She blinked. How could he be so calm at a time like this? “I shot two people.”
Some of the humor left his eyes. “I hope you shot to kill.”
“Maybe one of them. I don’t know.”
He seemed to take that in for a moment. “If I’ve learned anything in my life so far, it’s that sometimes people don’t deserve the air they breathe. You may have just done a lot of people a favor.”
A noise crackled from not too far away, like the crunch of leaves under feet.
Jace put a finger to his lips before lifting the gun. The weapon looked at home in his hand, as if he’d fired it a hundred times before.
“You really gonna make me search for you all goddamn night, Sandler?” Jarrad shouted. “You’re just delaying the inevitable. You. Will.Die.”
Jace tensed. “Fuck, I hate this asshole. I’m kind of looking forward to getting rid of him. Stay down for me, darlin’.”
He shifted to stand, but then another noise sounded, this one from farther away. She just made out the grin on Jace’s face before he whispered, “I believe we have company.”
Her heart leapt in her chest. Eastern? Was he here?
“I’ll be back. Just gonna let my brother know where we are.”
Before she could ask him how he planned to do that, Jace moved, running so fast he was a blur in the darkness, darting from one tree to another.
He didn’t even try to be quiet…but maybe that was the point.
Then Jace fired.
Eastern moved quicklythrough the mountains. He’d called in other officers, but they weren’t here yet. For the moment, it was him and Kayden and, when they found him, Jace. Thank God Kayden had insisted on coming, because even though he knew these mountains, had grown up in them, Kayden led the local SAR team.
They moved quickly and quietly toward the location Jace had sent. Every muscle in his body was tight, every fear in his mind alive and spiraling.
Were they too late? Had those gunshots he’d heard over the line been aimed at Sadie? Jace had hung up to go find her, and so far there’d been no update. He just had to hope that his worst nightmare hadn’t eventuated and she was alive, somewhere in these mountains.
He leapt over a stump and rounded a tree, only to grind to a halt at the sight in front of him.
Morris Anderson, on the ground, blood soaking his chest.
Kayden reached down and felt for a pulse. “He’s alive, but only just.”
Was that the bullet he’d heard on the phone?Fuck, Eastern was praying that was the case. He surveyed the trail, seeing a small splatter of blood on the ground just a couple yards from Anderson. Was it Jarrad’s or Sadie’s?
Following the trail of blood with his gaze, he noticed it led south. He took off, hearing his brother’s footsteps behind him. He was by no means quiet. If he had to choose between quiet and speed, he’d choose the latter.
His feet pounded the ground, Glock heavy in his hold. He’d done a hundred missions during his time as a SEAL, all much more dangerous, but this was different. This was personal.
If Jarrad had harmed a single hair on Sadie’s head, Eastern would kill him. Tear the asshole apart with his bare hands.
The trail of blood had already disappeared when a gunshot sounded. It was like a blow to Eastern’s abdomen, and for a moment it felt as if the air had been ripped from his chest. But thanks to the shot, he corrected his course slightly and forced his legs to move faster. His arms to pump harder.
He heard Kayden branch off. Not a surprise. He’d go after Jarrad from a different direction with the aim of boxing him in.
When the deputy finally came into view, Eastern stopped, Glock raised and pointed at the son of a bitch’s back. “Drop the gun, Jarrad, and put your hands up.”
The muscles in Jarrad’s back visibly tensed, but he didn’t move, his gun still aimed at a tree in front of him.
Kayden stepped into the clearing from a point diagonal to Eastern. “Drop the gun, asshole…now.”
Still, Jarrad continued to stand there.
