Knight moved in closer. Just as the man tensed and moved. Toward the one he truly hated in the room. Miranda braced herself.
“Do not move!” Knight said. “Put your weapon on the table and step back. Hands on your head.”
He knew though. The instant John tensed. The man was going to do something really stupid.
And Miranda was right in the man’s line-of-fire.
John lifted the gun, toward her.
“Do not do it.” Asher yelled. He stepped from the kitchen into the living area. Weapon-raised and ready.
John froze. He turned the gun. Toward Asher.
He wasn’t looking at Knight at all now. “Lower your weapon, Stenson. Now!”
Everyone froze. John’s gun hand was half up. Knight holstered his own weapon quickly.
Knight watched. Almost as if the man was moving in slow-motion. His hand opened. And the gun fell.
The discharge echoed around the room.
Knight dove.
And brought the man down.
Just as Miranda yelled out, calling Asher’s name.
Chapter 45
Pierce stood clear while the EMTs loaded Bryan into the back of the ambulance. The stretcher locked into place. One medic climbed inside while the other adjusted equipment near the doors.
“Daddy!”
Pierce would probably always turn when he heard a child yelling that word now. He just would. Bryan’s little girl was watching from the neighbor’s front porch, wrapped in a blanket.
Asa dropped the blanket and came running across the yard. She went straight for the open rear of the ambulance and climbed inside before anyone could stop her. The medic glanced toward Pierce. Pierce gave a short nod. The medic stepped aside, letting her move to the bench beside the stretcher.
“Just stay there in the jump seat, Asa. Make sure you stay out of the way,” Pierce told her. She was tearing his heart out, with the look in those big blue eyes. “We’ll get your mom there to you as soon as we can.”
Miranda reached the back of the ambulance just before the doors closed. She rested one hand against the frame, leaning in enough that Asa could see her.
“I’ll be in my car right behind you,” Miranda said. “I’m following you in, sweetheart. Everything is going to be okay.”
The little girl didn’t look away from her dad. Not even a moment, she just nodded at Miranda’s words.
Knight came down the steps with John secured in cuffs. John tried to slow as they reached the driveway, but Knight kept him moving toward a waiting cruiser. He tried to stop, to look at his brother.
Pierce turned to the medic. “Get that door shut. She doesn’t need to see this asshole.”
The medic pulled the doors shut.
The ambulance rolled forward and turned toward the road, lights flashing as it accelerated away from the property.
Pierce watched it go until it disappeared from view.
Additional patrol units had arrived, filling the drive and yard. Officers began spreading out around the property. Keeping what onlookers that were gathering back.
Knight placed John into the back of an ISP cruiser and shut the door.
