Page 13 of Coast

Only one thing made that sound.

A gunshot.

This was one of those instances where Huck would probably tell me I was a dumbass and flirting with trouble. But I couldn’t help myself. I was curious who was shooting in our neck of the woods.

I had to move through an alley toward the next street over and I’d just made it out of the mouth when some chick came fucking flying down the street like her ass was on fire, both her arms clutching something tight to her chest, her eyes huge, wild, panicked.

Spotting me, a gasp escaped her.

“Someone after you?” I asked as she slowed, unsure about moving close to me.

The only answer she gave me was a tight nod before glancing back over her shoulder.

“Come here,” I said, reaching for her arm.

And when I pulled it away from her chest, I realized it was a fucking baby she was clutching.

“Shit,” I said, dragging her halfway down the alley as I heard voices. “Alright, work with me here,” I said.

Then pinned her to the wall.

CHAPTER FOUR

Zoe

“I’ve heard enough.”

The fierceness in his tone had my belly twisting as I turned.

I don’t know why I didn’t just keep walking, keep minding my own damn business.

But I didn’t.

I looked over.

Just in time to see four men in the lot.

Two of them pushed the third man to his knees as he bent forward, face bloodied, body shuddering with sobs.

I still didn’t move as the fourth man reached into his pocket and drew out a gun.

It wasn’t until he pressed it to the man’s temple that I seemed to remember that I wasn’t cemented to the ground.

But the second I set my foot back down for the first step, it crunched on something that had heads turning in my direction.

I didn’t stop to think.

I wrapped my arms around my baby to keep her from bouncing, and I ran for our lives.

A yelp escaped me at the loudbangas I cleared the alleyway.

“Go!” one of the men shouted. I was surprised I could even hear him past the whooshing of blood in my ears as I flew down the sidewalk.

If there was ever a time I was thankful that I’d always been reasonably active in my life, it was as I ran away from men with guns and a willingness to use them against someone who had already clearly been beaten into submission.

Even so, it had been ages since I ran and my thigh muscles burned as my feet pounded the pavement, each step a prayer that I could go just a little faster.

Lainey was wiggling in her carrier, her tiny body crushed to my hammering heart.

---