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Thunder boomed.

The storm was getting worse again.

“He must have run out! Jonah could have circled around. Gone after Kimber!”

Yes, he could have…

But then Hunter saw a shadow move in the doorway. Lightning fast, he reached out and grabbed his gun. He aimed. “Freeze!”

But the shadow didn’t freeze. He raced inside, wearing a bright, yellow poncho, and his glove-covered hands shoved back the poncho’s hood that had been over his head. “What in the hell? What did you do?”

“Stay back!” Hunter kept one hand on Rochelle’s throat. I’m not helping her. I got here too late. The floor is soaked with her blood. She bled and bled and…

How long had she been bleeding?

The killer had got her carotid, that was clear, but—t

“What did you do?” Jonah took a lunging step forward, and he grabbed for the holster on his hip. “Drop your weapons, now!” Jonah raised his gun.

Hunter leapt to his feet. “Drop yours!”

But Jonah shook his head. “Fuck, no. I’ve played this scene before. I know how it ends.”

“Jonah…” Shelby was beside Hunter. Her gun aimed at the cop, too. “Kimber told us what happened. Drop your gun. It’s over! We know—we know what you did!”

“You don’t know shit—” Jonah’s weapon swung to aim at her.

Hunter immediately moved in front of Shelby. Rochelle’s blood covered his fingers as he held his gun in place. “You were working with Nate. Together, you and Nate killed all those people years ago. And you’ve been killing again.”

“You’re fucking insane!” Jonah snarled. Raindrops rolled down his face. “Last time I’m saying this…drop your weapon or I shoot you!”

A shrieking alarm pierced the air—a fire alarm blaring because the burning patties on the grill had just ignited. Jonah jerked at the shriek, and his gun blasted. The bullet slammed into Hunter’s shoulder, but he was already firing his own weapon. Two fast explosions.

Hunter’s bullets sank into Jonah’s chest.

Jonah fired again even as he fell. The bullet ripped across Hunter’s leg.

Jonah slammed into the kitchen floor.

Hunter flew forward. He kicked Jonah’s dropped gun out of the way.

Jonah stared up at him with wild eyes. “Gonna…finish me?”

“No, asshole,” Hunter snarled. “I’m gonna get your cop friends to arrest you. You’ll be prosecuted for what you’ve done.” With his left hand, Hunter yanked out his phone. “You’ll rot in jail and wind up on death row with your buddy, Nate.” His right hand kept a tight hold on his gun. The left shoved his phone to his ear. He’d already dialed nine-one-one.

“Didn’t…didn’t…” Jonah couldn’t seem to say more. Probably because of the two bullets he’d taken.

“Nine-one-one…” The operator began in Hunter’s ear.

He glared down at Jonah. “You probably got a call on this already…” Because surely Kimber had called from the vehicle outside, using Shelby’s phone? “But I need those responding officers of yours to haul ass and hurry to Rochelle’s diner.” He rushed out the address. “Got two vics down and I just shot the perp⁠—”

“Not…perp…” Jonah’s breath heaved raggedly. “There’s…body…outside—go look!”

Shelby edged toward the back door, the gun still gripped in her hand. “Is there another victim out there? Is that what you’re saying, Jonah? Did you hurt someone else?”

If he had, they’d find that vic, as soon as backup arrived.

“We know what you did to Kimber,” Hunter blasted as he glared at a bleeding Jonah.