It had to stop.
Michael lowered his binoculars. He’d hoped that Hez would give up after the judge granted the adoption petition. But then, he’d had the same hope when he handed Hez those pictures of Martine and him. And when he fired shots into Hez’s condo the night before a key hearing. And when his men put Hez in the hospital with a near-fatal brain bleed.
The guy wouldn’t give up. He couldn’t be bullied. He refused to stay down despite repeated beatings in and out of the courtroom. He just kept coming. Michael admired that, but he couldn’t tolerate it.
Besides, Jess’s death needed to be avenged.
Michael shoved the binoculars in his truck’s glove compartment and put the vehicle in gear. He drove to the back of the woods behind his house and turned onto an old logging road. Two hundred yards in, he stopped and tapped his horn three times in quick succession.
A few seconds later, Jimbo appeared among the thin-trunked pines holding a pistol and eyeing the truck warily. He’d been hiding in the woods while Michael arranged for him to be smuggled out of the country. “I thought the truck takin’ me to Mexico didn’t leave ’til tomorrow night.”
“Change of plans.” Michael pointed to the passenger door. “Get in.”
Jimbo shrugged and climbed into the truck. “Where we goin’?”
“We’re feeding the gators again. Slouch back so no one sees your face.”
Jimbo slumped in his seat and turned away from the window as Michael pulled back onto the county road and drove toward campus. If someone glanced in through the windshield, Jimbo would be impossible to identify.
Michael pulled into the TGU parking lot and drove slowly along the rows of vehicles, scanning for Hez’s. There it was, parked in a shady spot near the back and away from any security cameras—and Hez was still in it, doing something on his phone. Perfect.
Michael nudged Jimbo. “Our guy is in the silver GMC. We need to get him in my truck and take him out to the swamp, just like last time.”
They parked behind Hez’s truck, jumped out, and ran to the driver’s door, guns drawn. Michael yanked open the door. “Get out! Leave your phone and watch in your truck. And give me your gun, butt first.”
Hez’s eyes went wide with shock, then narrowed as he focused on Michael. His gaze flicked to Jimbo and recognition dawned on his face. He looked back at Michael. “What do you want?”
“We’re going for a drive. Get out now!”
Hez sighed. “Okay.” He took off his watch and tossed it and his phone onto the seat of his truck. Then he pulled out his gun and held it out butt-first. As Michael reached for it, Hez flipped it around with a flick of his wrist.
Michael hadn’t expected Hez to go without a fight. He jumped to the side and slapped at the gun, throwing off Hez’s aim. A shot erupted from Hez’s pistol, but the bullet buried itself in the asphalt rather than Michael’s chest.
Jimbo grabbed Hez’s wrist and yanked him out of the car.Michael sucker punched the lawyer, stunning him long enough for them to take his pistol and shove him into the back seat of Michael’s truck. Michael scanned the area as he got into the cab. No one in sight.
Hez came to as Michael pulled out of the parking lot. Michael glanced in the rearview mirror to make sure Jimbo had everything under control. Hez struggled for a moment, but Jimbo held his arm in an iron grip and jammed his gun into Hez’s ribs. Hez winced and stopped fighting. He met Michael’s gaze in the mirror. “Okay, we’re going for a drive. What do you want?”
“You killed my daughter.”
Hez’s brows furrowed in confusion. “You think I blew up my own car?”
“You knew the bomb was in it and you gave Jess the keys.”
Hez shook his head. “I had no idea there was a bomb in the car. If I did, I would’ve called the police.”
“Then why did you leave it sitting in the lot for weeks?”
“I couldn’t drive.” Hez tapped the left side of his skull. “Your guys put me in the hospital, remember? No driving for three months.”
Michael’s knuckles whitened on the wheel. “You knew it was there! You’ve figured out everything—you must’ve figured out that too. You knew Jess set you up and tried to keep you and Savannah apart. You knew she put TGU in bankruptcy. So you killed her in a way that kept your hands completely clean. You’re a smart guy, Counsel. Stop playing dumb!”
“I’m not like you, Michael.” Disgust and controlled rage filled Hez’s voice. “I didn’t kill your daughter—but you did kill mine.”
“I didn’t kill Ella.”
“Liar!”
Michael looked in the mirror. Hez’s eyes glared back at him, full of blue fire. The man had a gun in his ribs and must know where they were taking him, but he wasn’t sweating or begging for his life. He was furious and spitting insults.
