Free Alone and Afraid (Rocky Mountain Home Series Book 1) by Elizabeth Sherry

heard that night?
    “I think we need to go inside and make another call to the sheriff,” Chase said. 
    When they entered Brooke’s cottage, Chase called Digger inside and locked the front door.  He placed the call and talked briefly to the sheriff who seemed less concerned than Chase and Brooke regarding the couple next door.  He hung up the phone and remembered he needed to double check the lock on the back door, but before he reached it, it burst open and there stood Mr. Drake with a gun pointed at Chase’s chest.
    In that instant , Brooke saw the scratches on Mr. Drake’s hands.  The scratches her own nails made when he tried to strangle her.
    Digger growled and ran toward the man who stood in the doorway, but was stopped when the man pulled the trigger , after he changed his aim from Chase to the dog.
    Brooke screamed but nothing came out but a moan.

Chapter 15 
     
    Brooke was terrified as she looked down and saw Digger covered in blood where he lay on the kitchen floor.
    Chase had murder in his eyes.  If he got the chance , he’d rip that man in two.
    The man who called himself Mr. Drake sneered at Chase and Brooke and ordered, “Get over here.  We’re going to take a little walk.  On this walk, you both will have an unfortunate accident,” he laughed.
    Chase half-turned toward Brooke and said, “We better do what he says, he’s got a gun.”
    Brook wondered briefly if this was code for something.  She knew Chase also had a gun, but if the ugly man noticed it in the back of Chase’s waist, Chase wouldn’t have the gun for long.  So Brooke walked close behind Chase as she tried to keep the fact of the hidden gun secret.
    The man walked them out into the woods for almost half an hour, when he finally told them to stop.  Brooke noticed the ground dropped off just a few feet ahead of them.  Was this his plan?  To push them over the cliff where they wouldn’t be found, possibly for months?
    Chase maneuvered Brooke behind him as he turned to face Mr. Drake.  Chase kept one hand behind himself on the pretense of helping to steady Brooke.  Brooke used her right hand, and removed the gun from the back of Chase’s jeans.  She placed it in Chase’s hand.  She felt relieved when she noticed out of the corner of her eye, that Chase closed his hand around the gun with his finger on the trigger.
    “Ok, now we have some fun.  First, you, Ms. Troublemaker , will jump over the cliff.  But don’t worry, your boyfriend here will be right behind you.  Maybe you’ll both be lucky and land by each other’s side. Wouldn’t that make for a romantic story?”  Again he laughed.
    “Now , back up more and turn around and jump, or I’ll shoot you both right here,” he said as he motioned with his gun.
    Chase jerked his head towards the right as if he heard something, which made Mr. Drake turn also.  That’s when Chase pulled his gun around and pulled the trigger.
    Brooke saw Mr. Drake fall and Chase immediately ran toward him, removing the gun from his hand.  Brooke took a few steps forward because she felt she stood too close to the cliff.  Then she went down on her knees.  When she raised her head, she saw the sheriff and his men running towards them. 
    Brooke was oblivious to what happened for the next few minutes.  She was just so thankful that she and Chase were alive.
    “Sheriff, look closely at his hands,” Chase said.
    “Yep, I guess we got our man.  Cuff him boys and take him to the patrol car.  He isn’t dead now, but take my word for it, he’ll soon wish he was,” the sheriff said.
    Chase enveloped Brooke in a hug and helped her up.  “It’s over, Sweetheart.  Let’s get you home.”
    “Digger!” Brooke croaked out.
    “Don’t worry about that dog.  He’s stronger than you and I put together.  I already had one of my men call the vet.  He was breathing and crawling out the back door when we found him.  I’m sure the vet has him in his operating room as we