Free Sweet Sins by E. L. Todd

think Cassandra was in there. If they knew she wasn’t in the room, they would know where to look. I just had to hold them off until help arrived.
    They crashed their bodies against the door, trying to open it. My heart was beating so fast, I didn’t know how I was still alive. I wished I had a gun in the house. Cassandra was against them, and since our baby was on the way, I didn’t want to risk a terrible accident. But now I wished it was here.
    I went into the closet then yan ked the bar right out of the wall, letting the clothes slide until the fell on the floor. It wasn’t a gun, but it would have to do. And if they had a gun…well, I was screwed. But as long as my fiancé was okay, I could die knowing she was safe. Sean was just a mile away. I knew he would come—in a heartbeat.
    They continued to yell and push their bodies into the wall. When I saw a blade stab through the wood, I knew they decided to break it down. I held myself strong, the pole in my grasp. As soon as they broke through, I’d swing it like crazy.
    More pieces of the wood fell, and I finally saw a face, a face I recognized. It really was Zander. Now I knew what was going on. He was going to kill me then take Cassandra. This situation just got a million times worse.
    A hole was finally made and I inserted the pole inside then jabbed forward. The sound of a body thudding down the stairs told me I knocked out one. But there were still two others.
    Gunshots erupted and I dashed to the side, getting out of the line of fire. My ears were ringing. My hands felt my body, wondering if I’d been hit. If I had, I didn’t feel anything. There was no blood on my suit.
    They finally got in, each holding a gun.
    Fuck. I was out of time.
    Zander searched the room then found me. He pointed his gun right in between my eyes. “Where is she?”
    I said nothing. This was it. He was going to kill me.
    “She’s in here.” The other man moved to the bathroom.
    Zander nodded. His dark eyes drilled into mine, the bloodlust evident. “You’re lucky I’m going to make this quick.”
    This was it. I was a goner.

    9
    Sean
    I lay on the couch with my wife snuggled close to me. We were watching an episode of Friends , and Scarlet was chuckling at something Joey did. I didn’t care for this show, but I wanted to do whatever my wife wanted. She was running the show around here.
    My heart throbbed all day. I kept thinking about my brother, wondering if we would ever be the same again. Scarlet was my crutch, supporting me while I struggled through my tough time. She made things much easier for me, but nonetheless, I was still hurting.
    The blanket was over us and Scarlet was wrapped around my body. It was nice staying home with her today. I just wish I wasn’t so depressed to really enjoy it. We took a walk on the beach then had lunch on the patio. But Mike was always on my mind.
    “Sean, it will be okay,” she whispered.
    “You think?”
    “I know.” She rubbed my chest. “I know Mike pretty well. He’s just upset right now, but he will come around.”
    “In a few days?” I asked incredulously.
    “Yes. Have faith.”
    I sighed. “But I did something pretty bad…”
    “But you apologized. We all make mistakes. Mike is no exception.”
    I tried to relax at her words. My wife was right about everything, not that I would ever admit that.
    My phone rang in my pocket so I fished it out while she lay on me. She wasn’t heavy but I didn’t want to bump her stomach. I answered it without looking at the caller. “Yeah?”
    “Sean!” Cassandra screamed over the phone, her tears choking her words.
    I sat up, sliding Scarlet off me. My body went into flight mode. “What’s wrong?”
    “Men broke into our house.” She was sobbing so hard I couldn’t understand her. “They are going to kill us!”
    I had all the information I needed, and I couldn’t understand a ny more words she said anyway. Now she was blubbering, speaking incoherently. “I’m coming.”