Maya’s Triple Dare(Divine Creek Ranch 6)(107)
Knowing she was running out of time, Maya hit the phone icon and pressed last number dialed. Richard’s number came up, and she pressed it.
“Please answer. Please answer. Please answer,” she panted as she began running away from the house, sprinting for the thick tree line in the distance.
Adrenaline dumped into her system, giving her greater speed as the back door of their house burst open. She glanced back and sent up a prayer of thanks she could not see the back of the house for all the shrubs. He couldn’t see her and would search for her in the yard first, at least until he found the gate.
She headed for the tree line, figuring the creek was the best option for hiding places.
Richard’s deep voice answered the call. “Hello, honey. We’re in the truck on our way home right now.”
“Richard! Oh, thank God! Richard, Frank Reeves is here and he has a gun! He said he would shoot me!”
“Did he hurt you?”
“He broke the front door! He’s chasing me!”
“Where are you, honey?”
“Headed for the creek!”
“Good. We’re almost home. What?” She heard muffled voices and then he spoke clearly again. “Grace is on the phone with Kendall. She’s called 911. Run to the creek, honey. Watch out for the—”
Maya felt a fiery pain shoot through her left arm and yelped.
“Maya! Maya! What happened? Maya!”
Hot liquid ran from her left upper arm, which tingled fiercely and suddenly felt powerless. She looked back, and her heart leaped into her throat as she saw Frank Reeves standing by the open gate, pointing his gun at her.
She knew Frank Reeves was proud of his marksman skills and his gun collection. She hadn’t heard a shot fired and knew if he had brought a gun with him during the day he would have brought a silencer so any shots fired would attract no notice.
“He’s shooting at me, Richard. He hit my arm.”
She ran as fast as she could, weaving as much as possible as he lifted the gun and took aim again.
“Run, Maya! Run! We’re almost there. Get to the creek. Run, honey!”
“I am. Richard, I love you. Tell Kendall and Boone I love them.”
The phone must have changed hands because she suddenly heard Boone’s voice. “Maya! Listen to me, okay, baby?”
“Yeah,” she panted and flinched when another bullet impacted the dirt right by her foot as she raced toward the slope that led to the creek.
“Where did he hit you?”
“My arm. It feels funny.”
“We’ll fix it. Just keep running. Stay ahead of him.”
“Okay.”
“Get across the creek as quickly as you can, and don’t get your phone wet.” A bullet zinged past her ear.
“Oh God! That was close!” She chanced a glance behind her. He was gaining on her.
Maya hit the slope, saw the barbed wire just in time, ass-planted it, and slithered under the barbed strands.
She could hear Frank’s heavy footfalls closing the distance. She prayed she’d reach the nearby tree line before he breached the slope. Putting the phone to her ear she sprinted as if ten thousand demons were on her tail.
“I’m under the fence. Almost there.”
“Good girl. Keep running, baby.”
She heard an ungraceful “Oof!” behind her and managed a happy grimace as Frank commenced to cursing. He’d hit the barbed-wire fence at full sprint. She heard the muffled report of the gun and yelped as pain bloomed in her left shoulder.
“I love you, Boone. I love you so much.”
“Don’t say good-bye to me, Maya. We’re gonna take care of that son of a bitch. We just got you. Don’t you dare tell me good-bye!”
“Boone, he said he killed Morgan. He said he’ll kill me, too.”
“No he won’t. I’ll kill him before I allow that to happen.”
Somehow she managed a smile at his authoritarian tone. Her eyes were grateful as she left the brightly lit slope behind and entered the heavily shaded area over the creek. In another few seconds he wouldn’t be able to see her at least until he freed himself from the fence and got over it, which was not going to be easy for a big guy like him.
She was thankful to whoever had built the fence taller than normal on this side of the creek. She heard another faint pop, and white-hot pain bloomed in her right side, causing her to gasp harshly.
“Baby? Baby, are you still there?” Boone’s voice was tinged with desperation. She was barely able to hold the phone to her ear.
“My side, under my ribs. He shot me again.”
“Get across the creek, baby. Do it, just get across it.”
She gasped as she plunged into the cold water. Her legs felt like they were lead weights, but at least the water only came to her waist at the deepest point along this part of the creek. It was much deeper and harder to cross farther down where they played.