Page 144 of Captivated

And that was it.

The push came fast. Toby shoved the guy back, just to get him out of the way, but the guy swung, then the others moved in all at once.

A fist slammed into Zeeb’s cheek, snapping his head to the side. He staggered, caught himself, and threw a punch in return, connecting with someone’s chin, but then hands were on him again, shoving, grabbing, driving him into a rack of padded envelopes.

Toby was trying to fight them off. He got a good knee into someone’s gut, but they were too many. One man grabbed him from behind in a chokehold. Another punched him in the stomach, and when Toby doubled over, a boot came up into his ribs. He gasped for air, but before he could even roll over, another guy grabbed his arm, twisting it behind his back with a sickening crack.

“Toby!” Zeeb tried to reach for him but he was tackled from the side. His elbow slammed hard into the floor and pain bloomed white-hot. He tried to crawl, kicking out, but a fist landed in his back and flattened him.

Above them, Donna screamed but she didn’t move.

The men were shouting now, taunts, curses, threats that no longer sounded like jokes. They were in it too deep to care who heard them.

Toby was curled on the floor, coughing, blood at the corner of his mouth. One of them kicked him in the side. Again. And again.

Zeeb shoved his attacker off and clawed for his phone, his fingers slick with sweat and blood. It took two tries to unlock the screen. He hit the emergency call button.

“Come on, come on,” he hissed, barely able to breathe.

Toby moaned, a low, guttural sound that chilled Zeeb to the bone.

“Nine-one-one, what’s your emergency?”

Thank fuck.

“Post office,” Zeeb gasped. “Bozeman. We’re being attacked. Seven men. They’re killing him. Send someone now!”

The woman on the line said something, but Zeeb couldn’t hear her over the roaring in his ears. Someone kicked his side, knocking the wind out of him, and the phone slid from his hand.

He reached for Toby, who was lying still now, his eyes open, not moving.

“Thought you could just waltz in here and pretend like everything was fine, huh?” That voice was ice-cold. “You don’t get to play that game. Not here, not in our town.”

The blow to Zeeb’s head hit like a thunderclap, sharp and sudden. His vision blurred for a split second, his ears ringing as the world tilted sideways. A jolt of pain shot through his skull, dizziness swallowing up his thoughts. He staggered, trying to focus, but the floor seemed to roll beneath him.

Everything in Zeeb screamed to stay conscious. To fight. But the floor kept on tilting, and the blood pooling around them smelled too much like metal and fear. Their assailants had fled, and he was dimly aware of someone kneeling beside him, their voice fading.

Fading.

Gone.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Nate heaveda sigh of relief when he saw the sign at the outer limits of Bozeman.

Almost there.

Not that he regretted even one of the four hundred eighty miles he’d driven so far. They were taking him not only to his new home, but a new life.

That had him running hot and cold at the same time.

He drove along Highway 191, scanning the street signs for the turnoff for S 19th Avenue, the final leg of his trip, but as he approached the intersection, all traffic had stopped. Police cars blocked the street, and beyond them were two ambulances and more police cars. Drivers had switched off their engines, gotten out of their vehicles, and were standing at the police barrier, most of them holding up their phones to record the view.

Nate couldn’t go any further. He might as well see what was going on, and hope it got cleared up soon. He’d be at Salvation in time for supper.

Does Zeeb even know I’m coming?Nate had no idea.

He pulled over to the side of the road and switched off the engine. He got out of the car, locked it, and walked toward the crowd. Behind the cordon, the street was empty of traffic, apart from parked cars in front of the stores.

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