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Devaney did what her older sister had ordered. She dove to one side and out of the way.Rolling to one side, just as a man headed straight toward her.
As Smith-Morris fired. And just kept firing.
66
Ben just actedthe instant he saw the little blonde come out of nowhere and start yelling. He hooked one arm around Dusty's waist and took her down to the ground. Fast. He covered her with his own body, aware of Jack Masterson grabbing the girl who had been held hostage and pulling her out of the way. Masterson was a former army cop, too—he'd used it to pay for law school, Ben had heard—and damned good at martial arts. He was just as fast as Ben.
But the little blonde? That bastard with the gun had turned toward her.
He was trying to aim at that kid now.
But that US marshal that had kept eyeballing Dusty—and Marin, to be fair, he'd eyed Witchy-woman Marin a dozen times in front of Ben, too—was ready. “Lower your weapon now!”
Ben had to give it to the guy, he gave fair warning. More than what Ben would have, even. But when that bastard turned the gun toward that marshal, well, the guy did what he was supposed to do.
The gunman went down with three quick shots.
It was too late for Ben though. He looked down. And saw all the blood.
And he knew. The book was going to belatethis time. And there was nothing he could do about it.
67
Dylan wrappedher arms around Devaney and pulled her away from the guy's dead body. There was blood on her sister. Dylan tried to find where it was coming from. “Are you hurt? Devvie? Are you hurt? Where are you hurt?”
Her sister leaned against Dylan for a moment. “I'm okay. That guy, that guy is dead, isn't he? Couldn’t have happened to a nicer perv. We should put that on his tombstone, I think.”
That was Devaney, never panicking over anything. Dylan was fighting the urge to wet her pants. But she had her sister back. Devaney was safe. Dylan hugged her again.
“I can’t believe you did that, Dyl,” Devaney said, clinging just as tightly. “You could have been killed. That was crazy. What did youdo?”
“Stabbed him with the meat fork from the ham.” Dylan shrugged. “I was a bit pressed for time. It was the best I could find.”
“Well, he was a total pig. A meat fork from the ham was entirely appropriate for his ending.” But there was a look in Devaney’s eyes Dylan never wanted to see there again.
Someone was there. Leaning over them. She looked up. Into incredibly beautiful blue eyes in an extremely hot-guy face. The dude who had tried to talk to the bad guy. He’d been so calm and hero-y. And, well, seriously pretty to look at. Hard to missthat.
“You two ladies okay?”
The guy had warm brown hair with red streaks. He was really strong. He was pulling Dylan up to her feet. Then leaning down to help Devaney and the guy who had just been kneeling there next to Devaney. He’d gotten Devaney out of the way. He went on Dylan’s superhot hero list. They both did. “Masterson, you good?”
“Just a small graze. You?” the man with rich brown hair and beautiful gray eyes said.
“Same.” Red-brown hair hottie guy turned back to Dylan and Devaney. “You two scared the bejesus out of me. Especially you, kid. You just came out of nowhere.”
“I technically think Icrawledout of nowhere. Like a little bug, honestly. Or…a rodent, maybe. I came under the kitchen door and those tables. It was a bit too scary for us, too.” Dylan didn't regret it. Devaney was going to be okay. She’d do it again in a heartbeat. “Why did he do that? Why did he wantus,anyway? And where’s the other guy?”
“What other guy?” Red-brown hair hottie hero asked.
“There were two. They ran us off the road and took my sister. They were shooting at us, too,” Dylan told him. “The other guy was older, fatter.”
“His name was Wayne, I think. I don't think it wasusthey wanted specifically, Dyl,” Devaney said. “I think they just wanted a way to get to Mom. That one...his name was Jason. He kept saying Mom was going to pay for opening her mouth. That she got away from him decades ago, but no more. I don’t think Jason was entirely sane. He said Dad and Sean kept getting in the way. I was the bait. To lure Mom and Dad out. Wayne just wanted to clean up the past and go home. To his family. But he…had killed people. They both had. They talked about it. And they argued.”
“I see.” Dylan really didn't. How could anyone hate someone else that much?
“Ben!” Another woman was there. She’d been right in front of the bad guy and Devaney until Dylan’s mom had stepped in front of her. Dylanknew—this was one ofthem.
Her sister.
