Casey whipped into the parking lot of Ellie’s Place, her heart rate climbing to unhealthy levels. Coleman’s car sat front and center, along with TJ’s and Casey’s bikes, which she was sure Emery had borrowed. She relaxed slightly. Despite their past make-out session, TJ wouldn’t let anything happen to Emery. But she wondered why he’d come back to Ellie’s Place so early on a Sunday. Why would Emery send a text for help if she was with TJ? Unless this had to do with what TJ had said the other day. Unless Coleman . . .
A longing for Micah swept through her as she sprinted from the car to the front door. He would be by her side if she hadn’t pushed him away.
It was too late now. He was probably far from Dallas and happy to be out of her life by now. But the look on his face as he’d walked away last night. She’d taken his story and thrown it back in his face. She hadn’t had his back. She’d stabbed it. And accused him of hurting her in the process. She’d only hurt herself. All because she couldn’t let people in.
Casey slowed as she neared the front door and tested the handle. Unlocked.
She held onto the door until it closed softly behind her. Elevated voices carried down the hall.
“TJ, stop it.” Emery.
A harsh tone silenced her. Coleman.
Casey’s heart rate took off at a gallop. Something wasn’t right.
She padded down the hallway, forcing herself to walk on tiptoes. She didn’t know why. She was the adult. She should be able to barge in and take care of the situation. But something warned her to proceed with caution. This wasn’t a situation to charge into.
The yelling grew louder behind her closed office door halfway down the hall. Casey hugged the wall and crept closer, mindful of the window allowing people to see in from the hallway. Normally she kept the blinds pulled if she was having a serious conversation, but today they were open, giving her a view of the room. She kept her back flat. Deep breaths. No time to panic.
TJ stood in front of the couch where Emery sat, a gun pointed at her. His hand shook and she’d never seen his eyes so big. He shifted back and forth on his feet, casting quick glances over his shoulder every few seconds. He didn’t look angry.
He looked scared.
Casey shifted to study her sister, careful to keep her back to the wall and remain out of sight. Mascara ran in tracks down Emery’s face. Her chin quivered. She sat in a ball on the couch, hugging her legs, her eyes glued to the gun rattling in TJ’s hand. Anger flooded Casey. What was TJ doing? She’d thought she heard . . .
Coleman came into view as he stalked to the bookshelf tucked next to the couch. Books and frames scattered to the floor as he dug around and behind them. Searching for something.
“Where are they, TJ? Where did you hide them?”
With a sinking feeling, the dots connected. TJ’s anxiety. His nod to Coleman on the court. His quick exit. Coleman’s search. Emery’s tear-stained face. TJ had been running drugs for Coleman. When he had decided he couldn’t fulfill his task, he’d hidden them. Most likely at Ellie’s—the one place he deemed safe.
And Coleman thought Casey had them.
One more reason in a string of reasons for him to hate Casey. And one more reason Casey knew she could no longer handle this on her own. She could call the police but TJ might go to jail. She should call the police. She fumbled for her phone, removing it from her pocket with shaky fingers.
Her hands rattled and sweat slicked her palms. “C’mon, unlock.” She managed to punch in her code and pull up her keypad. She took a deep breath, trying to quell the shaking. Emery screamed. Coleman stood over her, leering, a fistful of her hair gripped in his hand. Tears ran thick down her face.
The phone slipped from her hand and rattled across the tile floor. Casey dove for it, but too late.
The office door swung open, crashing into the wall with a bang just as her hand wrapped around her phone.
“Well, what do we have here?”
Her fingers flew, and she redialed the last call she’d made and prayed it went through. Micah. Need for him swept through her. He would know what to do. But after the way she’d treated him, she had no idea if he would come.
A hand gripped the back of her neck and yanked her to her feet. The cold press of metal ground into her temple. She sucked in a breath and prayed.
Coleman had a gun, too.
“Casey, talk to me,” Micah ground out.
“You don’t have to do this. Just put the gun down, Coleman.”
“And why would I do that? I warned you to leave well enough alone.” Coleman’s voice sounded all too close to the receiver.
Micah smashed the phone against his ear. “Tell me where you are, Case. Give me a clue,” he muttered.
“Just let TJ and Emery go. I’ll give you what you want. But it’s not in my office. I can’t hide that stuff at Ellie’s.” Micah heard Casey plead, her voice muffled.
“Casey, don’t tell him that. He’ll kill you.”
TJ’s voice.
What was TJ doing there?
Micah hit speaker and dropped the phone in his lap. He had less than a quarter tank left but he could get back to Ellie’s Place. The engine roared to life, surging and waiting for his command.
He could text Shawn. Have him meet him at Ellie’s. But what if Shawn got hurt? What if Casey or TJ got hurt because Micah went in to try and help and just messed everything up?
“Stop talking to her!” Micah heard Coleman shout.
Something slapped hard next to the phone. Casey groaned.
He heard shuffling. Then, “Well what do we have here? Who’s this?” Coleman. His words slurred, his tone dripped with venom. Micah didn’t answer, hoping the kid was too high to figure it out.
“No cops, or I shoot them all.”
The line went dead.
The engine roared. The tires squealed as he sped from the parking lot and back onto the access road. With no traffic going that direction, he could be at Ellie’s in five minutes.
A lot could happen in five minutes. A lot could happen when he got there. But he was their only option. He wouldn’t risk calling the police until he arrived, wouldn’t risk Casey. He only prayed that he could save her before it was too late.
Four minutes out. The ache in his chest began to seal as he closed the miles.
He’d never been the guy to sit on the sidelines. He couldn’t leave the woman he loved in harm’s way without doing something, and he wouldn’t let someone else have the job of protecting her.
That was his job. And it was time to fight for that role in her life.
“I’m coming, Casey. Hang on.”
He shot a text to Shawn and sped around traffic.
He refused to think about the last time an enemy had him in their sights.
He had more to lose this time, and he was finished saying goodbye to people he loved.