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She flexed her throbbing knuckles, unable to meet Bridger’s gaze.
This was the kind of thing Pete drove her to. She’d never so much as raised her voice to a soul, let alone take a swing at a defenseless man.
Shame doused the last flames of anger.
“It’s okay,” Bridger insisted. “The guy deserves a lot more than a poke in the nose.” He inched closer, bending down until she was forced to meet his eyes. “Feel better now?”
She flexed her hand. The throbbing was already fading. “I kind of do,” she mumbled, fighting the smile trying to bloom.
She’d have to square her base actions with God later, but she couldn’t deny lashing out––taking back her power––didn’t feel...bad.
Bridger pulled her in for a rib-cracking hug. “That’s my girl,” he murmured against her head. Before she could soak in his strength, he gently untangled himself and stepped away. “You had your fun. Now let us bring this home. We’ll make him tell us where Kellen is.”
She rubbed her sore knuckles, resolving to keep her hands off Pete. Her ex would have a long list of accounts to settle with the Lord when the time came. As a Christian, she had no right to punish the man herself, no matter what he’d put her through.
But mostly, she needed to give Bridger and his team, and her Savior, time to work their magic.
22
Bridgerbit down on his lower lip, trying seriously hard not to smile. Or gloat.
Jane’s roundhouse maneuver came out of left field. Literally. But her snake of an ex deserved it. More, actually.
But they were still in a delicate phase of the interrogation. The man had given them what he thought they wanted. That was the easy part. Sanderson would be feeling pretty good about now, well except for his nose. Bridger pressed a hand to his mouth, hiding another smile.
Gravel crunched as Tai and Mason and Paige joined him and Jane outside.
Tai fist bumped Jane. “Nice haymaker, little lady.”
Bridger and Mason winced.
“What? It’s the Duke,” Tai complained. “You know, John Wayne?”
Mason’s nose scrunched up. “We know you think so.”
Tai waved his friend off and shed his playful demeanor. “Sanderson’s willing to give up Kellen’s location. I’m gonna call that a win.”
Bridger expected that to make Jane ecstatic, but she frowned, shaking her head. “In exchange for letting him go, I bet.”
Tai scratched his chin beneath his thick beard. “Well yeah. He’s not our problem.” He met Bridger’s gaze, a silent question clear in his dark eyes.
Bridger nodded, an infinitesimal movement. Tai and the others knew that if they let Pete run, it would only be a matter of time before the crooked agents caught up with him. The man’s only chance would be to turn himself into authorities he could trust. If the agents caught up to him first…
Not that Bridger cared about Sanderson’s fate. He’d sealed that when he agreed to help his employers siphon off people’s retirement funds. No. Earlier. Whatever. Not Bridger’s problem. Between the taped confession and the money, the authorities would realize Jane was an innocent party. Case closed.
He and his team only had two objectives: keep Jane safe from the fallout of Pete’s crimes and locate the kid.
Mason held out a note. “We got him to write this out. Turns out, he paid some random couple he met at a bar to watch the kid.” His mouth flattened in anger. “Some father.”
“Nice,” Bridger muttered.
He and Jane peered at the note. There it was, in the man’s handwriting, instructions to the people caring for Kellen to give the boy to Jane.
Mason handed her the paper. Her hands shook as she read it again. Then she looked up at Bridger.
He knew what she was wondering. Would a handwritten note be enough?
“We recorded him writing it,” Mason explained. “We’ll show that to the couple as well. The tape clearly shows he wasn’t under duress. Plus, these folks have no reason to keep the kid, right? I’d be prepared to pay them, though. You can be sure ol’ Pete didn’t.”
