Chapter 130

Elio's always chasing trouble, Lucie thought, her nerves strung tight. He just can't help being the hero, and now look-things are way out of control.

Curly's gun caught the light as he and the bald guy spread out, moving in from both sides. Elio pressed his back to a tree, barely breathing, waiting for the right moment to strike.

"Come out! I know you're there! If you don't show yourself, I'll start shooting!" Curly yelled, then fired two silenced shots straight into the bushes.

The muffled pops barely made a sound, but the bullets shredded leaves as they passed. Elio's eyes narrowed, his grip tightening on the knife in his hand. These two weren't amateurs like the last guys-they knew what they were doing.

"I said come out! I see you!" Curly shouted again.

"Curly, you think it's the cops?" Baldy whispered.

"Probably. Don't let your guard down."

Baldy's face twisted with rage. "Steven that bastard! He actually called the cops. For twenty million, he'd rather lose his own kid."

"Forget it. Grab the boy and let's move!" Curly snapped.

No more arguing. Baldy spun and rushed back to the tent. He barged in, practically snarling, “Your dad won't pay a cent for you, you little brat, so you can go to hell!" He scooped Cody up, ready to run-and if he couldn't get away, he'd finish things right there.

Cody kicked and screamed, legs flailing. "Let me go! You're hurting me! Help! Daddy! Daddy!"

Lucie heard his cries and peeked around the corner. The bald guy had Cody and was making a break for it, while the other two, guns raised, were closing in on Elio's hiding spot.

No way. She couldn't let them get away. If they escaped with Cody now, who knew if they'd ever find him again? He wasn't her biological son, but she'd carried him for nine months and given birth to him—she couldn't watch him get hurt.

Heart pounding, Lucie moved quietly, clutching her pepper spray, inching closer to the bald man.

"Stop! Put my son down!" she yelled.

The bald man spun around, startled.

Lucie didn't hesitate; she sprayed right into his eyes.

"Argh!" he yelled, squeezing his eyes shut and firing blindly at Lucie.

"Lucie, watch out!" Elio shouted.

A shot rang out. But Lucie's reflexes kicked in, and she dove to the side, rolling across the dirt to dodge the bullet.

Blinded and in pain, the bald man shot wildly three more times, missing every shot.

Then, out of nowhere, a knife whistled through the air, thrown with force from over ten meters away, and hit the bald man straight in the throat.

He gasped, clutching his neck, while Cody slipped from his grasp and hit the ground with a heavy thud.

"Cody!" Lucie rushed over, yanking him behind her. She pulled out her stun gun and jabbed it into the bald man's side.

He jerked and collapsed, twitching once before going still.

Cody was shaking, but when he saw Lucie, he dove into her arms, sobbing. "Mommy, I'm so scared!"

"It's okay. Mommy's here. I've got you," Lucie whispered, scooping him up and ducking behind a big tree for cover.

Gunshots exploded again as Curly and Cross-Eye fired at them.

Elio sprang from behind his own tree. In one swift move, he kicked Curly's wrist, sending the gun flying, then slammed a fist into his nose hard. Without missing a beat, lio Shatoned thevaropped quandies. spun around.

He fired. The shot knocked Cross-Eye's gun right out of his hands.

Terrified, Cross-Eye turned and tried to run. Elio chased him down, tackled him,

and pinned him to the ground with a knee to his back.

"How many of you are there?" Elio demanded.

"N-no one else," the guy stammered.

"Lying, huh?" Elio twisted his arm, forcing him to his feet.

Lucie finally exhaled, relief flooding through her. "Let's tie them up," she said.

"Yeah. Then we call the cops," Elio agreed.

Five kidnappers-three out cold, two badly hurt. In a few minutes, Lucie and Elio

had them all tied up tight to the nearest trees.

The danger had finally passed. Elio turned to Lucie, worry clear in his eyes. "Lucie, are you hurt?"

"I'm okay. What about you?"

"I'm fine."

Lucie let herself relax and quickly checked Cody over. "Cody, are you hurt? Let Mommy see."

Aside from a dirty face, Cody was alright. But he glared at her. "Bad Mommy. I want to go home. Take me home now."

He squirmed out of her arms, refusing to let her hold him.

Marian had told him Mommy

smelled like death. If she huggedet

him, he'd get that smell on him and then no girl would ever like him. Everyone would think he was gross.

So he pushed her away.

Lucie felt her heart clench, her hands falling limply to her sides. He wasn't her flesh and blood, and no matter what she did it seemed he'd never really see her as his mother. Not even a little bit.