Please, Katrina. You’re in control here. I know how much you want things to go well, and if you hurt her, they can’t.”

Evie is frozen save her feet, which are shuffling this way and that so she stays standing. Her feet are bound just above the ankle, her hands behind her, and her mouth is covered by a piece of duct tape, too.

My heart seizes when I register all of these things, even though I’ve been seeing them. I can’t think about anything other than getting her out of this woman’s hands, getting her to safety.

“Please. Please let her go. Please, Katrina.”

The sound she makes starts as a low groan and escalates through a growl to a scream. She turns and shoves Evie behind her.

Another heartbeat, and then everything speeds up into double time.

I lunge toward Evie.

Instead of dropping the gun, Katrina doubles down and points the weapon at her.

“It’s your fault. You’re the reason I had to do this. You’re the reason he left me and now you’re the reason everything’s gone wrong, you stupid⁠—”

A shot rings out and Katrina jerks.

She snarls, then aims the gun at Evie.

So I do what I have to because there is no other choice.

I can’t lose Evie.

So I lunge in front of her the moment Katrina pulls the trigger. I don’t hear that shot.

I hear the next one. It must hit Katrina.

Unless it hit me, too. I can’t tell.

I don’t feel it.