Page 122 of Rescued Heart

Bianca squinted in the darkness. She couldn’t see Kelson. “Maybe he’s bluffing.”

A bullet hit the tree beyond her. “Don’t make me come over there.”

Bianca lifted to stand, but Eddie tackled her. “No, you run. I’ll stand.”

She put her hands on the side of his cheeks. She pressed her lips to his, and he stilled. As much as she wanted to keep kissing him, she had to save at least one of their lives. “You go get help.”

“Bianca…”

She pushed away from him and stood.

Please, God, keep Eddie from standing too.

“Stop!” Kelson shouted.

A flashlight blinded her until she blocked the light with her hand. Darkness may have fallen, but the moon reflected off the gun pointed at Bianca.

Kelson remained beside a grouping of three saplings no less than ten paces off to the left. Close enough to not have to aim too hard and still hit her. “Where’s the other one?”

Bianca swallowed. “I tripped and fell. He kept going.”

Kelson grunted. “Serves you right to be left with nothing. It’s not a great feeling, is it? Start walking toward me, slowly, or I’m going to shoot you in the leg and chase down the other one before I finish you off.”

Riley’s footsteps circled back toward them as her flashlight bounced over the brush.

Please don’t see Eddie crawling away.

Riley zeroed her light in on Bianca’s back, creating a monster-sized shadow of Bianca in the treetops. If only she stood as huge as her silhouette. Then she could beat the enemies around her and Eddie.

Then again, God would be better to trust than Bianca’s own power. No matter how weak or strong she remained.

Riley stomped around Bianca. Her face shadowed but her mood clear. She pointed her gun at Bianca’s chest. “I get to kill her. You didn’t have to listen to her whine every morning.”

Bianca shifted her feet. “Why are you doing this, Riley? Why did Janice murder Nathan? What’s going on?”

“Nathan ruined everything. He’s a cheater, and you helped him. To those the Duke awards favors to, much is required. Nathan finally gambled his last.”

“About time,” Kelson grumbled.

“You played poker against Nathan?” Bianca’s calf whacked against a stump, and she grunted. “That’s why you wanted his money?”

Kelson shook his gun at Bianca. “He cheated. No one’s that good all the time.”

“It wasn’t Nathan’s money.” Riley huffed. “He stole it. I don’t care what the media says, you’re not dumb. You can’t pretend that stealing people’s money isn’t a crime. So keep up.”

Bianca inched back another step. “You think I stole your money too?”

The light shined from Riley’s direction into Bianca’s face.

Her body stiffened.

“No.” Riley walked toward Bianca, gun in one hand and the light in her other aimed in Bianca’s eyes. “I don’tthinkyou did. Iknowyou did it. Nathan isn’t the only one who should’ve been convicted for his involvement in the gambling ring.”

Bianca licked her lips. “Honestly, Riley. I didn’t know what Nathan was involved with. I knew he played poker with his friends but?—”

“Not friends. Naïve victims who got invited into a club only to be scammed. You can’t take our inheritance and not pay. Nathan invited my fiancé to his little game night. And guess what? His money’s all gone too. But then Nathan was indicted. Finally. Some kind of justice. Except Nathan was let off the hook, and you were never tried.”

Apparently, Bianca hadn’t been the only one hoodwinked by Nathan. “I testified against him. I didn’t know?—”

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