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Planting his hands flat on the floor, Kaden used his considerable strength to shove himself upright in one smooth motion. Or at least as smooth as possible, considering he was cold and cramped and amped on adrenaline.
Sensing his movement, Jolene whirled back in alarm, but she was too late. Kaden was already lunging forward, lowering his shoulder to jam it into the center of her chest and using his leverage to lift her off her feet. It wasn’t a trick he’d learned as a stuntman. This was pure street fighting.
Barreling forward, Kaden slammed the smaller woman into the wall with enough force to crack the decayed paneling and dislodge a layer of dirt from the exposed rafters.
Kaden, however, barely noticed the cloud of dust and debris that clogged the air. He was far more concerned with the deafening boom as Jolene managed to pull the trigger. The shot wasn’t unexpected, but he wasn’t prepared for the shocked scream that immediately followed the blast.
Shit. Kaden had been convinced that Jolene was at an angle from which she couldn’t do any damage, even if she did get off a shot. With his heart lodged painfully in his throat, he jerked his head to the side. A second later, relief surged through him as he caught sight of Lia. She appeared shaken but unharmed as she stared down at the floor.
Lowering his gaze, he discovered what held her horrified attention. A startled curse was wrenched from his lips as Kaden caught sight of Sunny, crumpled next to her dead father. Blood was pouring from a bullet wound in the center of her chest and her face was unnaturally pale in the firelight.
There was another scream that threatened to burst Kaden’s eardrums as Jolene realized what she’d done.
“No!” she wailed, collapsing against Kaden as if she’d lost the will to live.
Outside, the flashing lights pierced through the grimy windows, revealing that help had arrived. Kaden grunted in exhaustion, continuing to keep Jolene pinned against the wall. He was quite certain those flashing lights were the most beautiful things he’d ever seen in his life.
Epilogue
Four weeks later
Lia stepped out of the courthouse and sucked in a deep breath of the crisp air. She’d been inside the building for hours. Not only to go over the official statement she’d given earlier about the events that occurred during Jolene and Sunny’s reign of terror, but to chat with Zac, who’d thankfully returned to resume his job as sheriff. It had been beyond comforting to know he was back in charge; plus, she’d wanted to hear about every detail of his honeymoon.
Well, not every detail . . .
Once her eyes adjusted to the bright afternoon sunlight that reflected with a blinding intensity against the newest layer of snow, Lia headed down the steps. She knew Kaden would be waiting for her.
Sure enough, the gleaming red Land Rover he’d bought in Vegas the week before to drive them back to Pike was parked next to the curb. He’d insisted he needed a dependable vehicle for when they were in Wisconsin. And it was true. His vast collection of motorcycles and sports cars would be dangerous to use during the winter. But he hadn’t been thinking about snowy roads when he at last decided on this SUV. He was a man obsessed with his favorite hobby. Collecting expensive vehicles.
Her lips twitched as she pulled open the passenger door and climbed into the high seat. Kaden was going to be an interesting addition to the town.
Waiting until she tugged the seat belt across her body, Kaden pulled away from the curve and did a U-turn to head north.
“How did it go?” he asked.
“Not bad.” Lia settled back in the soft leather seat, savoring the warm scent of his aftershave. Her heart skipped a beat, warmth flowing through her. She would never get used to sitting next to this glorious man. Not ever. “Thank God Zac is home.”
“Maybe Pike can return to normal now.”
“Don’t jinx us,” she protested. “We’ve had enough troubles.”
Kaden chuckled, turning onto a side street that headed out of town. “Did you give him the account numbers?”
“I did.” Lia had taken the stack of offshore accounts connected to Vanna that she’d managed to uncover, as well as the code on the back of the map Kaden had found in his brother’s files. “He’s going to turn them over to the EPA investigators.”
“That’s probably for the best.”
Lia grimaced, remembering Zac’s words of warning. “If word of Vanna’s blackmail scheme happens to get out, I doubt they’ll be able to keep her name out of the papers.”
Kaden snorted. “I can’t imagine the EPA or any other government agency would willingly admit they employed an agent who was taking bribes to turn a blind eye to illegal activities. And, more importantly, they won’t want to expose the businesses willing to pollute their communities for the sake of profit.”
“True.” Lia hadn’t told Zac that she’d found the bank account Vanna had been using under her mother’s name. Or the fact that Kaden had discovered her last will and testament in his brother’s office. Vanna had listed her foster mother, Sharon Bradly, as her beneficiary. No doubt Vanna and Darren intended to change their wills after they were married, but once Vanna was officially declared dead, her assets would go to Sharon. It seemed the only good thing that could come from so much bad.
“Did you go to the hospital?” she asked.
Kaden nodded. “Drew regained consciousness a couple weeks ago and the nurse said he’s able to walk on his own now. Hopefully, he’ll be released soon.”
“What about Sunny?”
