My wet hands drop to my sides as I turn to him. “Are you here to arrest me?”
Jenkins’s eyes narrow slightly, but there is none of the usual menace in them. “Why would I arrest you?”
“Because I killed a man?” I ask, my voice completely empty. “He’s dead, right?”
Everything after the psycho collapsed is a blur.
I shot him, that’s for damn sure, but I don’t know how serious it is.
My whole focus was on Jessica.
On getting her the help she needed.
I could see the rest of the officers coming in, and I let them deal with the motherfucker. I just hope he’s dead, because if he isn’t…
“Aiden Jones is dead,” Jenkins confirms, pulling me from my rage-filled thoughts.
My shoulders relax slightly. “Good.” I lift my hands. “You probably think I got what I deserved, huh? For thinking I’m above the law? Isn’t that what you said? I don’t regret it, though.”
“Put those hands down, Williams,” Jenkins grumbles. “I’m not going to arrest you.”
My brows shoot up. “You’re not?”
“There will be an investigation, and you’ll have to testify. Later, though. Officers are still out there processing the scene so we can try to get to the bottom of this.” His eyes darken, the muscle in his jaw flexing. “You didn’t do anything wrong. That son of a bitch deserved it for what he did to those girls. For what he did to Jessica. You did what any other cop would have done in your place. What they train us to do.” He shakes his head. “Hell, you did more than I did as a sheriff.”
I swallow hard, but the knot in my throat only grows tighter.
I’m not used to this side of Jenkins. Is that… approval?
“Were you hit on the head?”
The older man’s eyes narrow at me. “Is that a way to talk to your boss, Rookie?”
“No, Sheriff.”
“I didn’t think so,” Jenkins grumbles.
I clear my throat. “Any news from Ward?”
“Terry Benson died from a heart attack.” Jenkins sighs. He’s still dressed in his uniform, the shirt slightly rumpled. His hair is a mess, dark stubble covering his jaw where he rubs his hand over it. “It was unexpected considering her age, but the autopsy showed she had an unidentified heart defect. Was losing her Aiden’s trigger? We’ll see if we can figure it out after going through his place and talking to Jessica once she wakes up.”
Will she wake up, though?
Just the thought terrifies me to the bones.
She was bleeding so damn much, and I…
Jenkins places his hand on my shoulder and gives me a firm squeeze. “She’s going to be okay. She’s much stronger than she looks.”
That determined look on Jessica’s face when she told me she loves me and she isn’t giving up on me, onus, flashes in my mind.
“She’s the strongest person I know.”
“Needs to be if she plans to stick with your sorry ass. Listen, Williams…” He lifts his hand and rubs his jaw as he thinks over his words. “You’re one of the most infuriating people I know, and that’s saying something. You’re stubborn, cocky, insufferable…”
I quirk my brow. “If you’re planning on firing me, just do it already. I’m not in the mood.”
“However…” he growls out, giving me a pointed look. “What you did out there tonight? That doesn’t just take guts or knowledge. There are two kinds of cops out there. Those who think they have what it takes but the pressure of the job quickly shows them just how fucking wrong they’ve been. And then there are those who’re born with a cop’s instinct. Those who rise above it when everything is crumbling around them.” He places his hand on my shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze. “You’re a good cop. Your father would be proud of you.”
