Chapter 29
Sawyer
Watching Ryan marched out of here in chains should have perked my mood up, but there’s a heaviness on my shoulders. A twisting in my gut that says we’re missing something.
I’m sure it’s just the lack of sleep that has me feeling this way, but I know I won’t feel completely at ease until things start going back to normal. It’ll be a long journey, but I hope that, with this closure, Anastasia and Weston can heal.
“You doing okay, Cowboy?”
“Better now that I got to see your handiwork.” He grins over at me, so I look down at my bruised knuckles.
“I’m just sorry they pulled me off first.”
He chuckles softly. “Killing him would have felt good in the moment, but long term, it would have weighed on the both of us,” he says. “This way, he’ll be rotting away in some cell, thinking about how he failed.”
Reaching into my pocket, I withdraw my cell phone to text Anastasia.
Me: Just leaving the station. I’ll pick up lunch for us and Momma Knox, then be by. Don’t make plans for tonight. We’re going on that date.
After shoving the phone back into my pocket, I withdraw my key fob and unlock my truck.
“Sawyer! Weston!”
We both turn as Leopold and half a dozen officers come pouring from the station. My stomach plummets as adrenaline kicks into overdrive.
“What is it?”
“Shots fired outside of Linda’s place. Officer Shultz is down,” he replies. “Witnesses say they saw Jack chasing Anastasia down the street.”
“Jack?” Every single bit of unease I ever felt around the man slams into me in full force. No. It can’t be. I couldn’t have been that wrong…right?
Leopold’s expression darkens even further. “They say he shot her.”
There are no words to describe the way those words hit me. But the closest I can get is the feeling I imagine would follow the sun falling from the sky.
That dark realization that the entire world is over.
That everything you ever knew is gone.
“Is she alive?” Weston demands.
“I don’t know. Witnesses are all over the place. Dispatch was having trouble keeping up.”
“Captain Leopold. EMS is on scene. Officer down. One civilian inside the house.”
One civilian. “Linda. Is she okay? Did he hurt her?” Fresh rage surges through me.
I’m going to kill him.
I am going to destroy Jack Weathers until there is nothing left.
“You’re learning it as I am. We’re headed over there now. Ride with me.” He rushes down toward his patrol car, and Weston and I follow. By the time we’ve climbed into Leopold’s car, Weston has already put the entire team on high alert and let Zane know his mother is injured and his sister has been shot.
How could this have happened? Jack? Why would he have shot her? Why would he— “It was him the whole time. Call the transport that took Ryan. We need him back here.” If they were working together, then we need to know.
If Ryan was just an easy plant, then we need to know.
Either way, we need that monster back here as badly as we need Jack in chains.
