LITMIR.BIZ

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the boxes wouldn’t provide enough cover for Josh, Serena had to do something. She popped up, aimed at the intruder with the gun and squeezed off a round. The rapid beat of her heart thundered in her ears, drowning out the retort of the weapon in her hand. The bullet slammed into the guy’s leg. He screamed and crumpled to the floor. His buddy jumped through the broken window and escaped.

      Serena leaped to her feet and raced around the love seat, keeping her weapon trained on the man writhing on the floor, clutching his leg. She kicked aside the gun he’d dropped.

      “You okay?” Josh asked as he skidded to a halt beside her.

      She nodded, her gaze searching him for injury.

      “Good.” He rushed toward the window. “Watch him. I’m going after the other two.”

      Chest knotting, Serena watched Josh disappear through the window.

      “Keep him safe, Lord,” she whispered and hoped God would listen. She blamed Josh for her brother’s death, but she didn’t want to have to live through another loss. She’d known Josh a long time. He and Daniel had been friends since basic training at the academy in Glynco, Georgia, over eight years ago.

      She dug her cell phone out of the pocket of her suit jacket and called the Houston district office and the police department for backup. While she waited, she cuffed the guy’s hands in front of him and then grabbed a towel from a box to press against the bullet wound.

      The man moaned. “You shot me.”

      She refrained from pointing out he’d shot first. “Who sent you?”

      “I don’t know,” the guy ground out. “I need a doctor!”

      “What were you doing here?” Serena asked.

      “Trying to find out where they went.”

      Serena didn’t need to ask who; she knew he meant Dylan and his family. “What were you supposed to do with the information?”

      “I don’t know. Bob set this up. He’d know.”

      “Bob who? What’s Bob’s last name?”

      The guy clamped his mouth shut.

      “Come on, give me the name. It will go better for you if you do,” Serena coaxed.

      “I want a lawyer.” A spasm of pain marched across his face. “I’m not saying anything more.”

      Serena blew out a frustrated breath.

      The wail of a siren announced the arrival of the Houston police force. Josh reentered the house through the front door, leading paramedics and two police officers inside.

      Serena relinquished her hold on the rag to the paramedics and joined Josh off to the side so the local LEOs—law enforcement officers—could take over.

      “Mr. Bad Shot said they were looking to find out where Dylan and the family went,” she told Josh. “Said one of his buddies named Bob set up the deal.”

      “Good job getting that out of him.”

      The approval in Josh’s brown eyes made her stand a little taller. She still only reached his shoulder. “I take it the other two got away?”

      “Yeah, they had a vehicle on the next block. I got a partial plate.”

      “We have to put a stop to this,” Serena said. “We have to bring Munders down once and for all!”

      Josh swiped a hand through his hair. “We will. First things first. Let’s finish up here and get home to St. Louis.”

      Home. The word reverberated through Serena’s head like a pinball, bouncing off her thoughts. Growing up, she and Daniel had been passed around between their divorced parents like a set of candlesticks that neither really wanted but didn’t want the other to have. When Daniel had reached the age of majority he’d moved out on his own, taking Serena with him.

      They’d shared an apartment ever since, but after Daniel’s death, she couldn’t take being there without him. She’d given everything to a local charity and moved into a studio. Her apartment wasn’t a home. It was a place to store her stuff and to sleep when she could.

      She didn’t know if she’d ever have a real home again. Without her brother in her life, she was lost. He’d been her anchor. The one constant. Home had been where he was. Now he was gone. Thanks to Josh.

      * * *

      “Will we make our flight?” Serena asked, as the moving van, escorted by Houston police, pulled away from the curb.

      Josh checked the time on his smartphone. “With time to spare.”

      With the help of two local marshals, they’d made short work of packing the last of the McIntyre household into boxes and loading them onto the transport bound for Hawaii via Chicago and Seattle.

      The Houston marshals had taken the wounded thug into custody and had obtained Josh’s and Serena’s statements. Josh wished they’d had another chance to further interrogate the guy who’d broken into the McIntyre house, but he didn’t want to get into an arm-wrestling match for control of the situation.

      He’d let his superiors deal with the politics. Local marshals would interrogate the man later. And hopefully he would give up information on his cohorts.

      After locking up the house, Serena placed the key in the mail slot for the landlord. The small circle of light from the porch fixture didn’t extend to the driveway, where they had parked the green four-door sedan they’d rented when they arrived in Houston this morning. Darkness shrouded the driveway and the bushes on either side.

      The need for caution tripped down Josh’s spine.

      He placed a hand to the small of Serena’s back. The fabric of her pantsuit felt luxurious against his palm.

      She stiffened at his touch and stepped away.

      Ignoring the sliver of irritation that sliced through him, he opened the passenger door and she slid into the seat. He reached inside to help untangle the seat belt strap. She shifted away from him and wouldn’t meet his gaze.

      He blew out a frustrated breath and finished righting the belt before backing away and slamming the door shut.

      They were both tired and cranky.

      At least that was how he explained away her reaction every time he got close to her. But then again, these days she was always prickly with him.

      Besides the one glimpse of vulnerability on her face when she’d been packing young Brandon’s room, Serena was her stoic self. Saying little and showing even less in her expression. The professional to the nth degree.

      Her lack of emotions set his nerves on edge.

      He wished she’d get mad or sad or something. She was grieving for Daniel, yet she held on to her emotions with an iron fist. He tried to emulate her. But it took a lot of energy to repress the myriad emotions raging through him at any given moment. There were times he wanted to give up, but knowing he had to stay focused and in the game for Serena’s sake kept him going.

      He missed the easy friendship he and Serena had had before Daniel’s death. But since the moment she’d heard of her brother’s murder, she’d retreated behind this ascetic silence, talking to him only when necessary.

      Not easy when they had to work together.

      Sometimes impossible as partners assigned to a tough case.

      He blew out a puff of air.

      He knew she hadn’t been happy to be paired with him. But they made a good team regardless of their personal issues. Each easily anticipated the other’s need, the other’s movements. Numerous colleagues had commented on their compatibility. In fact, many people thought they were so in sync with each other that they could be a romantic couple.

      So not the case.

      For

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