Shuddering in horror, she dashed to her son's side. The instant she
knelt beside him, it was obvious he was breathing.
With tears streaming down her face, she let go of her pent-up breath, then raised her head in thanksgiving. It was when she peered back down at Tyler that she heard the voice.
Lester's voice. And she knew who he was talking to. To scream was
unthinkable, but that was what she wanted to do.
"Well, well, lo okie who we have here," Lester said in an evil but mocking tone.
"Where's Tyler?" Austin countered in a sharp but calm voice.
Lester chuckled.
"I always figured that brat was yours, though she never would say."
"Where is he, Sullivan?"
"Don't know."
"You're lying."
"I'd watch my mouth if I was you, lover boy."
Getting slowly to her feet, Cassie forced her jellylike legs to move
toward the bedroom door. Luck was with her; it was open enough that she
could see down the hall into the living room.
She gripped the door handle hard to hold herself upright. Lester had a gun, and it was pointed at Austin's heart.
Damn Austin for his John Wayne antics. She had been afraid somethinglike this would happen. For a second Cassie's eyes darted back to Tyler.She wanted to snatch him off that bed, run like hell and never lookback.
But she couldn't. She couldn't leave Austin at Lester mercy.
"You won't get away with this, Sullivan," Austin said harshly.
"Even if you kill me, the police are on the way." "Won't matter," Lester
said with cocky confidence. "You'll be dead by then, and I'll be long gone."
"Wrong."
Lester froze.
"Cassie?"
"That's right, Lester," she whispered.
"And it's the barrel of one of your own guns that's digging into your
neck."
He chuckled again.
"Who you trying to kid? Even if I shot lover boy right in front of you,
you wouldn't pull the trigger." "Cassie," Austin said in a soft, warning
tone.
Ignoring the fear and concern in his face and voice, Cassie nosed the barrel deeper into Lester's flesh.
"Are you sure about that? While I was hiding from you, you bastard, I learned to handle a gun like a pro."
"You're lying."
"Want to bet your life on it?"
For a moment the room was filled with silence, a silence that was suddenly broken by the wail of a siren.
"Give it up, Sullivan," Austin demanded.
"You're in a no-win situation. You shoot me " he broke off with a shrug " she shoots you."
Cassie felt, rather than saw, Lester's hesitation. But that slight
mistake was all Austin needed. Quick as lightning, he lifted his leg andkicked the gun out of Lester's hand. The pistol went flying across thefloor.
"Why, you son of a bitch!" Lester cried, lunging for the weapon.
The second he bent over, Cassie hit him on the back of the neck with the
butt of her gun. Lester groaned; then his body flattened on the floor, where it twitched for a moment before becoming still.
Cassie lifted horrified eyes to Austin, then, in a dazed fashion,
dropped the gun.
"Dammit, Cassie, you could've been killed."
His words didn't register. Nothing registered except the horror of the
moment. Lester was right. She had lied. She had never shot a gun in her life.
"Mommy, Mommy!"
A cry erupted from deep within Cassie's soul as she swung around and saw her son standing in the doorway, dried tears streaking his face.
She ran to him and, regardless of his weight, scooped him up in her arms.
"It's all right, sweetheart. Mommy's here, and you're safe."
Thirty-Nine there, you're done."
An almost-smile altered Cassie's lips as she watched Jo Nell mist her hair with a final touch of light spray. "Thanks."
"Well, it helped a little."
Cassie gave Jo a look.
"But not a lot. Is that what you're saying?"
"Mmm, now that you mention it, I guess so."
"Thanks for that vote of confidence." Cassie's voice was tinged with
humorous sarcasm.
"I didn't mean it that way, and you know it." Jo Nell peered in the
mirror and fiddled with her own hair, then turned her attention once again to Cassie.
"It's just that you've been looking so drained and wrung out lately that
it's affected your whole body, especially your hair."
Cassie got out of the chair.
"Come on, walk out with me."
"I have ten minutes before my next appointment. Do you want to grab a
quick cup of coffee?"
Cassie shook her head.
"No, thanks, not today."
"I'll walk you out, then."
Only after they were on the sidewalk did Cassie speak.