by Kat Martin
Reyburg started running, lumbering down the path he used to access his lair. Kate fired at Vargas again, determined to keep him away from the girl, knowing Jase would hear the shots and come running.
“You killed my sister,” Kate said, firing off another round. “Now I’m going to kill you!” She ducked out of sight and kept shooting, pinning him behind a piece of heavy equipment. Vargas returned fire, blasting a stream of bullets that pinged off the steel machinery.
Glancing around, Kate spotted a chunk of concrete, picked it up and tossed it one way, then ran toward Vargas from the opposite direction.
The distraction worked. Vargas fired a series of shots toward where the concrete had landed. Combined with the noise made by all the equipment, Kate slipped right up next to him and pressed the gun against his head.
“Move and you’re dead.”
Vargas froze.
“Toss the gun. Do it slowly.”
When Vargas hesitated, Kate pressed harder and he tossed the pistol away. Fury nearly blinded her. She wanted to pull the trigger so badly her hand shook. “You killed Chrissy. She never had a chance.”
Jase stepped out of the shadows. “Don’t do it, Kate. He isn’t worth it.” Jase’s pistol pointed at Vargas. “The cops are on their way down. Let them have him.”
“I want him dead.”
“I know, honey. But that’s not the way it works. Put the gun down and back away.”
Over the din of machinery, the sounds of shouting and footsteps reached her. The police were in the basement.
“Put down the gun, honey.”
Kate looked over at Jason. She wasn’t a killer. Her hand trembled. Very slowly, she bent and set the pistol on the ground. The next instant Vargas moved and a second gun appeared in his hand. Gunfire echoed, and Kate screamed as a barrage of bullets slammed into his body, knocking him backward, sending him sliding across the concrete floor.
The cops rushed toward her, but Jason reached her first, pulling her hard against him, enfolding her in his arms.
“It’s over, baby. It’s over.”
She buried her face in his chest. “Is he dead?”
“He’s dead. The cops got Reyburg, and there’s an ambulance on the way for Callie.”
She glanced around in search of the girl, saw a policewoman leading her away.
“It’s over,” she said.
Jason didn’t let go. “That’s right, honey. We’ll have to give the cops our statements. Then we can go home.”
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
Denny Reyburg’s underground lair was a treasure trove of evidence for the Dallas police. Besides the king-size bed and lavish furnishings that provided all sorts of DNA, the converted storage tank held proof of Reyburg’s pedophilia in the form of photos and souvenirs from his encounters.
He was charged with committing forced sexual assault with a minor, kidnapping, attempted murder and a mile-long list of other offenses. His bodyguards and his driver were arrested as accomplices.
Special Agent in Charge Quinn Taggart showed up at the crime scene, a big blond man with a buzz cut. Jase filled him in and gave him the names of the massage parlors Tabby had uncovered. A few feet away, an EMT cleaned and bandaged Kate’s feet and gave her some paper slippers to wear till she got home.
Callie Spencer was taken to the hospital, where her mother was on her way from Houston to meet her.
“We’ll be winding this up as quickly as possible,” Agent Taggart said. “De Santos is being arrested as we speak. Kingsley’s handling that. We’ve got enough on him for racketeering, human trafficking and half dozen other charges. By morning, those three massage parlors will have been raided and arrests made.”
“What about Briton, Inc.?” Jase asked.
“Sorry, that’s FBI business.”
“Schram and Wiedel are both connected to all of this,” Kate argued. “Surely you must have something.”
“Like I said—”
“So I’m guessing you don’t have enough to charge them,” Jase said.
Taggart ignored him. “Go home and get some sleep. If we need you, I’ve got your number. Will I be able to find both of you there?”
Jase looked at Kate and pain sliced through his chest. As soon as Los Besos was dealt with, it would be time for them to go their separate ways. “For the time being,” he said.
One of the FBI agents took their statements. When they were finished, they went through it all over again with a Dallas PD detective. Finally, they were allowed to leave. Since the rented Mercedes was still parked at the club, a police car drove them back to Reese’s penthouse.
“I guess there’s no way I can go into the Blue Bayou and pick up my Jimmy Choos,” Kate grumbled as Jase carried her down the hall.
“Probably not.” Unlocking the door, he carried her inside and settled her on the sofa.
“How much longer do you think before we can go back to our own places?”
“Let’s see what happens tomorrow. If Kingsley’s right and De Santos is top dog in Los Besos, with him in jail, we should be safe. With any luck, Mark’ll call and bring us up to speed, or Taggart will. Worst case, we can read about it on the internet and Tabby can run some of it down for us.”
“I hope Callie’s going to be okay.”
“Maybe you’ll get the chance to talk to her, see for yourself.”
Kate smiled. “I’d like that.” She yawned. “I’m really tired, Jase.”
“So am I, honey.” Lifting her back into his arms, he carried her down the hall to the room they’d been sharing and settled her on the bed. “You were really something tonight.” He leaned down and very softly kissed her. “You were amazing.”
Kate slid her arms around his neck. “So were you, big guy. Why don’t you take off your clothes and come to bed, and we’ll show each other just how amazing we really were.”
Jase laughed and started stripping off his clothes.
* * *
The sun was shining the next morning when the call came in from Mark Kingsley. According to the FBI agent, all three massage parlors in the Houston area were raided just before dawn. Dozens of arrests were made, guys ready to spill information.
Twenty-five members of Los Besos were rounded up, and the underage girls in the Garden of Eden were taken into protective custody.
“Wow, that’s great news,” Kate said as Jase relayed the call. “I feel like my sister is finally getting justice.”
“It’s a good feeling,” Jase said.
While Kate was in the shower, his phone rang again, Detective Tony Castillo with more good news.
“I guess you heard about the raid,” Castillo said.
“Sounds like it went down without a hitch,” Jase said.
“I’m not crazy about the feds getting involved, but in this case they didn’t have much choice. But that’s not the reason I called.”
“What’s going on?”
“After the truck stop debacle, I went to my lieutenant, Adam Gray. He’s a good guy and a good police officer. Lieutenant Gray doesn’t like dirty cops. When I told him what went down, he got Internal Affairs involved. Two police officers and a lieutenant from one of the precincts on the southwest side have been charged with aiding and abetting, taking bribes—you name it. Gray runs a tight ship and with these guys off the force, he plans to make sure it stays that way.”
“That’s good news, Tony,” Jase said. “I appreciate your help with this.”
“Not as much as we appreciate yours and Kate’s,” Castillo said. “Gray said to tell you HPD owes you.”
Jase smiled. “I’ll remember that.”
He had a lot to tell Kate, and she was as relieved to hear the news as he had been. The bad guys were in jail. They were safe. They could finally get their lives back.
They reassembled their cell phones and mov
ed out of Reese’s condo, back into their own homes—though Jase still spent almost every night at Kate’s.
He had tried to convince himself to end things, but after everything that had happened, he was beginning to think maybe it could work out between them. Beginning to believe it would be all right if he stayed.
Kate wanted him there and he wanted to be there. What was wrong with that? He was happy in a way he had never been before. Coming home to a woman who cared about him filled him with a quiet joy, a feeling that all was right with the world.
Deep down, he knew he was being selfish. Kate deserved a helluva lot better than he could give her. She deserved a stable guy who wanted to settle down, give her kids and be a good dad.
But even as the thought occurred, he began to imagine that maybe he could be that guy. Maybe he could have a family of his own, something he had never dared consider.
He liked kids. Maybe it could work. The idea filled him with a fierce desire for the kind of life other people had. Why couldn’t he and Kate have that life together?
He was in the kitchen helping her make dinner, smiling and laughing, trying to keep his hands to himself, when her cell phone rang.
“Darn, I left my phone in the living room.” She reached for a towel to dry her hands.
“I’ll get it.” Jase started in that direction.
“It’s on the table in front of the window,” Kate called after him.
“No problem.” He crossed the room and leaned down to grab it. Everything happened in an instant. Glass shattered as gunfire erupted and pain exploded in his chest.
“Jason!”
A gurgling sound came from his throat. Kate’s voice was the last thing he heard as his knees buckled, and everything went black.
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
She had believed they were safe. Dear God, they’d both believed it.
Kate sat in the waiting area outside the emergency room of Baylor University Medical Center. The halls were frantic with people, doctors, nurses and technicians. Gurneys rattled past, white soles squeaked on linoleum floors. All the noise and commotion moved past her in a blur.
An ache swelled in her throat. A sniper’s bullet had smashed through her living room window. It was Jase’s secret fear, she had finally figured out. Now he was clinging to life after a bullet had torn into his chest.
Fresh tears welled, spilled over and ran down her cheeks. She wiped them away with her fingers, but more tears surfaced. Who had done it?
Whoever it was had been lying in wait for hours, perhaps even days. A patient killer. It had to be Los Besos. Why had Jase been so sure they were no longer a threat?
She didn’t know what to do. She just wanted Jason to live.
“Kate...?”
It took a moment for the familiar voice to register. She looked up to see Harper standing next to Chase, the golden-haired couple, two of Jason’s closest friends.
Kate rose shakily to her feet.
She felt Harper’s fingers link with hers. “He’s going to be all right,” Harper said. “He has to be. The world needs men like Jason.”
A sob escaped from her throat, and the next thing she knew Harper had pulled her into a hug. “He hated those windows,” she cried. “We should have stayed at his house.”
“It’s not your fault,” Chase said, drawing Kate’s attention, giving her a chance to bring herself under control. “Whoever did it would have found a way to get to him sooner or later.”
She sank back down in the chair, and Harper sat down beside her. “Who did it?” Kate asked. “Was it Los Besos?”
“The police are working on it,” Chase said. “So is Bran. He’s working the crime scene now. I talked to him a little while ago. He says the shots came from a vacant apartment in the building across the way.”
Kate swallowed past the lump in her throat. “Jason’s really bad, Chase. I rode in the ambulance with him. They didn’t think he was going to make it to the hospital.”
A muscle clenched in Chase’s jaw. “Jason’s a fighter. And he has you on his side. That gives him something to live for.”
Her heart squeezed. She loved him so much. She hadn’t said it out loud, had barely said it to herself. The thought of him dying tore everything loose inside her.
“Until they catch whoever shot him,” Chase said, “one of us is going to be with you at all times. We aren’t taking any chances.”
She hadn’t considered the danger to herself. Now she realized that whoever shot Jason might be coming after her. At the moment, it didn’t seem to matter. “Thank you.” She looked up to see the emergency room doctor walking toward her, a man with dark red hair, very fair skin and a freckled forehead.
“Mrs. Maddox?”
“I’m Kate Gallagher.”
“Jason’s fiancée,” Chase added with a glance warning her to silence. Sometimes only family members could get information. She was grateful for his quick thinking, even if it gave her heart a pang.
“H-how is he?” Kate asked.
“We’ve got him stabilized. They’re taking him into surgery now. The bullet went through his chest and exited his back. It missed his spine, but a fragment of metal lodged in the left ventricle of his heart. I won’t lie to you, Kate, this is a very difficult surgery. It’s going to take some time.”
Her throat constricted. She couldn’t manage to form a word so she just nodded.
“There’s a waiting room on the surgical ward. Someone will bring word to you there.”
“Thank you.”
They took the elevator up to the waiting room outside surgery, and settled in for whatever time it might take. Over the course of the evening, Jax Ryker showed up, Jonah Wolfe, Mindy Stewart and Tabitha Love. They all hugged her and kept her company while they waited for news. Other people showed up and stayed for a while, all of them worried and praying for Jason’s recovery.
He didn’t have a biological family. Kate wondered if he knew how many friends he had who loved him.
She took a deep breath, realizing she needed her own friends there. She wasn’t sure why she hadn’t called Lani and Cece. Maybe because they were always there for her when something really bad happened. Maybe calling them made the possibility of losing Jason all the more real.
“I’ll call Lani,” Cece said to her when she phoned. “We’ll be there as soon as we can.”
When they arrived half an hour later, Kate stood to greet them, and both women hurried over to give her a hug.
“I’m sorry I didn’t call you sooner,” Kate said, wiping away fresh tears. “I should have... I can’t seem to think.”
Cece hugged her. “We’re here now. You don’t have to be sorry for anything.”
Kate introduced her friends to the group in the waiting room. Another hour passed before the doctor pulled open the waiting room door.
He walked toward them, a small man in a set of baggy green scrubs wearing round, wire-rimmed glasses. At the grim look on his face, everyone stood up.
“I’m Dr. Crossman. Jason is out of surgery. He’s in the ICU recovering. We expect him to be there at least several days.”
“Is he...is he going to be all right?” Kate asked.
“I’m afraid it’s a waiting game now. He’s strong and healthy. He’s in top physical condition. He’s got a good chance. As time goes on, we’ll know more.”
Kate sank back down, her legs too shaky to hold her up. “Thank you, Doctor.”
“If anything changes, I’ll let you know.”
She pushed herself back to her feet. “When can I see him?”
“Not for a while, I’m afraid. I’d suggest you go home and get some sleep. You can come back and check on him in the morning.”
“I’m staying here,” Kate said.
Dr. Crossman gave her a sympathetic glance but didn’t try to dissuade her. He
had probably dealt with determined family members before. Not that she was actually a relative.
Then Reese Garrett showed up, and it occurred to her that the Garrett brothers wielded a lot of power in Dallas, their charitable contributions well-known. Watching Reese speak to the doctors and nurses, it was obvious the hospital would do whatever the brothers wanted in order to please them.
Reese spoke to Chase, then sat down next to Kate and took hold of her hand. “He made it through surgery,” he said. “Jason’s tough, Kate. He’ll get through this and come out all right.”
Kate had no idea what would happen, but she wanted to believe it so she nodded. “Thank you for everything you did to help us.”
He made a brief acknowledgment, but his jaw looked tight. “Do the police know who shot him?”
The door to the waiting room opened again, and Kate glanced up to see Bran Garrett striding toward them. “Not yet,” Bran said. “I can’t tell you who did it—not so far—but I know who didn’t do it.” Bran looked as tired as Kate felt. “It wasn’t Los Besos.”
“How do you know?”
“Because whoever did it, the guy was a soldier. Everything he left behind in that empty apartment screamed military sniper. I’m going to find him, Kate, and deal with him. You don’t have to worry about that.”
She didn’t tell him to leave it to the police. She was beginning to think the way the men did, the way Jason did. Sometimes you had to find your own justice.
Bran didn’t stay long. When he left to do more digging, the others followed, all but Lani and Cece. Chase remained too, her protection until they found the shooter.
She trusted these men the way she trusted Jason. She prayed he would survive to return to the family who loved him.
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
Pain seemed to weigh him down. There was a thin layer of numbness, but the pain was there, burning deep in his chest. His eyelids felt too heavy to lift. He could hear the steady beeping of a heart monitor next to the bed. He could breathe, but there was a tube down his throat, making it hard to swallow.
