Jonah pressed harder, until Eddie’s face went dull red. “It’s like snapping a twig,” he said. “Or crushing a bug. So easy.”
“Jonah.”
The soft voice behind him cut through the red haze. Piper was there, smiling through tears. “You’re not a monster,” she said. “You don’t have to be what he made you.”
He shuddered as calm washed through him. Slowly, he eased off to let Eddie catch his breath. “I won’t kill you,” he said, moving back to stand beside Piper. “But she might.”
Her smile went cold as she raised the gun she’d retrieved. “Hear that, Eric?” she said, motioning toward the warehouse door and the rising sound of sirens. “We invited an old friend of yours to the party. His name is Craig Reynolds, and he’s just dying to catch up with you.”
“You little bitch,” Eddie said dully. “When I get out of this—”
“You’re not getting out,” Jonah told him. “Patrick collected everything on you. Photos, video, bank records. Witnesses willing to testify against you. And you can add me to that list.” He bent slightly, and said, “You’re going to spend the rest of your life wishing I’d killed you tonight.”
Brief gunfire sounded outside, and then the warehouse doors burst open. Jonah looked long enough to verify people with badges and guns swarming inside. Then he walked a few steps away from Eddie, and dropped to his knees with a groan.
Within seconds, Piper was beside him. “Jonah,” she said. “You did it.”
“We did it.” He managed to smile. “Think we make a good team,” he said. “You need somebody to break bones for you? I’m out of a job.”
She kissed him gently. “I need somebody to love.”
“Well,” he said. “I can do that, too.”
The feds converged on them, and Jonah finally allowed himself to gray out. Piper was safe, and he’d kept his promise.
He’d survived.
Chapter 15
Exhausted and weak, Piper could only watch as a team of paramedics maneuvered the unconscious Jonah onto a stretcher and rushed him away. She tried to follow, only to be stopped by a man in slacks and a short-sleeved shirt who flashed a badge and identified himself as Deputy Craig Reynolds. Somehow she managed to explain about the evidence in Jonah’s trunk before the paramedics came for her.
She remembered little about being in the ambulance, except for a brief burst of energy that she spent demanding to see Jonah. But then she was given a shot, and the world went away.
Until she woke up in a hospital room with the marshal sitting next to her.
“Hello, Miss Starr,” he said. “Do you remember what happened?”
“Where’s Jonah?”
Reynolds smiled. “Guess you do. He’s recovering, and you need to stay calm.”
“I need to see him,” she said.
“You will, soon. I promise.” Reynolds leaned forward slightly. “Meanwhile, if you could just answer a few questions for me?”
Piper drew a calming breath and tried to relax. She had a feeling if she didn’t cooperate, they wouldn’t let her leave the room. “All right,” she said. “If you’ll answer mine.”
“Let me go first, okay?”
She nodded.
“Okay.” He folded his hands on a knee. “First of all, thanks for alerting me about Minola. I’ve been looking for him a long time.” A dark expression flashed across his face. “We picked up Malory King, and we know what happened to Miss Gretzel. I am sorry about your aunt, by the way,” he said. “But do you know where we can find Paul Vecchio?”
Patrick. She closed her eyes. “He’s dead,” she told him. “Eddie—I mean, Eric killed him. Last night, at a place called Cray’s.”
“That’s a shame,” the marshal said. “We know Vecchio and Miss Gretzel were trying to come clean. They never got the chance.”
Piper rubbed her arms. “The lawyer, Malory, had my aunt killed,” she said. “Did you know that too?”
“I do now,” he said quietly. “And I promise she’ll pay for her crimes.”
“Thank you.”
Reynolds sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face. “Just one more question for now,” he said. “We’ll have more later, but…it’s about Mr. Dawson. Do you know if he’ll testify against Minola?”
“Yes. He will.” Her throat clenched as she remembered what Jonah said would happen if Eddie went down. “Are you going to arrest him?” she whispered.
“Actually, no.” Reynolds gave a slight smile. “By all rights we should, or at least turn him over to the sheriff. But he practically gift-wrapped Minola for us—and that son of a bitch, pardon my French, probably would’ve gotten away again if it wasn’t for Mr. Dawson. Plus he’s a federal witness, which means it’s our job to protect him. Though I’m not sure he needs much protection.”
“So…he’s free?”
Reynolds nodded. “Completely.”
The dull weight inside her evaporated, and she flashed a grateful smile. “Does he know that?” she said.
“Well, we haven’t been able to speak to him yet. He’s—”
There was a knock at the door, and a nurse poked her head in. “Mr. Reynolds?” she said. “You asked to be notified when Mr. Dawson wakes up. He’s awake.” The nurse smiled at Piper. “Do you want to see him?”
She looked at Reynolds. “You’ll let me see him first?”
“I’m pretty sure I have to,” he said with a smirk. “Heard he almost knocked out an orderly looking for you, before they got him sedated.”
“Thank you.” She swung her legs to the floor and stood, but a wave of dizziness knocked her back.
“Okay, hon. Take it easy.” The nurse rushed over and helped her sit on the edge of the bed. “Wait here just a second, and I’ll bring a ride for you. He’s right down the hall.”
“Yeah,” she said with a smirk. “That might be a good idea.”
The nurse left and came back with a wheelchair. She helped Piper into it, and Reynolds offered a brief wave as the nurse wheeled her from the room. While she was still dizzy, aching, and exhausted, she’d never felt better in her life.
Jonah was free. And she wouldn’t have to waste another minute missing him.
* * * *
The last thing Jonah remembered was being surrounded by a circle of guns and badges. So he was more than a little confused when the next thing he saw was his brother. “Mark?” he said thickly. “What…”
“Hey, bro.” Mark looked like he was trying to smile, but he wasn’t quite making it. “You look like hell,” he said. “You know that, right?”
“Feel like…worse than that.” His tongue didn’t want to cooperate, and he could barely move. He settled on a frown. “You’re supposed to be gone.”
“The hospital called me. I came back.”
“That where I am?”
“Where’d you think you were, Disneyworld?”
That didn’t come from Mark. Jonah squinted until the rest of the room came into focus, and saw Gage and Luka standing at the foot of the bed. Luka’s eyes were red, and Gage looked a little…green. “’S matter with you guys?” he said. “Somebody die?”
“You, just about,” Gage said. “I mean, you look like you should be dead.”
Luka elbowed him hard. “He means we’re glad you’re not, and I’m going to kill you if you ever scare us like that again.”
“Yeah, well. Promised this son of a bitch I’d stay alive,” he said, gesturing weakly at Mark. “And…” His breath caught, and he bolted upright so fast that his head spun. “Where’s Piper?”
They all stared at him. “Who?” Gage said.
“Piper! She was—”Clenching his teeth, he gripped the bedrails and inched himself forward. Pain that had settled to a dull ache flared brightly again. “I need to make sure she’s safe,” he said. “I can’t…”
“Easy, man.” Mark laid a firm hand on his arm. “You’re not going anywhere for a while. Whoever she is, we’ll get someone to check on her. Okay?”
“Fine. As long as ‘someone’ is me.”
“You can’t get up,” Mark said. “You’re hooked to a hundred machines, and your leg’s in a cast. You had surgery.”
“I don’t care,” he snarled. “She’s—”
“Jonah?”
The sound of her voice calmed him instantly. He watched as Gage and Luka moved aside, and Piper walked carefully into the room. She looked tired and shaken, but whole. Unharmed. He couldn’t ask for more than that.
“There you are.” He smiled and tried to shift into a position that hurt less. “I was on the way,” he said. “Just convincing these morons to let me up.”
“I know you were. But don’t move, okay?” she said. “I’m coming to you this time.” Her steps slowed as she glanced at the others in the room. “I’m so sorry. I must be interrupting something here.”
“No, I think we’re interrupting,” Luka said. “I’m not sure who you are, but I like you already. No one’s ever made him smile like that.”
“Wow.” Gage grinned broadly. “Where’ve you been hiding her, man?”
“Shut up, Gage.”
Even as Jonah said it, he heard Mark echoing the same words at the same time. He cracked a smile. “Some things never change, I guess,” he said.
“Yeah. Like my brothers ganging up on me, every time.” Gage’s smile was genuine. “But seriously…who are you?”
Jonah held a hand out toward her. When Piper took it, he pulled her firmly onto the bed and slid an arm around her. “Piper Starr, this is my pain in the ass family. That’s Mark, Gage, and Luka.” He pointed to each of them in turn. “They’re the best, but don’t tell them I said that.”
She smiled. “My lips are sealed.”
“Good,” he said. “Guys, this is Piper. She’s my…everything. So be nice.”
“Yeah, I think we were just leaving,” Mark said firmly, ushering the others toward the door. “For a few minutes,” he said. “We’re glad to meet you, Piper. Thanks for saving our brother, and I can’t wait to make him tell us all about it.”
Jonah glared at him. He smirked back, and they left the room.
“Is that what happened?” Piper said when they were gone. “I thought you saved me.”
“He didn’t mean from Eddie.” Jonah shook his head slowly, still struggling to believe it was all over. But his relief was tempered by the knowledge that he faced certain arrest, probably a trial, and likely a prison sentence. “Piper…you don’t have to wait for me,” he said.
Her brow furrowed. “Wait for you to what?”
“To get out of jail. I don’t want you to waste your time—”
She laid a finger on his lips. And she was smiling.
“You’re not going to jail,” she said. “I talked to the marshal. They aren’t charging you with anything, and since you’re a federal witness, they’re going to protect you. The sheriff can’t arrest you, either.”
He stared at her. That couldn’t be right…could it? “You’re saying I’m free.”
“Yes. From all of it—Eddie, the cops, the feds. You can have whatever you want.”
“Whatever I want,” he repeated slowly. Something deep within him shattered, a wall he’d built years ago to keep his most desperate hopes behind. Freedom. “What if I want you?” he said.
“Do you?”
“Yes,” he said. “More than anything.”
She smiled. “Good. Because even if you didn’t, I wasn’t going to leave you.”
“Same here.”
He held her tighter, pressed his lips to her forehead, and then her mouth. She tasted like salvation, like the life he’d never dared to dream he could have.
And he felt everything.
* * * *
More books by Morgan Blaze
COWBOY’S PRIDE
Welcome to Covendale: Book 1
Available now from Amazon and Kindle Unlimited
SOLDIER’S CHOICE
Welcome to Covendale: Book 2
Available now from Amazon and Kindle Unlimited
DEPUTY’S SECRET
Welcome to Covendale: Book 3
Available now from Amazon and Kindle Unlimited
DAWSON’S STAND
Welcome to Covendale: Book 4
Available now from Amazon and Kindle Unlimited
DAWSON’S FALL
Welcome to Covendale: Book 5
Available now from Amazon and Kindle Unlimited
About the Author
Morgan Blaze writes contemporary romance with a dash of heat. She enjoys summer storms, good coffee, and hanging out with family and friends.
Visit www.morganblaze.com for more books by Morgan Blaze, and to sign up for the newsletter—you’ll be notified when the latest monthly releases are available, and enjoy special early sales on brand new titles.
If you enjoyed Dawson’s Honor, please leave a review on Amazon and let everyone know what you think! Reviews can really help other readers discover new books and new authors to enjoy.
About the Welcome to Covendale Series
Small towns are the heart of America. Like every other small town, Covendale looks peaceful from the outside—but there are all sorts of things going on beneath the surface. Love and loss, friendships and rivalries, secrets and lies, long-time alliances and bitter feuds going back for generations. And most of all, passion.
Welcome to Covendale…the town right next door to yours. Grab a cup of coffee and settle in for an emotional ride you won’t forget.
Table of Contents
Dawson’s Honor
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
More books by Morgan Blaze
Dawson's Honor (Welcome to Covendale Book 6) Page 13
