Shotgun Justice

“We call. Now. She needs to be warned.” And Garrison needs to be kept in the dark.

“The state’s attorney informed the sheriff as soon as we knew about the threat.”

“Who else is on the protection detail?”

“Did I mention a detail? One riot, one ranger. That’s our motto. Right?” Parker stood, looking ready to dismiss Jesse. “You’ll be coordinating with the county sheriff. Keep the element of surprise on your side. You know the hit man is coming. He doesn’t know about you. Handle it.”

“Of course, sir. I’ll catch the next available flight.”

“Vivian arranged a private flight to Amarillo that leaves as soon as you arrive. Then a rental car. We’ve got Tenoreno on lockdown, but somehow he’s getting directives to his men.” Josh Parker picked up a stack of papers and tapped them into a neat pile. “Did I ever tell you why you have Garrison as a partner here?”

“We both knew it was improbable.” The suspicions he’d had for eight months were going to be confirmed. The major waited. “You mean why it’s me and Garrison. Not me and Avery.”

“Exactly. You’ve had a relationship with her. A close one, from what I gathered. You didn’t lie to cover it up. If you had...”

“If I had, sir, none of us would be rangers.”

“That’s true.” He nodded his agreement.

It was a fact. He was the reason Avery hadn’t become a Texas Ranger. Somewhere while they were being secret, kissing in corners, or sneaking glances at each other... Someone had seen them.

When asked about it at the end of their training, he’d come clean. Avery had discovered she wasn’t selected, then said the Texas Rangers was an old-boy organization and would never consider her good enough. Well, he’d known she’d never forgive him for what he’d said in the interview.

Of course, she didn’t know and she’d left anyway.

“This isn’t the time to rebuild bridges. There’s no evidence that will help you pick out the Snake Eyes Killer. He’s good at what he does. Killing. You’re there to protect Deputy Avery Travis. It’s not going to be easy. If it were, a ranger wouldn’t be needed. Go on. Vivian’s waving information for you on the other side of the door.” Parker opened the first file, ready to get to work. “And, Jesse, remember, we want to interrogate the man hired to kill her. Try not to kill him.”

“Always up for the challenge, sir.”

If he survived the assault of the green-eyed deputy he was being sent to protect, he might be able to capture Snake Eyes.

Definite challenge.

Dalhart, Texas

AVERY TRAVIS IGNORED the readout on her radar gun. Five miles over the speed limit was forgivable in her opinion. She’d told herself for months that sitting here wasn’t a speed trap. Drivers had enough time to slow down before they reached her spot at the tractor store.

Or they slowed down as soon as they spotted her. It was the ones who ignored both that she’d stop for a ticket.

Midweek shifts were easy to hate. Especially in the middle of the night on a Texas Panhandle road. But it was her turn. Life was totally different here as a Dalhart deputy after four wasted years trying to become a Texas Ranger.

Her brother was the one fighting real criminals. He’d uncovered evidence against one of the biggest crime bosses in the state. Garrison rescued witnesses, saved the day and who knew what else. The anger was building up again. It was definitely easier to tap it back into place, buried under the surface of everything job related.

Safe zone. Find a safe place to park all this emotion.

Knowing what to do and accomplishing it were definitely different, but she’d manage. Her self-improvement tapes would be easier to understand the second time through. But if she began listening to one tonight, she’d fall asleep.

This. Is. Boring. With a capital B, boring after being posted in Austin. No, after working anywhere.

An occasional flat tire. Watch a lot of shooting stars. Watch a lot of dust. Watch a lot of snow. Watch a lot of grass grow. Did she mention giving a ride to an occasional driver with a flat? Yep. Boring in every sense of the word.

“Car two-twenty-two. You around, Avery?” Julie Dunks’s perky voice broke the silence. “Are you still out on Highway 385 at the Supply Company?”

“Where else would I be, Julie? I always tell you when I go on break or move locations.”

“Oh good. But you know Bo sometimes doesn’t bother to tell me. Sheriff Dan always takes a break when his coffee kicks in—if you know what I mean. So it’d be understandable if you did the same while you’re out and about. I know you drink coffee.”

“You switched me to tea.” She yawned, wishing for some coffee.

“Did I tell you what Miss Wags did this morning? That terrorizing little diva wouldn’t let me leave the house today without feeding her a bacon treat. Isn’t that just too cute?”

“Julie, was there a reason you needed me?”

“Why, yes, there is.”

“And...”

“Oh. Right. You had a visitor here looking for you. He said he was a family friend. Pretty nice lookin,’ if you ask me. Of course, you didn’t ask, but I didn’t think that would matter.”

A good-looking family friend could mean only one person. Jesse Ryder. Avery was forced to listen. She couldn’t interrupt Julie on a two-way radio. Besides, what else did she have to do?

As Julie kept being her natural chatty self, Avery tuned her out and wondered what had gone wrong. What or who would force Lieutenant Jesse Ryder to come barging into her life? Barging all the way up here to the Texas Panhandle?

It wasn’t fair. She’d left Austin and Waco behind because she’d been upset for being passed over. But it was also because everywhere she looked there was a memory of her with the man. Memories she no longer wanted to think about. If he was coming to see her...there would be images of him at the café to haunt her mind every time she ate there.

Then at the Main Street Motel—where he would definitely spend the night, because he wasn’t staying with her. Each time she passed it, she would imagine seeing his car return for another visit.

“No way he’s staying with me.” She released the talk button and sank in her seat, knowing that Julie had heard her.

“What was that, Avery? Actually, he said he was on his way to find you. Isn’t that excitin’? He couldn’t wait until the morning when your shift ends.”

“Thanks for letting me know, Julie. Over and out.”

Jesse was on his way? To her? Right here at her favorite spot? Well, she wouldn’t be here. Her future would not be parking here night after night and picturing him sitting on the hood of her patrol car.

Nope. No way. No how.

She’d arrest him. Throw him in jail. He’d had her boss do it to her three months ago when Garrison got in trouble. Now, that was a good place she could picture Jesse...behind bars.

The second favorite place to park and wait for speeders was a little over two miles down the road. If she hurried, she could be waiting on Jesse as he sped past. This was going to be a blast.

A few minutes later she parked and took out the radar gun, pointing it toward town. It wouldn’t take him long if he’d left right before Julie checked in with her. But she waited and kept waiting. Maybe he’d changed his mind.

No headlights. It was more likely that he’d stopped at the motel first. And less likely that Jesse would get caught in her speed trap.

Disappointment. Plain and simple disappointment. Maybe she could give him a ticket for jaywalking tomorrow. Or maybe vagrancy. Something obscure where he’d never agree to pay the fine. Then off to jail he’d go.

Before Avery cut the engine, she lowered the window, letting the fresh summer air into the car. She leaned her head back after readying the radar gun on the dash. The stars were sparkling on a blanket of black. Her plan about limiting where Jesse created memories was completely shot now.

She’d remember him here because she thought about him here. In the jail, in the back of her patrol car and the same places she always thought of him. Just about everywhere.

“What I need more than anything else is to learn how to live with Jesse around. As long as he’s Garrison’s best friend, he’s going to be in my life.” She closed her eyes and let out a long soulful sigh, continuing her lonely conversation. “This is my life. I’ve worked hard to become independent, but I refuse to live in isolation any longer, because I’m petulant. I can be an adult about this.”

On a clear night like this, she could see a vehicle miles away. Out of nowhere, headlights were on the highway from the opposite direction. A local heading to town for an emergency?

She pointed the radar, placed her foot on the brake and shifted the car into Drive—ready to perform her duty. Ninety-two flashed in red. High school kids on a dare or a rancher in serious need of an escort to Keen Hospital in town. Either way required her deputy services.

The car lurched forward, the radar gun dropped to the seat and she flipped the lights on in one smooth motion as she raced after the speeder. She followed less than a minute when the car pulled onto the shoulder. The tags were obscured by mud.

It might not be Jesse, but it was a little bit of work. Anything was better than being bored.

Chapter Three

The car pulled over well onto the grass at the side of the road. Plenty of blacktop was to their left as her vehicle lit up the area in red, white and blue. Avery ran the tag number, found it was a rental and got out of her truck.

What were the odds of two visitors in separate cars showing up in Dalhart within the same hour? Extremely high. If something had happened to Garrison, Jesse would come to take her home. But two cars?

The tiny hairs on the back of her neck were prickling. Avery unsnapped the thumb break on her sidearm holster. The door opened and a man swung one leg and then the other from the vehicle.

How pathetic of her...she recognized his boots. Relaxing a little during the seconds it took Jesse Ryder to unfold his tall body from the sports car, she snapped the thumb break back into place. Why hadn’t he phoned? It still irritated her that she didn’t know why he’d come in person.

Irritated or scared. The feelings caused similar nerves to gurgle in her stomach. Or maybe anticipation because...

Lord have mercy, he looks good. Bo and Derek were attractive young men. But they had nothing on Jesse. Six foot two, dark walnut hair that was neat and close to his head. She’d looked into those mischievous brown eyes before. Looking again wasn’t going to resolve any problem. He was lean, with shoulders wide enough to make her feel small. And she wasn’t.

At six feet minus an inch—as her mother referred to her—she was not small by any means. Not as tall as her brother, but she’d learned to be as strong as possible. Jesse got partial credit for that. They’d always gone toe-to-toe in wrestling or racing or even at the shooting range.

“Do you know how fast you were going?”

He wrinkled his brow, looking concerned. His eyes were searching the landscape. Didn’t he know there was nothing around? Maybe a couple of cows or deer, but no threats.

“I think it was close to eighty or eighty-five. What are you doing out here without backup, Avery?”

The ice around her heart melted a little at the sound of her name. It was so good to see him. And so embarrassing. “That’s well over the speed limit.” She took a defensive stance, stabilizing her shaking knees. “What are you doing here?”

Her heart shook a little at the possibilities. He didn’t look as though he was bearing bad news. But if he wasn’t, then why had he come?

“Can’t a guy visit a friend?”

He was lying. She’d known him too long not to hear the warble in his voice. The one she’d recognized as he said being with her was great.

“We’re not friends anymore. I haven’t returned any of your calls. A Texas Ranger like yourself would be able to pick up on that clue. So why are you here?”

“Vacation?”

“Are you asking me if you’re on vacation? Like I’d ever believe that. You’ve never taken a vacation. And your first wouldn’t be to Dallam County.”

“Okay, you got me.” The smile left his face and his demeanor changed. “Enough kidding around. You seriously don’t have backup? We need to get you secured.”

“Secured? What’s happened?”

“I’d rather talk about it at the sheriff’s office. Let’s go.” He extended his hand her direction and she flinched. He looked shocked. She didn’t have a memory of that expression on his face before.

Had she really never surprised him by following her own mind? Wow, I really was desperate if I never disagreed with him about anything.

“I asked you a question, Mr. Ryder. What business do you have in Dalhart?”

His handsomely chiseled face searched the road both directions. “I’d rather talk to you in private back at county.”

“In case you didn’t notice...” She expanded her arms into the darkness lit by only her patrol lights. “This is pretty private. If you refuse to cooperate, I’m going to have to take you in.”

Okay, she knew it was a stretch and she really didn’t have any reason to haul his backside to jail. But he deserved it. She remembered the three days of no privacy behind bars. Three days of trying to occupy the time by pretending to read a book. But most of all, the three days of being worried sick about her twin.

The moonlight made her rarely used handcuffs sparkle when she pulled them from their pouch. “Turn around and put your hands on the car.”

“You’re not arresting me.” He laughed, throwing back his head. Then he focused on her and squinted when she took a step forward. “Wait a minute... You are arresting me?” He took a step back, something on his belt clinking when it hit the rental. “What did I do? I’m here in an official capacity, Avery. You know I am.”

Avery hadn’t heard Jesse’s voice this high-pitched since it changed in the seventh grade. She covered the laugh, trying to escape by clearing her throat as she pulled his left hand down and snapped the handcuffs around his wrist. “You’re refusing to cooperate. I don’t see that you’ve given me any choice.”

“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.

The fingernail against the metal roof stopped. He heard her feet crunching gravel, then the click of the radio as she walked away. The duffel he’d packed was lifted from the trunk and dropped to the ground.

“Check inside,” he told her. If she did, she’d see his weapons. She’d know he was telling the truth.

She ignored his command to look, locked the car and engaged the alarm. There wasn’t anything else he could do at this point. He had to wait to have his story verified by Sheriff Myers.

And he had to keep his mouth shut. He couldn’t afford to tick her off any more—as evidenced by her fast and false arrest. She needed him whether she liked it or not.

“Julie, I’m coming in with a... ETA is six minutes. Out.”

“That’s great. I’ll let everybody know.”

“Could you ask her to have the sheriff meet us there? I’m sure he’ll be able to straighten out this whole mess.”

“No.”

“Dammit, Avery. Enough is enough. I’ve got a job to do.”

“It’s not up to me. Dan’s in Dallas. His daughter just had a baby. He won’t be back for another four days.”

“When did he leave?”

“Three days ago.”

No one from the State’s Attorney’s Office had explained the situation to the Dallam County Sheriff’s Department. Hell. He was on his own.

“Elf Face?”

“Stop calling me that.” She shifted back and forth uncomfortably in her seat as she buckled up.

“You’re not really going to put me in jail. Are you?”

“You bet your last dollar I’m going to. Of course, the cell isn’t as comfy as Dan made mine, but it’s not bad. Hardly any privacy, but that shouldn’t bother you. Right?” She pulled onto the deserted highway and pushed the gas to the floor. “I mean, you don’t care for anyone’s privacy. Or their private life. Or things like suggesting their boss incarcerate them for their own good. Things like that are second nature to you. They don’t bother you at all.”

Jesse closed his eyes and let her rip into him, knowing he was the only person around who could save her life. She was going to force him to take that night in jail. He’d be lucky if he didn’t receive life in prison for wanting to hug a deputy.

Chapter Four

There she was... Avery Travis had returned early to process a prisoner. A Texas Ranger prisoner. How fun was that?

The foot traffic in and out of the county jail was higher than Snake Eyes had anticipated. A point in his favor that his employer hadn’t put a rush on the job. He’d have to get creative with this one...a deputy and the additional bonus of a real Texas Ranger.