His gut tightened. She was out here, exposed, exactly where Dexter would want her to be.
Cal cursed under his breath, stepping out from behind the tree just enough to catch her eye. “I told you not to come here.”
Melissa didn’t flinch. She wasn’t pale or trembling like before. No, she was steady, her chin lifted, her eyes burning with a defiance that didn’t match the woman they’d pulled out of that trailer. The glint of metal caught the moonlight—she was armed.
“I did what I had to do,” she shot back, her voice sharp and certain. “I’m not letting Dexter take me again.”
Cal’s jaw tightened. “This isn’t your fight. You need to leave. Now.”
But before he could push harder, the distant crunch of tires broke through the night. Headlights cut across the trees as a car turned onto the gravel road. Melissa’s mouth curved, not in fear but in a sick smile.
“The trap’s sprung,” she said, her grip tightening on the gun. “Dexter’s going to die tonight.”
Chapter Seventeen
Alena cursed, her stomach knotting as the headlights swept closer. “Melissa, take cover,” she snapped.
Melissa didn’t budge. She stood there, gun in hand, fire in her eyes like she was ready to stare down the devil himself. Alena’s pulse slammed hard in her ears. She hadn’t wanted this. Not Melissa here. Not this woman standing in the middle of a fight she couldn’t control.
Yes, Alena wanted a showdown with Dexter. She wanted him caught, wanted him locked away where he couldn’t haunt her or David ever again. But not like this. Not with Melissa standing right in the crosshairs.
And the worst part? Alena wasn’t even sure she could trust her.
They moved quickly to the back of the cabin, the crunch of gravel fading under their boots. Alena kept her gun up, her eyes darting from shadow to shadow. Cal did the same, covering the opposite side. The air was thick with tension, heavy enough to choke on.
She wouldn’t put it past Dexter to play this smart. To cut the lights, stop short on the road, and send men on foot to flankthem. Or worse, come himself, slipping through the trees like a ghost until he was close enough to kill.
Every sound in the woods seemed louder—the snap of a twig, the rustle of leaves in the breeze. Alena’s heart hammered harder with each second, her nerves sharp and ready. They were exposed, even here, and she knew it.
The crunch of tires on gravel made her freeze. Alena risked a glance around the corner of the cabin, her heart thudding hard. A vehicle eased to a stop in front, headlights slicing through the dark. She held her breath, bracing for Dexter.
But it wasn’t him.
It was Arneson.
Hell. One more person she couldn’t trust. Still, a flicker of relief edged through her nerves. If Dexter was lying in wait, maybe he wouldn’t just start firing with his own brother in the mix.
“Melissa!” Arneson’s voice rang out, sharp, cutting across the night.
Beside her, Cal whispered, “Don’t answer.”
Melissa stayed silent, but her jaw worked tight, defiance written across her face.
“Melissa,” Arneson barked again. “What game are you playing? I know the truth. You hired those men to kidnap you, and you did it to try to frame Dexter. It failed big time, didn’t it? One of them is dead, and the cops are looking at you for the whole damn mess.”
Alena swung her gaze to Melissa. The woman’s eyes gave her away. No denial. Just that hard set of her mouth.
Damn it. It was true.
Her hand clenched around her gun, fury burning hot in her chest. Beside her, she felt Cal stiffen, his silence sharp with anger and frustration. They’d risked everything to save this woman. And all along, Melissa had been playing them.
Arneson’s voice carried through the night, tight with anger. “You’re playing a dangerous game, Melissa. And for what? If it’s to make sure Dexter never gets parole, that’s already sealed. With the nurse’s death and his escape, he’s done. If the cops catch him now, he’ll be locked up for life.”
Alena’s gut clenched. She prayed Melissa would keep her mouth shut, but the woman stepped right into it.
“Good!” Melissa shouted, her voice cracking through the air.
Alena cursed under her breath. Cal’s head snapped toward Melissa, his eyes blazing, but it was too late. The word echoed across the clearing like a gunshot, sharp and final, and that outburst had just told everyone exactly where they were hiding.
