Branches shook.
With a zing of terror, she raised her gun again, hand on the trigger. Ready.
“It’s me, baby. It’s just me.” Josh’s big body, blurry through her tears and panic, stood immobile.
She started crying. “I killed him. I didn’t have a choice. He wanted to—”
“You did good, baby. You did good. Please put the gun down. I’m going to stay right here, okay? I won’t come any closer until you want me to.”
Her arms shook. “The gunman…”
“Will you drop the gun, baby?”
“What if there are more?”
“I have weapons. I’ll take over, okay? I can take over. Baby, please put down the gun. Let me come near you, okay?”
She lowered the barrel until it was pointing at the body in a pool of blood. So much blood.
Jenna deflated, sinking in on herself. Strong arms wrapped around her a moment before picking her up and carrying her away from the body. Then she let go.
She cried so hard she threw up.
All her fear and worry, all the blood gushing, all the lingering emotions and adrenaline—she cried and cried, purging it from her body. Finally, when there was nothing left, she became calm.
With a deep breath, she said, “Okay.” She pushed at his chest lightly, her signal for space. For air. To get her bearings. There was still surviving to do.
He kissed her face and her head. He hugged her tighter until it hurt.
“Okay…” she said louder, though it came out in a wheeze.
His arms relaxed. She struggled up, and then let him help her. With a thick tongue, she stood a step toward the carnage.
“No, Jenna,” Josh said, holding her back.
“I want to see what I did.”
“You had no choice, baby.”
“I know.” She took another deep breath. She had to remember to breathe. “I know I didn’t. He made that clear. It’s just a lot to process. This is all a lot to process. The days on the streets were a long time ago. I was a different person then. I need to reconnect—to harden up.”
“You don’t need to harden up, Jenna. I’m here. I’ll take care of it.”
“Josh.” She pushed him away and went closer, unable to slow the pounding of her heart.
“How did you get the rifle away from him?” Josh asked quietly, standing beside her.
“He dropped it. He wanted to feel my inner contractions as he raped and strangled me. He didn’t think he needed a gun for that. Didn’t think I’d run as quick if he dropped it.”
Josh brought her closer in a flurry of movement, crushing her to his chest. “You’re okay now. You’re safe.”
It was then that Jenna noticed the three black sticks in the gunman’s back. “What…?”
Josh followed her gaze. “I came back in time to stop him, but not in time to prevent you from having to pull the trigger.”
“Those are knives?”
“Yes. I was worried that hearing a gunshot might scare you.”
“So…I didn’t have to shoot?”
“No. You didn’t kill him.”
“Yes I did.”
“He would have died anyway.”
Jenna felt the warmth of the man who would’ve killed someone, and implicated himself in this mess, to keep her hands clean. He was willing to put himself on the line. For her.
Tears filled her eyes again, but for a different reason this time. He was too good for her. Josh was one in a million. As she leaned into him, craving his comfort, and soaking in his strength, a deeper emotion welled up. One she didn’t want to admit to. One that would ruin her if it were allowed to run rampant and things went wrong.
She had to harden up. This weepiness was starting to irritate her.
Rolling her shoulders, she let logic take over. “You shouldn’t be involved in this, Josh. Not like this. This isn’t your fight.”
He ran his thumb along her jaw before gently pushing her back from the body. “You were right about one thing—we’ve got a body on our hands.”
She could feel the scowl creeping onto her face as Josh led her to the packs and then dug through his. He took out his phone and kissed her forehead as he turned it on.
Jenna took another deep breath, and tried to let the cool afternoon air clear her foggy thoughts. “Did you bring a shovel? Because I brought some woods.”
“Jax?” Josh said into his phone. “Hey, yeah, it’s me… What?” Jenna could hear Jack’s voice as a calm line of words, but she couldn’t make out what he was saying.
“Shit. She okay?”
Dread pierced Jenna. Her thoughts cleared a moment later. Erika needed her. She needed to get back online.
“Good.” Josh wrapped his arm around Jenna and pulled her closer. “Yeah, we had a run-in. I’m going to need you off duty. Now. With a shovel… We’re going to stay close. Jenna needs a lift to the Eagle’s Nest… What did you say?” Josh’s arm tightened in reflex, and he swore. “Nothin’ for it, man. Guess today is going to be a bad day followed by a bad night.” Josh gave their position, and then led Jenna back to the tree. They sat by the trunk like they had the day Dale had been shot, and held on to each other.
“Is Erika okay?” she asked.
“She is shaken up, but fine. They had a run-in with a shooter in town. They dodged him and went to the Eagle’s Nest. No sightings thus far. She’ll be safe there.”
“Did they get a look at him?”
“No.”
Jenna wanted to ask more, wanted to know the details, but she just couldn’t focus long enough. She was definitely in shock, and it had a damn hard hold. Instead, she let her body mold to Josh and closed her eyes tight.
An hour later they heard an engine winding closer. A beat-up old Jeep with one of those snorkels sticking out of the hood rolled over the uneven ground. The thing looked like it had been to hell and back.
Jack’s long leg stepped down, followed by his body, dressed in faded black clothes. He extracted two shovels like he was preparing to start gardening. With a glance at the tangled body lying with its face against the dirt, he walked over and stopped at their feet, his gaze rooted to Jenna’s face. He wasn’t wearing his customary smile.
“We have to stop meeting like this,” Jenna said to ease the tension. It didn’t.
Josh stood and pulled Jenna up beside him, his arm wrapped protectively around her middle.
“You okay?” Jack asked Jenna.
Jenna just shrugged. There were a lot of answers to that, and they didn’t have time for any of them.
“What happened?” Jack asked, turning his gaze to Josh.
“He found us,” Josh answered. “He was intent on murder. He didn’t make it that far.”
Jack swung the shovels over his shoulder before walking toward the body. He stared down at it like he might be assessing a crack in the concrete. “Huh.” He glanced at the discarded rifle. “Did he fling the rifle, or…?”
“He was planning to rape her first,” Josh said through clenched teeth. “Thought she might spook.”
Jack’s head tilted quickly and his shoulder ticked up, his body rippling with muscle. Despite the twenty pounds of extra weight, it was easy to see Jack still had a powerful body and a surplus of strength. It was also clear that a man preying on women pushed his rage button. His hand turned white where he gripped the shovel. “Right. So we’re making this disappear?”
“That’s best. It would hold up in court, but no one wants the questions.”
“No one will miss him.” Jenna’s voice hitched before she could clamp down on her emotions.
Jack’s gaze found her again. A spark lit in his eye that she recognized—calculating. His dark eyes landed on her shaking hands, the set of her shoulders, and finally her boots. His brow creased. Whatever he noticed, though, he kept to himself. Instead, he said, “Fair enough. Hikers don’t come this way and it won’t get developed until Josh’s family sells, so there won’t be any reason to dig him up, especially if the
re’s no missing persons report, and it sounds like there won’t be. Let’s get rid of him.”
Josh’s arm went taut a moment before she felt herself being turned toward the Jeep.
“No, I’ll help,” she said with a firm voice.
“We’ll get this taken care of lickety-split; don’t you worry, Jenna,” Jack chirped, dropping the shovels. “We’ve seen worse. Hell, we’ve done worse. Plus, we are now accessories, so consider the police off the case.”
“Let’s get those boots off, sweetie.” Josh was using the gentle nurse’s voice. “Then you should lie down. We’ll take care of this.”
“This is my problem, Josh,” Jenna said. “It’s my problem. I did this. You guys shouldn’t get involved. You don’t need this on your hands. I don’t want you implicated.”
“Shh.” Josh scooped her up into his arms and took her to the car. “Your problems are my problems now. I’ll fix this. Just rest.”
After getting Jenna settled, making sure she was lying on the seat and wouldn’t see them handling the body, he returned to Jax.
“She take those shots?” Jax asked quietly. He let go of the man’s shoulder. The body flopped back down to the ground.
“Yeah.” Josh gave the short account of what had happened. “She didn’t hesitate. And she didn’t miss.”
Jax whistled softly. “It’s too bad, though. Not to say you didn’t do good, but I feel bad for her, you know? I could see the emptiness there. It’s not like her to show weakness.”
“This has all been a lot for her to handle.”
“Don’t have to tell me, bro.” Jax pointed at the knives. “What do you want to do with those? Probably shouldn’t bury them with the body, just in case.”
Josh collected the knives. He’d find a safe way to retire them.
“Erika is really shook up,” Jax said as he took the guy’s feet. Josh grabbed his top half. “I think she’ll be glad to get Jenna back. I get the feeling I’m a poor substitute for that hard-ass.”
“What’s going on with you two?”
They carried the body deep into the brush, where even if a stray hiker wandered by and randomly decided to dig, they wouldn’t find him.
Jax’s breath gushed out in a whoosh. “She’s got my head spinning, I’ll tell you what. Called and broke up with her boyfriend.”
“No shit?”
“Yeah. She’s somethin’. A real hoot. Delicate, though. Tough but delicate, you know?” He shook his head as a smile crept up his face. He led Josh back toward the shovels. “She’s trying to hold it together. She’s a fighter. But she wanted to call Jenna a few times. I don’t think I’m hard enough.”
“You’re probably too easy to manipulate. She needs a challenge.”
Jax barked out a laugh. “Manipulate? Nah, man, she just has to ask for something and I give it to her. I can’t help myself. I’m goddamned whipped. I know it, too. That’s bad, when you’re pussy-whipped and you admit it. Hell, I’ll be glad to get Jenna back in the picture so someone has the balls to say no to Erika. It sure as hell ain’t gonna be me. Here?” Jax poked the ground with his shovel.
“As good a place as any.” Josh peeled off his shirt and got to work.
“How’s it going with you two?” Jax asked with indifference. Men, by rule, didn’t get too deep into relationship discussions. At least, not when they were younger. Josh wondered it if was because women weren’t as important back in the day. Now, when it was either spend your life alone or find someone to spend it with, you needed to hash this crap out with someone, and only your best buddy would do.
Still embarrassing, though. He could tell Jax thought so, too.
“She’s it,” Josh confessed, dumping a shovelful into a pile. “She just won’t admit it yet.”
Jax started laughing. “She’s as stubborn as you.”
“Serves me right, is that it?”
“A-yup.”
“All right, then, you got the girl. Now what?”
“Make her my wife.”
Josh stopped digging and looked at his buddy. The guy hadn’t stopped dating since they’d left the service. He chose a girl, wined and dined her, got bored, and traded her in. Despite his reputation, he had his choice of women. Even the girls he’d burned still wanted him.
Then there was Erika. Josh got the impression she was just as flighty. She’d had someone on the line that she clearly didn’t think much of if she was willing to end it with him for a perfect stranger.
Jax clearly felt the scrutiny but didn’t stop digging. “Buck stops with her. I like her. Love her, I think. She’s exactly what I want. Cute as hell, soft as a kitten, bites like a wolf, smarter than all get out—she’s perfect. I didn’t think they made women like her. Even my sister likes her…”
“She met your sister?” Josh asked.
“Yeah. Tina stopped by out of the blue. I thought it was going to be real awkward, bro. Tina hates all my girlfriends—you know.” Jax snorted. “Nope. They got along like a house on fire.”
“Teeny Tina didn’t try to use her big words?”
“Oh, she did. She tried to talk circles around Erika at first.” Jax started laughing before jumping in the hole to keep digging. “I should’ve brought a chainsaw to cut the body up. This is hard work.”
“I don’t think the girls would ever speak to us again if we displayed that level of carnage.”
“Probably true.” Jax sighed. “Anyway, at one point, Erika asked Teeny if she really knew what…one of the words meant. I can’t remember which one. But I guess she’d used it wrong. You should’ve seen the look on my sister’s face. That knocked her off her high horse.”
“Does Erika know your setup?”
“With Teeny?” Josh nodded. Jax shrugged. “Yeah, she knows. She doesn’t need my money, though, bro. These broads are making bank. I had no idea architects made so much.”
“They’re high profile.”
“No shit. But still. I chose the wrong profession.”
Josh smirked. “No offense, buddy, but you’re not smart enough.”
“There is that. Fuck. I’m out of shape.” Jax straightened up and wiped his face. “But yeah, she thinks what I’m doing for Teeny is sweet. She gets it. Fully supports it. She’s not jealous of Teeny, either. Not jealous of the attention I give her. Hell, I’ve had girlfriends that were jealous of the attention I gave ol’ Rex.”
“A girl that is jealous of you giving attention to your dog really is high maintenance.”
“Ain’t that the truth.”
Silence moved between them for a while as they shoveled. When they neared a good depth, Josh straightened up before climbing out of the hole. “But it hasn’t been very long. And relationships started from heavy emotional situations don’t usually work.”
“You got that from a movie.” Breathing heavily, Jax climbed out of the hole. “I really gotta start working out. I’ve let myself go.”
“Still, it’s only been a few days. She had a guy before you. It sounds like she switches out pretty quick, just like you do.”
Seriousness stole Jax’s features. The smile melted out of his eyes, to be replaced by a spark of fire. “Look, bro. I know you’re trying to help, and I know you’ve said these things to me a million times before—with each new girl I like, as a matter of fact—but this time, you gotta back off. You’re hitting too close to the rage button. I don’t want to have a problem with you.”
Josh put up his hands and took a couple steps back. Jax was right—Josh played the devil’s advocate each time his buddy fell for a girl. Jax got serious too quick, got in too deep, then created a stalker when he went running. But Josh had never seen that look in Jax’s eyes: the protective possessiveness of a man defending the one he loved.
Something pinched deep in Josh’s middle. He recognized that look. It mirrored what Josh felt.
“Understood.” Josh walked back toward the body.
“Not trying to be a dick, but—”
“No need to explai
n. I get it. I know where you’re coming from.”
After a silent beat, Jax said, “You didn’t need to say all that, anyway. You just had to say, ‘If you screw with Erika, Jenna will gut you like a fish.’” Jax started to laugh.
“I thought I’d take a softer approach.”
“Besides.” Jax nudged Josh. “You’re one to talk.”
“I didn’t say I was any smarter.”
Jax huffed a laugh as they surveyed the body. “That’s a lot of blood. We gotta dig that out. It would’ve been easier if you found him and just cracked his neck. Or, you know, gave him to me to process.”
“Easier on everybody.” Josh looked back to the car.
Jax glanced that way, too. “I don’t like seeing these girls in this mess. It isn’t right.”
That was the truth. “C’mon, let’s get this done.”
“I would’ve thought you’d try to delay, what with who’s waiting for you back at the Eagle’s Nest.”
Josh gritted his teeth. He didn’t need that reminder.
Chapter Twelve
Jenna woke up as she was being carried into a large two-story house. She rubbed her tired eyes and squeezed her arms around Josh’s neck, wishing she could just go back to sleep. She didn’t want to face her life right now. She wanted a break.
She felt an answering squeeze as he walked up the steps to the front door. Josh smelled of dirt and woods and sweat. She didn’t let her mind dwell on why—on what he and Jax had done for her. Instead, she looked around. The large house was nestled into the surrounding woods gracefully, the style of the building simple and boxy. It might have been an oversized cabin. It was the little things that caught her eye, though. The style of the brass handle, the stained glass, the pruned rose bushes lining the front walk.
When they walked into the house, Jenna saw more of the same artistic touch. Elegant Persian rugs that must have cost a fortune, rustic brown leather couches, scrolling gold light fixtures, and rich colors. Everything flowed together in a graceful blend of natural style and refinement. It was exquisite and beautiful, while still being welcoming and hospitable. Jenna loved it. She felt comfortable surrounded by the subtle beauty. It was a woman’s touch, Jenna was sure of it.
Unexpected Danger (Skyline Trilogy Book 2) Page 10
