Break Away

by Diane Benefiel

  He turned to Zoey. No cowering on the ground for her, she crouched in front of the cruiser, leaning forward to look around the side.

  Levi grabbed her by the belt and yanked her back. “Oh no you don’t.”

  “I’m getting Lucy.”

  “Stay. I’ll get her.”

  “You shoot to distract Paul, I’ll get her.”

  “No.” He pulled her around to face him. “I mean it, Zoey, stay under cover. I need to count on you following orders.”

  Her nod was reluctant, but it was there. He turned to peer around the front end of the cruiser to scan the slope.

  “Be careful, Levi.”

  Clauson was taking cover behind a trio of tall trees whose trunks provided him protection, and through which his red clothing was visible. Levi holstered his handgun and brought the rifle from behind his back. He worked the lever action on the .30-30, brought it to his shoulder, drew a bead, and fired. Loaded. That nutjob could’ve killed him. He repeated the action twice, aiming for the red, then ditched the rifle. After reloading his Glock, he took a deep breath and stepped out from cover, firing as he circled the Prius. He dove into the backseat to unbuckle Lucy and grab her leash.

  Pulling the big dog behind him, he rounded the front of the car. He thought he’d done it, that he was in the clear, until shots rent the air once again. A bullet whistled over his head. Another crack of sound and he felt something punch him under his right shoulder. The force slammed him to the ground like he’d been hit by a mortar shell.

  He lay on his back, staring at the deep blue Sierra sky, gasping as he struggled to breathe.

  Chapter Twenty

  Terror gripped Zoey when Levi reeled back and slammed into the ground. Sharp reports of gunfire split the air, there was a return volley, then silence. She prayed that meant the cavalry had arrived.

  She took a quick peek, saw no one was pointing guns at them, then, heart racing, darted from the cover of the cruiser to grab Levi by his Kevlar vest. Digging in her heels, she used all her strength to pull him. Even while gasping for breath, he kicked back with his feet to help. He still held the leash in his fist and Lucy did her part by pulling along with Zoey.

  Levi lay on his back in the dirt, heaving for breath. Zoey pulled open his shirt with hands that were shaking. She expected at any second to see ripped flesh and blood, but there, high on the right side of his chest, a plug of metal lay embedded in the heavy plating of his body armor.

  “It hit your vest. The bullet hit your vest. I don’t think it went through, but I need to check.” Lucy stuck her nose in Levi’s face and Zoey pushed her away.

  Zoey ripped apart the Velcro. He wore a navy t-shirt beneath the vest. She pulled up where the plate had been hit, nearly passing out with relief that the bullet hadn’t penetrated the Kevlar. “There’s no blood. The vest stopped the bullet.”

  Levi sucked in a shallow breath. She bent over him, a hand on his cheek. “Deep breath, Levi. Deep breath.”

  Eyes on hers, he sucked in air, held it, then let it out. After repeating the process, he seemed to breathe more normally. Word came over the radio at his belt that the suspect was in custody. A vehicle roared up the driveway, kicking up a cloud of dust, followed by a car door slamming. “Levi?”

  Zoey stood and waved. Brad covered the distance at a dead run.

  “He was hit in the vest, but I don’t think it went through.”

  Levi had pushed himself up to lean against the bumper. Brad dropped to his knees and undid the Velcro to pull the body armor completely off. “Where’s the pain?”

  “Shoulder. Sent me head over ass, knocked the wind out of me. Doesn’t hurt too bad.”

  “It’ll hurt like the devil as soon as adrenaline stops pumping.”

  “Clauson?”

  “Surrendered as soon as we engaged.” Brad pulled a radio from his belt. “Hangman One, here. Beth, send an ambulance.”

  “Already on its way, Chief.”

  Even as the dispatcher spoke, the wail of a siren could be heard in the distance.

  “Send two,” Levi said.

  Brad passed on the order, gaze traveling over Zoey. “You hurt?”

  She shook her head. Levi spoke. “Charissa’s in my cabin.” He nodded to the rifle on the ground. “Had that deer rifle pointed at me and started talking about our wedding.” His voice sounded strained. “Shots fired. She hit the ground, screaming like a banshee. No blood so I don’t think she was hit.”

  More vehicles pulled into the driveway. Brad rose to his feet when Monica approached. He motioned to her and moved toward the cabin.

  Levi put a hand on the bumper to brace himself and rose to his feet. He leaned heavily against the cruiser.

  “You should lie down, Levi,” Zoey told him.

  He shook his head but didn’t say anything. The sound of the siren stopped at the end of their driveway. Lucy leaned against Zoey, and she dropped down to put an arm around the dog’s neck, as much for Zoey’s comfort as Lucy’s.

  The next several minutes passed in a blur.

  The ambulance crew rushed to Levi with their kits. Pulling Lucy out of the way, Zoey sucked in a horrified breath when the EMT cut off Levi’s t-shirt to reveal an angry, red welt below his shoulder, the surrounding area turning a deep red.

  A second ambulance crew arrived and was directed to the cabin. A gurney was rolled up, and despite his protests, the crew loaded Levi onto it. She followed the gurney to the back of the ambulance where he was pushed inside. His gaze met hers for a brief moment, then they shut the doors and, with lights on and siren wailing, took him away.

  ***

  Zoey sat on her sofa, staring out the window at the darkening sky, Lucy at her feet. Her baby had kept close to her since the commotion. The entire area around her cottage, including her car and Levi’s cabin, had been designated as a crime scene and encircled in yellow tape. Zoey had been allowed to stay in her cabin, but with strict orders not to cross into the quarantine zone.

  She should get up, feed Lucy, get herself something to eat for dinner, but all she could do was stare out the window and think about how close that bullet had come to killing Levi. The doctors at the hospital had wanted to keep him overnight, but he’d resisted and had been released with the proviso that if any problems arose, he was to come straight back.

  Not that she knew this from Levi, because Zoey hadn’t heard from him. Eva had called and filled her in, letting her know Levi was at his mom’s house. Zoey was sure it eased Trish’s mind to tend to her son for the night.

  After Levi had been whisked away in the ambulance, Monica Valdez had taken Zoey’s statement, and informed her she would need to come to the police station the next day. Then Zoey had retreated to her little cottage while the police had continued their business. A half hour ago an officer had knocked on her door to inform her that they would return to finish processing the scene in the morning.

  She’d wanted to go to the hospital but didn’t think he’d want her there. The last thing he needed was for her to make him angry, especially after he’d been shot getting her dog to safety.

  For hours she sat on her sofa and replayed every conversation they’d had, and relived every kiss and touch they’d shared. He’d been kind, patient, and loving. She hadn’t taken Emma’s advice. Zoey never really looked beyond the uniform to the man. She’d been a fool. And the price was losing Levi.

  She forced herself to get up and go to the kitchen. She fed Lucy, poured a glass of iced tea, and when she sat at her dining table, she put her head on her crossed arms and let the tears come.

  ***

  The soft knock on the kitchen door roused her. Wiping her eyes, she flipped on the back light. Levi stood in faded jeans and flannel shirt. The sight of him made her heart stop. She opened the door, holding Lucy back by her collar.

  “You’ve been crying again.”

  “Yeah.” She sighed. “I’m not a crier, but you wouldn’t know it from the past week.” She stepped back, and he entered carr
ying a plastic bag. “How are you feeling?”

  “Like someone hit me with a baseball bat.” He started to shrug, then winced.

  “Are you in pain?”

  “It’s better if I don’t move my arm.” They were standing in her kitchen, and despite being relieved he was there, she felt awkward and stupid.

  “Why were you crying?”

  She shooed Lucy out of the kitchen and turned to open the freezer. “Everything adding up, I guess. I have some veggie patties in here, if you want burgers.” She glanced at him. “Have you eaten?”

  He nodded. “Mom fed me and sent spaghetti for you.” He waved the bag at her and set it on the counter. “It’s still warm. Want to tell me what’s really going on?”

  “I’m hungry. I haven’t eaten since noon. It’s been a stressful day.”

  He gave a laugh, then sucked in a breath. “I can’t laugh, it hurts. Stressful is an understatement.”

  He moved to the table and lowered himself into one of the chairs. Zoey filled a plate from the container Trish had sent, then moved to sit next to Levi. But when she picked up her fork, she only toyed with the food on her plate.

  “Zoey, no more hiding.”

  She pushed the plate back, and for the first time really looked at him. His face was lined with fatigue. He held his body in a way that told her he was in pain. And his entire being was focused on her.

  She nodded. This was it. Go big or go home. “You were my high school crush.”

  “What?”

  “You want honesty, there it is.”

  “You liked me in high school?”

  She nodded. “Took me a long time to get over it. Then you moved in next door to me and it all came back.”

  “You still have a crush on me?”

  She shook her head. “Your turn. I gave you something, now you give me something.”

  He caught her hand in his. “I love you.”

  She put her other hand to her heart. “Really?” she whispered.

  He brought the tips of her fingers to his lips and pressed a kiss to them. “Your turn.”

  Trembling, frightened, elated, breathless, she forced herself to bare her heart. “I love you too.”

  A huge grin split his face, and he pulled her closer, then groaned. “God, I want to hold you, but I think it would kill me.”

  “Don’t move, I’ll kiss you.” She bent forward so she wouldn’t put pressure on his shoulder, and gently pressed her lips to his. All the fears and worries of the past weeks lifted to be replaced by the warm glow that loving Levi brought. He made her feel full of light.

  He moved his left hand to cup her neck and hold her there, his forehead resting against hers. “Is it too soon to say I want to spend my life with you?”

  She shook her head. “Nope,” she rasped as she lowered her lips to his once again and felt like all the pieces of life’s puzzle had settled into place.

  ***

  Sitting on the sofa, Zoey was leaning against Levi’s uninjured side. She’d lit a fire, and Lucy lay sprawled before it. He reached down to remove his shoes and gave a pained moan.

  “Let me do that.” Zoey slid off the couch and unlaced his shoes and then pulled them off. “Do you have pain meds?”

  He nodded. “I’ll take them before bed. I wouldn’t have been able to drive if I’d taken them earlier.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead when she returned to his side.

  She laced her fingers through his. “What happened with Charissa?”

  He told her what they’d found in Charissa’s house. “It’s creepy. She’s been taking pictures of me for over a year. Stalked me for a time in Oakland, then around the Loss. She targeted you after seeing us together that night we had dinner on your porch with Eva and the guys. I don’t think she understands she was doing something wrong.” He gave Zoey a sideway glance. “When Brad and Monica went into my cabin? They found her in my bed. Naked.”

  “Geez. She’s sick. Let’s hope she gets the help she needs.”

  “The wedding dresses, the photos? If that was all, I’d be fine with a mental hospital. But deputies recovered shell casings on the mountain where you were shot yesterday. I’m positive we’ll get a ballistics match to Charissa’s rifle. Jack found an open box of rat poison in her garage. She committed serious crimes that could have killed you or Lucy.”

  “I guess they’ll figure out how to deal with her before there’s a trial.”

  The fire snapped behind the screen, sending a shower of sparks up the chimney.

  “What about Paul?”

  Levi picked up her hand to rub his thumb across her palm, spreading warmth around her heart. “Brad had six guys up there and had Clauson flanked. He knew he was done. They exchanged a few shots, then he threw down his rifle and put his hands up. He’s going for the best plea deal he can get. He’s already admitted everything. He said you weren’t on his radar, didn’t even know you were back in town. Sick bastard said you’re too old for him. He was after me, not you.”

  “Then it wasn’t him who did the hit-and-run? It wouldn’t have been Charissa.”

  “Could be he’s telling the truth, but I’m not taking his word for it. I’ll continue investigating who hit you. They shouldn’t be on the road.”

  She closed her hand around his and brought it to her lips. “I love you. Thank you for looking out for me.”

  He rested his head on hers, then said in a rough voice, “I need to tell you what happened in Oakland. I didn’t before because of your experiences with cops. I didn’t want you to judge me, especially when I felt so damn bad about it.”

  She nodded.

  After a long moment, he said, “I shot a man. It was deemed a ‘good shoot’ by the department, meaning I was within the law to kill him. But that doesn’t make me feel any better about it. There should have been another way to deal with it. A kid is dead.”

  “Why did you shoot him?”

  “He’d had a gun, was noncompliant. I waited too long to pull the trigger, and my partner was shot. He tossed the gun before I shot him, turned out it had jammed. My partner was down, I’d taken a half second to look at her and didn’t see him toss the gun. All the media cared about was that another white cop had shot another unarmed black man.”

  “You feel guilty.”

  “Hell yeah, I feel guilty. I put a bullet through a nineteen-year-old kid. I didn’t want to shoot him, waited too long for him to comply, and he shot my partner, who had to take a disability retirement because of it. She actually thanked me, sent me a postcard from a Mediterranean cruise she’s on.” He stared into the fireplace.” I did whatever I could not to shoot that kid, but ultimately it’s what happened.”

  The agony in his expression had Zoey sitting up so she could face him. “I guess I’d worry more if you didn’t feel guilty. You’re a good man, because you care. I’m lucky to be loved by you.”

  He snorted. “I’m the lucky one, here. The shooting was horrible, but the one good thing to come out of it was it pushed me to make the break I’d been contemplating but hadn’t acted on. If I hadn’t come home, I might never have found you.”

  Epilogue

  Levi thought he’d be nervous. God knew this was a big step. But since the granddaddy of all big steps had already happened, this one would be a piece of cake. Instead of being nervous, sheer happiness made him feel like the most fortunate man alive. He was exactly where he wanted to be.

  Across from him, Brad looked sharp in his tux. He raised a brow. “You good to go? Not getting cold feet, are you?”

  “Hell no, I’m not getting cold feet. I’m ready for this.” Trish smiled at him from the front pew, Landon next to her. On the other side of the aisle Dawn sat with Charlie, still geeky-looking in his dark-framed glasses, holding hands with his girlfriend, Beth.

  Levi looked out across the church at the people of Hangman’s Loss. Jack and Dory, Logan and Maddy, all the people who’d helped to shape him into the man he’d become.

  The processional began wit
h Eva and Diego walking arm and arm down the aisle to take their places as the only attendants. Amaya toddled up the center aisle waving what Emma had called a ribbon wand in her hand. Owen followed with a satin pillow holding the rings, then came Keely and Mason carrying a cloth banner between them that read “Here Comes the Bride.”

  The music changed and there she was. His heart. His future. He didn’t know the first thing about wedding dresses but this one suited Zoey perfectly. She’d gone with a braided hairstyle that incorporated a crown of flowers to match the ones she carried. As she walked down the aisle, she kept her eyes on his until coming to a stop in front of him. He took her hand and they faced forward.

  The minister said his part, then it was Levi’s turn. With Zoey’s hands in his, he gazed into her eyes as he vowed his love and said the words that committed him to her forever. He held her gaze as she gave her vows to love and cherish him for the rest of their lives. Then the minister spoke the words that sealed their union: “I now pronounce you husband and wife.”

  Levi dipped his head to kiss his bride, his hand at her waist touching the baby bump.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  National Readers’ Choice Award winner for her novel, Solitary Man, Diane Benefiel has been an avid reader all her life. She enjoys a wide range of genres, from westerns to fantasy to mysteries, but romance has always been a favorite. She writes what she loves best to read – emotional, heart-gripping romantic suspense novels. She likes writing romantic suspense because she can put the hero and heroine in all sorts of predicaments that they have to work together to overcome.

  A native Southern Californian, Diane enjoys nothing better than summer. For a high school history teacher, summer means a break from teenagers, and summer allows her to spend her early mornings immersed in her current writing project. With both kids living out of the house, in addition to writing, she enjoys camping and gardening with her husband.

  Diane loves hearing from her readers.

  Website: dianebenefiel.com

  Twitter: twitter.com/dianebenefiel

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