Emma looks up at Ellie and frowns. “I don’t like you anymore, Aunt Ellie, you’re mean.”
Ellie looks at her in disgust and rolls her eyes. “See what I mean? That child doesn’t know her place. William could have taught her a thing or two about manners.”
The idea that Ellie actually thinks having William discipline Emma in his own way is a good idea makes me sick. I need to keep her talking; I need to get her away from Emma.
“What about your black eye and busted lip? Was William trying to teach you some manners?” I ask her sarcastically.
I’d rather she be mad at me than Emma. I’ll take a hundred more punches as long as she leaves Emma alone.
“William was never here, you idiot. I did that to myself with the television remote from the hotel. He had no idea I was in Nashville, he’s been visiting his parents for the last week,” Ellie informs me, stepping away from Emma.
“Hey, Aunt Ellie!” Emma shouts.
Ellie whips around and I shake my head frantically, trying to tell Emma to be quiet and not bring any attention to herself, but she doesn’t notice.
“What?” Ellie asks in annoyance.
“When Austin gets here, he’s going to put you in jail with the bad Barbies,” Emma tells her proudly.
I sob as Ellie walks closer to her. “Ellie, please!”
Ellie ignores me as she squats down in front of Emma’s chair. “Your knight in shining armor doesn’t give two shits about you, kiddo.”
Ellie stands up and the click of a bullet being released into the chamber of her gun echoes around the room. Ellie points the gun at Emma again and stares right at her as she throws one last threat my way. “Now it’s your turn to lose it all.”
I hold Emma’s gaze in my own and try to tell her with my eyes how much I love her and how sorry I am. With a sinking feeling of dread that makes me nauseous, I know our time is up. There’s nothing I can do now but pray that death happens quickly and painlessly for my beautiful baby girl – and that this asshole will show a tiny bit of mercy and put me out of my misery soon after.
Ellie starts to turn her head in my direction when Emma brings her attention back around with another statement. “Austin will save us.”
Emma opens her mouth and screams at the top of her lungs while Ellie stares at her in confusion.
The explosion of a gun going off happens without warning and I let out a blood-curdling scream.
Chapter 33
Austin
“So you’re sure about this?” Brady asks as we pull up to the front of the building.
“Gwen mentioned to me that she and Ellie talked about the old restaurant next to your office. Ellie isn’t familiar with Nashville and the police already checked the two hotels where she’s been staying. I can’t think of any other place she would have taken them,” I explain to him as we get out of my vehicle and head to the front door.
One of the officers comes running up from the back of building. “We got a positive on Ellie Larson’s vehicle packed around back.”
I turn towards Brady. “What’s the layout of this place? Should we go in the same way she did or try the front?”
Brady looks up and down the sidewalk, thinking for a minute. “There’s a walk-up basement that leads right into the wine cellar. If she parked back there, that’s probably where she’s keeping them. We won’t be able to sneak up on them if we go through the back. I think we should go in through the front and take the stairs located off the bar. When you get to the bottom of the stairs, there’s a long hallway that opens up to the cellar. That way we’ll at least be able to get a bead on the situation first and go from there.”
Sending the rest of the officers around back in case Ellie tries to run, Brady and I make our way alone into the empty restaurant. Creeping quietly around boxes and overturned tables and chairs, I lead the way down into the basement.
Brady and I have done this a thousand times together. We’ve walked into dangerous situations not being able to speak and make our presence known. We’ve learned how to communicate with hand signals and one single look to tell the other what we should do, but this time is different. This time, people we love are depending on us to not make any mistakes. The only looks that pass back and forth between us right now are ones of worry and fear.
Stepping down off the bottom step, we stick to the wall of the hallway as we quietly make our way closer to the wine cellar. I pull my gun out of its holster at my back when I hear voices at the far end of the hallway. My heart jumps into my throat when I hear Gwen’s sobs and it takes everything in me not to take off running the rest of the way to get to her as fast as I can. I can hear Brady’s labored breathing behind me and I know he’s feeling the exact same way as I am.
I inch closer to the end of the hallway, trying to ignore the sounds of Gwen pleading and crying. When I get to the doorway that opens up into the main room, I slowly peer around the corner and the sight before me takes my breath away. Gwen is tied to a chair with her back to me and Emma is across the room from her, tied up in a similar manner. All of my SEAL training disappears and the only thing I want to do is scream in rage and do whatever it takes to get my girls away from the woman holding a gun on them. I have to swallow back the terror that will have me doing something irrational and getting them hurt worse. I need to be smart about this and remain calm.
Tearing my eyes away from the painful scene, I take a step back and whisper as quietly as I can to Brady. “They’re both tied up. Ellie has a gun on Emma.”
Even in the dark hallway I can see the same fury I’m feeling wash over his face. He clenches his jaw and takes a few calming breaths before nodding once.
Turning away from him, I move forward a little more until I can slowly creep around the corner and into the room, careful not to alert Ellie that anyone else is here with them. The movement catches Emma’s eye from across the room and I quickly raise a finger to my mouth when she looks at me, hoping she won’t give my position away to Ellie before I’m ready.
Just then, Ellie starts to turn away from Emma and I know she’ll see me. I won’t have time to back up and hide before that happens and I begin to panic.
“Hey, Aunt Ellie!” Emma yells suddenly.
I hold my breath as I watch Ellie quickly turn back towards Emma and I begin to move forward a little more. I need a clear shot at Ellie and I need her away from Emma to do that.
“When Austin gets here, he’s going to put you in jail with the bad Barbies,” Emma tells Ellie confidently with a raise of her chin.
If I weren’t scared out of my fucking mind right now I would laugh at Emma’s assurance and bravery. Ellie moves closer to Emma and I take another step until I’m a few feet behind Gwen. I want to whisper to her that I’m right here and that I’m not going to let anything happen to either one of them, but I have to remain quiet. I can hear Gwen sobbing and it rips a hole right through my heart.
Ellie mutters something to Emma and stands up, loading a bullet in place before pointing the gun right at her.
“Now it’s your turn to lose it all,” Ellie states angrily as she begins to turn in my direction.
God dammit! She’s still too close to Emma. I can’t risk taking the shot now and there’s nothing I can do before Ellie sees me standing here.