But...
So far...
The man had confessed. No, not really, not in the necessary words. He hadn’t stolen the gun; he’d picked it up. It could have been lying on the deck.
And he hadn’t said that he’d fired the gun.
Darlene had tried to explain, but that was really all hearsay. And while there were cameras on the ship, they’d already learned how easily they could be rendered worthless—especially by anyone as computer and mechanically savvy as those in this group.
Wes glanced at Chloe.
Justice. They were sworn to justice. But then again, it would be served.
“Bryan! Listen to me,” he said strongly. He handed the man the gun back. “Put it down. Put it down in the hallway.”
“What?” Bryan asked, his tears soaking his face, but his expression now one of confusion.
“Do what I say, please!”
“Dad!” Darlene implored.
And Bryan Jordan stood and walked to the hallway and set the gun down. Wes picked it up and handed it to Chloe.
She nodded.
“We found it. We found the missing gun in the hallway. All... all’s well that ends well. And I don’t think that you need to worry. Broderick McClintock went off the deep end when we interrogated him today and it’s all on record. He will go to prison for life or, God knows, even get the deathpenalty. But for us, it’s over. Do you understand?” he asked, looking from Bryan to Darlene.
“Oh, God! Thank you!”
Bryan Jordan was a big man. His unexpected hug almost sent Wes reeling backward.
He was still sobbing.
“Dad, Dad!” Darlene said softly.
He straightened and nodded.
“Go on, get some rest, and—” Chloe began.
“Therapy, I promise!” Darlene said, and she ushered her dad out of the room.
Wes looked at Chloe, pulling his phone out and putting through a call so that George could inform security they had found the gun, it had fallen in a hallway.
“Was I wrong? Did I just betray everything that we stand for?” he asked Chloe as he finished the call.
She shook her head. “Wes, you know me. If I objected, I would have said something. No, I... I think you did the right thing, and in this case, doing therightthing mattered most. And then, of course, it’s all ‘as you wish!’”
She made him smile. She was stunning, brilliant, sensual and...
Amazing.
“I’m turning the shower on.”
“That’s great! That’s as I wish!” she told him, smiling.
Soon they were in the shower with the hot steamy water washing over them. And he cupped her face in his hands and he kissed her.
And they kissed. And kissed...
