Shotgun Justice

“I’ve done nothing but cooperate. I didn’t have to stop, you know. I only did because I thought it might be you.” He slipped around to face her. “No one’s going to believe that I didn’t cooperate.”

“This—” she pointed to him facing her instead of remaining where he was against the car “—this is not cooperating, Ranger Ryder.”

“I can understand if you’re still angry about the last time we saw each other. We’ve never really gotten a chance to talk about what happened. Unfortunately, we don’t have time now except for an apology. You would have had one sooner if you’d returned my calls.” Jesse placed his hands on either side of her waist and began to lean closer.

“That’s it.” She knocked his hand away, stepped to the side, whipped his arm behind him and forced him to kneel. “Nobody goes for my weapon and doesn’t go straight to a cell.”

“I wasn’t going for your weapon and you know it.”

“Well, we’ll just see what the judge has to say. Your word against mine. And I live here.”

“Avery, I’m a Texas Ranger, for gosh sakes. This ludicrous charge will never stick. It’s not going to keep me from doing my job while I’m here. As soon as Sheriff Myers finds out I’ve arrived—”

“Oh, don’t give me that, Jesse. Julie told me you were asking about me at the office.”

His body stiffened. Something changed in his posture. He seemed worried or anxious. “Let go, Avery. This has gone far enough. I don’t want to hurt you, but I will if I have to.” The playfulness was gone from his voice. “Didn’t you get the message about Rosco and the threat?”

She reached for his other hand, but he jerked it away, twisting out of her grasp. “No one’s given me a message and you’re not talking...your way...out of this.” She stuck a knee in the small of his back, taking his chest to the ground.

He was halfway struggling with her now. Only halfway, since she was familiar with what he could do if he put his strength into a shove or his elbow into her gut.

“I’m serious, Avery. Tenoreno put—” Jesse twisted to his back under her. “He hired someone to take you— Ow. Dammit, that hurts.”

“Stop struggling and the cuffs won’t pinch you.” She still had hold of his arm that he’d pulled above his head. She was pulling it back to her when he got very still. It hit her just where she sat—straddled across his lap. She scrambled off. “Get up.”

“Are you still going to arrest me?”

“I owe you a night in jail. Two, actually, if I’m getting technical.”

“I’m serious. Call it in, Avery. I haven’t been to Dalhart yet.”

“Julie said a family friend asked where I was. You’re the only person that could be.”

“Don’t you see? It’s the hit man. We can get a description—”

“Oh, good grief. This is too much, Jesse. You don’t have to lie.”

“They said they called, spoke to the sheriff and explained everything.” He remained on the ground. “I’m going to kill a state official.”

She watched him, aware of his every move. He was tense, waiting for her to make a mistake. Maybe move the wrong way.

“Tenoreno doesn’t care about me. I’m not a witness.” All the anger that she’d been suppressing seemed to bubble up to the surface. “I can’t believe you’d come up here and...and what? What could you possibly want to do? Sabotage my new career?”

“Okay now.” He raised his hands above his chest. “I think you need to calm down.”

Acting like a cop with a perp at her feet, she used her boot to flip him downhill to his chest, swiped his arm behind him and flicked the second handcuff onto his wrist before he could work his way free. “Do. Not. Tell me to calm down.”

* * *

AVERY GROUND HER knee into his kidney as she forced her words between her locked jaws. She was furious, and if he reacted, she’d get hurt.

Deliberate or by mistake, it didn’t matter. He resisted the temptation to buck her onto the road behind them. Her pride had been hurt enough. It probably would be again. But not by him.

“I knew this was a bad idea.” He’d never live this story down if it got out.

“You think?”

“Look, Elf Face—”

“Come on, Jesse. You can’t call me that. Your face is the one in the dirt. I’m in my uniform, for crying out loud. Using my nickname stopped working on me ages ago.”

He didn’t believe that for a minute. She’d already removed her knee and her voice had spunk again instead of anger. So, yeah, using the name worked.

With her knee gone, he rolled uncomfortably to his back. Her voice might have calmed, but the look on her face hadn’t. Intense. Jaded. The anger made her eyes narrow. Of course, they’d been narrowed and upset like that each time she looked at him since they’d slept—well, didn’t sleep—together.

If he explained everything, she wouldn’t listen. He should have called her before he got on the plane. He dialed when he was waiting on the rental car. Somehow telling her over the phone just didn’t seem like a good idea. He’d gone through the pros and cons of telling her.

The cons won out. He simply didn’t trust her not to take matters into her own hands. He’d driven like a race-car driver to get to her side before something happened. Or before she led Snake Eyes into a trap of her own.

“You’re seriously going to put me in jail?”

Her lips turned up in a smile. It was easier to give in. At least she’d be indoors and protected, not running around searching for the man who’d asked about her at the desk. Once he spoke with the sheriff, they could work together to set the ground rules for Avery.

“Let’s get this over with.” He rolled onto the grass again. Loose gravel from the side of the road stuck in his knees as he tried to get up without his hands. “You’ll have to help.”

“It’s pretty funny watching you.”

“Come on, Avery. If our man was at the sheriff’s office, we should get out of here. He might be stalking you right now.” He cursed under his breath for bringing attention to the man bold enough to walk into the county jail. It didn’t matter. Avery ignored the warning and stood strong.

Acting as if it was against her better judgment to touch him, she helped him stand. Hands on the cuffs, she guided him to the patrol car, shoving him inside and locking the doors.

She opened her own and dropped her hat on the passenger seat.

“Will you at least get my stuff? There’s a bag in the trunk. Maybe lock the car, grab the keys. It’s a rental.”

She stood and tapped the roof. Slow taps. One fingernail. He recognized the signal of the internal debate she was having. He remembered when that action became a habit right after her dad had been killed.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

That was when she stopped arguing as much. The more her brother’s feeling had been disguised with charm, the more hers had been pushed down deep. He hadn’t realized it until years later. Way past the point of return. He’d always been in the middle between her and her brother. Their parents called him the peacekeeper.

Some peacekeeper.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Avery and Garrison had been inseparable twins before their father was killed in the line of duty. Afterward, they became fierce competitors. She’d even tried out for the football team with them.

It wasn’t pleasant around the neighborhood when she was forced by her mother to play volleyball. Even if she had been their star player for four years. She was so damn tall it was a given. Didn’t hurt that she could actually spike the ball and scare the other girls from the net.