by Chloe Lang
“I hope you’re right,” Jason said. “But McCrae was stalking Phoebe. I could see myself putting a bullet through the son of a bitch for your sister. I can understand how your brother could do the same.”
“Just stop. Nothing you can say will change how I feel about you right now. Did you not hear me, Sheriff? I told you to go.” Her heart was being ripped to shreds. She was on the verge of tears, but she would be damned if she shed a single drop in front of Jason. “This is my house and unless you have a warrant, leave.”
“Until McCrae’s murderer is brought in, whether that turns out to be your brother or not, you need protection, Phoebe.”
“I can handle things myself. Get out.”
“Honey, calm down.” Her mom’s gentle gaze locked in on her. “Jason said he’s going to do everything he can to help Shane, and right now, we need everyone. I believe Jason will help us.”
“Mom, please. Don’t.” Arguing with her mother was a no-win endeavor. “We’ll talk about this later.”
“Jason, let’s go to your office.” Corey obviously wanted to know more. “I bet together we can work this out. There’s a real killer on the loose, and you and I have the skills to flush out the bastard.”
Jason’s stare never left Phoebe. “I would appreciate your help, Corey.”
She loved him with all her heart, but what he’d said about Shane, what he suspected of him, what he was willing to do to her brother, tore her apart. She was so confused.
Say something, Phoebe. Don’t let him walk out again. Not again. But her lips remained sealed. She was apparently destined to repeat the past.
Jason took a deep breath and his eyes left hers. He exited without another word.
“Sis, don’t worry.” Corey gave her a hug. “We’ll get this cleared up.”
“Shane is a lot of things, but he’s no murderer. Your dads and I will see if we can find him.” Her mom turned to Mitchell and Lucas. “Will you two stay with Phoebe tonight?
“Mom, I’m fine.”
“You heard your brother, Phoebe. There’s a killer on the loose. No way am I leaving you alone. Either the Wolfes stay with you or we are taking you home with us.”
“We’ll be happy to stay with Phoebe, Mrs. Blue,” Lucas said.
Mitchell nodded. “She’ll be safe with us.”
Phoebe’s hands were curled into fists. She’d just let Jason walk out the door and hadn’t made a single move to stop him.
Why does he always have to act like an ass?
Obviously Jason was shaken. Why? Did he still care for Shane? What damn evidence does he think he has? Doesn’t matter. He’s wrong about everything.
Her world was falling apart. She needed Lucas and Mitchell to hold her, to tell her everything was going to be okay.
“Are you fine with this plan, baby girl?” Dad Curtis put his hand on her shoulder. “Staying with Mitchell and Lucas? If not, you can go home with us.”
“Yes, Daddy. I want to stay.”
* * * *
Jason sat behind his desk, hating everything about the job he’d worked so hard to get. In his pocket was Shane’s wallet, the thing that would put his old friend away for a very long time.
“It’s just us lawmen now. So, what evidence do you have that makes you think Shane killed McCrae?” Corey asked flatly.
“Too soon to reveal that to you.”
“Really?” Corey frowned. “Something is up with you.”
“I’m not sure what you mean.” I know this can’t have been Shane. God, why did I rush to Phoebe and say Shane was a murderer?
“Don’t bullshit me, Jason. I’ve known you my whole life. You’re holding back and not because of some legal protocol.”
“I fucked up, Corey. Fucked up bad once again.” He’d kept what had happened at the diner three years ago to himself. A heavy burden he’d carried for Phoebe to protect her from the darkness Shane had rushed into of his own free will. But this new hell was too much to bear alone.
“Talk to me, Jason. I know you care about Shane as much as I do. This sucks, but you know more than you’re telling me.”
I have to trust someone, don’t I? “If I do tell you, it could mean my job, my badge, and possibly my freedom. I could go to prison.” He took a deep breath and reached into his pocket and touched Shane’s wallet. “You’re a fucking US marshal.”
“And you’re a damn sheriff. Come on, buddy. I’ve got your back.”
He placed the billfold on his desk. “This is Shane’s. I found it at the motel where McCrae was killed.”
Corey’s eyebrows shot up, realizing what this piece of evidence meant for Shane. “Why in the hell do you have this?”
“I knew Shane would be arrested and sent back to prison with this kind of evidence. I can understand why Shane would’ve wanted to kill the motherfucker. Hell, we all wanted to. All the way from the motel to Phoebe’s house I kept thinking how I would’ve done the same thing. I tried to hold back from your family, from Phoebe, but I just couldn’t. Not again. I wish I had kept my mouth shut. I think I was wrong to accuse Shane. Corey, McCrae’s body was mutilated. That’s not something your brother would’ve done.”
“Unless he was high on drugs at the time,” Corey added, his face dark with concern.
“Maybe. But you should’ve seen it. Gruesome. I just can’t figure it out. So, I took the billfold.”
“You can’t blame yourself, Jason. You were shaken. Taking evidence from a crime scene is against everything you believe in. It’s not like you at all. You wanted to be honest with my sister and my whole family and not make the same mistake you did before.” Corey sighed. “It’s wrong to have removed the billfold, Jason, but I would’ve done the same damn thing. He’s my brother. Now, we’ve got our work cut out for us because we’ve got to get to the bottom of this.”
Jason nodded. “I’m glad you and I are on the same page.”
“If Shane did do this, we need to find him before the investigators figure out he was there. I’m sure his wallet wasn’t the only evidence left. They’ll find something else that will put him at the scene. If he comes forward and confesses, it should help get him a lighter sentence. Killing McCrae, his sister’s stalker, should be considered a crime of passion.”
“That’s a whole bunch of ifs, Corey. I still don’t think Shane did this. He’s capable of a lot. We both know that. But not this. It just doesn’t make sense.”
“Whatever it turns out to be, Jason, you and I will work together. Like I said before. I’ve got your back.”
“Same here. And we both need to have Shane’s back, too.” Jason hoped they could save Shane from whatever demons he faced, whether they were on the inside or outside. Before it is too late.
Chapter Thirteen
Mitchell handed a glass of wine to Phoebe. He and Lucas each held a beer. “We all need to take a second, probably several, to clear our heads about what we just learned from Jason.”
“What exactly did we learn?” Lucas snapped back. “Nothing. Jason thinks Shane murdered McCrae, but as usual, he didn’t give us any real details as to why.”
“I don’t think my head will ever be clear again.” She stared at the wine glass in her hand. “This couldn’t be more horrible.”
“Baby, we can work this all out.” Mitchell hated seeing the pain in her eyes. “Together.”
“Mitchell, you’re wrong.” She looked at him. “We are not together. Not really.”
Knowing how sad and frustrated she felt was killing him and ripping him to shreds. “Don’t say that, sweetheart.”
“Mitchell, I screwed up letting you in again.” She turned to Lucas. “You, too. And Jason. We shouldn’t have tried to rekindle our flame. We’re repeating the same mistakes all over again.”
Hearing the suffering in her voice was gut wrenching. “The only one who screwed up was Jason. Not you. Not me. Not Lucas.”
“It doesn’t matter. My heart is breaking apart again. I thought we could go back to the way it was before
Shane, but now I know we can never go back. Shane will always be a wedge between us.”
“He’s not to me. Shane’s not capable of the horror we saw at the motel.” He grabbed her hand. “Jason is wrong, Phoebe. Whatever we need to do to make sure your brother stays out of prison, I’m on board.”
She pulled her hand away. “So you think he did it? You think he killed McCrae?”
“Honey, I didn’t say that,” he said as gently as he could. “I just said that whatever we need to do to keep him out of prison, that’s what we need to do.”
“Baby, you’re the attorney here.” Lucas’s tone was soft. He, too, knew how fragile she was right now. “You know how to navigate the justice system better than anyone I know. Tell us what to do.”
She sighed. “I’m not sure having you help me save Shane is a good idea, guys. You’re Jason’s brother. Shane is mine.”
They were treading on thin ice. Phoebe was ready to end everything again. Who could blame her after Jason’s pronouncement, followed by his refusal to say why he believed Shane had committed the murder.
“Honey, I would’ve killed McCrae for the shit he put you through.” For her protection, Mitchell knew he would go to whatever lengths necessary. She was the love of his life and he wouldn’t allow anyone to harm her. “I don’t think Shane took the fucker out, but I certainly can understand why he would want to.”
“Maybe so, but would you have mutilated Andy’s body? That’s what you told me and my parents you saw.”
“No. Of course not.” He knew she had a point. Killing someone to protect the one you love was one thing. Mutilation was another. “That’s why I know Shane didn’t do this.”
Phoebe let out a long breath. “I’m glad you agree with me.”
“So do I, baby,” Lucas confessed.
“I wish Jason felt the same way.” Phoebe closed her eyes. “I really need to be alone right now. It’s obvious that everyone, including my mom, wants me to have bodyguards. Fine. You can stay. One of you can take the guest bedroom. The other can take the couch. I have to pack. Ashley and I are leaving for Chicago in the morning. I wish I could I get out of it, but I have no choice. Jennifer is depending on me.”
“Why?” Lucas asked.
“If you must know, I have a deposition to conduct for the case I’m working on for Jennifer. It’s scheduled for the first thing Monday morning.”
“I heard about that,” he said. “Braxton Meat Packing is suing her ranch for selling them diseased cattle, right?”
He knew that Lucas was just trying to keep Phoebe talking, to keep her from shutting them out. In the past, talking about the law or her cases always kept her engaged. He hoped it would now.”
She sat down her wine glass and stood. “Good night.”
Without another word, she marched into her bedroom, shutting the door.
He and Lucas stared at the closed door for a long moment.
“What a fucking mess, Mitchell.” Lucas downed the rest of his beer and headed back into the kitchen. “Another beer?”
“Absolutely.”
Lucas handed him his drink. “I really wanted to help her, but what could we do? Jason fucked up everything once again.”
“We will help her. She just needs time alone, which is understandable given all that went down tonight.”
Lucas sat down and they drank their beers in silence for a bit. “We’ve got to go to Chicago with her.”
“I know. She’s not going to be happy about that.”
“Not one damn bit. Our girl has fire.”
“Like a bonfire.” He loved her. Somehow they would get through this nightmare. They had to. “I can’t lose her, Lucas. I won’t. Not again. Not ever.”
“Me either. Fuck. Why is Jason doing this again? After three years, we finally have her in our arms.”
Mitchell shook his head. “I hate to say this, bro, but if Jason doesn’t fix things between him and Phoebe, I intend to move on with her—with or without him.”
Lucas sighed. “Me, too. Damn, I never dreamed I would consider a life, a family, without Jason. Even after the breakup and dealing with all the anger that unearthed inside me, I still thought eventually that you, Jason, and me would share Phoebe once again. That we would build a future together.”
Mitchell had been sure they were going to make it. He still was. “So did I, bro. And even with all the shit he unloaded tonight, I still haven’t given up.”
Lucas took a sip of his beer. “I haven’t either, but you have to admit the chances for that happening are shrinking.”
“You saw Jason’s face tonight.” Mitchell could tell that Jason had really struggled with what to do. “There’s more to the story than he shared. I have to believe he will come around soon, but for now, I will do whatever I have to do to keep Phoebe.”
“Same here.”
They finished their beers in silence.
“We need some clothes for the trip, Mitchell.”
Lucas was right. There was a lot to do before leaving in the morning. “I’ll go to my place and pack a few things. You stay here with her.”
Lucas handed him the keys to his place. “You mind getting my bag packed?”
“Sure. Kill two birds with one stone.”
“I’ll call Ashley to find out what flight they’re booked on,” Lucas said. “Then I’ll check with the airline to see if there are at least two seats available. If not, I’ll call the Knights to see if we can use their jet tomorrow.”
“That covers all the bases for now.”
“All of them, but one.” Lucas frowned. “We still need to find Shane.”
“Corey is shadowing Jason.” Mitchell walked to the door. “I’ll text him to see what they’ve learned so far.”
“One step at a time, bro.”
“That’s all we can do.” He left Phoebe’s house, praying for a miracle.
* * * *
Just before four in the morning, Jason stood next to Corey in front of the Blues’ home. They’d been working all night, trying to locate Shane. They’d engaged Brown, hoping to use her vast resources at the CIA to find Shane. Nothing so far, but each of them held the ROCs she’d given the entire team, hoping to hear from her soon.
Going through Shane’s room for any clue that might tip them off to his location was a last ditch effort.
Jason was losing hope and fast. He couldn’t get the image of how Phoebe looked at him when he’d told her that he thought Shane had killed McCrae.
I’ve lost her for good. She was his world and he’d destroyed every chance they had.
Corey had gotten a text from Mitchell earlier, asking if they’d found Shane and what was going on with the investigation. He’d called him back and found out that Phoebe was headed to Chicago in the morning with Ashley and that Lucas and Mitchell were going with them. Phoebe might as well be headed to the other side of the moon when it comes to me. My brothers, too. Things were about to return to the way they’d been for the last three years. He couldn’t bear the loneliness. Not again. Why didn’t I just keep my mouth shut? Because she’d asked him to be honest with her. She deserved that from him, after everything that happened between them. Still, I could’ve tossed Shane’s wallet into the lake and been done with it.
“My parents’ bedroom is in the very back of the house,” Corey said. “If we keep quiet, I’m sure we won’t disturb them.”
Jason hadn’t been inside the home since the breakup with Phoebe, but he still remembered how it was laid out. Phoebe’s teenage bedroom was next to Shane’s, but she hadn’t lived there in years. When Shane had returned from prison, it was the stipulation of the parole board that he live with his parents during his probation.
Corey unlocked the door. They walked inside. The place was dark and quiet.
When they got to Shane’s room, they went in and shut the door behind them.
Corey went to the closet and he headed to the chest of drawers. They hoped to find something, anything, that would help them find h
im.
Jason scanned the items on top of Shane’s dresser. Seeing the picture of him and Shane when they were teenagers brought back so many memories. Holding up a string of fish they’d caught that day, their arms were around each other’s shoulder. He remembered it like it was yesterday.
What happened to you, Shane?
They’d been so close. Like brothers. How he wished it could be again.
Shane had kept the picture and framed it. That puzzled Jason. Why? After what had gone down in the diner between them, he found it hard to understand.
He glanced around the room and saw only one other picture, this one of the entire Blue family. He turned back to the photo of the two of them. I sent you to prison, Shane. You should hate me. I know I hate myself for it.
“Anything?” Corey asked quietly.
“Not yet.” He saw the light on his ROC blink. The ID let him know it was Agent Brown. “This is Brown,” he told Corey.
He clicked it on and an image of Joanne Brown’s face appeared.
“Wolfe here. So is Marshal Blue.”
“Guys, I’ve got a tip about your missing man. Looks like he’s in Chicago.”
Jason’s gut tightened. “You have an address.”
“I might have one that will help you, but you’re not going to like it. Take a look at this picture. It was taken today by an agent. It’ll explain plenty.”
Seeing the photo on the screen confirmed his worst nightmares. Shane was walking next to Niklaus Mitrofanov, along with other Russian mobsters. “Fuck.”
The marshal’s face darkened in shock. “Brown, we need an address.”
Jason was beginning to believe that his old friend might’ve been capable of killing McCrae.
“All I can give you is the place we believe Mitrofanov runs his operation from. It’s a warehouse in South Side. We’ve got intel that he plans on turning the five million in diamonds over to the Chicago mafia day after tomorrow. He’s trying to save his neck. I’ve already got a man on the ground there. Remember, Jason, our focus isn’t on Mitrofanov or The Outfit. We’re still trying to flush out Lunceford.”
