“They were more interested in belittling the lady who turned out to be the bakery owner than in arresting the crooks,” Lance said, “and next thing we all knew, an ugly-ass Bronco came spinning into the lot and opened fire.”
Shit.She hadn’t made the effort to call her friend the previous day. Long, mentally taxing workdays often left her too drained for socialization. Had Jenna been hurt? Was she in the hospital and Lynnette didn’t even know?
“I drew as much of their attention as I could,” Lance continued, “to let my buddy get the owner back. At the time, I kinda thought at least one of the deputies might back me up, you know?” He snorted. “That did not happen. Chicken shits, the both of ‘em.”
Lynnette blinked, not even sure what she should ask. “Did they…?”
“Hid behind their cars. Never fired a shot. It was the two of us, mostly me, until the assholes sped off.” Lance grunted with visible irritation. “Felt like a targeted thing, seeing as they managed to kill Dumb and Dumber. But the answer to your main question is, I’d tried getting in close and forcing them into defense, to get the heavier fire to stop. Which I technically achieved, but I swung myself up and the passenger stretched himself out the window and suddenly my leg was in ribbons.” Lance lifted one arm and curled his fingers as if he had claws. “Piece of shit was—is—some kind of feline shifter.”
Lynnette couldn’t help but glance back toward his covered and bandaged leg. “Shit,” she said, echoing her earlier thought out loud. “You’re luckier than I thought.”
Lance barked out a laugh. “That is not how most people would feel in my current position.” The smile lingered on his face as his laughter faded. “But I’ve always had a strange touch of luck on my side.”
She returned his smile and let herself ask at least one more question. “Was anyone else hurt?”
“My buddy took a graze, but he’s fine,” Lance replied.
“No one from the bakery, though? I thought they were outside?”
“Nah, he got her back in.” Lance made a face. “Sounded like the bakery itself took a beating, though. Definitely heard glass shattering. But that’s always better than people taking the bullets.”
Lynnette swallowed her relieved exhale. At least Jenna wasn’t down in the ICU, by herself and wondering why her friend who worked in the damn hospital hadn’t come to see her.I really need to call and check in on her headspace, though.When she had a moment.
Shaking those thoughts aside, Lynnette lifted her tablet from where she’d previously set it and said, “Well, it sounds like the heroism comes naturally to you, Mr. Blackburn. I hope your leg heals as well as your sense of humor.”
He raised a brow. “I’m sure you remembered to call me Lance earlier.”
“Did—”
The door swung open as the reflexive, questionable joke fell from her lips, startling Lynnette into pivoting to the side. Her eyes went wide as a man she’d only seen on a handful of flyers and perhaps once on television stepped into the room. Two or three inches taller than her, with a chunky build and mostly silver, thinning hair peeking out from beneath the cliché hat that shadowed his dark brown eyes, Sheriff Mortimer Parker stood at the interior of the open doorway and settled his stare on her. “Excuse me, nurse. I’m gonna need to have a word in private with this patient.”
Chapter four
For the Fairytale
Lance had to admit,his previous encounter with local star-wearing patrolmen didn’t leave him all too interested in talking to the man who’d just kicked Lynnette from his room. Even if he’d recognized that she was about thirty seconds from initiating her own departure.
He squared his shoulders the best he could from the hospital bed and met the older man’s dark gaze. It wasn’t hard to see the man was trying to stare Lance down, intimidate him, but the guy needed more than a few extra decades and an equivalent number of inches around the waist to make it happen.
Lance kept his mouth shut and waited.
The man in the wrinkled uniform rested his hands on his gun belt and blew out a breath. “I’m Morty Parker, Sheriff of Leeland County. You met a couple of my deputies yesterday.”
Uh-huh.“As a matter of fact, I did,” Lance confirmed.
When Lance gave nothing else, Morty rolled his jaw and said, “I need to go over some things with you about yesterday’s events.”
Lance raised a brow. “No disrespect, Sheriff, but aren’t you a little outside your jurisdiction? I’m pretty sure I heard this hospital’s in Klamath.” He was being a dick and he knew it, but after the wayDeputyParker had behaved the previous day, he suspected a little passive-aggressive pushback was the least the man deserved.
As predicted, the challenge did not go over well. “The incident in question occurred in Leeland County, son,” Morty said in a patronizing tone.
Lance hardened his expression and his voice. “You’re neither my father nor my CO. You can address me as Master Gunnery Sergeant Blackburn.”
Morty scoffed. “That’s a hell of a mouthful. How ‘bout I call you Lance?”
“You cool with people dropping the title you worked your ass off for, Morty?”
Morty’s bushy silver brows pinched. “I’m thesittingsheriff, boy. Don’t get smart with me.”
