Shotgun Justice - Angi Morgan

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detector flooded the yard with light. His eyes adjusted and he saw her sitting casually on the front porch.

      Relief coursed through him like dousing a sunbaked body in a cool stream. She was safe. Exposed. Beer in one hand. Shotgun lying next to her bare thigh.

      Very short shorts. But who was he to complain? She was safe. Avery had long, terrific legs that he’d admired for most of his life. Sand volleyball at Baylor had been eye-opening when he was eighteen.

      “Sorry for losing my head on the highway.” She took a short sip from the bottle, never taking her eyes from him. Her short pixie cut—and he knew that only because of his mother telling him years ago—was under a black hat.

      “Sorry that I didn’t give you a heads-up before arriving.” He took a couple of steps closer, wondering if that shotgun was for him or Tenoreno’s hired man. “Got another one of those?”

      “Didn’t you bring your own weapons?” She sipped, then set her bottle on top of the water ring already on the old porch. “Oh, you meant a beer. Sure.”

      The amber bottle had been sitting behind her for a while. Evidenced by the moisture dripping from its surface. He didn’t care if the beer inside was hotter than hell; he’d guzzle the peace offering he recognized being offered to him.

      “Nice hat.” They tapped the bottle bottoms together and each drew a long drink.

      “I bought it when I moved here. Symbolic. Rangers wear white, et cetera.”

      Crickets chirped, the floodlight went off. It was a calm he could be thankful for. No words were necessary. In spite of their differences, they could work together. Old friends, falling into sync with...

      “Your assassin waltzed into the sheriff’s office this evening.” Avery tipped the bottle for another swallow. “Want to see his picture?”

       Chapter Six

      Warm beer shot from Jesse’s mouth and up through his nose. Avery remained on the step, calmly finishing her last swallow. Her eyes sparkled from the porch light but mainly with laughter. Or maybe it was satisfaction.

      No one had caught a picture of the Snake Eyes Killer. If they had, they didn’t know it. Completely at home with her, he untucked his shirttail and used it to dry his face. “You’re lucky I wasn’t facing you when you shared that news.”

      “It’s all about the timing. Have a seat.” She patted the space on the far side of her daddy’s shotgun.

      He recognized the initials carved into the wood. A.T. Hers. He’d helped her do it when they were ten. They’d both been grounded two weeks for ruining it, according to their dads. He took his seat and tried to be patient.

      She pulled a folded piece of paper from her back pocket and flipped it on top of the gun. “I’m not convinced. Too easy for someone who’s never left a trace.”

      “You know?”

      “I’m not helpless, Jesse. I already admitted that I lost it on the highway. But honestly, when have you ever known me to lose the good sense God gave me during a case? I called Major Parker. I got all the details you didn’t tell me.” She spun sideways, leaning against the porch rail. “You sort of buried the most important part of your story when you got out of the car.”

      “I apologized.”

      “Yes, you did. So, moving on.” She leaned forward and tapped the paper with a short nail. “Professional hit men don’t curiously face a video camera like this guy did. He smiled at it, for crying out loud.”

      “I agree. Probably not our man, but—”

      “It’s someone who’s met him,” she finished with him.

      Jesse unfolded the picture of a guy who looked normal enough. Looking directly at the camera with a big grin. “Did you send it to Major Parker?”

      “Yes. He has someone working on facial recognition. I issued an all-points bulletin.” She shook her head. “We both know that’s just busywork. Why do you think this Snake Eyes character would show his hand, letting us know that he’s here?”

      “To draw you out? Think he was waiting for you at the jail?”

      “If he was...then he knows you’re here.” Her palms covered her eyes. An old habit she’d had since a kid. “There goes that bit of surprise.”

      “I may be wrong.”

      “I doubt it. Makes too much sense.”

      “So I guess you’re on board with flushing this guy out. No way to talk you out of it?”

      “I said yes to Parker. He explained why it’s important and asked that I remind you to take Snake Eyes alive. I don’t understand why he thinks you’d shoot him. I mean, you haven’t killed anyone in the line of duty.”

      Jesse knew. Watching her, he’d kept an eye on her legs, her waist, the curve of her lips. There wasn’t a night that went by that he didn’t wish his hands were stroking her silky skin. He remembered how she’d felt against his flesh, how she’d eagerly responded to his kisses.

      He’d defend her with his life. He’d rather shoot the other guy first. Yeah, he knew why his commander needed to remind him.

      “You know he’s not going to approach me if you’re around.”

      “Probably won’t be tonight, then.” He chugged the rest of his beer, listening to her small pretend gasp. “I’m not heading anywhere.”

      “I put sheets and a pillow on the couch. I don’t have a guest room.”

      The security light popped on. They both went for the shotgun. Both realized it was just a tree branch blowing in front of the sensor. No one stood in the driveway ready to kill them. She slid the gun across her lap anyway.

      “You’re not going to like the couch,” she added with a grin.

      “It’s okay. I didn’t plan on getting much sleep.”

      Avery stood on the step, shotgun resting on her arm as she looked up and down the street. He understood that she was silently waiting on him to gather his things and come inside. He did, watching as intently as her.

      Once inside, he dropped his bag and laptop, then began checking window locks.

      “They haven’t been open since I was locked up.”

      Focus. They’d apologized. No need to go back and dredge up another hurt. If they were going to do that, he’d talk about their last night together. Explain how things had seemed different.

      Later. Now was the time to talk strategy.

      “When’s your shift start tomorrow? How much do you plan to tell your staff?” He checked the back door and paused for her answers back in the living area.

      “Are you even curious why I didn’t get the message that Rosco was dead?”

      “You said Sheriff Myers is out of town and you released me before daylight.” He returned from the small bedroom that was just big enough for her queen mattress sitting without a frame in the corner. “We both have deductive skills that we utilize fairly well. All the windows are secured. You spoke to Parker. If there’s a problem, he’ll find it.”

      “Glad nothing’s changed in the last ten minutes. I checked them when I got home.”

      “Just making sure.”

      “Well, you could have asked.”

      “Come on, Avery. We both need to be on our toes. We can’t get emotional about this situation.” He dug through his bag, removed weapons and ammo. Unzipped carrying cases, setting a rifle and three handguns on the coffee table.

      She placed

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