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“So what if I threatened you?” Rocky snapped, dismissing Jamie with a split-second glance. “I didn’t want you remembering that I was the one who nearly bashed in your brains. I figured the calls would make you shut up.”
“I didn’t know it was you,” Jamie fired back. “Not for sure, anyway. But I’d got to thinking that it could be you and that’s why I wanted to talk to Leigh and Cullen after I got out of the hospital. I wouldn’t have had any proof it was you if you hadn’t kidnapped me.”
“Oh, boo-hoo,” Rocky taunted. “You whiner. Go home to your mommy.”
“Oops,” Bowen said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He stepped on Rocky’s leg. Right in the spot where Bowen had shot him minutes earlier.
Rocky gave a feral howl of pain. But nobody felt sorry for him. And nobody did anything to stop Bowen from adding even more pressure before he finally stepped back.
Leigh stooped down, and she waited until Rocky tore his narrowed gaze from Bowen and moved it back to her. “Who helped you with McNash’s murder and the attacks against Cullen and me?” Leigh demanded. She didn’t sound hateful or filled with anger. She sounded like a cop.
“Nobody,” Rocky spat out. “I didn’t need any help. I’m the one who fired those shots in the woods by Kali’s house.” He paused, winced and dragged in a ragged breath.
“Austin and Kali didn’t work with you?” Leigh pressed.
Despite the obvious pain, Rocky managed a dry, nearly soundless laugh. “No, I didn’t need them. Both of them are stupid. Austin was cheating with Alexa, and Kali was too blind to see what was right in front of her face. Alexa was a viper, ready to ruin anyone who got in her path.” He looked at Cullen. “You were stupid, too, to ever get involved with her.”
“It wasn’t my finest moment,” Cullen admitted. “But you’ve had some damn un-fine moments yourself. You wanted to kill Leigh because she beat you in the election. Because the majority of people in Dark River wanted her and not you for their sheriff. Considering what you’ve done, that was a seriously good decision on their part.”
The light might have been dwindling from Rocky’s eyes, but there was still plenty of bitterness and hatred in them. He looked past them at Jeb. “She shouldn’t have the badge, Jeb. You shouldn’t have the right to call her your daughter. She betrayed you with Cullen.”
“Youbetrayed me,” Jeb said, his voice hard and mean. “I’ll be damned if you’ll die wearing this.” He reached down, tore off Rocky’s badge and handed it to Leigh. “Now, go to hell, where you belong.”
Jeb stepped back, letting the EMTs move in to start treating Rocky. Leigh stepped away, too, heading to Vance, who was making his way to them.
“How are Dawn and Cecile?” she immediately asked.
“They’ll be okay. I had another ambulance come, and they’re both on the way to the hospital.”
Cullen knew Leigh would be checking on her deputies as soon as she could wrap up everything with Rocky. Leigh would also have to deal with some guilt for their injuries, and it wouldn’t matter that it wasn’t her fault. She’d still feel responsible that she hadn’t been able to stop Rocky before he did so much damage.
“We also found a truck near Leigh’s house,” Vance added. “It’s probably the vehicle Rocky used to get here.” He glanced at Rocky. “He tried to kill you?”
Leigh nodded. “And he succeeded in killing Alexa and McNash. He just confessed.”
Vance shook his head, muttered some profanity. “I’m sorry, Leigh,” he said. “So sorry.”
Cullen figured there was some guilt playing into that apology as well. Vance was a good cop, and he’d be kicking himself for not seeing that he’d been working with a dirty one.
“Is Rocky going to live?” Vance asked a moment later.
But the moment the question was out of his mouth, one of the EMTs stood and checked his watch. “Time of death is 9:35. You want me to go ahead and call the ME?”
She gave a weary nod, sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. Steadying herself. Cullen tried to help with that. He went to her, and despite the fact that they had an audience, he pulled her into his arms. Judging from the way she leaned into him, she needed the hug as much as he did.
While Vance dealt with the EMTs and the body, Cullen led Leigh up the back porch steps and into her kitchen. He left the door open though so they could still keep watch of what was going on.
“I’m not going to ask you if you’re okay,” Cullen whispered.
“Good. I won’t ask you, either.” But she did look up at him as if trying to see just how much this had shaken him.
He was shaken all right and could still hear the roar of the truck engine bearing down on them. But flashbacks and bad memories weren’t going to overshadow the good feelings he had about Leigh. That was why he brushed a quick kiss over her mouth. It packed a punch despite being barely more than a peck.
“Should I have seen that Rocky was dirty?” she asked.
Cullen didn’t even have to think about this. “No. Rocky hid the depth of his hatred. Well, until the end when he knew he was caught.”
She stared at him, obviously considering that, and nodded. That nod was a victory and the start of her accepting that what Rocky had done was beyond her control.
