“Cover once more,” she stated to the children and despatched them fleeing into the darkish forest.

Julia grabbed for rocks and sticks, hurtling no matter was at hand in an effort to gradual Wilson down and provides the children time to get away.

“Julia?” Sean yelled. He sounded shut.

“Down right here,” she screamed again and stored preventing in opposition to Wilson. He was closing in on her, however she wasn’t operating. She wished to maintain him engaged. She seemed away, looking for one other projectile. When she swung her consideration again to him, he held a gun in his fingers. She dodged to the suitable, figuring out that Wilson wouldn’t hesitate to shoot. A bullet hit a close-by tree at head peak inflicting splinters to fly.

She was ducking again round to attempt to hit him with the flashlight when her foot caught on a root and he or she went down laborious. She lurched to her ft, briefly disoriented. Immediately, Wilson was an arm’s size away, his gun pointed proper at her. She had no technique to dodge, no choices to guard herself. She searched her thoughts for one thing to say. Something that may give her seconds extra.

“You’re useless similar to your sister,” Wilson stated. His gun steadied, and he or she knew concern like by no means earlier than. She couldn’t die. The youngsters wanted her. She wished to inform Sean she cherished him. There have been so many issues left unsaid, undone.

“Please,” she whispered, making Wilson snigger. She was wincing in anticipation of the shot when a crashing sound got here from behind her.

A hand on her again shoved her out of hurt’s approach whereas a strong pressure launched previous her headed straight for Wilson. Sean! The gun fired, the sound almost deafening at this vary.

She scrambled to her ft, determined to see what was occurring. Had Sean been hit by the bullet supposed for her? Please don’t let that be, she prayed.

She blinked, struggling to differentiate the shapes within the close to darkness. Sean had Wilson by the throat along with his again slammed in opposition to a tree. The gun was on the bottom. She dashed ahead and grabbed it, so Wilson couldn’t get it once more. Then, she realized that Sean had management of Wilson. He was caught ultimately. The monster was trapped.

However that shot…

“Are you harm?” She rushed to Sean as he lowered Wilson’s nonetheless physique to the bottom.

“I heard a shot.” Tara was all of the sudden with them. “Is he useless?” She kicked at Wilson.

“Simply knocked out,” Sean stated. He was respiration closely however he appeared unharmed. Julia put her hand on Sean’s chest, getting his consideration. “I’m okay. You?”

“Am now. That was…” She didn’t have phrases for the frenzy of feelings that hit her, and he or she needed to work to not fling her arms round Sean.

“Let’s truss him up,” Tara stated. “Give me your belt.” Along with her and Sean’s belt, they secured Wilson’s wrists and ankles. “That’ll maintain him. You took an opportunity.” She checked out her brother.

He shrugged. “Needed to.”

“Mother?” Eden’s voice filtered by means of the timber.

“It’s okay, child. You may come out,” Tara referred to as. Seconds later, they may hear the children operating towards them.

Julia wished to ask what likelihood he’d taken, however the children had been with them. She hugged Lucy and Amos. They’d been by means of a lot, however they had been protected now. Due to Sean. He had Ally Mae in his arms whereas Eden clung to her mom. Sean caught Julia’s eye for only a second, and he or she may learn the reduction in his expression that she felt all through her physique.

“You and Julia get the children again to the home,” Sean stated to his sister as his dad and the opposite SEALs reached them. “We’ll be sure that Wilson will get turned over to the authorities.”

“Come on, children.” Tara started to steer them away. Julia was about to comply with her, however then she all of the sudden turned again and ran to Sean, flinging herself into his arms. To her reduction, he didn’t push her away, simply held her shut in opposition to him for an extended second.

“What did Tara imply by you took an opportunity?” She needed to know.

“It means he took a shortcut to get right here by leaping the divide,” Joe answered for Sean.

“The divide?” She lifted her head from Sean’s chest to have a look at his father.

“An eight-foot-wide rock crevice that marks the unique boundary of the ranch,” Joe stated. “There’s previous barbed wire down inside it. No room for error.”

She understood. Sean had jumped over a hazard that might have been lethal for him if he’d fallen. He’d taken a horrible danger. For her and the children.

She wished to kiss him, however she couldn’t. Not now, not there. They had been not a pair and would possibly by no means be, however she knew that she would struggle for his love. She’d spent her life bouncing from place to position, by no means attempting to stay wherever—and that was what she’d completed with their relationship, too. She’d let him finish issues. She hadn’t challenged him or tried to alter his thoughts. However this potential that she had with him was price preventing for. And he or she wouldn’t be transferring on together with her life till she was positive of what he wished. She would do no matter she may to persuade him that letting her and the children in was price it. There is perhaps ache and sorrow—that was inevitable in life—however it could be outweighed by the happiness.

Now she simply needed to get him to see that.

THIRTY-SIX

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