Shotgun Justice (6 page)

Chapter Seven

The smell of strong coffee woke Avery. She wasn't startled or frightened. Jesse had slept in the front room, insisting the door to the hall remain open. She was cool with that.

Stretching her arms wide, she patted where her daddy's favorite weapon rested next to her. “Better protection than any man.”

She giggled, something that just didn't happen anymore. It was her joke. Not that Jesse—whether she was upset with him or not—was close by. And he'd already made coffee.

“What's so funny? Want a cup?”

Jesse extended a mug. The steam encouraged her to sit first before accepting his morning gift. She had to blink a couple of times to make her eyes work as she blew across the coffee's surface to cool it a bit.

The fact that Jesse had his shirt off shouldn't have disturbed her. She'd seen that rock-hard chest before. Her view from the floor gave her a more in-depth view of the contours of his muscles. Nothing had changed except that she knew what was below the snug fit of his jeans.

She sipped, forgetting to cool the coffee first. “Shoot.” She reached across and set the cup on the old wood floor. “I should get up. Do you need something?”

She should have been grateful. More polite. Her mother had raised her better. His bare chest was just so...so...

“I came for the copies you slept on—literally. I couldn't get them out from under you. Thought I'd give them a once-over before I showered. We eating in or going to a drive-through?”

He'd already been in her room? She glanced down at her chest, verifying she'd slept in full pajamas and was still covered up. “I usually just have a protein bar.”

“Mind if I take a couple of eggs, then?”

“Go right ahead.”

“Come on, Elf Face. Time's a wastin'.” He hooked a thumb over his shoulder.

“I'd forgotten you were a morning person,” she called out, watching his backside leave her bedroom. The faded tight jeans were different than the dark black he'd worn the day before.

The soft denim molded to a fantastic specimen of a man that she missed as soon as he was around the corner.

Time to get on with her day and just flat move forward. Her thoughts had taken her to dreams mixed with murder and lovemaking and decaying bodies and excellent bodies. She was exhausted from sleeping. That was a fact.

How was this supposed to work? Did she really think she could take care of county business while Dan was out of town? As if being chased by a serial killer/assassin wasn't enough, she had to be partnered with a man totally oblivious of her attraction.

“Oh Lord, I'm in so much trouble.” She tossed back the covers, changing her mind about being alone with Jesse. “Hey! On second thought, let's go to the diner.”

“Sure. Give me your word you won't leave the house and make me follow you. I need a shower, but I'm not wet behind the ears.” He wandered in front of the door, two eggs balanced in one hand, a frying pan in the other.

Very conscious of rolling her lip between her teeth, she stopped herself by biting it. Then stopped again at the first brush of her tongue to wet them. She'd be professional. Especially with him. Even if he was shirtless, abs abounding naked in front of her.

“I'm not going anywhere alone until we have a plan,” she finally admitted, knowing he'd get his way. And knowing it was the smart thing to do. If she was being watched, it only made sense to stick close to Jesse.

“I sort of need to hear the words, Avery.”

“All right. I promise.” She did the childish symbol of crossing her heart. “Do I need to pinkie swear or something?”

Half of his mouth turned up in a grin. “Next time.”

She heard noise in the kitchen and had to mumble to herself, “I wonder if he knows how sexy that makes him look?”

Yes, she said it out loud for her ears only. It was just a true statement that she needed to remember. Jesse was sexy. That particular thought had floated around in her head since sex education.

She'd never understood why girls flocked to Garrison and left Jesse alone. It seemed that he was always out with girls, but never anyone steady. Garrison seemed to have a girlfriend every other week. It had been worse in college. They'd go to Austin and her best friend would insist to her twin that she'd be okay. They'd sit in the background and watch Garrison do his thing. Without a doubt, her brother was charming.

So yes, there always seemed to be girls around. Thinking back, they were leftovers. So what was it about Jesse she wasn't seeing?

The shower started and she got dressed quickly. Gathering papers and straightening the linens on the couch, she left them there. It was no use to ask him to stay at a hotel. He wouldn't. At least not until Snake Eyes was apprehended.

Just as he'd had to hear the words, sometimes talking through ideas made them more real for her. The past eight months here, she'd done a lot of talking to herself. It stopped her from picking up the phone to ask Jesse why he'd left. And it stopped her from calling her mom to see how Jesse was doing.

“Yes, Jesse is sexy. But... He's off-limits. He's out of your league. He's your brother's best friend. He stood you up—that's a nice way of putting that traumatic night. He's a professional colleague, a partner, even.” She wagged her finger into the mirror at herself. “No fraternizing with partners.”

Oh man, I spend way too much time alone.

Sweeping her short—massively tangled after a sleepless night—hair away from her face, she dabbed on some eye makeup and stuck her tongue out at the image. The same eyes that gave her brother such a carefree, bright-eyed friendly look... Well, they made her look weird in her opinion. Jade. A bright green that people accused her of wearing contacts to create.

No color change required. They were even greener today wearing her Kiss Me I'm Irish T-shirt. Soft, stretched out and comfy. Along with her favorite pair of jeans with worn spots in the knees that showed white threads. Fashionable in the real way—not that store-bought look with frayed edges. It was her day off.

His bag was gone. He'd taken it into the bath with him so he'd come out fully dressed. She wanted to be completely ready to walk out the door. Her small satchel held her laptop and the paperwork. Her service weapon was in its holster on her belt. And her pink toenails peeked out under the very worn edges of her jeans.

“Shoot. Shoes.”

She'd grown up wearing Western boots and had half a dozen pairs on the floor of her closet. Along with a backup Glock in the pair reserved for dancing.
Like that has happened recently.
She sat on the couch and tapped her feet into her everyday boots.

The bathroom door opened, steam billowing to the ceiling.

“Whoa. You're...um...ready.” He sounded genuinely surprised.

Thank God he wasn't wrapped in only a towel. The realization that she just couldn't have handled that came with the desire to pull his dark T-shirt over his head.

It's the danger of the unknown. It has my adrenaline pumping and doing crazy things with my hormones.

“I've collected the paperwork. We can use Dan's office to spread out and make some real notes about the homicides.”

“Sounds good. Can we run the sirens to wherever we're eating? I'm starved.” He laughed, but he meant it.

The diner wasn't far. It was a converted old storefront in the historic district. She ate there all the time, since it was between her house and the sheriff's office.

“This place fast? I am seriously hungry.” Jesse pulled the door open for her.

“Is there a time you're not famished?”

“As a matter of fact—”

“Oh, don't bother saying that in a public place.”

His grin and wink told her that his mind had gone to the same scenario hers had raced to.
Sex.

“One day, Elf Face.”

“You blew that chance.” She left him behind her and found the rear booth, placing her back to the wall. He shook his head at leaving himself in a vulnerable position and slid into the booth next to her, pushing her over with his hip.

“Have you lost your mind? You can't sit next to me.”

“I'm sure as hell not sitting with a window and the door behind me,” he whispered firmly.

Curious looks were expected. Avery was still considered new. This morning there were double takes from the customers and waitress. She was the new kid in town and had been working her butt off to prove she was capable. There had been no time to make friends or form any real relationships other than at work.

But even the cook sneaked a quick look by strolling past to collect a syrup bottle in the next booth.

“Now look at what you've done. Everybody's going to think you're something special.”

“I'm not?”

She ignored him.

The restaurant had limited seating, since it was open for only breakfast and lunch. Half the chairs were bar stools that kids loved to spin around on until they were dizzy. Jesse placed a huge order as a tall, lanky man entered. Avery hadn't seen him around before. He sat on the first stool and looked around anxiously.

Funny because he was looking at the ceiling and stopped his gaze on the security camera pointing at the register. Older... Longish hair over his collar...

“Is that the guy who claims to be my old family friend? Come on.” She shoved at Jesse's rib cage to get him out of the booth. “He ordered coffee to go.”

Jesse began moving, but slower than she wanted. “Couldn't we get Bo to follow him while we eat?” He joked because he already had his weapon drawn and resting at the back of his thigh, pointing at the floor. He waved at her to stay put as he quickened his pace.

Avery shooed the customers back. Jesse stood next to the man they'd barely begun searching for. The front glass shattered. A split second later, the man slumped and fell to Jesse's feet.

“Everybody down.” Jesse lunged toward her, tackling her backward to the floor and covering her with his body. “Call 911.”

The window was pierced again. Then a coffee carafe burst.

“Crawl behind the counter! Get to the kitchen!” Jesse shouted into the room, then gave her a shove under him. “You, too.”

“What do you have planned?” she asked him as the customers belly crawled around the end.

“To keep you alive.”

“But we can get this guy. He's right across the street.”

Jesse shook his head. “He'll be gone before we decide which building.”

“We're wasting time. There's an exit by the restrooms.” They were far enough away from the window front that Snake Eyes couldn't see them. Not from the roof. So she stood and ran.

“Avery. Stop!”

* * *

T
HE
GIRL
HE
'
D
grown up next door to had always been fearless. The officer she'd grown up to be wasn't afraid, but she wasn't foolish, either. He was out the door two seconds after, following in her footsteps, crouching behind her, waiting for the next shot to hit.

“You know he could have help, a partner.” He tried to catch her before she darted along the back of the buildings. At least it wasn't the most direct route to Snake Eyes. Jesse didn't have any doubts about who was firing.

“Not this guy. He just killed the man working for him.”

He heard a car speeding up. Avery jumped out, waving her arms before he reached her. A deputy stopped the vehicle and began asking what was going on. Avery explained as she holstered her weapon and took a pump-action shotgun from the trunk. “I don't miss with this.”

The deputy followed Avery's lead, staying to her right. Jesse followed on the left. “I've heard four rifle shots since we left the diner, but not in the past two minutes. He's probably on the move.”

“You take the south side.” She pointed. “I'll take Spencer around the north.”

There was no time to argue or make a different decision. He had to trust her direction and the man who worked with Avery to have her back. He ran under the sidewalk awning. People should have stayed indoors at the sound of a sniper. But he yelled at them to get inside and lock their doors.

Stealthily arriving wasn't going to happen. So he got louder, shouting, waving his gun. People cleared faster and perhaps he drew attention away from Avery's approach.

Jesse rounded the corner. No vehicles sped away from the block of buildings. He continued and spotted the deputy he hadn't met. “Where's Avery?”

The older man pointed up. “I gave her a boost.”

“Dammit! I thought she was staying with you.”

“Have you tried telling that
chica
anything?” He pointed his weapon where he scanned behind him.

“It's all clear,” Avery stated from the roof, shotgun on her hip. “He got away and I have no clue how. I'm coming down.”

The deputy caught Avery's shotgun and she propelled her legs over the faded red brick. She had a couple of handholds before she dropped to a covered Dumpster, then slid off the top to the ground.

“I could see the streets from there and no one was running or driving away. I'm not certain how he escaped so easily.”

“He planned it. Like everything else he's done.”

A few people joined them from the main street through town. One with a rifle in hand. Jesse pulled his badge and hooked it on his belt. “Texas Ranger, folks.”

“Call the funeral home for me, Spencer.”

“Who?”

“Not sure yet. I don't think he's from around here, but there are a lot of seasonal guys who fill up the hotels this time of year who I'm unfamiliar with.”

“I'll take care of the scene.” Spencer shuffled off. A handful of people followed along with Avery.

“Hey.” Jesse stopped the deputy with a hand on her upper arm, but immediately released her with the narrowed gaze he received. “Don't—”