Page 97 of Jameson’s Salvation

“No, we’re assuming he’s coming here to tie up loose ends. Which if you think about is a good thing. Now Jonny has access to him. He’ll pick him up and question him.”

“He’s here to kill you or me. We fucked up Reggie’s plan, which means I screwed him over.”

“Not gonna happen. He won’t even see one pretty hair on your head. You and your mom will be at the office tucked away nice and safe.”

“And you? Where will you be?”

“Hunting.” A wolfish smile spread across Jameson’s face. “Holden will stay with you and the rest of us will help Jonny track Gary.”

“He wants to—” Kennedy’s voice had raised in both volume and octave.

“First, I’m not worried about some cocksucker getting the drop on me. I have years of experience on him. And, second, do you think Weston, Chasin, or Nixon would let him get close to me?”

“Bullets don’t care about experience, Jameson. I won’t…I can’t lose you.”

“You. Are. Never. Going to lose me.” Jameson punctuated his words. “Jonny needs help. That’s why he deputized us, remember? The sheriff’s office doesn’t have the manpower. He needs all hands on deck.”

“Promise you’ll be careful?” Kennedy still didn’t sound happy or convinced.

“I promise. Get dressed.”

He leaned down and gave her a hard and fast closed-mouth kiss and rolled again to get out of bed.

If Gary was headed to Kent County, they had forty-five minutes before he’d arrive. Ten minutes had been shaved off that before Jonny had called, and five more talking to Kennedy. They only had thirty minutes to form a plan.

Piece of cake. They’d adapted mission objectives in less time than that.

* * *

“McKenna has the monitors off, right?” Jameson triple-checked.

“Yes,” Nixon answered on a frustrated grunt. “Three times I’ve confirmed.”

Jameson ignored his friend’s irritation and fought the urge to verify that McKenna was clear she wasn’t to turn them on.

Weston, Nixon, Chasin, Jonny, and Jameson were back at Kennedy’s. They’d left Holden at the office to watch over Kennedy, McKenna, Lola, and Janice. Just in case they were wrong, the women needed protection. What they didn’t need was to be watching the camera feed from Kennedy’s house. Jameson knew Nixon didn’t want his woman watching what was about to go down anymore than he did. Everything should run smooth and be over in a matter of minutes, but Jameson knew shit could go sideways as quick as lightning.

“You’re sure Gary’s gonna show up here?” Jonny asked.

“It’s six in the morning,” Jameson reminded him. “Where else would he go? Gary has no ties to KC expect for Reggie who is locked up in the detention center. Visiting hours don’t start until three. The banks don’t open until nine. And his lawyer who drew up the business agreement is in Delaware, so he’s not seeking legal counsel. You have a deputy parked down the street from Lois Coleman’s house and Deloris Marshall’s in case he pays them a visit.”

“What about one of the men Reggie was blackmailing?”

“Reggie was blackmailing. Not Gary,” Weston took over the clarification. “Gary’s scot-free on that charge. There’s no proof he had any involvement. But, if he wants to salvage the business he still needs Jameson out of the way and Kennedy to fold. Besides that, Gary’s pissed. No doubt he wants a little revenge, too. And you read McKenna’s report on Earle, people around him who deny him what he wants mysteriously wind up dead. He’s coming here.”

Jonny nodded his understanding and Jameson looked back out the window, scanning Kennedy’s front yard. His truck and hers were the only two in the driveway. All the lights were off in the house and by all accounts it would look like the occupants were still sleeping.

A black Cadillac CT6-V pulled into Kennedy’s drive and Jameson tightened his jaw. The driver exited the vehicle and silently closed the door. It wasn’t surprising the short, slightly rounded man drove a ninety-thousand-dollar Caddy with blacked-out windows and five-hundred and fifty horsepower under the hood. Power. Class. And wealth. He’d need his car to convey all of the things he lacked in stature, build, and looks.

He was a fraud. A bully who was used to getting his way.

Silently, the men all slipped into their hiding places and waited for Gary to make his move. They’d made it easy for him and had left the front door unlocked. No sense in wasting time seeing if he could pick it or spending money if he damaged the door.

Breaking and entering was breaking and entering, even if you didn’t actually break something to enter a home that was not yours.

The door creaked open and shut with a click. Jameson couldn’t help but think what an idiot both Reggie and Gary were. If the car pulling up wouldn’t have woken him up, the door would’ve. Like amateurs they’d not done their homework on Jameson. A simple background check on him would’ve shown he’d served in the military—even if his affiliation with the Special Warfare Command was suppressed, they’d still know he was dangerous. Yet, they were cocky and stupid.

With the curtains closed the room was mostly dark. Gary’s frame was still in shadow and Jameson itched for the man to hurry. They couldn’t move until they had a clear view of the man to see if he was armed.