by C. M. Sutter
Jack shivered against the cold and glanced at the patio doors standing wide open. He zipped his coat to his neck then knelt at the pool of blood that stood out among the toppled furniture. Memories flooded his mind of the night Jade and Amber’s own father was murdered in that very room. He shook them away—he had to focus.
“Warren’s blood?”
Chief Sanders crossed the room and knelt next to Jack. “It is.”
“What happened here, Tom? Jade said something about Kate saving their lives. Did Kate tell you anything before they were taken to the ambulance?”
Tom shook his head. “When our guys got here, she was sitting at the kitchen table, still clinging to the butcher knife in her hand.”
“A butcher knife—Kate?”
Tom nodded. “Warren was lying on the floor, not doing too well, actually, and Amber had a gun pressed against his temple. Jade was in the process of handcuffing him. She dropped to the floor in what my guys said looked to be exhaustion when they walked in. They told me Amber’s hands were trembling and she was sobbing. They took over the scene immediately and covered the women with blankets. I think along with the poisonous gas fumes, they were all in shock too. This house holds some pretty horrific memories for those women.” Tom patted Jack’s shoulder. “You have some tough detectives, Jack. You have to be proud of them. And Jade? I’m sure you hated losing her as a partner.”
Jack nodded. “She’ll always be my partner.”
Chapter 67
It was midmorning when Jack walked into Kate’s hospital room and took a seat on the chair next to her bed. “You sure you’re feeling up to going home today?”
“I’m okay.”
“You don’t have to play tough around me, Detective Pierce.” Jack squeezed Kate’s hand. “What am I going to do with you three? You’re always in the middle of something.”
She gave him a thoughtful smile. “We’re cops, and that’s what cops do.”
“Sounds like the other two are rubbing off on you. Do you want to tell me what really went down last night?” Jack set the box of tissues on Kate’s bed.
She nodded then dabbed her eyes. “I woke up thinking I was having another nightmare. I heard yelling, furniture being tossed around, and overall commotion. I realized my gun was upstairs and I had nothing to use for protection, but at that point, I didn’t have a clue what was going on.” Kate reached for her glass of water and took a sip. “I climbed the stairs and got a sudden whiff of gas. At that point, I knew we were in trouble. I heard frantic screams from Amber and Jade, then I heard Warren’s voice. He said something about Amber’s gun being useless because one spark would cause the house to explode.”
“And he was right. That would definitely have happened.”
“I knew I had to find some other way to eliminate the threat. He was preoccupied with Jade and hadn’t concerned himself with me yet. That’s when I made my decision.”
“To take him on yourself?” Jack shook his head.
Kate sucked in a deep breath. “I slipped into the kitchen and grabbed the largest knife I could find in the block. He spun as soon as he heard the noise behind him, but I was already prepared.”
“And that’s when you swung the knife?”
“I didn’t have a choice. He was heading for Jade.” Kate squeezed her eyes closed as tears streamed down her cheeks. “Jade saved my life two years ago, Jack. My own safety didn’t enter my mind. I had to keep him away from her.” Kate took a deep breath. “Can I be honest with you?”
“Always—but you already know that. Does this have anything to do with proving your worth as a real detective?”
Kate nodded. “Partially. I want to be taken seriously. My fellow detectives have to feel confident that they can trust me to do the same job they do.”
“They’ve always trusted you. Nobody has ever questioned your abilities as a detective, Kate. What else?”
“I need closure. For more than ten years, I’ve lived with dreams of the night Robert Lynch slashed my throat. I thought it was over when Jade killed him. Instead, Tony took his place and sent Warren after us to finish the job. I don’t know what prison Warren will end up in, but I feel I’d have true closure if Tony Lynch saw the slash marks across Warren’s neck and knew they came from me. I won’t let those sick murderers intimidate me or invade my dreams ever again.”
Jack smiled. “I’m going to work really hard to make that happen. The judge and I go back a long way. Who knows? Maybe I can get Tony a new cellmate. Meanwhile, the Lynch and Ross families will be spending a good amount of time incarcerated. I think you can sleep peacefully for many years.” Jack stood and held out his hand. “Are you about ready to get the hell out of here, Detective Pierce?”
“I’m more than ready. Jade mentioned something about you promising to take her car shopping today.”
Jack scratched his cheek and frowned. “Yeah, but now I’m short a car myself. What do you say, Kate? Are you up for taking us to a few car lots?”
“Sure thing, boss, and I can’t think of a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon. We might have to replace some furniture too.”
Jack tipped his head toward the door. “Good. Let’s get Jade and Amber and head out. I’ll even foot the bill for lunch.” He grinned. “But I promise it won’t be at Tap and Tavern.”
THE END
Thank you!
Thanks for reading Vendetta, the third book in the Amber Monroe Crime Thriller Series. I hope you enjoyed it!
Start at the beginning of the Monroe sisters’ saga by reading the Detective Jade Monroe Crime Thriller Series. This is where it all began, and Book 1, Maniacal, the flagship book, introduces the newly promoted Sergeant Jade Monroe, a detective in the sheriff's department of a fictitious Wisconsin town. Jade has more crimes to solve and murderers to apprehend than most detectives, but she's a tough cop, determined to prove herself, and gets the job done. The books are listed in order below:
Maniacal
Captive
Fallacy
Premonition
Exposed
The Agent Jade Monroe FBI Thriller Series follows on the heels of Exposed, Book 5 in the Detective Jade Monroe Crime Thriller Series. Jade has advanced to the big leagues. She’s now an FBI agent in the serial crimes unit. She has more ground to cover and more criminals to apprehend with her new partner, J.T. Harper. Currently available books are listed in order below:
Snapped
Justified
Donors
Leverage
Malice
The Amber Monroe Crime Thriller Series follows on the heels of Malice, Book 5 in the Agent Jade Monroe FBI Thriller Series. This series focuses on Jade’s sister, Amber, a new recruit in the Washburn County Sheriff’s Office. She has big shoes to fill, and all eyes are on her. Currently available books are listed in order below:
Greed
Avenged
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