“And where do you think you’re goin’?”
“He’s all alone out there, and he needs backup.”
“Yeah, but this ain’t about you, it’s about me.”
“How in the world is this about you?” Annie threw her hands in the air.
“If I don’t keep you safe, West is gonna kick my ass.” He touched his caboose. “And I like my butt, the way it is, thank you very much.”
Annie ignored his humor. “Yeah, well, you’re not the boss.” She headed for the window again.
“Don’t even think about it.” King stood in her way, and it was like trying to maneuver around a brick wall. There’s no way Annie could get past him. He was bigger, stronger, and apparently goal-oriented.
She swung the mic away from her mouth so West wouldn’t hear.
“King, what if something happens to him?” Annie was frantic, imagining all sorts of scenarios. “I won’t be able to live with myself.”
“West can handle himself, even if he is a fool. Do you hear me, dumbass?” King asked, pressing a hand to his ear.
“Don’t worry, I got this,” West shouted in between panting breaths. “Keep her in the room.”
Stormy groaned over the line. “I’m calling Huck. You need back-up, and I’m monitoring the situation. If you find Turner, King and Annie will head to the scene.”
“Understood.”
She’d been outmaneuvered, so Annie nodded.
King flipped his mic up. “West don’t know it yet, but he’s fallin’ for you.”
Annie didn’t know what to say.
“And I think you feel the same way.” He patted her on the shoulder. “He hasn’t shown an interest in any woman since he got divorced, and I wanna see this play out.”
“King, I—”
“Save it. You won’t convince me otherwise, and you ain’t leavin’ here until I say so. If I were you, I’d cool my heels and embrace the suck, darlin’.”
***
West rounded a corner and winced in pain.
He’d injured his leg in the fall, and it ached like a son of a bitch. It didn’t feel broken, but he’d definitely sprained it.
“Come on, bastard, show yourself.” West pushed forward. He kept running, searching and finally, he came across Turner.
Score one for the good guys.
The man was pacing back and forth, whispering to himself, holding the bloody knife. They were in an alley, between two large buildings. His hands were shaking, and he appeared agitated.
West couldn’t determine what he was saying. Probably a bunch of crazy talk.
“Turner, throw the knife down and surrender.” West raised his gun.
Turner didn’t even glance his way.
“Turner!” West yelled, trying to break through the madness.
His head swiveled in West’s direction. “How do you know my name?”
Because I’m the one huntin’ you, dickhead.
“I’ll tell you, once you throw the weapon down.”
West wasn’t getting anywhere near the lethal blade and he’d rather not shoot the bastard. His victim’s families deserved to see him put to death by the state, watch him as he writhed on a gurney.
And he wouldn’t rob Annie of the chance to watch him being placed behind bars either. West knew how important closure could be.
“Never gonna happen.” Turner shook his head, backing away.
Just then, a middle aged woman dressed in a maid’s uniform stepped out of a door on the left with a sack of trash, heading to the Dumpster. She had headphones on and was oblivious to the drama playing out around her.
Turner snatched her up before West could take the shot.
Goddammit. West was awfully sick of people taking hostages. Why not be a man and face the consequences of your actions head on?
“Throw your gun down, or I’ll stab her.”
The maid screamed.
Turner yanked one headphone away from her ear. “Shut up, bitch, or I’ll give you a real good reason to yell.”
This is what I get for playin’ the Lone Ranger. Only I’m not alone. As if Stormy had heard his thoughts, his voice echoed in West’s ear.
“Relax, Chief, I’m listening in. I’m sending King and Annie your way. Try not to die in the meantime.”
Much easier said than done.
West mentally calculated his shitty options. There was only one viable one.
Slowly, he lowered his weapon, placed it on the ground and kicked it a short distance away. West decided to take a page from Mack’s playbook and talk him down.
“Okay, I’m unarmed. Let her go and deal with me.”
“Sorry, but you aren’t my type.” He backed up a couple of paces.
“Yeah, I saw your handiwork at the escort agency.” West advanced forward.
Turner sneered. “What can I say? I got a bit carried away.” He placed the blade up against the woman’s throat but didn’t draw blood.
“Eventually, they’ll find you, so you might as well turn yourself in.”
“I’m facin’ a death sentence. And I’m gonna have a good time, while I can.” Turner didn’t have anything left to lose, which made him extremely dangerous and unpredictable.
“You’re only makin’ things harder on yourself.”
Turner squinted at him. “Who are you? A cop?”
“Somethin’ like that,” West said evasively. Knowledge is power and West never told the enemy any details.
“Tell me who you are.” This time he sliced into the woman, and a thin red line appeared on her throat. She whimpered and shut her eyes.
Fuck. “I’m Jackson West.” West walked toward him, not making any sudden movements. He kept his hands in the air.
“Stay back! Are you a cop?”
“No.”
“FBI? The Marshal Service? Quit givin’ me the runaround and answer my question.” He cut the woman again.
West winced. “I’m with Black Star Security.”
“Then why are you after me?” Turner stepped a few paces back, dragging the maid with him.
“For the reward money. You’re worth fifty thousand dollars.” Dead or alive. I know my preference. “Come on, it’s over Turner. There’s nowhere to run, or hide.”
Just then, the sound of sirens echoed down the street.
Turner was wild-eyed, his gaze darting around the alley. And then he cut into the maid again. This time, she shrieked as the blood dripped down her throat.
“Stop it!” West ordered. He couldn’t stand there and let the woman be butchered in front of him. He had to do something. West needed Turner to come after him, and leave the maid alone.
And then he had a terrible idea.
“Aren’t you curious about your brother?”
“What are you talking about?” His grip on the knife tightened.
“You took off and left Jason to face the fallout all by himself. Don’t you wanna know what happened to him?”
His eyes narrowed. “Where is he? Did you arrest him?”
“Naw, because as we already established, I ain’t the police.” West grinned, all cocky swagger. “Although, I did put a bullet between his eyes when he lunged at me.”
And then things went south in a big way.
Turner tossed the woman aside and she slammed against the wall, stumbled, and then went running down the alley, screaming and shouting at the top of her lungs. Turner attacked West, knocking him to the ground. They rolled over and over, wrestling with the knife—kicking and punching.
West grabbed the blade and pushed it between their bodies, trying to shove it into his ribs, when Turner seized the handle and slashed at West’s chest instead.
He groaned in agony. A thick, hot wetness soaked his shirt and West’s fingertips came away streaked with crimson.
Turner raised the knife, ready to plunge it deep into his chest.
And then tires screeched to a halt a few feet away. Footfalls echoing down the alleyway interrupted Turner.
; He ran for it, leaving West lying broken and bloody on the ground.
Chapter 13
“I don’t need to be patched up. I’m fine.”
West glared at King who flipped him off in response.
An hour later, they were back at HQ. And once again, they were at an impasse. Turner was nowhere to be found.
West was banged up, but he’d survive. Nasty cuts stretched across his torso and his leg ached. He had a puffy black eye—purple, red, and a trace of yellow. His lower lip had puffed out, and it was caked with dried blood.
West had wanted to bag Turner tonight. So badly, in fact, he’d gone off half-cocked, which wasn’t like him. At all.
He had trouble making sense of this decision. Although he had a suspicion this was about Annie.
She stood at the foot of the bed, arms wrapped around her body, as though comforting herself. He could feel the tension rippling off of her, but she remained silent.
Damn, I finally got her in here, but under the worst possible circumstances.
“You’re a mess.” Wearing a surly expression, King stood beside West’s bed. His first aid kit was on the nightstand. “Take off your shirt.”
West complied and King examined him.
“Luckily, you’ve got shallow cuts, but you should’ve gone to the hospital.”
“No time.” West winced as King dabbed his wounds and cuts with cotton balls soaked in hydrogen peroxide.
After King finished cleaning him up and bandaging the wounds, he grabbed a bag of frozen peas and tossed it to him.
“Here, put this on your knee.”
West hissed at the contact. “Damn, that smarts.”
“Yeah, well, that’s what you get for goin’ postal on a serial killer. And I can’t convince you to make a doctor’s appointment tomorrow?”
“I’ll see a doc when this is over.” West closed his eyes, resting against the pillows. “Besides, Katie is comin’ home tomorrow, and we’re havin’ the campfire I promised her, come hell or high water.”
King sighed. “Fine.”
“You’re not gonna try to talk me out of it?”
“What’s the point?” King shook his head. “You’re the most stubborn son of a bitch I’ve ever met.”
West chuckled, but his voice was rusty and hoarse.
“Since Turner knows we’re after him, should we post a guard?” Annie asked, interrupting them.
Dammit.
West kicked himself, wishing he’d thought to install a security system. He’d figured nobody would be suicidal enough to go after a house filled with ex-military and paramilitary folks.
“No, Turner’s headed for the hills. Every cop in the state is lookin’ for him after what he did.”
Annie winced.
And West groaned under his breath. He knew she was reeling from what she’d seen at The Diamond Club. No doubt, she was adding those deaths to her total.
The cops had swept this case under the rug, but West told Huck about the body in the pond, they’d used that incident to warn the public about Turner being in the area.
King wrinkled his brow. “He don’t strike me as overly sane, Chief.”
“It’s a fair point. Tell everyone to keep their weapons handy, and I’ll have Stormy sweep the surrounding area with satellites, just to be on the safe side.” At the very least, they’d have eyes in the sky.
“Will do. I’m across the hall if you need me.” King grabbed his stuff and headed out the door.
Annie didn’t speak, and she still wore a troubled expression.
“Say somethin’.”
She sat on the edge of his bed. “Turner could have killed you, you know.”
“Yeah, I got the message.” West gestured to the wounds on his chest. T
Tears filled her eyes, and she tried blinking them away, but failed miserably.
West squeezed her hand. “I’m right here, Annie, and I ain’t goin’ nowhere. Besides, I’m harder to kill than you think.”
Once the floodgates opened, she couldn’t hold back the onslaught. Suddenly, Annie was shaking as the tears dribbled down her cheeks.
“I didn’t know you cared.” Suddenly, a fist had closed around his heart, squeezing it.
“Yeah, well, I do.”
He smiled. “Good to know.”
Annie fanned her face, collecting herself and he gave her a moment. Although he was secretly pleased she cared so much about him.
“We’ve got to find Turner,” she said after a few minutes.
“And we will. He won’t get far.”
“What if he goes into hiding again?”
“We’ll get him. Trust me.” West would see to it personally. But there’s nothing we can do about it tonight, so we might as well relax.”
“I can’t. I’m too worked up.” It’s true. She nearly vibrated with tension.
“Are ya now?” He waggled his brows, trying to lighten the mood.
Annie licked her lips. “If you weren’t hurt, I’d want another go in the hallway.” Annie’s expression was positively sultry and his body temperature shot up another fifty degrees.
Too bad I can’t do a damn thing about.
“Aw, hell. You’re tellin’ me that now? How cruel can you be, Rook?”
“Sorry.” Annie knelt over the bed and kissed his cheek.
“Nope, not good enough. I want a real kiss.” And then she pressed her mouth to his. It was a quick little brush of her lips, but he’d take it.
“I’m relieved you’re okay, but I should probably let you rest.” Annie drifted away but didn’t leave his bedside. Instead, she stared, as though starved for the sight of him.
West could read the emotions in her eyes. It was much more than relief. Annie had worried he’d suffer the same fate as Mike.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“My bedroom?” She bit her lower lip.
“Don’t even think about it. You’re stayin’ here with me.”
He expected her to protest, argue with him until they were both dizzy and exhausted. But instead, she surprised the fuck out of him by snuggling under the covers.
He looped an arm around her, wincing a bit.
As he drifted off, West couldn’t help but think how nice it was to share his bed with a woman he cared for.
***
“How’s your leg?”
“Stings like hell,” he said, reaching down to rub it. West flashed a sly smile. “But it beats being shot in the ass.”
Annie nearly choked on her coffee.
They’d woken up together at seven in the morning, late by their standards. Annie hadn’t slept so soundly in months. After washing up, they’d headed downstairs and were now eating oatmeal pancakes.
The rest of the team were nowhere to be found, and Annie wondered if King had been playing cupid, trying to give them some space.
“You got shot in the butt?”
“Yup.”
West didn’t sound overly concerned about it. Most people would consider being wounded a disturbing experience, but West wasn’t most men. Danger didn’t seem to bother him at all. In fact, it brought out the best in him.
“Who shot you?”
“Insurgent. Bastard waited until I turned around to fire one off.” He gingerly touched his chest. “I’ve been shot, knifed, beaten, stomped on, you name it.”
Annie grinned. To West, not facing the enemy head on could only be considered cowardice. He was honorable from head to toe.
Definitely not an asshole. She’d finally managed to attract the right kind of man.
“I know what you mean about deadly jobs. My first week in the Marshal Service, I was guarding a judge who’d gotten death threats, and I got tagged by the suspect.” Marshals are charged with protecting federal judges, too.
“What happened?”
“He got the vest, not me, but I was one big bruise for a couple of weeks. And I was in a shootout protecting a federal witness, too. I got hit in the thigh.” Annie rubbed her leg.
”
“Gunshot wounds are the worst.”
“Amen.”
They grinned at one another.
West cleared his throat. “Hey, Katie is comin’ over this evenin’, and I’d like you to meet her. What do you say?”
His tone was casual, but the look in his eyes wasn’t.
Annie sighed. “I’d love to.”
***
Later on, West pulled up at his ex-wife’s new house.
He’d spent most of the day recuperating and being domestic. Annie had stayed glued to his side. They’d even gone to the grocery store together. Afterward, they’d made some lunch and watched Netflix on the big screen TV.
Storm had been communicating with local law enforcement, trying to track Turner, but the trail had gone cold. West had decided, for this evening at least, he’d put it from his mind, and focus on Katie. And Annie.
“Hey there.” Paige gave West a friendly hug as she greeted him at the door.
“Good to see ya, Paige.”
She had a heart-shaped face with short brown hair and big brown eyes. Paige was thirty-three with a curvy build.
“Likewise. Katie’s gettin’ her gear and she’ll be down in a few minutes. My mom stopped by for a quick visit, or she would’ve been ready on time.”
After their divorce, Paige and their daughter had moved back to their hometown, Liberty Hill, and West had followed them. Liberty Hill was located in between Cincinnati, Lexington, and Louisville, so it was a terrific location for his business, and they still got the small town experience.
“So what happened to you?” Paige stood at the kitchen counter, chopping vegetables for a salad. She frowned, giving him a once over.
He shrugged. “Work.” West didn’t elaborate because he didn’t want to worry her. Even though they were no longer married, Paige was an old friend of his, and she cared.
“Is that all I get?”
“Yup.” West smiled. “How was the trip?”
“Wonderful. We loved Washington, DC. We hit all the museums, the zoo, and found time to do a little shopping, too.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed yourselves.” He’d have to take Katie on another historical trip. Maybe they’d see the Liberty Bell in Philly or Mount Rushmore.
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