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 move forward. Last night, her thoughts had taken her into dreams that had been 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 just calmly take care of business? As if being chased by a serial killer/assassin wasn’t enough, she had to be partnered with a man totally oblivious to her attraction.

“I’m in so much trouble.”

Shotgun Justice

Angi Morgan

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ANGI MORGAN writes Mills & Boon Intrigue novels “where honor and danger collide with love.” She combines actual Texas settings with characters who are in realistic and dangerous situations. Angi and her husband live in north Texas, with only the four-legged “kids” left in the house to interrupt her writing. They recently began volunteering for a local Labrador retriever foster program. Visit her website, www.angimorgan.com, or hang out with her on Facebook.

There is never a book without my pals Jan and Robin. Thanks for the crazy cabin inspiration, Nicki, JoAnna and Lizbeth. Ruth … thanks for the idea for my “pal” Snake Eyes. And a special shout-out to Julie for helping me at the beginning and end of this book.

Contents

Cover

Introduction

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Copyright

Prologue

“My twin brother is the one wanted for murder. You have no right to lock me up, Dan.” Avery Travis was experiencing insane fury. She’d been disappointed, been angry, had even been fighting mad, but this was worse. Her head just might explode.

Jesse Ryder had absolutely no right to suggest she be thrown in jail for her own safety. When she got out she might...she might just... Well, she knew how to hurt him.

“Dan, you know Garrison needs help to get him out of this mess and clear his name.” She could help him. Just as soon as she sweet-talked her way out of this holding cell.

“What I know is that you’re upset and have a reason to be.” The older sheriff of Dallam County locked the cell and gestured for her to back up to the bars—just like he did to every common prisoner.

“Okay, you win, Dan. I’ll give you my word as a deputy that I won’t take off to Austin.” She crossed her fingers. “You know you can’t spare me right now. Who’s going to answer to keep the reckless juveniles in line?”

“I’m not arguing about you being the best deputy I have. I’m only doing what that Texas Ranger friend of yours suggested.”

She walked to the cell doors for him to remove the handcuffs, her fingers definitely uncrossed. “You didn’t have to cuff me.”

“Now, darlin’, you know that’s not true.” Dan drew another circle in the air and Avery turned around. “If I hadn’t surprised you, then you wouldn’t be here.”

He removed the cuffs and she rubbed her wrists, glad to be free. Well, almost free. She looked at the three walls of the small county jail. “You can’t be serious about keeping me here. How long?”

“Until the Rangers have everything under control. It shouldn’t take long. They’re very capable men who know what they’re doing.”

Right. Men.

“He didn’t do it, you know.” She stated the fact without having spoken to her brother. He hadn’t called her or their mom during all the confusion, but she knew it was true. She knew that he’d been framed. And she knew that she could find out the person responsible—if she was allowed to help. But the Texas Rangers were on top of it and didn’t need her.

“I haven’t met him, but I’ve never thought he murdered those two women. He’s your brother.” Dan turned to leave. “But that makes no never mind. If he were here, I’d have to take him in. Since I don’t believe it and a criminal family is involved, I tend to agree with your friend—I mean Lieutenant Ryder. You need to stay safe and won’t be if you go traipsing off to Austin trying to help your brother from this predicament.”

“I promise to stay out of trouble,” she said with crossed fingers.

“I tend not to believe you, Avery. Don’t get me wrong. You’re a blasted good deputy and can take over this office in a New York minute. But staying out of trouble when your brother’s being hunted for murder?” Dan shook his head and pursed his lips, rubbing the graying whiskers on his chin. “No, missy, I just don’t believe you’ll stay in Dalhart voluntarily. So this is the best solution.”

“I can’t believe you are seriously going to keep me locked up.” She threw her hands in the air and walked over to the very visible toilet. “Are you really going to make me stay here while my fellow deputies watch me tinkle on a video screen?”

“Avery, we’ll make it work and find a way to keep your privacy. But I guarantee you one thing... I like you being alive more than I’m worried about any of that.” Dan waved his hand in the air toward the toilet area. “I’ll have someone bring your standing order from the Dairy Barn for dinner. You can have the bag you packed as soon as Julie goes through it for weapons.”

“What weapons?”

“Anything sharp or heavy you can use to hurt Bo and Derek.” He laughed over his shoulder as he walked away. Probably because he used her movie-reference nicknames for his two perfect-ten deputies.

She’d packed too fast to think about a heavy object that could be used to hit anyone over the head. She’d had no idea that she’d need anything sturdier than extra undies, socks and a toothbrush. Carrying her service weapon would have been enough for what she’d intended.

Well, then again, it wouldn’t take much to get the jump on the two young men. She’d put both of them on the training mat right after she arrived. At least she could do that six months ago. After the first training workout, they wouldn’t come with her again. They were afraid to hurt her. Big laugh. She predicted their moves as soon as they faced her because they thought of her as a woman. She’d practiced with Jesse her entire life.

Jesse. The man behind all her problems.

None of that mattered at the moment unless it would help her get free of this place. This was all Jesse’s fault. She plopped down on the thin mattress and right back up. They’d forgotten to take her cell out of her back pocket. She tapped a number still on speed dial and waited.

“Hey, Avery. Been a long time. Like your new job?”

Oh, that voice. She’d missed it. Even being embarrassed beyond anything she could have imagined, she’d still missed him. “Jesse Ryder, if anything happens to my brother because you won’t let me help...”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, Avery. You know me better than that. I’m doing everything I can. We all are.”

She recognized his sincerity. He believed the best of the best were on the case. And she hadn’t been good enough to be a part of the best. “I need you to make a call to my boss and get me out of here.”

“Where’s ‘here,’ babe?”

Oh man, there had been a time when she yearned for him to use that endearment. Now was not it. “Exactly where you suggested Dan hold me until my brother’s problem is over.”

Laughter. Lots of laughter. And then a little more laughter. “Are you serious? I made a tiny suggestion and he put you behind bars? How did anybody get the drop on you?”

“Your sweet-talking won’t work this time. I’m going to stay angry forever. Especially now. I am not one of those girls who hangs on your every word. So you make that call and get me out of here.”

She’d been exactly one of those girls. From the time she could run, she’d followed her brother and his best friend everywhere. She’d pined for Jesse and gone unnoticed when they were teens. And for just a short period of three months last year, she’d been the happiest girl on the planet.

“There’s nothing to be done, Avery. I’ll be a pal and call in a couple of days to update you. Even that’s against the rules and you know it.”

“I wouldn’t call you a pal at this particular moment.”

He cleared his throat. She could tell he was about to mention that horrible night when they’d almost made love. That sounded pathetic and she wasn’t even saying it out loud. If he apologized for walking out on her...

“I haven’t had a chance to explain—”

“I don’t want to hear it. It’s done. Over. I’ve moved on. Moved to the far northwest of Texas, in fact.”

Living in Austin after the guys had been promoted had become impossible. Everywhere she’d gone there had been a memory of one of them. She might have been able to handle missing her brother—eventually.

But Jesse? She’d been head over heels in love with him her entire life. One day out of the blue last year, she’d caught him looking at her differently. Then it was three months of clandestine, sexy kisses. Three months of sensual foreplay. And one night they’d almost made love. Whatever she’d done wrong, it had scared Jesse into walking out.

“I grew up next door to you, too. Remember? It doesn’t sound like you’ve moved on. So when are you going to let me explain?”

She pressed the disconnect button. She was angry and needed to stay that way. Focusing on her job was the only thing keeping her sane in this little town. There wasn’t anything to really worry about. Right? Seriously, this was her brother. Of course she was worried. It was the first time they hadn’t been together for a crisis.

Dan might have turned the key in the lock, but Jesse was responsible. She could focus her anger on that man. He deserved it for putting the idea into Dan’s head.

“Oh yeah. The next time I see Jesse Ryder...I’m definitely going to kill him.”

Chapter One

Late April, the South Texas Desert

“Please, please. I beg you. I...I have money. Lots of money. I can pay you more than Tenoreno.”

Rosco had awakened from the drug and would soon become annoying. The drive was almost over. The first part of his assignment almost complete.

“Sorry, man. It’s nothing personal. Just a job,” he answered, trying to prevent the inevitable. He still had to make a decision on how to kill this man.

Gun. Knife. Swizzle stick. He chuckled at the idea. Of course, he could do the job with anything. He was that good. The swizzle stick he chewed on, however, would retain his DNA and he’d never be that stupid.

The perfect set of gloves sat on the seat next to him along with the rest of his tools. Some killers went so far as to shave their bodies so as not to drop a single hair. For him, the diving suit worked just as well. He’d changed a few minutes ago before continuing down Texas 349 to find just the right abandoned spot.

There were no witnesses on this stretch of deserted road. No cameras. No recording devices of any type. Rarely a car or driver that would think twice about seeing his ordinary vehicle. He’d deliberately left the burner phone at the Kerrville hotel. An automatic text message would be sent to indicate he was hundreds of miles away on Interstate 10. Not that anyone would call, but it was there in any case. No one in the nearby town would notice a plain blue rental car that looked black on this moonless night.

No one ever noticed. As he’d said many times—at least to himself—he was very good at his job.

He didn’t tire at becoming better, striving for more. He was a professional, after all. Thomas Rosco kicked his seat.

“Stop that. What do you hope to accomplish by annoying me?”

“I want you to see reason. Let me go.”

“Mr. Rosco, don’t you know who I am?”

“I haven’t seen your face. You could leave me here and I’d never be able to identify you.”

Pulling onto a dirt road leading under an old faded gate, the single windmill made him feel lonesome. That was ridiculous. He was completely at ease in this desolate country and never tired of his work. The fun was just about to begin.

“I’m hurt that you thought Tenoreno would hire anyone other than myself.”

“You...you...you’re Snake Eyes?”

“It seems an appropriate name.” He turned around to stare directly at his prey. “Don’t you think?”

He knew what the crime boss saw. Almost glowing eyes, slanted and the color of a reptile’s. The contacts added a dimension to his persona that made his victims quake. He laughed, the sound deliberately sinister. It normally put fear in his victims’ eyes.

Rosco wasn’t any different than the other men. A sad example of a tough guy. Tough men bled just like the rest. Their bodies rotted under the sun just like that of a man with a good soul.

The gloves slid over his hands, and then he helped Rosco stand from the car. No rough stuff was necessary.

The man was about to die. The fear rushed through Rosco’s veins. The poor fellow might get a burst of adrenaline. Might make a run for it. Whatever. It didn’t matter.

“You should make peace with your God, if you have one. Maybe ask forgiveness for all the men and women you’re responsible for killing.”

“Do you tell that to all the people you’re about to murder?”

“Let’s get moving.”

The answer was yes. It was his thing. He believed in a higher power and that he’d be punished accordingly. But he had a calling to be the best at his work as he could.

They walked into the field. The knee-high tobosa grass crackled under their feet as they shuffled through. Near the dried-out gully was the perfect place to leave a body. He doubted anyone would find Rosco for months. Not until the hunters returned for wild turkey or deer in the fall.

“No wailing? No more pleading?” he asked, curious.

“I know you get the job done. That’s why we employed your services so often. I... There is nothing I can say?” Rosco sank to his knees near some mesquite scrub. “Nothing you’ll accept in payment over what Tenoreno is paying you?”

“No. This is a waste. I wish I had time to play, but sometimes work comes first.”

With one stroke he pulled his knife and sliced left to right across the windpipe before him. Rosco’s eyes widened as he realized he couldn’t take a breath. The gurgling sound of him choking wasn’t unpleasant. It was satisfying to Snake Eyes that he’d completed the job. Rosco fell forward, hands secured behind him, twitching as his lifeblood soaked the parched earth.

Slicing easily through the plastic handcuffs, he gathered the remnants and shoved them inside the diver’s bag at his side.

Now the fun really began.

He flipped Rosco to his back, not bothering to wait for the body to grow cold. He methodically removed the lifeless eyes in Rosco’s face. He wouldn’t keep them. He wasn’t sentimental and didn’t need a souvenir, just a way to identify himself as the killer.

He’d studied serial killers, read up on them. If it had been possible, he could have shared his checklists of how to get away without a trace. But then...if everyone knew his methods, he wouldn’t be in such high demand.

Laughing, he withdrew the artificial snakelike eyes, using a cleaning solution and a polishing cloth to make them shine. Then he meticulously placed the stones in Rosco’s face, leaving him staring at the heavens.

The eyes would be anonymously shipped to his employer. Proof of the completion of his task. He popped them into the jewelry case he carried in his bag.

Many of his victims had never been found. Some never would. But those who were...the eyes were an eerie sight when his handiwork was discovered. As a calling card, they were unique and rarely reported to the press.

But they knew. He was precise and unique. He methodically went through his mental list. Then he opened the notebook and verified he’d performed everything on the list again. He would not get sloppy and make a mistake.

Or bored.

Admitting that he was bored was why he took on the next challenge. Keeping a captive alive long enough to extract information. A definite challenge that needed a new notebook of lists. He flipped the pocket spiral closed, satisfied that he’d covered everything.

Now it was time to discover the details of his next victim. How she lived her mundane life. What drove her to make a mistake. He had a short time to get to know Avery Travis. His new commission would be a test case. Careful planning would be the key to a successful kill.

Chapter Two

Two weeks later, Company F, Waco, Texas

“Thomas Rosco is dead. His throat was slit by the Snake Eyes Killer.”

Texas Ranger Lieutenant Jesse Ryder had to replay the words in his mind to verify that he’d heard the major correctly. There really wasn’t another interpretation of Thomas Rosco is dead. Everyone in the room quieted, probably replaying the same words.

Rosco was a crime boss, rumored to have been partnered with Paul Tenoreno—brought to justice earlier that year. The Rangers received the credit, but the man mainly responsible had been his best friend, Garrison Travis, and his witness, Kenderly Tyler, a beautician. They’d witnessed a double homicide orchestrated by Tenoreno. Her courage, along with detailed files left by the murder victims, provided the prosecution with an excellent case.

Then they’d turned Rosco to testify against his partner, but he’d been missing for the past week. Tenoreno had one play left...eliminating the witnesses. Rosco was just the first. He’d be after Garrison and Kenderly next.

Major Josh Parker stood at his office door to make the announcement. If he expected a response, there wasn’t one. It looked as though the other rangers in the room were just as dumbfounded.

Tenoreno had hired an assassin who left no trace of evidence. He was a virtual ghost. Law-enforcement agencies across the country hadn’t collected more than a page of notes on the man. Or woman, whatever the case may be, since they had no DNA to prove either.

So far, Snake Eyes was known for killing bad guys. The bodies found had all been those of people wanted for other crimes. If there had been more evidence, maybe someone would look harder.

“Property owners came across the body off of Texas 349 south of Sheffield,” the major finally continued. “The medical examiner estimates he’s been dead six days. Pure luck on our part that the owners were dropping off a hunting blind.”

“His death blows a huge chunk of the case against Tenoreno.” Bryce Johnson hadn’t realized what he’d said until the sputters grew in number around the room. “Okay, okay. Huge chunks. Got it. Ha-ha. We all know that it has to be Tenoreno pulling the strings from his jail cell to order something like this.”

Bryce was the resident expert on Texas organized crime. He knew better than any of them how much the state’s prosecutor was depending on the rival crime family’s testimony.

“Tenoreno’s been in solitary. No visitors. No communication other than his lawyer.” The major might have been waiting on answers or ideas, but none came forth. “No apparent connection to Rosco’s murder. No one believes that to be true.”

“How was he killed?” someone behind him asked.

“What does that do for Garrison’s detail?” It was no secret that Jesse was more concerned about his best friend’s safety than putting Tenoreno away. One couldn’t happen without the other, but Jesse knew what his priority would be.

“Who’s taking the lead on the investigation?” Bryce asked.

The major gestured for the two of them to come to his office. Jesse followed Bryce, ready to work with him, ready to get some real action instead of tracking criminal activity through the internet.

“The murder of Thomas Rosco will be handled by the local PD with the aid of Company A. Headquarters is ready to roll if they think there’s a problem. They’ve got it covered and don’t need our help. Before you begin objecting, the two of you are needed other places.”

Jesse was ready to object anyway, but his commanding officer turned his back as he walked around his desk. He sat and propped his feet on the corner, taking his thinking position.

“Prosecutors have asked for your help, Bryce,” he continued. “They have a lead that needs your knowledge and expertise. Vivian has the information. Hand over anything you’re working on to her and we’ll get it taken care of.”

Bryce didn’t hesitate. He was out the door and gathering his things after a hurried “Yes, sir.” Jesse’s nerves began twitching. Whatever was about to come, he didn’t get the feeling that Major Parker felt comfortable, either.

“What’s happened? Did they discover the location of Garrison’s detail?”

“No, nothing like that. But while Tenoreno was at the pretrial, he plainly stated that no one close to Garrison would be safe. It’s a threat most criminals make. That’s nothing new. But we have intel that someone accepted a contract on Garrison’s sister.”

“Avery’s a deputy in the Panhandle. Has she been made aware of the situation? Have you alerted Sheriff Myers?”

“Headquarters believes this could be another nail in Tenoreno’s coffin if we can capture the assassin and get him to turn state’s evidence.”

“That would mean they’re using Avery as bait. Did anyone tell her?”

“It’s been handled. Her participation, on the other hand... Well, Jesse, the attorneys think it would be better coming from you when you arrive in Dalhart.”

“Then they should think about that again, sir. I’m the last person Avery wants to see. The title’s mine with Garrison a close second.”

He actually missed Avery. They’d grown up together, gone to the same schools, same concentration of studies. He’d made the Rangers and she hadn’t. She quit everything, packed up, left and hadn’t spoken to him since. Of course, the real reason for not talking to him was a little more involved.

“Our information is credible, Jesse. The hit is happening soon, so you don’t have much time.” Major Parker wasn’t pondering any longer. He had both feet on the floor and leaned forward on his desk. “It’s already been decided, Lieutenant. Already in motion. This isn’t a debate.”

“I had her thrown in jail to protect her the last time this happened, sir. She’s not going to listen to me. And I doubt I can get her near the county lockup again.”

“Make her listen. The last thing we need is for Garrison Travis to be lured from the safe house and be killed. Take care of his sister or you’ll be searching for her murderer instead.”

The two choices hit him between the eyes like the baseball Avery had thrown when they were nine. His head was whirring just as badly as back then. Murdered?

No one else would try as hard as him. That was a certainty. And if something happened to her, he’d never forgive himself. Neither would Garrison.

“We call. Now. She needs to be warned.” And Garrison needs to be kept in the dark.

“The state’s attorney informed the sheriff as soon as we knew about the threat.”

“Who else is on the protection detail?”

“Did I mention a detail? One riot, one ranger. That’s our motto. Right?” Parker stood, looking ready to dismiss Jesse. “You’ll be coordinating with the county sheriff. Keep the element of surprise on your side. You know the hit man is coming. He doesn’t know about you. Handle it.”

“Of course, sir. I’ll catch the next available flight.”

“Vivian arranged a private flight to Amarillo that leaves as soon as you arrive. Then a rental car. We’ve got Tenoreno on lockdown, but somehow he’s getting directives to his men.” Josh Parker picked up a stack of papers and tapped them into a neat pile. “Did I ever tell you why you have Garrison as a partner here?”

“We both knew it was improbable.” The suspicions he’d had for eight months were going to be confirmed. The major waited. “You mean why it’s me and Garrison. Not me and Avery.”

“Exactly. You’ve had a relationship with her. A close one, from what I gathered. You didn’t lie to cover it up. If you had...”

“If I had, sir, none of us would be rangers.”

“That’s true.” He nodded his agreement.

It was a fact. He was the reason Avery hadn’t become a Texas Ranger. Somewhere while they were being secret, kissing in corners, or sneaking glances at each other... Someone had seen them.

When asked about it at the end of their training, he’d come clean. Avery had discovered she wasn’t selected, then said the Texas Rangers was an old-boy organization and would never consider her good enough. Well, he’d known she’d never forgive him for what he’d said in the interview.

Of course, she didn’t know and she’d left anyway.

“This isn’t the time to rebuild bridges. There’s no evidence that will help you pick out the Snake Eyes Killer. He’s good at what he does. Killing. You’re there to protect Deputy Avery Travis. It’s not going to be easy. If it were, a ranger wouldn’t be needed. Go on. Vivian’s waving information for you on the other side of the door.” Parker opened the first file, ready to get to work. “And, Jesse, remember, we want to interrogate the man hired to kill her. Try not to kill him.”

“Always up for the challenge, sir.”

If he survived the assault of the green-eyed deputy he was being sent to protect, he might be able to capture Snake Eyes.

Definite challenge.

Dalhart, Texas

AVERY TRAVIS IGNORED the readout on her radar gun. Five miles over the speed limit was forgivable in her opinion. She’d told herself for months that sitting here wasn’t a speed trap. Drivers had enough time to slow down before they reached her spot at the tractor store.

Or they slowed down as soon as they spotted her. It was the ones who ignored both that she’d stop for a ticket.

Midweek shifts were easy to hate. Especially in the middle of the night on a Texas Panhandle road. But it was her turn. Life was totally different here as a Dalhart deputy after four wasted years trying to become a Texas Ranger.

Her brother was the one fighting real criminals. He’d uncovered evidence against one of the biggest crime bosses in the state. Garrison rescued witnesses, saved the day and who knew what else. The anger was building up again. It was definitely easier to tap it back into place, buried under the surface of everything job related.

Safe zone. Find a safe place to park all this emotion.

Knowing what to do and accomplishing it were definitely different, but she’d manage. Her self-improvement tapes would be easier to understand the second time through. But if she began listening to one tonight, she’d fall asleep.

This. Is. Boring. With a capital B, boring after being posted in Austin. No, after working anywhere.

An occasional flat tire. Watch a lot of shooting stars. Watch a lot of dust. Watch a lot of snow. Watch a lot of grass grow. Did she mention giving a ride to an occasional driver with a flat? Yep. Boring in every sense of the word.

“Car two-twenty-two. You around, Avery?” Julie Dunks’s perky voice broke the silence. “Are you still out on Highway 385 at the Supply Company?”

“Where else would I be, Julie? I always tell you when I go on break or move locations.”

“Oh good. But you know Bo sometimes doesn’t bother to tell me. Sheriff Dan always takes a break when his coffee kicks in—if you know what I mean. So it’d be understandable if you did the same while you’re out and about. I know you drink coffee.”

“You switched me to tea.” She yawned, wishing for some coffee.

“Did I tell you what Miss Wags did this morning? That terrorizing little diva wouldn’t let me leave the house today without feeding her a bacon treat. Isn’t that just too cute?”

“Julie, was there a reason you needed me?”

“Why, yes, there is.”

“And...”

“Oh. Right. You had a visitor here looking for you. He said he was a family friend. Pretty nice lookin,’ if you ask me. Of course, you didn’t ask, but I didn’t think that would matter.”

A good-looking family friend could mean only one person. Jesse Ryder. Avery was forced to listen. She couldn’t interrupt Julie on a two-way radio. Besides, what else did she have to do?

As Julie kept being her natural chatty self, Avery tuned her out and wondered what had gone wrong. What or who would force Lieutenant Jesse Ryder to come barging into her life? Barging all the way up here to the Texas Panhandle?

It wasn’t fair. She’d left Austin and Waco behind because she’d been upset for being passed over. But it was also because everywhere she looked there was a memory of her with the man. Memories she no longer wanted to think about. If he was coming to see her...there would be images of him at the café to haunt her mind every time she ate there.

Then at the Main Street Motel—where he would definitely spend the night, because he wasn’t staying with her. Each time she passed it, she would imagine seeing his car return for another visit.

“No way he’s staying with me.” She released the talk button and sank in her seat, knowing that Julie had heard her.

“What was that, Avery? Actually, he said he was on his way to find you. Isn’t that excitin’? He couldn’t wait until the morning when your shift ends.”

“Thanks for letting me know, Julie. Over and out.”

Jesse was on his way? To her? Right here at her favorite spot? Well, she wouldn’t be here. Her future would not be parking here night after night and picturing him sitting on the hood of her patrol car.

Nope. No way. No how.

She’d arrest him. Throw him in jail. He’d had her boss do it to her three months ago when Garrison got in trouble. Now, that was a good place she could picture Jesse...behind bars.

The second favorite place to park and wait for speeders was a little over two miles down the road. If she hurried, she could be waiting on Jesse as he sped past. This was going to be a blast.

A few minutes later she parked and took out the radar gun, pointing it toward town. It wouldn’t take him long if he’d left right before Julie checked in with her. But she waited and kept waiting. Maybe he’d changed his mind.

No headlights. It was more likely that he’d stopped at the motel first. And less likely that Jesse would get caught in her speed trap.

Disappointment. Plain and simple disappointment. Maybe she could give him a ticket for jaywalking tomorrow. Or maybe vagrancy. Something obscure where he’d never agree to pay the fine. Then off to jail he’d go.

Before Avery cut the engine, she lowered the window, letting the fresh summer air into the car. She leaned her head back after readying the radar gun on the dash. The stars were sparkling on a blanket of black. Her plan about limiting where Jesse created memories was completely shot now.

She’d remember him here because she thought about him here. In the jail, in the back of her patrol car and the same places she always thought of him. Just about everywhere.

“What I need more than anything else is to learn how to live with Jesse around. As long as he’s Garrison’s best friend, he’s going to be in my life.” She closed her eyes and let out a long soulful sigh, continuing her lonely conversation. “This is my life. I’ve worked hard to become independent, but I refuse to live in isolation any longer, because I’m petulant. I can be an adult about this.”

On a clear night like this, she could see a vehicle miles away. Out of nowhere, headlights were on the highway from the opposite direction. A local heading to town for an emergency?

She pointed the radar, placed her foot on the brake and shifted the car into Drive—ready to perform her duty. Ninety-two flashed in red. High school kids on a dare or a rancher in serious need of an escort to Keen Hospital in town. Either way required her deputy services.

The car lurched forward, the radar gun dropped to the seat and she flipped the lights on in one smooth motion as she raced after the speeder. She followed less than a minute when the car pulled onto the shoulder. The tags were obscured by mud.

It might not be Jesse, but it was a little bit of work. Anything was better than being bored.

Chapter Three

The car pulled over well onto the grass at the side of the road. Plenty of blacktop was to their left as her vehicle lit up the area in red, white and blue. Avery ran the tag number, found it was a rental and got out of her truck.

What were the odds of two visitors in separate cars showing up in Dalhart within the same hour? Extremely high. If something had happened to Garrison, Jesse would come to take her home. But two cars?

The tiny hairs on the back of her neck were prickling. Avery unsnapped the thumb break on her sidearm holster. The door opened and a man swung one leg and then the other from the vehicle.

How pathetic of her...she recognized his boots. Relaxing a little during the seconds it took Jesse Ryder to unfold his tall body from the sports car, she snapped the thumb break back into place. Why hadn’t he phoned? It still irritated her that she didn’t know why he’d come in person.

Irritated or scared. The feelings caused similar nerves to gurgle in her stomach. Or maybe anticipation because...

Lord have mercy, he looks good. Bo and Derek were attractive young men. But they had nothing on Jesse. Six foot two, dark walnut hair that was neat and close to his head. She’d looked into those mischievous brown eyes before. Looking again wasn’t going to resolve any problem. He was lean, with shoulders wide enough to make her feel small. And she wasn’t.

At six feet minus an inch—as her mother referred to her—she was not small by any means. Not as tall as her brother, but she’d learned to be as strong as possible. Jesse got partial credit for that. They’d always gone toe-to-toe in wrestling or racing or even at the shooting range.

“Do you know how fast you were going?”

He wrinkled his brow, looking concerned. His eyes were searching the landscape. Didn’t he know there was nothing around? Maybe a couple of cows or deer, but no threats.

“I think it was close to eighty or eighty-five. What are you doing out here without backup, Avery?”

The ice around her heart melted a little at the sound of her name. It was so good to see him. And so embarrassing. “That’s well over the speed limit.” She took a defensive stance, stabilizing her shaking knees. “What are you doing here?”

Her heart shook a little at the possibilities. He didn’t look as though he was bearing bad news. But if he wasn’t, then why had he come?

“Can’t a guy visit a friend?”

He was lying. She’d known him too long not to hear the warble in his voice. The one she’d recognized as he said being with her was great.

“We’re not friends anymore. I haven’t returned any of your calls. A Texas Ranger like yourself would be able to pick up on that clue. So why are you here?”

“Vacation?”

“Are you asking me if you’re on vacation? Like I’d ever believe that. You’ve never taken a vacation. And your first wouldn’t be to Dallam County.”

“Okay, you got me.” The smile left his face and his demeanor changed. “Enough kidding around. You seriously don’t have backup? We need to get you secured.”

“Secured? What’s happened?”

“I’d rather talk about it at the sheriff’s office. Let’s go.” He extended his hand her direction and she flinched. He looked shocked. She didn’t have a memory of that expression on his face before.

Had she really never surprised him by following her own mind? Wow, I really was desperate if I never disagreed with him about anything.

“I asked you a question, Mr. Ryder. What business do you have in Dalhart?”

His handsomely chiseled face searched the road both directions. “I’d rather talk to you in private back at county.”

“In case you didn’t notice...” She expanded her arms into the darkness lit by only her patrol lights. “This is pretty private. If you refuse to cooperate, I’m going to have to take you in.”

Okay, she knew it was a stretch and she really didn’t have any reason to haul his backside to jail. But he deserved it. She remembered the three days of no privacy behind bars. Three days of trying to occupy the time by pretending to read a book. But most of all, the three days of being worried sick about her twin.

The moonlight made her rarely used handcuffs sparkle when she pulled them from their pouch. “Turn around and put your hands on the car.”

“You’re not arresting me.” He laughed, throwing back his head. Then he focused on her and squinted when she took a step forward. “Wait a minute... You are arresting me?” He took a step back, something on his belt clinking when it hit the rental. “What did I do? I’m here in an official capacity, Avery. You know I am.”

Avery hadn’t heard Jesse’s voice this high-pitched since it changed in the seventh grade. She covered the laugh, trying to escape by clearing her throat as she pulled his left hand down and snapped the handcuffs around his wrist. “You’re refusing to cooperate. I don’t see that you’ve given me any choice.”

“I’ve done nothing but cooperate. I didn’t have to stop, you know. I only did because I thought it might be you.” He slipped around to face her. “No one’s going to believe that I didn’t cooperate.”

“This—” she pointed to him facing her instead of remaining where he was against the car “—this is not cooperating, Ranger Ryder.”

“I can understand if you’re still angry about the last time we saw each other. We’ve never really gotten a chance to talk about what happened. Unfortunately, we don’t have time now except for an apology. You would have had one sooner if you’d returned my calls.” Jesse placed his hands on either side of her waist and began to lean closer.

“That’s it.” She knocked his hand away, stepped to the side, whipped his arm behind him and forced him to kneel. “Nobody goes for my weapon and doesn’t go straight to a cell.”

“I wasn’t going for your weapon and you know it.”

“Well, we’ll just see what the judge has to say. Your word against mine. And I live here.”

“Avery, I’m a Texas Ranger, for gosh sakes. This ludicrous charge will never stick. It’s not going to keep me from doing my job while I’m here. As soon as Sheriff Myers finds out I’ve arrived—”

“Oh, don’t give me that, Jesse. Julie told me you were asking about me at the office.”

His body stiffened. Something changed in his posture. He seemed worried or anxious. “Let go, Avery. This has gone far enough. I don’t want to hurt you, but I will if I have to.” The playfulness was gone from his voice. “Didn’t you get the message about Rosco and the threat?”

She reached for his other hand, but he jerked it away, twisting out of her grasp. “No one’s given me a message and you’re not talking...your way...out of this.” She stuck a knee in the small of his back, taking his chest to the ground.

He was halfway struggling with her now. Only halfway, since she was familiar with what he could do if he put his strength into a shove or his elbow into her gut.

“I’m serious, Avery. Tenoreno put—” Jesse twisted to his back under her. “He hired someone to take you— Ow. Dammit, that hurts.”

“Stop struggling and the cuffs won’t pinch you.” She still had hold of his arm that he’d pulled above his head. She was pulling it back to her when he got very still. It hit her just where she sat—straddled across his lap. She scrambled off. “Get up.”

“Are you still going to arrest me?”

“I owe you a night in jail. Two, actually, if I’m getting technical.”

“I’m serious. Call it in, Avery. I haven’t been to Dalhart yet.”

“Julie said a family friend asked where I was. You’re the only person that could be.”

“Don’t you see? It’s the hit man. We can get a description—”

“Oh, good grief. This is too much, Jesse. You don’t have to lie.”

“They said they called, spoke to the sheriff and explained everything.” He remained on the ground. “I’m going to kill a state official.”

She watched him, aware of his every move. He was tense, waiting for her to make a mistake. Maybe move the wrong way.

“Tenoreno doesn’t care about me. I’m not a witness.” All the anger that she’d been suppressing seemed to bubble up to the surface. “I can’t believe you’d come up here and...and what? What could you possibly want to do? Sabotage my new career?”

“Okay now.” He raised his hands above his chest. “I think you need to calm down.”

Acting like a cop with a perp at her feet, she used her boot to flip him downhill to his chest, swiped his arm behind him and flicked the second handcuff onto his wrist before he could work his way free. “Do. Not. Tell me to calm down.”

* * *

AVERY GROUND HER knee into his kidney as she forced her words between her locked jaws. She was furious, and if he reacted, she’d get hurt.

Deliberate or by mistake, it didn’t matter. He resisted the temptation to buck her onto the road behind them. Her pride had been hurt enough. It probably would be again. But not by him.

“I knew this was a bad idea.” He’d never live this story down if it got out.

“You think?”

“Look, Elf Face—”

“Come on, Jesse. You can’t call me that. Your face is the one in the dirt. I’m in my uniform, for crying out loud. Using my nickname stopped working on me ages ago.”

He didn’t believe that for a minute. She’d already removed her knee and her voice had spunk again instead of anger. So, yeah, using the name worked.

With her knee gone, he rolled uncomfortably to his back. Her voice might have calmed, but the look on her face hadn’t. Intense. Jaded. The anger made her eyes narrow. Of course, they’d been narrowed and upset like that each time she looked at him since they’d slept—well, didn’t sleep—together.

If he explained everything, she wouldn’t listen. He should have called her before he got on the plane. He dialed when he was waiting on the rental car. Somehow telling her over the phone just didn’t seem like a good idea. He’d gone through the pros and cons of telling her.

The cons won out. He simply didn’t trust her not to take matters into her own hands. He’d driven like a race-car driver to get to her side before something happened. Or before she led Snake Eyes into a trap of her own.

“You’re seriously going to put me in jail?”

Her lips turned up in a smile. It was easier to give in. At least she’d be indoors and protected, not running around searching for the man who’d asked about her at the desk. Once he spoke with the sheriff, they could work together to set the ground rules for Avery.

“Let’s get this over with.” He rolled onto the grass again. Loose gravel from the side of the road stuck in his knees as he tried to get up without his hands. “You’ll have to help.”

“It’s pretty funny watching you.”

“Come on, Avery. If our man was at the sheriff’s office, we should get out of here. He might be stalking you right now.” He cursed under his breath for bringing attention to the man bold enough to walk into the county jail. It didn’t matter. Avery ignored the warning and stood strong.

Acting as if it was against her better judgment to touch him, she helped him stand. Hands on the cuffs, she guided him to the patrol car, shoving him inside and locking the doors.

She opened her own and dropped her hat on the passenger seat.

“Will you at least get my stuff? There’s a bag in the trunk. Maybe lock the car, grab the keys. It’s a rental.”

She stood and tapped the roof. Slow taps. One fingernail. He recognized the signal of the internal debate she was having. He remembered when that action became a habit right after her dad had been killed.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

That was when she stopped arguing as much. The more her brother’s feeling had been disguised with charm, the more hers had been pushed down deep. He hadn’t realized it until years later. Way past the point of return. He’d always been in the middle between her and her brother. Their parents called him the peacekeeper.

Some peacekeeper.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Avery and Garrison had been inseparable twins before their father was killed in the line of duty. Afterward, they became fierce competitors. She’d even tried out for the football team with them.

It wasn’t pleasant around the neighborhood when she was forced by her mother to play volleyball. Even if she had been their star player for four years. She was so damn tall it was a given. Didn’t hurt that she could actually spike the ball and scare the other girls from the net.

The fingernail against the metal roof stopped. He heard her feet crunching gravel, then the click of the radio as she walked away. The duffel he’d packed was lifted from the trunk and dropped to the ground.

“Check inside,” he told her. If she did, she’d see his weapons. She’d know he was telling the truth.

She ignored his command to look, locked the car and engaged the alarm. There wasn’t anything else he could do at this point. He had to wait to have his story verified by Sheriff Myers.

And he had to keep his mouth shut. He couldn’t afford to tick her off any more—as evidenced by her fast and false arrest. She needed him whether she liked it or not.

“Julie, I’m coming in with a... ETA is six minutes. Out.”

“That’s great. I’ll let everybody know.”

“Could you ask her to have the sheriff meet us there? I’m sure he’ll be able to straighten out this whole mess.”

“No.”

“Dammit, Avery. Enough is enough. I’ve got a job to do.”

“It’s not up to me. Dan’s in Dallas. His daughter just had a baby. He won’t be back for another four days.”

“When did he leave?”

“Three days ago.”

No one from the State’s Attorney’s Office had explained the situation to the Dallam County Sheriff’s Department. Hell. He was on his own.

“Elf Face?”

“Stop calling me that.” She shifted back and forth uncomfortably in her seat as she buckled up.

“You’re not really going to put me in jail. Are you?”

“You bet your last dollar I’m going to. Of course, the cell isn’t as comfy as Dan made mine, but it’s not bad. Hardly any privacy, but that shouldn’t bother you. Right?” She pulled onto the deserted highway and pushed the gas to the floor. “I mean, you don’t care for anyone’s privacy. Or their private life. Or things like suggesting their boss incarcerate them for their own good. Things like that are second nature to you. They don’t bother you at all.”

Jesse closed his eyes and let her rip into him, knowing he was the only person around who could save her life. She was going to force him to take that night in jail. He’d be lucky if he didn’t receive life in prison for wanting to hug a deputy.

Chapter Four

There she was... Avery Travis had returned early to process a prisoner. A Texas Ranger prisoner. How fun was that?

The foot traffic in and out of the county jail was higher than Snake Eyes had anticipated. A point in his favor that his employer hadn’t put a rush on the job. He’d have to get creative with this one...a deputy and the additional bonus of a real Texas Ranger.

He couldn’t take one without the other. If he did, there would be too many complications. Both were quite competent. He was aware of their history, of them growing up as neighbors. He had expected that Jesse Ryder would come when Avery went missing.

This was better. Much better.

Now he could widen his plan to include them both and not be bothered with searches. How convenient.

Finding out the prisoner was Jesse Ryder took no skill. Walking in the shadows across the street from the jail, he’d overheard Jesse as they’d gone inside. Not all the conversation, just what had bounced between the buildings.

It was time to go. There was no longer a need to discover vulnerable extraction points. Unfortunately, Jesse’s arrival would delay the extraction while he fortified his plan. If the Rangers were involved, then it meant they knew about his contract. Maybe not the details, or his name—

Well, no one knew his name, as he was very careful not to be identified. He’d taken precautions. Lots of precautions. Even the criminals who employed him didn’t know. Frustrated officers referred to him as the Snake Eyes Killer.

Assassin was the more accurate description. After he’d successfully completed his third murder, he let himself be hired. Then proof of a completed assignment had been needed.

The first pair of replacement eyes had been simple marbles. The next had been fashioned after the venomous creature his victims called him. He rather liked it. Kept it. Made it easy for the police to identify him.

If they found the body.

He pulled away, leaving the jail and sheriff’s office behind. He had work today. Lists to make. A new plan would require a new spiral.

Did their argument indicate they were more than close friends?

The arguing would work to his advantage. He snapped a couple of pictures of back doors and guards on cigarette breaks, noting the time. But he already knew how he’d take Avery Travis. He knew exactly what he was going to do with her and where it would happen.

Smaller towns created a challenge to blend in and not be noticed. He’d handled them before. The extra element of this job required him to obtain information. A nice challenge. A new string of contingencies. He must be detailed. Thorough.

His camper was in Clayton, New Mexico. He’d develop his plan during the ninety-minute return drive.

The ranger needed further study. Killing Jesse was too common. Too predictable. Patience equaled reward. Yes, life would be interesting for the next several days.

The Snake Eyes Killer deserved some fun.

Chapter Five

“This has gone far enough, Avery. You’ve had your fun, now unlock the door. You can’t leave me here even overnight. We need to call the state’s attorney.”

Did she really want Jesse to spend the night in jail? It wasn’t as if he’d really broken the law or anything. She was exacting her revenge the best way she could. The only way she could, really. So, yes, he would.

She smiled, doing an about-face straight into Martha Coburn. She’d followed them through the booking area asking why they’d bypassed it. “Jesse Ryder is definitely staying the night with us.”

He cursed. Martha jerked at the profanity.

“Sorry, ma’am. When I get out of here, Avery, I’m going to paddle your behind like I used to in junior high,” he shouted.

She shut the hall door on the loud clang of his boot kicking the bars. She recognized the sound well, having made the same gesture once or twice herself during her stay. “I think he needs to calm down a bit before we do any paperwork.”

“You know that’s not protocol, Avery. Is there something wrong with him?” Martha asked, tapping her temple. “I mean, he’s claiming to be a Texas Ranger.”

“How do we go about getting a psych evaluation?” She tried to be serious. If Martha’s reaction was an indicator, Avery had been successful. “Oh, I’m just kidding. We knew each other a long time ago and he...” She raised her hand to whisper behind it even though no one else was there. “He got a little fresh, if you know what I mean. I’m just teaching him a lesson.”

“I see.” Martha crossed her arms, looking completely like an old-fashioned schoolmarm. “Dan’s done that a time or two in his day. I’m not one for telling stories that aren’t mine to tell, but he has a couple of doozies.”

“I can’t wait to hear those. I better get back out there. Never can tell who’s breaking the law before dawn on the weeknight.” She did look forward to those stories about Dan setting someone straight. Maybe it would lessen the rampage she already expected when he found out what she’d done.

Or maybe it would lessen the concern her boss had about her safety when he discovered she’d taken care of herself. It didn’t really matter. The satisfaction of keeping Jesse in jail was worth the chiding she’d receive from Dan.

Now that her heart wasn’t racing ninety to nothing, it bothered her that Jesse would come up with a wild tale about an assassin...or was it? After Garrison had volunteered to spend his time until trial in a safe house, she’d done her own investigation into the Tenoreno family. She’d taken extra precautions.

Just because she was on her own didn’t mean she was an idiot. She’d installed extra locks on the windows and doors of her rental house. Installed security lights to the point her neighbors had raised their concerns with Dan. She’d even spent a day trimming back the hedge and trees so she had line of sight to the road and sidewalks. Her landlord nearly had a cow, but admitted it was safer for a single woman—even if that woman carried a gun.

Maybe she was an idiot after all. Jesse wouldn’t lie about his concerns for her safety. He was the one guy she’d known who just didn’t lie. And he wouldn’t take off work and come all this way for...for what?

Just because Paul Tenoreno was in jail didn’t mean that the crime family’s money and influence would be stopped. She sat in her truck and waited, watching the jail instead of heading back to the highway. Some of that Texas Mafia money could have prevented the warning Jesse claimed the State’s Attorney’s Office should have made. But what if...?

She jumped from the truck, locking it on her run across the street to the office. “Julie?” She raised her voice to get their dispatcher’s attention in the back.

“Oh, hi, Avery.” She poked her head around the corner. Her cute wireless headset still sat on top of her head. “I thought you said you were—”

“Did Dan have any messages you were keeping until he got back?”

“Avery, you told me to keep all his messages. Remember? You said the big guy deserved time with his family.” She thumbed through a pad of sticky notes. “This is everything that’s come in since he’s been gone. Well, his calls, that is. All three of us are keeping them in the same place.”

“May I take a look?”

“Sure.” Julie passed the notes.

Each page of the lined pad that had been used was folded back, easy to thumb through. One had a scribble about teenagers shooting beer bottles and a note that it had been passed on to Derek to check out. Another from an unfamiliar number. The last on the list that afternoon was from a 512 area code and marked urgent.

“What about this one? Did they leave a message?”

Julie looked closely. “I bet Mrs. Lena took that. She said they asked for Dan and wouldn’t talk with anyone else. Was it important? Should I call him now and pass on the number?”

“No. It’s okay. I’ll take care of it.” An Austin area code, asking for Dan and no one else meant... “Shoot. Jesse’s telling the truth. You mentioned a man came in to see me. What did he look like? How was he dressed?”

“Oh, I don’t know, Avery. Nice looking enough, about late thirties or early forties. Sort of stylish in a Western kind of way. Hair hung below his collar. It was the only thing that just didn’t seem to match the rest of him.”

“That’s not Jesse. Man alive, I’ve messed up.” She pushed the pads of her hands into the corners of her eyes, blocking all the light, wishing she could block the image of Jesse’s face when she’d mentioned this stranger. “Does Dan ever need a forensic artist?”

“I can ask Mrs. Lena when she gets here in the morning. Why?”

“I have a feeling that the man avoided the camera and we’ll need a drawing from your description. I’ll check the video, but I’d like a name to call if I’m correct.”

“You mean a criminal came in here tonight? I was talking to a genuine criminal?” Julie’s face lit up in a smile.

There was no way Avery was going to tell Julie the truth. But she’d need someone to stay with her until this man was caught. If she could identify him, then she was in danger.

“I’d just like to know who was claiming to be a close family friend.”

Hopefully that would quiet Julie’s curiosity. And unfortunately, she’d have to let Jesse out. Or maybe not. Perhaps the safest way to talk to him was with steel bars between them. It might become very public, though. And once she was mad enough, she might just ask about their fated night.

The night she thought things were changing between them. She’d changed clothes and he’d changed locations. Think of something calming.

So maybe a nonconfrontational approach to his release was a better idea. She’d send word to release Jesse with the shift change, leave instructions to take him to his rental car and give him directions to her house. She’d apologize first thing.

Privately apologize for not listening more carefully about the possible assassin. But for sticking him in jail...never. He deserved that. When the yelling began, they’d be in the privacy of her home. Then they could work out a plan to catch whoever the Tenorenos had hired.

Yes, she believed him. Now that she was calm and could reason without his Texas-size smile in her face. But she wouldn’t leave her job. Nope. She had responsibilities. Dan was counting on her to keep things under control while he was gone. She couldn’t pick up and run every time someone threatened her brother.

Or threatened her pride.

Logically, that meant releasing Jesse and getting started immediately on whatever he’d come to do. They shouldn’t wait for morning. She should face him and get everything done.

“Julie, can you get Tosh and Tolbert Jennings out here to go pick up a car on 287?” She dug in her pocket and placed the rental keys on the counter. “Have them leave the car here and leave you the invoice and keys. I’ll pay for it.”

“Sure thing.” Julie raised a finger, paused in thought. “The county usually tows, but you know that, so this must be different.”

“Yeah. There’s one person who gets under my skin and, well...he did. Let Martha know when it’s back, please.”

“I can do that.”

Avery walked back to her truck, changed her mind and went inside the county jail. “No loud banging. That’s a good sign.”

Martha tossed her head back, looking up from her paperwork. “At the moment. That is one angry gent in there. Keeps ranting that you’re in danger. You back to process him?”

“Yeah, about that.” Her choice was a private conversation. It didn’t mean she was a coward. Facing Jesse and exposing their complicated past just wasn’t an option. “The Jennings boys are going to bring his car here. Julie will call when it’s back. Do you mind letting him out?”

Martha closed her eyes and shook her head. “Well, it won’t be the first and I doubt it’s the last. Should I direct him to the nearest motel or tell him they’re all full?”

“I’m sure he has my address. You could tell him I should be there. If he asks.” Tapping the counter, she was hesitant to place Jesse’s wrath on Martha’s shoulders. Private or not, it was definitely the cowardly way out. “Thanks. I owe you.”

“Two margaritas at Consuelo’s. There’s no doubt in my mind that this man is a handful. He’s really a Texas Ranger?”

Avery nodded. “My brother’s partner and best friend. He’s also the guy who grew up next door to me and felt that it was his job to persecute me until the day I left for college. Oh, wait...it didn’t stop, because we all went to Baylor. My social life was horrible with not one, but two, men claiming to be my brother.”

“Whew. I don’t know what went wrong out there tonight, but I’m glad I’m not hanging around you when he gets out.” Martha laughed. “Really, really glad.”

“Yeah. I better get going. Lots to do before the big confrontation.”

“I have faith in you, Avery. And, hon?”

Confidence wasn’t one of the feelings overwhelming her at the moment. “Yes, ma’am?”

“I trust that you’ll let the rest of us help you with whatever is going on as soon as you can. And you might consider calling Dan—even if he is on vacation. He won’t like it that you’re in danger and kept him out of the loop.”

“Sure thing. As soon as I know what’s what.” She stepped onto the covered porch just outside the door, noticing the Jennings truck across the street.

Trying not to be obvious, she looked without moving her head. Nothing was moving accept Tosh’s dog. He barked a couple of times at her until she closed the door to her truck and sat inside. Tosh waved at her as he came out of the county building.

A couple of cars were heading north on the business route through town. Other than that, nothing was moving besides a southwest breeze.

It wouldn’t take long for them to bring back Jesse’s rental. She needed to check the videotape. Whether the man had hidden his face or not would determine how she moved forward.

She had about an hour before Jesse would be waiting on her porch, waiting for answers. And an apology.

* * *

JESSE KNEW AVERY almost as well as he knew himself...maybe better. Predictable, a woman with efficient routines that worked, and a woman who did not like him at the moment.

Moment? It would be days. Months that might add up to the rest of his life. The reaction to him on the highway proved she wouldn’t work with him. Now or in the future. Walking out on her that night without an explanation was a relationship destroyer. There was no coming back from something like that. He’d known it before he’d seen her cry the next day.

He’d messed up. Hell...she’d left him in jail.

An hour alone, behind bars, was plenty of time to think himself into every possible corner. Or not think his way out of any. Major Parker needed information from him to find whoever said the county sheriff had been notified of this threat. They should know who had screwed up or been bought off by the Tenoreno family.

He had to convince Avery’s coworkers that she was in danger and to let him go. So far they’d left him alone. He wanted to see a confident, satisfied Avery waltz through and tease him. He’d imagined her barely speaking to him. Maybe making him beg to be released. Or putting her hands on her hips while stating dramatically to get out of town.

Okay, that was a little on the Clint Eastwood side. She’d try to tell him she could take care of herself. He knew that much and had his argument ready.

The door at the end of the hall opened, and a young deputy with a couple of bottles of water in one hand and cell keys in the other approached him. He began reformulating his arguments.

Jesse had studied a lot of people. When you were best friends with a man as outgoing as Garrison, you weren’t required to say much to fit in.

Garrison thought of what to say faster and usually better. Jesse required time to think things through. Then react. Which, admittedly, he could have and should have done better when Avery pulled him over.

The deputy’s body movements indicated he didn’t know if he could trust Jesse. He dangled freedom from one finger as if he wanted to be convinced, then dropped the keys in his pocket.

“Mind telling me who you are?” the deputy asked, extending a water bottle through the bars. “No one logged you into the system.”

“Lieutenant Jesse Ryder, Texas Rangers. My ID’s in that duffel you’re holding, unless Avery took it with her.” He gulped the water, letting it cool not only his parched throat but his temper. “And you?”

“Deputy Bo Jackson. Why are you here?”

“Where’s Avery?”

“Good question.” He shifted his weight to his other foot, attempting to look casual. He didn’t succeed. “We’re hoping you could tell us if she’s not coming back here because of you. Or if you’re here because something’s up with that thing her brother’s involved in.”

Jesse’s heart rate sped out of control. He lost his grip on the plastic, then watched the bottle bounce and roll, spilling cold water across the old tile. He has her. His gut and mind were in sync. Snake Eyes has her already. “Get me out of here. Now.”

The deputy jumped back a little. Maybe from the spilling water but more likely because of the animalism Jesse barely recognized in his own voice.

“Just hold on a minute and don’t get worked up again. Nothing’s happened to her, but I think you answered my first question. This is about her brother, but you’re here because of you. She’s been tight-lipped for the past hour and I wanted some answers.”

“Deputy Jackson, you’re smarter than I gave you credit.”

“Thanks. I think. Easy mistake. I’m a lot older than I look.” The deputy retrieved the key and swung the door open. “Avery had your car brought to the office. Keys are across the street.”

“You aren’t going to keep me here till I spill what’s going on?” Jesse slid through the water on the floor and darted through the door before the deputy could change his mind.

“Smarter. You should remember that later.” He smiled, making himself look younger than before. Then he handed over the blue duffel. “Go inside the office across the street and collect your keys. Avery wanted to know if you needed directions to her house.”

“I got it, thanks.”

Keys. Paperwork. A short drive down unfamiliar streets. Jesse’s mind was blank following the directions on the map he’d printed out. He hadn’t thought of what he was going to say this time. As he pulled into a driveway, a motion detector flooded the yard with light. His eyes adjusted and he saw her sitting casually on the front porch.

Relief coursed through him like dousing a sunbaked body in a cool stream. She was safe. Exposed. Beer in one hand. Shotgun lying next to her bare thigh.

Very short shorts. But who was he to complain? She was safe. Avery had long, terrific legs that he’d admired for most of his life. Sand volleyball at Baylor had been eye-opening when he was eighteen.

“Sorry for losing my head on the highway.” She took a short sip from the bottle, never taking her eyes from him. Her short pixie cut—and he knew that only because of his mother telling him years ago—was under a black hat.

“Sorry that I didn’t give you a heads-up before arriving.” He took a couple of steps closer, wondering if that shotgun was for him or Tenoreno’s hired man. “Got another one of those?”

“Didn’t you bring your own weapons?” She sipped, then set her bottle on top of the water ring already on the old porch. “Oh, you meant a beer. Sure.”

The amber bottle had been sitting behind her for a while. Evidenced by the moisture dripping from its surface. He didn’t care if the beer inside was hotter than hell; he’d guzzle the peace offering he recognized being offered to him.

“Nice hat.” They tapped the bottle bottoms together and each drew a long drink.

“I bought it when I moved here. Symbolic. Rangers wear white, et cetera.”

Crickets chirped, the floodlight went off. It was a calm he could be thankful for. No words were necessary. In spite of their differences, they could work together. Old friends, falling into sync with...

“Your assassin waltzed into the sheriff’s office this evening.” Avery tipped the bottle for another swallow. “Want to see his picture?”

Chapter Six

Warm beer shot from Jesse’s mouth and up through his nose. Avery remained on the step, calmly finishing her last swallow. Her eyes sparkled from the porch light but mainly with laughter. Or maybe it was satisfaction.

No one had caught a picture of the Snake Eyes Killer. If they had, they didn’t know it. Completely at home with her, he untucked his shirttail and used it to dry his face. “You’re lucky I wasn’t facing you when you shared that news.”

“It’s all about the timing. Have a seat.” She patted the space on the far side of her daddy’s shotgun.

He recognized the initials carved into the wood. A.T. Hers. He’d helped her do it when they were ten. They’d both been grounded two weeks for ruining it, according to their dads. He took his seat and tried to be patient.

She pulled a folded piece of paper from her back pocket and flipped it on top of the gun. “I’m not convinced. Too easy for someone who’s never left a trace.”

“You know?”

“I’m not helpless, Jesse. I already admitted that I lost it on the highway. But honestly, when have you ever known me to lose the good sense God gave me during a case? I called Major Parker. I got all the details you didn’t tell me.” She spun sideways, leaning against the porch rail. “You sort of buried the most important part of your story when you got out of the car.”

“I apologized.”

“Yes, you did. So, moving on.” She leaned forward and tapped the paper with a short nail. “Professional hit men don’t curiously face a video camera like this guy did. He smiled at it, for crying out loud.”

“I agree. Probably not our man, but—”

“It’s someone who’s met him,” she finished with him.

Jesse unfolded the picture of a guy who looked normal enough. Looking directly at the camera with a big grin. “Did you send it to Major Parker?”

“Yes. He has someone working on facial recognition. I issued an all-points bulletin.” She shook her head. “We both know that’s just busywork. Why do you think this Snake Eyes character would show his hand, letting us know that he’s here?”

“To draw you out? Think he was waiting for you at the jail?”

“If he was...then he knows you’re here.” Her palms covered her eyes. An old habit she’d had since a kid. “There goes that bit of surprise.”

“I may be wrong.”

“I doubt it. Makes too much sense.”

“So I guess you’re on board with flushing this guy out. No way to talk you out of it?”

“I said yes to Parker. He explained why it’s important and asked that I remind you to take Snake Eyes alive. I don’t understand why he thinks you’d shoot him. I mean, you haven’t killed anyone in the line of duty.”

Jesse knew. Watching her, he’d kept an eye on her legs, her waist, the curve of her lips. There wasn’t a night that went by that he didn’t wish his hands were stroking her silky skin. He remembered how she’d felt against his flesh, how she’d eagerly responded to his kisses.

He’d defend her with his life. He’d rather shoot the other guy first. Yeah, he knew why his commander needed to remind him.

“You know he’s not going to approach me if you’re around.”

“Probably won’t be tonight, then.” He chugged the rest of his beer, listening to her small pretend gasp. “I’m not heading anywhere.”

“I put sheets and a pillow on the couch. I don’t have a guest room.”

The security light popped on. They both went for the shotgun. Both realized it was just a tree branch blowing in front of the sensor. No one stood in the driveway ready to kill them. She slid the gun across her lap anyway.

“You’re not going to like the couch,” she added with a grin.

“It’s okay. I didn’t plan on getting much sleep.”

Avery stood on the step, shotgun resting on her arm as she looked up and down the street. He understood that she was silently waiting on him to gather his things and come inside. He did, watching as intently as her.

Once inside, he dropped his bag and laptop, then began checking window locks.

“They haven’t been open since I was locked up.”

Focus. They’d apologized. No need to go back and dredge up another hurt. If they were going to do that, he’d talk about their last night together. Explain how things had seemed different.

Later. Now was the time to talk strategy.

“When’s your shift start tomorrow? How much do you plan to tell your staff?” He checked the back door and paused for her answers back in the living area.

“Are you even curious why I didn’t get the message that Rosco was dead?”

“You said Sheriff Myers is out of town and you released me before daylight.” He returned from the small bedroom that was just big enough for her queen mattress sitting without a frame in the corner. “We both have deductive skills that we utilize fairly well. All the windows are secured. You spoke to Parker. If there’s a problem, he’ll find it.”

“Glad nothing’s changed in the last ten minutes. I checked them when I got home.”

“Just making sure.”

“Well, you could have asked.”

“Come on, Avery. We both need to be on our toes. We can’t get emotional about this situation.” He dug through his bag, removed weapons and ammo. Unzipped carrying cases, setting a rifle and three handguns on the coffee table.

She placed the shotgun between the door and porch window. Easy access. Then she huffed to the kitchen. “I suppose some things will never change.”

“I’m the same man I was before. I’m not changing who that is for this assignment. It’s the reason they sent me.” It sounded as if a metal pot hit the floor. “I never wanted to let you down, Avery.”

“Ha.”

They were there. Emotional. A night of mistakes between them. “There’s no way to avoid this conversation. Is there?”

“You seem to have done a good job avoiding it for at least eight months,” she said, not quite shouting from behind a wall.

“I’m sorry.”

Half her body appeared at the kitchen entrance. She pointed a wooden spoon at him. He would have ducked if it had been in her throwing hand.

“For what part? Not speaking to me? Not making love to me? Leaving me embarrassed in my apartment without a word of explanation? Why are you apologizing?”

“All of the above?”

“That’s what Garrison would say.” She left him alone.

If she was using the spoon, she used it silently. He barely heard a sound for several minutes. The microwave beeped and a pretty good aroma wafted into the living area.

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