"Love never ends."
Tessa is a single mother on the run after escaping her parents and dark past. She'll do anything to protect her daughter, Mallory even if it means asking for help from a handsome cowboy and his family.
It has been a week since the cops told Tessa that she was safe. She is still grieving over the death of her brother. Tessa is currently asleep in my arms in our room while Mallory is asleep in the other room.
KNOCK.
KNOCK.
KNOCK.
"Hmm...." Tessa says.
KNOCK.
KNOCK.
KNOCK.
Tessa groans. "I think someone's at the door."
I kiss her forehead. "I got it." I get up and put on some clothes. I go downstairs and open the door. I am met with a stranger who has dark brown eyes and a scar on his face. He looks angry and like he hasn't slept in ages. He must be a runaway or something. "Hello?"
"Where is she?" He yells in my face.
"Who?"
"Where is she? Where is Jess?"
Suddenly it clicked, Jess......Tess.... Tessa. Oh, no. "Hunter." I whisper under my breath.
"In the flesh! Now, where is she?"
I shove him away from the door. "Get away from me!" I slam the door in front of him and lock it shut. I rush to the phone to call the cops and he breaks the door down.
BOOM!
He walks back in with a gun in his hands, and I drop the phone. "Where is she?" He asks and aims the gun at me. "I won't ask again."
"Hunter. Let's be civil about this."
"You are a dead man." He's about to pull the trigger when someone comes down the stairs.
Whoever it is please, go back upstairs.
"Babe! What's going on?" Tessa asks. She walks down the hallway with Mallory.
Not them, anyone but them. Why did Jackson and Asher have to leave for the rodeo? They are the only two who could've taken on this psycho. Not to mention that mom and Liz are working in the horse stables right now.
"Go back upstairs! And call the cops!"
POW!
Hunter knocks me down on the floor. He sees Tessa and Mallory who is standing right behind her. "And who is this angel?" He goes to touch Mallory.
"Mommy, I'm scared."
"Shh....baby, just stay behind mommy."
"Is she mine?"
Tessa speaks with venom in her words. "No. And she never will be."
SMACK!
He slaps Tessa across the face. Seeing him hurt her, made something inside me snap. All I see is red as I tackle him to the ground. I get a couple of punches in and see him reach for something. Oh no, I forgot he has a-
BANG!
I rolled off him. He shot me. "Ugh..."
"Matt!" Tessa leans down next to me. "Matt....stay with me.... Matt..."
I try to reach for her, but my vision is starting to blur. "Is....is it bad?"
"No. You are okay." She cups my face in her hands. "You are okay. You are going to be okay. You hear me?"
I groan. "Uh...call...call...the...the...cops..."
"I did, they are going to be here any minute now."
Hunter drops the gun and goes to hit Tessa again. "Mommy!" Mallory yells.
In a flash, Mallory picks up the gun and aims it at Hunter. "Sweetie, put the gun down."
"No!"
"You wouldn't hurt your daddy, now, would you?"
"You are not my daddy!"
He gets even angrier. "I said, put it down!"
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
For a seven-year-old, she has perfect aim. "Ugh." Hunter falls down on the floor, dead.
Mallory runs over to us. "Did I do bad?"
Tessa holds her. "No....sweetie."
I reached out to Mallory. "You did perfect, Barbie."
Finally, the cops arrive, and I get taken to a hospital.
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