Dying to Run by Cami Checketts

Author:Cami Checketts [Checketts, Cami]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: romance, running, kidnapping, suspense
Publisher: Birch River
Published: 2012-10-30T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

I dodged around Jesse. He grabbed me, but I managed to peek around the edge of the barn before Jesse hauled me back. I’d seen plenty—my Nana, gray hair poking crazily out of place, blouse untucked from the cute Grandma jeans I’d picked out for her at Macy’s, kicking and screaming as she was dragged between two men up the front stairs of the mansion. My heart stopped. Jesse clamped his hand over my mouth, guessing correctly that I wanted to scream for her.

I gasped for breath and choked into his fingers, “Time?”

“7:56.”

“No!” I yelled into his hand. Jesse restrained me with his other arm. I kicked and squirmed, but was no match for his strength. I wasted precious seconds fighting with no progress. Finally, I stopped resisting and he released my mouth, “Jesse, please, please, if you care about me at all, please let me go.”

He held me tighter. “What are you going to do? Run in there and either get shot or blown up? Nana would want you to be safe. You know she would.”

“I-I can’t,” I gasped for air, the world spinning. “I can’t let her die.”

Jesse pinned my shoulders against the wall, his face inches from mine. “You can’t die, Cassidy. You can’t. Your dad and Nana would never forgive me if I let you go and I can’t,” he shuddered, staring into my eyes, “I can’t lose you.”

“B-but can’t we stop the bomb?”

He shook his head. “It’s more than one bomb, Cassidy. There’s no way to stop all of them.”

A guard strolled around the edge of the barn behind us. My eyes widened. My heart thumped against my chest. Jesse grinned and gestured to me. “Found a pretty one.”

The man returned the smile. “Your shirt looks better on her.” He raised his gun in a kind of salute to Jesse and continued his walk.

I shuddered and deflated against Jesse, tears streaming down my face. “My N-nana,” I whimpered.

Jesse gently stroked my arms and back, loosening his hold on me and murmuring soft apologies. It was just the chance I needed. I rammed my heel down on his ankle and hit my head against his as hard as I could. He howled in pain and let go completely. I raced around the edge of the barn and towards the house. I had no idea how I was going to save Nana, but I would rather die trying than cowering behind a barn.

“Cassidy,” Jesse yelled, racing after me. A man on the front porch jumped to his feet and pointed the barrel of his shotgun my direction. Jesse tackled me. We hit the ground as explosions rocked the earth. The man was thrown from the porch. He didn’t move after he hit the ground. Jesse covered me with his body, pushing my head into the ground as burning debris flew around us.

“Nana,” I cried, my anguish drowned out by the roar of the blasts. There were no cries for help. Everyone had been blown to pieces. The house collapsed in on itself, the roof sitting where the main floor should’ve been.

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