AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Uh, sure I will, but I’ll choose a different subject matter than his chronic and zealous not-so-over-protectiveness.
The first officers on the scene and then a detective spent some time questioning me. They went so far as to test my hands for gun powder residue. Hah. Itoldthem I fired the shot that hit Blaisdell. Maybe I’ll be the one ending up in the pokey. Marco assures me that won’t happen.
Fingers intertwined, I squeeze his hand. He hasn’t been able to get more than a couple feet from me ever since the shooting stopped, so I’ve been privy to most of what’s been said by the official types. Lots of questions, and thankfully, a lot of answers. It appears that Ethan Anderson was a twisted college kid who got mixed up with drugs and a dealer linked to a larger operation across the state. After his Lubbock demise, he went home to the Dallas area but continued his association with the man and his crew.
The man? Scotty “Dell” Blaisdell, younger brother of the infamous Robby Blaisdell, the man who kidnapped Avery last spring and whom Tripp took down with his undercover antics. Marco didn’t enter the game until late, as I understand it, but it was enough to draw the ire of the brothers. Dell, recently released from a prison stint himself, was out to avenge his family and selected Anderson, who owed him for something or other, for the job.
Tripp was next on the list,the best for last, in the thug’s own words.
Overjoyed by what this means for Marco, I release a long breath. Or try to, but somewhere in the last hour, the snot has dried up and a darned cough has settled into my chest, so I turn away and hack into my elbow.
Grr.I am so over being sick.
I feel a hand on my back. “Hey, you need to get to bed.”
I shake my head, nodding it towards Tripp. Pale and still bloodied on the stretcher, he’s working hard to make a point with some guy with a badge. “If he gets to stay, so do I.”
Marco’s hand finds its way through my hair and squeezes the back of my neck. “I know somebody else who’s exactly like her brother.”
I stick my tongue out. Guess high drama makes me slap happy, or at least the aftermath does.
A man in dark suit pants and a tie waltzes through Avery’s front door as if he owns the place. There’s no obvious badge, but the way Marco pulls up straight tells me he’s someone important. The man is waylaid by a couple other guys with badges but after a minute makes a beeline for Tripp, and Marco joins them there as well. Obviously, I tag along. This man who has now saved my life twice in as many weeks is not getting out of my sight. Ever.
“Chavez.” Tripp’s greeting clues me in. Ah, Tripp and Marco’s boss-man.
The guy is distinguished-looking with a hint of silver around his temple. He also exudes a no-nonsense vibe, and his expression is flat. “Well, well. The dynamic duo, together again.”
I tighten my grip on Marco. I don’t think I like this guy’s attitude.
His glance takes in Avery, her red eyes, her hand still clutching Tripp’s like a lifeline. “Or should I say, the three musketeers?”
“Make thatfourmusketeers.” I think I’m part of the club now.
Hard eyes sweep over me and my hand entwined with Marco’s, but his mouth pulls enough to ease some tension. “And you are?”
“Annalise Walker.”
His gaze sweeps me again, hisahsoundless. “Heaven help us.”
“Hey, Lise. Don’t you want your sweatshirt now?”
Tripp’s eyebrows spike. Yeah, I catch his drift. I’d forgotten what I was—or wasn’t—wearing. I mean, it’s nothing a million other women don’t wear in public, but, okay, yes, a little more cover would be a good thing. However, I send him a scowl because I’m sure he still deserves it for something. “For the record, my sweatshirt is covered with your blood.” It was the handiest thing to stem the flow once all the shooting stopped.
Suddenly, a fringed blanket lands around my shoulders with a gentle squeeze. “Here you go.”
I clasp it together at my sternum and gaze up into Marco’s green eyes. Such an unusual color. I hope his children inherit the trait.
Children? Uh, not rushing fences or anything, am I?
Chavez turns mega serious all of a sudden. “I hate to bust up the party guys, but they’re ready to take you in, Gonzalez.”
In?
Marco nods, somber.
“In?” I voice it this time.
His cheek is tugged inward by his teeth. “There’s still a warrant for my arrest.”
