Shotgun Justice (13 page)

“You mean why out in the open with a house a quarter of a mile away? Why involve a kid who could and seemingly did mess up his plan?”

“It's almost been a week and he hasn't resurfaced. Not even an attempt to finish us off.”

“This man is a hunter. Remember, he called us his prey. He's patient. He lies in wait until the perfect opportunity.” Avery dropped the file to the floor and put her palms over her eyes, concentrating.

“I don't think so. Yes, that he's a hunter, but he didn't wait for us to be alone before drugging us. He created a perfectly planned and executed trap.”

She looked at him, excited. “So Thompson Grove was just a cog in the wheel he's turning to get to his real prey...my brother. But what did he expect to happen?”

“I need to talk with Major Parker.” He pushed past her, taking a couple of the pictures down with him. “We recommended they move the witnesses.”

Pure and simple panic ramped up his adrenaline. He grabbed his phone. Dialed. “Come on. Come on.”

“If something had happened, we would have been notified. Right?”

Even during this moment of fear for Garrison and the men protecting him, he wanted to comfort Avery. His hand reached out to pat her shoulder. “Snake Eyes wouldn't do anything rash. He'd have a plan. He'd take his time to plan it. But he's had six days.”

She pulled away from his touch. “You think he's going to act soon.”

“Yeah. They should— Dammit, there's no answer. They should take extra precautions.”

He wanted to smooth away the worry line on her brow. He wanted to swoosh back those crazy long bangs so he could see her eyes more clearly. But he'd lost the right to touch her. She wasn't his and wouldn't be.

“Jesse, he said he had a plan B. If he can't get the information from us, he thinks he can obtain it from somewhere else. But where? From who?”

“I know how to catch this bastard.”

“What do you want to do?” She watched him dial the phone.

If the powers above him went for this crazy, half-baked plan, Snake Eyes wouldn't be a threat to anyone else. “We're leaving. Whether they know it or not, they're going to need us to finish this thing.”

Chapter Eighteen

Snake Eyes to his enemies. Buster Hopkins to his family, but that was a long time ago. Of course, none of his family were left, so no one really knew him by that name any longer. Back when his dad was alive, they'd got several IDs from different states.

Although Snake Eyes fit him better than Buster, Carl, Sanchez or Nigel, he couldn't walk around in a thirty-year-old diving suit while in town. So for the moment Nigel Washington was checked into a five-star hotel in Austin. He couldn't imagine anyone visiting him in the camper owned by Carl.

After stitching his wounds and resting a day, he was living it up until his plans came to fruition. He knew how to play a role and that looks made all the difference. He'd exceeded his father's ability to blend in or hunt.

Today was the part of a potential campaign donor who was hard on crime. Yes, Nigel was a do-gooder, but he required a little proof in exchange for his monetary contributions. Dinner tonight would be interesting, eye-opening, in fact.

No, he laughed at his faux pas, this woman would keep her eyes. Information only. No one would realize who he really was or why he wanted to know details about Texas Mafia families. Nigel's looks were different than the killer Snake Eyes. They still wouldn't be traced back to him. The real him.

The computer system he'd breached prior to Rosco's death had been secured since his attack on Avery. Nigel's approach—money, love and blackmail—that normally found a vulnerable spot with anyone. The good Avery had made certain her mother and aunt were hidden away, so finding his prey required imagination now.

Dinner drinks would be quite amusing. There were so many ways to compel information from actual people. He stopped thinking about the steps needed for his venture this evening when Avery's pale face replaced the glass elevator zooming to his level. She seemed to push her way more and more into his thoughts.

Returning for the deputy and her ranger had consumed him the first two days after leaving them. He wanted completion. Needed their deaths. Desired another confrontation.

No one had attacked him like that before. It wasn't revenge, just more of a need. Finishing the job should come first. His reputation...that was all that should matter. When his last job was finalized, it could possibly be five-star hotels around the world.

What he should do and what his plan was...two very different things. Avery Travis fascinated him. She'd survived the collar and still fought back. She had a will to live that would be amazing to watch die. How much would it take to break her? His curious nature couldn't stop wondering what satisfaction would be gained from discovering that answer.

Yes, it would be a mistake to get sidetracked, but it was also a mistake to continue with the Tenoreno job that he wouldn't walk away from. He didn't need the money. He only needed to finish. Avery was only a part of the need to conclude his business.

Mistakes had delayed shutting the file on the Tenoreno family. His father would have been upset to find out how careless—or maybe arrogant—he'd been with his work. Which led to thinking about his father. That was probably because of the DNA they'd be processing.

Someone would discover who T-Bone Hop was and they might find out how he was related to Buster. But not to Snake Eyes. T-Bone had drilled it into Buster's childhood that he could be tracked through DNA. His father had left the navy a decorated hero, but his DNA was in the system. That was before he met the love of his life and before he killed her. Before he'd raised Buster to be a competent huntsman. Before Buster had surpassed his father's ability.

There would be no love of a lifetime for Snake Eyes or Buster. Love was for weaklings, for people who had nothing else to do other than conform to an everyday existence. He was above everyday anything.

He took a deep breath, jerked and remembered that he wasn't above making a bad decision. Scott. That cocky kid had been a mistake who caused Nigel's chest to hurt and brought Buster's father into the picture.

Finish the Tenoreno job and Snake Eyes would be gone forever. Perhaps Carl or Sanchez would take on a new lifestyle. He could try big-game hunting. He'd always wanted to hunt a tiger. That might be fun.

Leaving any of his identities behind would be strange. He'd been moving between them so easily for two decades. He liked living as them all. Snake Eyes was special. By being completely cloaked in black, he was able to tap into the hidden depths of his darkest curiosity.

The new prey arrived. They had a drink and conversation. But he changed his mind about dinner. He tossed down the three pictures he'd printed in his room. Three photos of a child playing at school.

“Where did you get pictures of my son?” the young woman asked.

“Anybody can park across the street from a school and click a few pictures. What's the world coming to?”

“What do you really want, Mr. Washington?”

“I need the location where a witness is being held. That's all.”

“I might not have access,” she said, her voice already filled with fright and cooperation.

“Sweet woman, I wouldn't be wasting my time with you if you didn't.”

She shivered and began to cry.

Whatever he decided about Avery and her Texas Ranger, it wouldn't involve hiring another person for quite some time. He patted the stitches Jesse Ryder had caused. He needed to make certain that man was alive and suffering for days. He'd be his final kill. The one that he'd remember for his lifetime.

Chapter Nineteen

Avery had her bag packed sitting by the door with her daddy's shotgun on top. The files were stacked on the table. The cot Jesse had been sleeping on was upended on the wall by the puzzle table. Jesse had walked Dan through their conclusions. Then they'd both answered questions on a conference call with the State's Attorney's Office.

But they were still sitting here. Not being allowed to leave. Two Texas Rangers blocked the door and had taken their keys.

“I was right the first time. House arrest.”

“Still protective custody,” Jesse said pensively. “They haven't agreed that we're necessary for our plan. Even though we know this bastard.”

“Can't a citizen refuse protective custody? Is there something I can sign?” She'd been reduced to walking her floor in as large a square as possible to make sure she moved.

“That means going against what they're all advising. If we leave, we won't know where Garrison's being kept. Won't know if Snake Eyes is following them.”

She circled her arms and stretched them above her head. The button-down shirt wasn't ideal for optimum movement. She didn't care. She was dressed to leave as soon as someone came to their senses. “We'll know if he's following us.”

“True. But if we're right and he's already in place, then we won't be allowed to help. Won't be a part of the solution. They could jail us to keep us out of their way.”

“They they they they they.” She pointed a different direction with each word to emphasize her frustration. “If you only knew how sick I was of hearing that pronoun. They this. They that.”

Jesse ducked his head. She could tell he knew he was part of her frustration.

“Sixteen hundred square feet. Feels more like six hundred. Every day we're stuck in here feels like we lose footage.” She stretched her arms over her head, wondering if there was anything else she could do. “I need to go for a run. Oh, wait, give me a punching bag. I need a serious workout.”

She threw some air punches, feeling the tension in her shoulders. Not feeling any of the tingly leftover insecurity of being shocked. She was back. She turned to tell Jesse, then remembered that she was keeping it professional.

The only time she allowed herself to think about his confession was late at night...alone in her bedroom. It saddened her to be second best to her twin brother. Always. That was natural. Or at least she hoped it was natural and that she wasn't just being an insecure child.

The reason she cried? She missed her friend. Sure, she wanted more. But truth be told, if nothing else had developed between them, she'd never imagined her life without Jesse in it. Even during the past eight months while she'd been upset with him...he was there.

Idiot. He's still there. Sitting right there. What would
you
have done? Lied?

“During the conference call, didn't someone ask why you were still here in Dalhart?”

He shrugged. “Maybe.”

“You're in a mood. I just wanted to say that you don't have to stay here and babysit me. I already have two rangers outside the door.” She raised her voice and Wyatt didn't move from leaning on the porch post. “You could take all that work to Company F. Let them validate, analyze or whatever you guys do. The state's attorney might believe us then and do something about the threat.”

“And you'd stay here doing what?”

“I have a popcorn puzzle. I'm good for three days.” Okay, she'd offered an olive branch and he had to recognize it wasn't poison oak. He had a look.

Oh my goodness.

He had a look, all right. It simmered and made her bubble to a boil. She was standing in front of the air conditioner. She knew it was working but could swear she was heating up like a kettle. No hot jasmine-blossom tea for her. “Want some iced tea? I think I need a glass to cool down. Something chilly.”

“Sure.”

She escaped to the kitchen. Standing at the sink, she stared mindlessly out the window until the tea steeped. The pitcher was ready with a tray of ice and a cup of sugar. Two glasses poured. Her hands were around them and she couldn't move.

“I've been thinking.”

She jumped so hard the tea seemed to hop from the top of the glasses.

“I didn't mean to scare you.” His deep rich voice comforted.

She grabbed a dish towel, dabbed at the counter, then lifted the glasses. “I was just thinking. My fault.”

“So was I. And you're right. I should go back to Waco. My job's been done here. I've been off my mandatory week. I should get back to work.” He took his glass, steadying her fingers, keeping them wrapped gently within his.

The man's eyes were just incredible. He had a quiet strength. A mixture of confidence and concern that set her up for instant attraction. And when he smiled, he changed his chiseled features into a movie-star grin.

“There's not a reason to stay if you're mad or if I'm just going to continue to upset you.” He wasn't smiling and still had a magnetism she didn't understand. No other man made her feel this way.

“I...um... I... Dammit, Jesse. I stopped being angry ten minutes ago. I don't want to lose your friendship.”

Jesse pulled her to him, his fingers across her lips stopping her words. The tea she held spilled between their bodies. “I'm not just your friend, Avery. And I most definitely do not think of you as my sister.”

The smoldering look he gave from her eyes to her lips devoured her before really kissing her. His fingertips were smooth across her lips while his thumb tipped her chin. He lowered his mouth and that was all she could see as she watched his lips take possession of her.

Soft, long luxuriating kisses. Then his thumb trailed down her throat. Shocks ran through her body, pleasant palpitations that had her pulse racing harder than any workout she remembered. His mouth followed the nails he scraped along her collarbone. He nipped, skimmed, then licked. She could only watch and...feel.

One arm encircled her back, bending her slightly so he could have more access. His free hand unbuttoned her shirt, one excruciatingly slow button at a time. Her knees weakened when his lips skimmed the top of her breast.

Sometime along the way, Jesse's skilled hands had untucked her shirt. Unbuttoned, he pushed it back to her elbows. His thumbs slipped higher under the edge of her bra, brushing skin, slowly advancing until the fastener released, giving him carte blanche.

Had time stood still or was Jesse memorizing every freckle she had? Her world went from slow motion to fast-forward. Jesse pushed her shirt off and tugged her arms free from the bra. When his lips and tongue circled her nipple, she stumbled backward with the sparks of delight.

Glass cracked under their boots, taking them both by surprise. “The tea glasses. I should clean— Oh...maybe...not...”

Jesse took advantage of the small space between them and sucked, alternating between her breasts until both were puckered and more alive than ever before. He worked his way back up her neck, then kissed her mouth, consuming any doubts she had.

“Might get dangerous if we stay in here.” He lifted her in his arms, walking across wet glass and her favorite lacy bra. Her arms went around his neck and tugged his face back to hers.

She hoped that the curtains were still closed or the ranger on the porch was going to get an eyeful.

* * *

J
ESSE
CAUGHT
A
VERY
'
S
chest to his as they left the kitchen. He protected her from the window, locked lips, then realized he'd frozen that way while walking around the corner and into her bedroom.

They broke apart and laughed when he set her on the bed. He tilted his head to the porch. “You're going to have to keep the wildness down. Remember, there's someone listening for trouble.”

Avery was wide-eyed innocent. He had no idea how much that “little experience” that she'd referred to actually meant.

“You know, I'm usually good with words, but around you it's like there's no connection to my brain.” He unbuttoned his shirt as she tugged the sheet loose from under the pillows. He had no intention of letting her cover up the perfection he was gazing upon. But he was also so dang nervous he didn't know how to prevent it.

His mind was blank of ideas. He got to the last button and dropped his hands to his sides, totally in awe. That was what he should tell her.

“You are the most beautiful person I've ever known, Elf Face. Completely beautiful all the way through.” He leaned on the bed and feathered her hair away from her jade eyes.

He stretched out next to her, kissing every inch of skin he could reach. Gently pulling the sheet to the side, he lightly drew circles and skimmed her breasts with his fingertips.

“Jesse?” She tugged his shirt off. “Why in the world do you call me Elf Face?”

There was no rush as their hands explored the other. “Remember when you got your hair cut?” he whispered. “Your mom was having fits, but my mom said it fit your elfin-shaped face. I thought it was cool...at least at the time. I might have been into a couple of movies that had elves. I know the nickname irritates you.”

“No it doesn't. I could never let you know, but I sort of liked it.”

His circles continued across her flat stomach to the top of her jeans. They were loose on her hips, enough that he could get the button through the hole one-handed.

“You sure about this?” He paused with his hand on the zipper pull.

“I swear, Jesse. If you stop...you won't walk out of this room alive.”

Sexual frustration was something he was familiar with. He didn't question what they were doing any longer. This was right for them both. He unzipped her jeans and she unzipped his, hesitating only a second with what was hiding behind the cloth.

He brushed his hands up her thighs to her hips.

Skin to skin. Finally. He'd been dreaming about this since they'd crept into the dorm after a late-night party. There had been something about that night. Something different in the way she'd looked at him all bright-eyed and ready.

The same way she was looking at him...right now.

“Well?” she whispered.

“I can't stop looking.”

“But you've seen it before.” Her fingers searched for the edge of the sheet.

“No, ma'am.” He shoved the cover away from her. “I want to remember this. Broad daylight. No alcohol involved. And no regrets for either of us.”

“I can go with that.” She skimmed a fingernail on the outside of his thigh, mimicking in her own way.

Jesse stretched out next to her, loving that she matched him inch for inch. No one ever had. She was the only woman he'd ever looked at eye to eye when he was standing. The only woman he wanted.

Kissing her was something he should have been doing all his life. He shouldn't have avoided their attraction. He shouldn't have listened to Garrison all those years.

Part of the hesitation came because Avery was important to him. No second-guessing now. They had an instinct when they worked together. They meshed even when they were angry at each other.

The slow burn of kissing soon built into a wildfire of sampling every part of her. Touching her brought her to life. He loved seeing how skimming her skin sent shivers throughout her. Kissing her skin and tasting her made his blood run hot.

Intimacy with her was taking him to a new level of sensuality. He didn't want to rush, but waiting was infinitely painful.

“I swear, Jesse, I'm as flammable as I was days ago. Dammit, do something.” Her nails dug into his arms.

He reached for the nightstand. The first night he was here, he'd seen the condoms. A small discreet unopened box shoved in the back.

“What are you grinning at?” she asked when he paused.

“The box is open.”

“Would you do whatever you need to do and get this over with?”

“Believe me, Elf Face, this isn't going to be over for a long while. No matter how much
I
want it to be. I'm going to make certain of that.”

Powerful and concentrated. That was how he would describe the way Avery watched him. But before he could move to join her, she took him in her hands.

He could die right there in her bed. Maybe he did a little. He shuddered with her gentle caress and almost made a fool of himself. He'd had no idea that her feeling the weight of him would be his undoing. If he was going to make good on...

He slid the condom into place with shaking hands. Caught himself breathing deeply in an effort to slow his blood. This was Avery. His Avery. She might think that she wanted quick until he showed her slow. Their lips met for a second or two and then he kissed her jawline, up to her ear and then down the column of her neck. She was trying to tug him on top of her, using those long legs to lock her ankles behind his back.

Jesse found Avery's wrists and, in one motion, pinned them to the bed above her head. “There's no rush, babe. We've got nowhere to go.”

Avery bucked underneath him. “Please, Jesse, no more waiting.”

His lips skated to the pulse beating at the base of her throat and continued down her rib cage. It was difficult to stay focused when Avery was hell-bent on fast and furious. Her hips thrust upward, trying to make contact with his.

He wanted to touch her breasts but couldn't trust her to keep her hands to herself. “Jess—ee.” She said his name on a groan as his lips grazed her nipple.

He loved hearing the catch in her voice. Loved knowing that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. He licked one nipple before gliding his tongue across her chest to taste the other one. Her legs loosened from around his waist.

“I need to touch you,” she said. “Not fair.”

He nearly laughed, but knew it would break his concentration. If he thought too much about how he could have taken her, could have satisfied both their needs in less than two minutes, he'd already be inside her.