Page 73 of Zeke
Not that it matters, because with that gun in my face, he’s got the power to do anything he wants. I have to either let him or take a bullet, assuming he would actually shoot and it’s not a bluff.
Thankfully, he doesn’t come any closer. He makes a jabbing motion with the gun to show me that he’s serious, that he will shoot if he has to, and says, “Now you stay right there. Don’t you fucking move, and don’t you say a word. I don’t care if you think you hear someone outside. I’ll do what I have to in order to teach you a lesson. Understand me?”
I nod and shrink back onto the mattress, curling up at the edge of the bed, as far away from him as I’m able to get. I crush my back into the corner, against the wall, wishing I could sink through the wood paneling and disappear into the woods, to be able to run and hide until Zeke manages to find me.
Right now, all I can do is what Steve tells me to do. I have to obey so I have even the slightest chance of being alive and okay when Zeke comes to get me, and so Steve holds off on hurting me in any lasting way. Because if I know one thing about him, it’s that he will stop at nothing to get to me.
And he’ll never stop fighting for me. No matter what.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-SIX
Zeke
This cannot be happening.
I leave her alone for less than an hour. That’s all. Enough time to help Eli figure out who the hell has been coming after her, and the motherfucker shows up and takes her at gunpoint.
I don’t know how I make it to the bakery as numb as I am from my rage and fear, but eventually, I pull into the lot and walk up to the door, which has aclosedsign on it.
Eli and Eden are on either side of me, ready to take on whatever they have to in order to fix this. I look at my brother, who also cares for Kira, and I’m suddenly incredibly grateful for it for the first time because now he’s not my enemy in the fight for her heart; he’s my ally in the fight for her life.
The tinkling of the bell, which used to sound like music, grates on my ears. Knowing she would have heard that sound as she was taken from the bakery by force, without any choice or ability to run or save herself.
Then again, maybe she did have a chance, but she didn’t take it. If Julia’s life was at risk, I know my Kira. She would have let herself be taken rather than watch anything happen to her friend.
Stupid, beautiful, selfless, brave girl.
When we walk inside, we see Julia sitting on the floor holding some ice wrapped in a cloth to her head. Country is at her side, looking like he is about to cry or scream, maybe both if he can get away with it.
I can see blood on the fabric, and she winces in pain every few seconds as she readjusts it. She obviously took a bad blow. I feel bad for her, but I’m also grateful, knowing she likely was hit because she wouldn’t let Kira go with the guy without a fight, and it was easier to put her on the ground than to try to get around her.
Charge brings up our rear, and the second he walks in, he makes a beeline for Julia, kneeling at her side and pulling away the ice pack to look at her head.
“Oof,” he says. “That’s a pretty nasty bump.” He shines a light in her eyes, and she shies away from it. “Almost certainly a concussion. You’re going to need to take it easy for a few days.”
“Like hell, I will,” she says, starting to get to her feet, but both Charge and Country stop her and keep her seated. “I’m going to help find Kira. That bastard came in here, and… and…”
She trails off, holding her head. I’m sure she’s having a hard time keeping her thoughts straight after being hit hard enough to knock her out.
I look up at Country, whose eyes are trained on Julia. “Country,” I say, getting his attention. “What the fuck happened?”
He sighs and kisses Julia on the unwounded side of her head, then stands up and motions for me to meet him at the counter. Kira’s dad is walking back and forth behind it, pacing, looking like he’s lost and doesn’t know how to get out from back there.
Country watches him for a minute, leans his elbows onto the countertop, and puts his head in his hands. “It’s my goddamn fault, Zeke,” he says.
“How?” I demand as Eli and Eden come up on either side of me. It feels like support, solidarity, but I know them as well as I know myself, and they’re surrounding me as much for other people’s protection as for my own.
Country sighs and looks over his shoulder.
“I went into the back to help with another tray of loaves,” he says. “You were there this morning. It only took a couple of minutes, and there was no sign of trouble when I went back there, so I didn’t think there would be an issue. I’m so fucking stupid.”
“Relax,” Eden says.
I almost round on her but know better. If she’s taking charge, it’s because she knows the best way to handle this, and I’m not doing it. “You couldn’t have known some psycho would show up. You could have been taking a piss when he came in. We just need you to tell us everything you know so we can find this guy and get Kira back.”
“And get revenge on him for hurting Julia,” Eli chimes in, which seems to be the magic words because Country looks over at her and takes a deep, shaky breath.
“Well, like I said on the phone, I was helping move the loaves when I heard a thud, which I guess was Julia getting knocked out. Then Kira screamed. We dropped the loaves and ran out here, but we were too late. By the time we got out of the kitchen, he already had her in his car. I tried to follow them, but he lost me pretty quick. I rode through the whole town trying to tail him, but he disappeared.”