“She’s eighteen. You can’t tell her what to do, and I won’t let you leave here with her.” Zach’s anger was tangible.
“If I don’t go with him, he’ll kill you,” Alyssa said, standing behind Zach, her hand on his shoulder.
“No one is going anywhere—” Ethan began, then cursed under his breath.
Jim grabbed Alyssa and shoved her behind him, toward the truck. Zach reacted by reaching out to catch her, but Jim jammed the rifle into Zach’s belly. Alyssa regained her balance and grabbed her father’s arm. Just before Ethan squeezed off a shot, Jim whirled around and knocked Alyssa aside with the butt of the rifle. Falling to the ground, she remained there.
So focused on the action playing out in front of him and trying to get a shot, he didn’t realize that Carli had moved until she appeared at Al
