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“But he would’ve had to assume you would go back the way you came.” Gunderson looked between Lio and me. “Is he familiar with your relationship? Would he have guessed you were coming back here?”
Lio shook his head. “Not that I’m aware of, sir. I’m very private, and my officers aren’t privy to my personal life.”
“If he didn’t know for sure where Lio was going, then it was either a lucky guess, or he had help.” While not impossible, it didn’t sound plausible.
“Based on the buck running out into the road, I think we’re looking at a poacher who has disobeyed every hunting law while pursuing the animal.”
While Gunderson’s theory was the most logical, it felt wrong to me. I just couldn’t get past Eads claiming it was lucky he ran into Lio fifteen minutes before someone shot at him. I could tell by Lio’s expression he felt the same way.
“But I promise we’ll do our due diligence. I’ll send a team to scour the area and look for the spent bullet and any shell casings that might be left behind.” Lio gave him the name of the crossroad closest to the shooting, but the shattered glass on the road would pinpoint the exact location. “We’ll look for signs of someone bedding down and waiting to ambush you. I assure you, I’m not taking this lightly. I’ll let Deputy Rodgers finish up while I gather a team to search.”
“Thank you, Sheriff.”
He shook hands with us again before heading out. Deputy Rodgers asked Lio a few more things before she handed him a business card and went outside to take the best pictures she could in the dark. Lio promised to email her better ones in daylight.
Before Rodgers even cleared the porch, Lio had Rigby on speakerphone. What I liked about her the most was that she expressed concern for Lio’s well-being first and foremost before she dug deeper into the incident with Eads.
“I’ll have him brought in for questioning,” she said. “I don’t care if the incident happened in a different jurisdiction. Sometimes it’s better to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission. Do you want to call Alyssa, or should I?” Lio decided it would be better if his ex-wife heard the news directly from him.
“That son of a bitch,” Alyssa snarled after Lio filled her in. “It’s one thing to take potshots at you in the press, but shooting at you is…” Her voice trailed off as if she couldn’t finish the thought.
“Attempted murder,” I said.
“Let’s not get carried away,” Lio told us both. “Sheriff Gunderson makes a good point with the poacher theory.”
“You said the buck had already leaped to safety,” Alyssa said.
“And the hunter must have horrible aim if he shot through your truck instead,” I added. “This sounds like a desperate act from a desperate man.”
“Or a vengeful one,” Alyssa countered.
Lio pinched the bridge of his nose and blew out a heavy sigh. “I know you’re right, but a part of me can’t help but cling to the possibility this was just a horrible hunting accident.”
“Wishful thinking and denial could get you killed,” Alyssa said. “What if Alex hadn’t gone to Eric’s? You said the bullet exited out the passenger door. What if he’d been hit?”
“I assure you I’m taking this very seriously, Lyss.”
She sighed again. “I know. I’m sorry if it sounds like I implied otherwise. You’d never put Alex in harm’s way. I’m scared for you, Lio.”
“I’m scared too,” he admitted.
Sensing they needed a minute, I went out to Lio’s truck to see if any of our food was still salvageable. If Lio had wanted to have a private conversation with Alyssa, he wouldn’t have put the call on speaker. Then again, maybe I was the one who needed a damn minute. Holy fuck!
Rodgers was gone by the time I stepped outside. The flood lights came on and my gaze went straight to the exit hole on the passenger side as if drawn there by a beacon. I’d been too eager to hold Lio in my arms to pay attention when he arrived, but I moved in for a closer inspection. I didn’t need to be an expert on trajectory to know Lio would’ve died if he hadn’t bent over to pick up that french fry off the floorboard.
I wasn’t sure what emotion hit me hardest—unadulterated rage because someone had dared to shoot at Lio or bone-crushing fear because they were still out there and free to take another shot. The last thought caused me to stumble, and I braced my palm against the side of Lio’s truck. Fear was driving the emotion train, and it was seconds away from derailing.
“Abe,” Lio called out softly.
I turned and found him leaning on the porch rail. “I’m okay. Come back inside.” He was calm. Too freaking calm. Didn’t he know how close I’d come to losing him? How close Alex had come to losing his father? I closed my eyes and swallowed hard. He’d nearly left me, not on purpose, but it would have hurt me just as much. “I’m hungry, sore, and in dire need of a distraction. Canmy partnerhelp with any of those things?”
“Too soon for that label?” I asked.
Lio shook his head. “I think it’s about damn time. Come here, baby.”
Lio’s need for me overrode my fear, but I knew the demon hadn’t retreated. The asshole had temporarily withdrawn and would wait for the absolute worst time to reappear and whisper cruel things in my ear. I didn’t have a better angel to counter the negativity with sweet nothings.
Maybe Lio sensed the battle raging inside my soul, or perhaps he just knew me better than I knew myself. “I need you, Abe.” Who needed a better angel when they had Lio?
