Forgiven Justice (Cowboy Justice Association Book 14)
Page 19
His mother’s death had been the catalyst that had set him off. Apparently, she’d been telling Jake for years that it was all Logan’s fault that Wade had gone to prison, and then eventually died. She’d told him that as the only male it was his duty to make things right. Wade had said the same thing. Poor Jake had never had a chance.
So the why was easy. To avenge Wade Bryson’s death.
The what was a little harder. Although Jake admitted to killing the six men in Montana as some sort of weird “practice” before going after Logan, he had vaguely referred to other killings in the past as well, citing the need to learn. Whether any of that was true, Logan didn’t know.
Katie had helped him, luring the men with a story about feeling sick or being injured. Once the men weren’t paying attention, Jake would grab them. He’d also kept the wallets and other items not as souvenirs, but as evidence to be planted on some poor unsuspecting person. That person had been Tag. Jake had assumed that the cops wouldn’t question an already shady character murdering a bunch of people. He’d drugged Tag’s drink that night, just as Katie had drugged Brianna’s soda. Apparently, for the practice.
Eli was currently helping the local police look at unsolved murders in a three-state area. Whether he had been planning to move on from Logan to Tanner, Reed, and the others wasn’t clear. Why had he used stand-ins instead of the real men? Jake hadn’t given them a straight answer. He really only wanted to talk about Logan.
The only thing he denied? Throwing a rock through Logan’s window. They still didn’t have an explanation for that.
And the how? That was even more convoluted.
Jake had persuaded Katie to “befriend” Brianna on the gaming server. Gain her confidence and find out about her life. He had always intended to use her as bait for Logan. That had been the original plan, except he’d thought it would be in Montana. He’d rented a home just for the murders up there. It had been pure coincidence that Logan and the others had vacationed in Florida. Jake had had to leave Montana and return home, getting a short-term vacation rental for himself and Katie close by. According to Jake, Katie had known that the plan was to kill Logan. He also claimed that he hadn’t been planning to kill Brianna.
He said that he didn’t remember murdering Katie.
Katie had gained Brianna’s trust over a few days, and then pitched the idea of going to the mall for lunch and shopping. She’d managed to get Brianna alone and then slipped a roofie into her soda, knocking her out. Instead of driving Brianna home, Katie took her to the rental where Jake was waiting. He’d used Brianna’s phone to send the text to Logan to come pick her up. And then he’d waited.
As for Katie and Jake’s two remaining sisters? By the time the police got there to let them know what had happened, they’d already flown the coop, leaving the boyfriend behind. A neighbor said she’d seen the two females loading suitcases in the car. They’d said they were going on vacation for the rest of the summer.
They hadn’t been seen since. The boyfriend had said that he’d tried to call and send texts but had received no replies. Logan assumed that the females had ditched their phones.
Wade’s children had become quite good at changing their identities and becoming “invisible” to society. Logan had a feeling that the two sisters weren’t going to be easy to find. How much they’d known about Jake’s plot was an open question. But they obviously had known something because they’d hightailed it out of town before the whole thing had even hit the local news.
Reporters had come out of the woodwork after finding out that a new Bryson was on a killing spree. It didn’t help matters that once again Logan Wright was involved. Everyone wanted a statement or an interview or a picture. They wanted to talk to Brianna too, but Logan and Ava had put stop to that immediately. Their daughter had enough trauma to deal with.
“I don’t want her to be afraid,” Logan said, his fingers tangling with Ava’s. There was something about her touch that comforted him. Grounded him. She was his anchor in a storm. “I want her to live but it was hard handing her the keys.”
“That’s why I’m proud of you.”
Logan let his head fall back onto the sofa cushion. “It’s a father’s instinct to protect their child.”
Ava laughed. “Do you think it’s any less my instinct, handsome? I think she knows just how difficult that was for you. And me. I think it might not have been that easy for her, either. She’s courageous. I think she takes after you.”
“I think she takes after you. I think they both do.”
Amazingly, Colt and Brianna were closer than ever. Whatever switch had been flipped that day, Logan didn’t know, but now his twins were like they used to be. Thick as thieves and plotting against their parents.
It was kind of a relief.
Ava elbowed him in the ribs. “We’ve got the house to ourselves for a few hours. Want to fool around?”
Hell, yes. He would always want to fool around with this woman. They’d be old and gray and he’d still be chasing her around the bedroom. Or the kitchen. He wasn’t fussy.
“I love you, you know,” he said, slipping his arms around this warm bundle of fun and love. “I love you and I love our kids. I’m a lucky man.”
“You are,” Ava agreed with a giggle. “And I’m a lucky woman. And do you know why?”
“Why?”
“Because you love us with your whole heart.” There were tears in his wife’s eyes, but he could tell they were the happy kind. “I can feel the difference in you. The kids can, too.”
No more holding back. No more doing things halfway.
Loving meant taking a chance. It meant not always playing it safe.
But when it was this good? It was worth it.
“I love you, Ava.”
“I love you, too. Now take me to bed and ravish me before the kids come home.”
“With pleasure.”
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I hope you enjoyed revisiting Logan, Ava, Tanner, Maddie, Reed, Kaylee, and all the others! There’s much more to come in the Cowboy Justice Association World. Thank you for reading Forgiven Justice!
About the Author
Olivia Jaymes is a wife, mother, lover of sexy romance, and caffeine addict. She lives with her husband and son in central Florida and spends her days with handsome alpha males and spunky heroines.
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She is currently working on a new contemporary romance series – ManTrap - in addition to the ongoing Danger Incorporated series and the Cowboy Justice Association series.
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Visit Olivia Jaymes at
www.OliviaJaymes.com