Page 53 of Final Inning

She had her keys in one hand and her service weapon and holster slung over her shoulder. And half a bag of apples. She would never eat them before they all went bad—but Ruth was a vegan. And she’d appreciate it.

Hagan opened her door and stepped out onto the porch.

As a dark shadow slammed into her from the side. And fire, pure fire, rushed down her back and shoulder.

She felt the pain before she heard the sound of the contact.

She screamed.

Hagan dropped everything she held. Her weapon—she needed her weapon.

“You bitch. You ruin everything, Hagan. You ruin everything!”

Hagan rolled to her left. Before the bat could strike her again.

She did everything she could to get out of the way.

Hagan just wasn’t fast enough.

Chapter 41

Valeria called him. Of course she called him. Uncle Ted always cleaned things up for her. Made things better. It was part of the deal. They had made the deal when she’d been thirteen. Uncle Ted took care of things for her, and she took care of things for him.

That was the price she’d had to pay. There was always a price. Always.

“You can’t have him. Julian…Julian is supposed to be mine. I deserve him. You don’t. You aren’t good enough, Hagan. You just aren’t good enough.”

Valeria looked at Hagan. She wasn’t so pretty now. Except…the red was always such a pretty color.

Their uniforms eleven years ago had been blood red. That red right there.

With black trim and white letters and numbers on the jersey.

She had been number thirteen. Harper had been number forty-four. They had gotten to pick their numbers. Thirteen had been special to her.

That was how old she had been when she’d first made her team. When she had first played softball. Thirteen.

She almost turned to Hagan and hit her with the bat. Thirteen more times. But…she needed to make this go away, for that she needed Uncle Ted.

She really needed him now.

“Uncle Ted, please. I need your help. This is the last time I’ll ask. Please.”

“I am coming, honey. I am on my way.”

Uncle Ted would make it better. He always had before.

Chapter 42

Miranda hated the rain. It made Buckbert look even darker and more sinister. This was one small town she did not like one bit. She pulled into the complex where Hagan lived and looked around. Hagan had said she had the unit at the far back. It looked like every generic complex Miranda had ever seen. Probably built in the Nineties, yellow sandstone bricks abounded. Talk about builder-grade, but Hagan had said there weren’t many other rental units in town.

Miranda was surprised there was even this one. Five buildings, three units each. Cars in the lot told her the socioeconomic status of the occupants. There wasn’t a lot of economic opportunity here. Unless people were willing to drive—probably out of county. Or even state. Texas was not that far away—if the money was good. She’d lay money on the fact that most of Hagan’s neighbors worked at the local plastics factory or in the service industry.

There was a black SUV parked in the extra spot that would have been reserved for Hagan’s unit. It was parked sideways—well over the lines. At an awkward angle. Miranda eyed it.

The engine was running.

With the driver’s door standing wide open.