Searching (PAVAD- FBI Romantic Suspense Book 18) by Calle Brookes (guided reading books txt) 📗

Jac’s bullet hit the mark. Just like she’d learned to do as a young girl no more than thirteen. Only they weren’t using paintball bullets now.

Eugene Lytel took the shot—right between his eyes.

Just like Andy had.

Lytel dropped. His hand tightened reflexively on his own weapon.

Lytel’s shot went wide, shattering the patio door. Glass rained down around the dog snarling so viciously right there.

Kudos whimpered and ran, disappearing into the yard.

Nat was on the ground beneath the bastard’s body. Jac kicked the man’s gun across the floor, calling her sister’s name.

It took Nat a moment to answer. “I’m ok. But he’s crushing me. The man weighs a ton. Especially now. Dead weight. Literally here.”

There was a slightly hysterical undertone to her sister’s words.

Jac grabbed Lytel’s arm and heaved, not caring about respecting the dead.

Not now.

She rolled him off her little sister and yanked Nat into her arms.

“Thank God. You’re ok.”

“I’m good. But…I told you pink carpet was just going to stain someday. You should have gone with the hard wood.”

121

Max and the three agents he’d commandeered, plus the director, arrived just in time to see Jac’s neighbors rushing out of their house.

To see a blood covered Kudos streak across the front of Jaclyn’s yard.

He yelled to Stephenson to grab the dogs. Then he was moving, weapon drawn.

He jumped over the small hedges and ran toward the front door.

Just as it opened.

And there she was.

His heart.

There was blood on her. She had her Glock in her hand. Had her younger sister by her side.

Nat was covered in blood.

Already calling for her dogs.

“Glad you’re here. We handled things. He’s inside,” Nat said. “Ruining that hideous pink carpet.”

That was it.

Made of steel. Jaclyn and Natalie Jones were made of steel.

Max opened his arms, not caring about evidence or the blood covering the woman he loved.

“I love you, Jaclyn Jones. It’s about time I said that loud enough for the world to hear.”

She sent him a shaky smile. She came close enough to lean her head against his chest. “I don’t want to ruin that shirt. I bought it for you, and have always loved it on you, remember.”

His fingers sank into her hair. Told her again.

Just as Malachi Brockman came up on the porch behind them. “Hate to tell you this, but the whole world already knows how you feel about her. Have for years. Get her back to PAVAD; get her and her sister processed. Then take a vacation. I think the two of you have earned it.”

That sounded like a good idea to Max.

Nat returned, two woven leashes in her hand. “I need to get him to the vet. He’s got some cuts from the glass. And I think he was grazed by that forty-cal.”

“We’ll take him back to PAVAD, Nat. Shayna can take a look at him. She has her veterinary license. We’ll take care of him there,” Max said. She would be concerned for her dogs now.

And would break down later.

Just like her older sister.

Max wanted both of them were he could see them, protect them. Until they knew for certain that this was over.

122

She was still shaking. Jac probably would be for a while. But Nat was safe, Jac was safe—and the man who had killed Andy Anderson would never hurt anyone again. “Lytel confessed to shooting Andy.”

“We’ll talk about it back at PAVAD. Right now…I want to get you and Nat out of those bloodstained clothes and have Jules or Mia take a look at you.”

Nat was at her side. Karma pressed close to Jac’s leg. She couldn’t let the dog get too close—her clothes would be evidence, though she hadn’t gotten close to Lytel until after he was dead.

When she’d pulled the man’s corpse off her baby sister.

Jac checked Nat one more time. There were nightmares in her sister’s green eyes. “You ok?”

“Yes. Shaken, but I’ll live. Do you think what he said about the colonel was true?”

“Which part?” Jac asked. She hadn’t focused on his words, just on his gun and getting him where she needed.

“All of it? Any of it? The part about me not being the colonel’s?”

“I’m not sure. We’ll have to figure out the answer to that later.” She wanted to hug her sister, but didn’t. They were both evidence at the moment. Even though it was most likely on video, PAVAD would want the physical evidence to support what had happened here today.

Jac was never going to live in this house again.

She just couldn’t.

Max had her hand in his. “Come on. Let’s go. PAVAD’s waiting.”

Jac just looked at him. Emotion shot straight through her. “I knew you’d come for us, for me, by the way.”

“I always will. No matter what.”

“I know.” Jac tightened her fingers around his. “I love you, too, you know. We’ll figure out what happens next later.”

“I’m going to hold you to that.”

123

Miranda was waiting at the front of the CCU bullpen, Knight hovering behind her. She wasn’t moving until her best friend was back where she belonged. Safe.

Word had gone out that Lytel was pronounced dead at the scene. A part of Miranda knew she should have some regret for that—she’d known and worked with the man for years—but word had also spread that he had been responsible for the death of Andy Anderson.

Miranda had heard that on the audio from Jac’s phone as well.

Lytel was a cold-blooded killer. She was glad he wasn’t in the world any longer.

Loud cheers went up when a small crowd of people, including the director finally entered the bullpen.

Jac and Nat were behind them. Wearing PAVAD coveralls and their hair in matching pony-tails.

Processing was finished, then.

Miranda bit back a gaspy sob. She was a professional. She couldn’t fall apart just because something had happened to Jac.

“You two are ridiculously close, aren’t you?”

“She’s my best friend, Knight. Haven’t you ever had one of those?” She shot him an annoyed look. It was easier to be annoyed at Knight than weepy over Jac and Nat.

“I used to. Your new friend