Page 69 of Summer Affair

Dean threw himself behind a large oak tree as the bullets sprayed around him, the bark splintering under the impact and hitting his skin in several places.

When the shooting stopped, Dean risked a glance around the tree. He saw Jake bolt down the last pathway towards the pool house.

Dean picked up his pace, ducking under low branches and jumping over roots as he took the shortcut that would cut Jake off.

Dean’s lungs burned as he neared a clearing by the pool house, the trees thinning out just enough to give him a better view. He saw Jake stumble slightly, the weight of the backpack finally slowing him down.

Thankfully, Dean’s longer strides allowed him to close the gap. He came up on Jake a few seconds before he made it to the clearing.

Seizing the opportunity, Dean lunged at Jake, tackling him to the ground. They hit the dirt hard, the impact knocking the breath from both of them.

The gun clattered to the ground just out of the kid’s reach. Dean scrambled to his feet, and got a hold of the weapon before Jake could, but the kid was quick. Instead of trying to grab the weapon, he grabbed Dean’s arm, twisting it painfully as the two of them wrestled for control.

Dean managed to shove the boy back, but Jake was wiry and strong. He knew that he had been a wrestler in school, since he bragged about winning state all the time. Jake knew the right moves to keep Dean from getting a firm grip on him and the weapon.

At this point they were both driven by a deadly mix of adrenaline and desperation. Jake kicked out at Dean’s legs, sending him stumbling backwards until his head hit the pavement. Dean gritted his teeth, fighting to keep the upper hand, but the boy was relentless.

They grappled and rolled until they were back in the dirt, fists flying at one another. Dean got a solid blow to Jake’s chin, but somehow the boy managed to get a grip on Dean’s throat, squeezing with surprising strength.

Dean’s vision began to blur, the edges of his vision darkening as the boy tightened his grip. He clawed at the boy’s hands, bucked as he struggled to breathe, but the kid was so strong. The pressure on his windpipe was unbearable, and just as the darkness began to close in, he heard a sound, a rush of movement through the trees, and then a sharp cracking sound.

The pressure around his neck suddenly released, and he gasped for air, taking large breaths until his vision returned to normal.

He looked up just in time to see Jake crumple to the dirt. Standing behind him, breathing heavily, was Andrea, her eyes wide with fear as she held a large chuck of firewood in her hands.

“Dean!” she cried, dropping the wood and rushing to his side.

He coughed, sucking in deep breaths of air as she knelt beside him, her hands shaking as she touched his face.

“Are you okay?” she asked quickly as her hands and eyes ran over him.

He nodded weakly, still trying to catch his breath. “I’m…I’m okay,” he rasped, his voice a little hoarse.

Her eyes filled with tears as she looked at him, her hands moving to his shoulders, then his face, as if she needed to reassure herself that he was really there.

“You scared the hell out of me,” she whispered, her voice breaking.

He reached up, placing his hand over hers. “You saved my life,” he said, his voice raw.

She shook her head, her tears spilling over. “I couldn’t lose you,” she said softly. “I just…I couldn’t. Not before I told you…” Her eyes met his. “I love you, Dean Wallis.”

Before he could respond, the sound of footsteps and voices reached them, and the shouts of people calling out to him echoed through the trees. Brett, Liam, and Dylan arrived in the clearing, and they quickly secured the gun and the kid. Brett removed Jake’s mask and he could see the boy was still unconscious.

Brett rolled him over and placed zip ties over Jake’s wrists before checking that he was still breathing. Dylan moved the gun and the backpack a few feet away from Jake.

A few seconds later, several others came running into the clearing, their eyes wide with shock at the scene before them.

“Is that Jake?” someone asked.

“Are you guys okay?” Brett asked him.

“We’re okay,” Dean replied, still holding onto Andrea. “She took him out,” he added with a grin. “Knocked him out with that.” He motioned to the log.

“Yeah, we got the tail end of the show,” Brett said with a nod, his gaze flicking to the unconscious boy on the ground. “Holy shit, that was close.”

At that moment, the sound of approaching sirens filled the air, and Brett pulled out his radio to relay their location to the authorities.

“You’re bleeding everywhere,” Andrea said. She helped him to his feet, her arms steadying him as he stood.