Chapter 15

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

“Why are you doing this, Duncan?” Jina shot him a quick glance, then turned her attention to the road before them. He’d forced her behind the wheel at gunpoint, then tossed her weapon outside the car once they’d left the strip mall.

They were in a white Dodge minivan that had been parked right in plain sight in front of the strip mall. It wasn’t the black Honda she and Cole had tried to find. Considering how Duncan had swapped vehicles, she feared Cole, Rhy, and the rest of her team would never find her.

“You don’t recognize me at all, do you?” Duncan’s tone was conversational, but his intent was not. He held the weapon aimed at her side where he could easily shoot her if necessary.

Recognize him? “No, I’m sorry, I don’t.” She risked another glance. “I assume we met somewhere besides the gym.”

“You could say that. Turn right. Head to the freeway.”

Heading to the freeway was the last thing she wanted to do, it would only put more miles between her and the rest of her team. How long would it take for them to figure out Duncan had taken her a gunpoint?

Too long. There was no point in waiting for them. She’d need to rescue herself.

“Duncan, I’m sorry I don’t remember you. Why not tell me where we met?” She gripped the steering wheel tightly. “You’re going to kill me anyway, so what’s the harm?”

“Think, Jina.” His voice was a low hiss. “I did everything for you, supported you in every way possible, and you left me without a second thought.”

Left him? Then the memory clicked. Her friend Jaxon Palmer. The guy who’d tried to convince her to move to Nashville with him. Risking a quick glance at him, she noted the resemblance. The scars and beard had changed his appearance to a certain degree.

“Jaxon, I’m sorry.” She worked to keep her tone even, despite the anger building within. He had done all of this because she’d considered him a friend, but not someone she loved enough to move across the country for? What was wrong with him? Besides the obvious. “I didn’t want to leave my sister, Shelly. Certainly, you can understand that.”

“You’ve always been selfish, thinking only about yourself.” He sounded disgusted with her. “You have no idea the things I did for you.”

“I don’t understand. We were friends. We hung out together.” She had no idea what he meant but figured it was best to keep him talking. She didn’t know where he’d planned to take her but understood she needed to make her move prior to getting there. Too bad they were driving the minivan rather than her Jeep.

Wrecking it was her only option. Even that was risky, Duncan—or rather Jaxon—could squeeze the trigger, killing her as she stomped on the brake and wrenched the wheel. Regardless, she wouldn’t do that until he told her to get off the interstate. She found herself praying she wouldn’t take any innocent lives with her in her attempt to escape.

“I killed him for you!” Jaxon shouted the words. “Don’t you understand? I did everything possible to protect you, and you turned your back on me. We were supposed to be together, Jina.”

“Who did you kill?” Then she knew. Brad Crow, her stalker. She’d told Jaxon all about the guy staring at her.

“Why would you do that?” She turned to gape at him. “I didn’t ask you to kill anyone!”

“You’re so clueless,” he said with annoyance. “I was headed to your place the night that creepy Brad Crow tried to get into your window. I practically ran into him as he darted out into the road. He began babbling about how you’d shot him when he tried climbing into your bedroom. So I finished the job. Hit him in the head with a baseball bat, then buried his body. For you, Jina. To protect you!” He was screaming at her again, as if he were on the verge of losing his mind.

And maybe he was. No sane person would kill someone expecting to be thanked for it. She had no idea Jaxon had killed Brad. Or that he’d been coming out to see her. The incident was a long time ago. What had Jaxon been doing all this time? What had brought him back to Wisconsin?

Unless he hadn’t left at all? The thought gave her a chill.

She must be the only woman in the planet who’d had two stalkers in one lifetime.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. You’re a good friend, Jax.” She tried her best to smile reassuringly, as if she wasn’t horrified by every word that came out of his mouth. “Please, put the gun away so we can talk this through. ”

“You had your chance,” he said in a dismissive tone. “We talked about Nashville, getting jobs and enjoying the music scene. But that didn’t last long, did it?”

“I’m sorry,” she repeated.

“You said that eleven years ago too. Remember? The week after graduation when you told me you were moving to Madison to attend college?” His voice changed to a falsetto. “I’m sorry, Jaxon, but things have changed. I can’t come with you.”

She remembered. The same words he’d thrown back at her outside the American Lodge. There had to be more to this than her refusal to relocate to Nashville. But just then, he said, “Take the exit before that farmer’s field you drove into.”

“Sure, Jax. Whatever you say.” She glanced at him again, disconcerted to find him staring at her intently. As if she were an insect he was about to dissect.

“Aren’t you going to ask what happened?” His mind was like a Ping-Pong ball, jumping from one subject to the next. “About my scars?”

“Mike mentioned you were in a work-related accident.” She wished she’d paid more attention to Duncan, er, Jaxon, before now.

“I was hit by a car. I became a cop just like you, but it didn’t work out as well as I thought. Did you know I was also there the night you laughed and flirted with that guy at the party? Oh look, there’s our exit up ahead.”

It took every ounce of willpower she had not to react to the news that he was at the party in Madison where she’d been with Rory. Jaxon was a cop? He’d been following her for years? Did he know how her night with Rory had ended? His admitting to killing Brad combined with this latest tidbit of information was too much for her brain to comprehend.

Ignoring him, she focused on the exit, eyeing the vehicles around them. When it was clear none of them were going to get off the interstate, she momentarily took her foot off the gas, turning the wheel toward the ramp.

One. Two. Three. She abruptly hit the brake and cranked the wheel to the left, causing the minivan tires to squeal in protest. The car spun one hundred and eighty degrees. She hit the gas again, still cranking on the wheel. Jaxon screamed obscenities, but then the car was tumbling over, turning upside down like her Jeep had, while sliding into the deep gully below.

The airbags deployed, smashing her in the face with enough force to bring tears to her eyes. Twice in a matter of days was a lot. In the back of her mind, she prayed the airbag deploying on his side had caused him to lose the gun. The seat belt cut painfully across her chest, and her head throbbed with the beat of her heart. She willed herself to stay conscious.

The good news? No sound of gunfire. At least, not yet.

Dazed, she clawed at the seatbelt, desperate to get away. She released the restraint and crawled out of the broken window when she felt Jaxon’s hand grab her ankle.

No! Viciously kicking with her other foot, she used her elbows to dig into the ground to jerk away. Her foot finally hit its mark, and the hand around her ankle fell away.

Did he still have the gun? She was afraid she was about to find out.

Pulling herself away from the wreck, she staggered to her feet. Without looking behind her, she ran up the exit ramp to the interstate. It was slow going, every muscle in her body screamed in pain, and the incline wasn’t helping .

“Jina!” Hearing Jaxon shout her name, she hunched her shoulders and ducked her head in a vain effort to make herself a smaller target.

An SUV started down the exit ramp, coming straight for her. She raised her arms to flag it down, gaping in shock when she saw Cole behind the wheel.

Before she could thank God for sending him to help her, another gunshot rang out.

“Jina!” Cole stomped on the brake, even as a crack of gunfire echoed around them. The bullet missed the car, but it was a warning that Duncan was still armed and dangerous. Thankfully, Jina was on the passenger side of the vehicle. She wrenched the door open and jumped in. “Go!”

Knowing Rhy was mere seconds behind him, he didn’t hesitate to hit the gas, speeding as fast as he dared past the upside-down minivan. When they’d safely cleared it, he turned toward her. “Are you hurt?”

“No.” It was clearly a lie as she had cuts on her arms and a whopper of a bruise darkening the skin around her left eye. “Duncan is really Jaxon, an old friend of mine.”

“He is?” When they were fifty yards past the minivan, he pulled over to the side of the road, threw the car into park, and reached for his phone. “Rhy? I have Jina, and she’s okay. Perp is armed and seeking refuge within the damaged minivan.”

“I see it. Thanks for the intel.” Rhy’s voice was remarkably calm. Cole had to give the guy credit for keeping a cool head in the face of an emergency. “Zeke and Cassidy are here too. We’ve got this. Sit tight with Jina. ”

“Roger that.” He ended the call, filled with relief that the nightmare was almost over.

“No, we can’t sit here. I want to help.” Jina pushed at her door, as if forgetting that it was still locked. “We need to back them up.”

“Hold on, where’s your weapon?” He lightly grabbed her wrist, but she recoiled so badly he abruptly let her go. Whatever had transpired in the car with Duncan had messed with her mind. “Take a breath and think. What can you do?”

She lowered her chin to her chest, taking several deep, ragged breaths. Then nodded. “You’re right. I need a gun.” She looked him dead in the eye. “Give me yours.”

Okay, that was not what he’d wanted to hear. “You’ve been in a crash. You’re not thinking clearly. Let Rhy and your teammates handle this.”

“Are you going to loan me your gun or not?” she demanded.

There was no point in arguing. He unholstered his weapon and handed it to her butt first. “Fine, I’m coming with you.”

She gave a jerky nod and unlocked the door. She slid out of the car, moving more slowly than usual, which gave him time to go around the front to join her.

“Lean on me.” He wrapped an arm around her waist.

“I’m fine. We can’t let him get away.” As if imagining that fate, she appeared stronger and more determined. They quickly crossed the grassy area to look down into the gully. “He’s going to make a run for it.”

She’d no sooner spoken the words when a dark figure popped up from behind the wreck and turned toward them. Even from here, Cole could see the gun in Duncan’s hand.

“Don’t move!” Jina shouted. “Drop it! ”

Duncan didn’t listen. He lifted the weapon toward Jina. She fired two shots in rapid succession, striking Duncan center mass.

He dropped like a rock. Cole arched a brow at Jina. “That’s some good shooting considering you’re using a strange gun.”

She shrugged, then moved toward the fallen man. Rhy, Zeke, and Cassidy had been converging on the vehicle from all sides, but somehow, Jina got there first.

After kicking the gun farther away from Duncan’s outstretched hand, she knelt to feel a pulse. “He’s alive. Call 911 for an ambulance.”

“They’re en route,” Rhy said. “Do we need to do CPR?”

“He still has a pulse, but it’s weak.” Jina balled up Duncan’s shirt and pressed it against his abdominal wound.

“I’ll take over,” Cassidy said, nudging her aside. “You look like you’ve been through the wringer.”

“Thanks.” It was a testament to how bad Jina must have felt that she let Cassidy take over. She struggled to her feet, then turned to face Cole. “Like I said, Duncan is really Jaxon Palmer. He admitted to killing Brad Crow.”

Stunned, he stared at her. “Why would he do that?”

She rubbed the temple beside her darkening eye. “Jaxon worked with me at the custard stand. I mentioned seeing the creepy guy staring at me. Apparently, Jaxon thought he was helping me by killing Brad after he fled my parents’ farmhouse. I didn’t get the entire story, but he was mad that I wouldn’t relocate to Nashville with him. I thought he’d moved on, but apparently not. I don’t know the details, but he claimed a car crash required him to have surgery on his face. It makes me wonder if he’d used that as an excuse to find me again.”

He glanced down at Jaxon/Duncan. He believed Jina was telling the truth, but her story was like something out of a movie. He found himself praying Jaxon/Duncan wouldn’t die so that they could convince him to talk.

He needed something to corroborate her story.

“Yeah, I get it.” Jina’s voice was flat. “To be honest, it’s hard for me to believe it too.” With that, she turned and walked toward Rhy. “Hey, boss. We need to talk. There’s a lot I need to fill you in on.”

Rhy lifted a brow at Cole, who could only shrug. What could he say? His cold case and her current situation had intersected in a way he had never imagined.

Which meant he needed to proceed with caution until he could verify that Duncan was really Jaxon Palmer and that he’d killed Brad Crow.

Watching as Rhy and Jina walked away from the minivan, Cole had never felt so alone.

“I could use some aspirin,” Jina said, eyeing Rhy across his desk at the precinct. Several hours had passed since she’d crashed the minivan and shot Jaxon Palmer. Once the Lifeline Air Rescue helicopter had carried Jaxon up through the sky toward Trinity Medical Center for emergency surgery, she’d accompanied Rhy to the precinct. She’d washed the dirt and blood from her skin, then changed into a spare set of clothing she always kept in her locker.

They’d been talking for an hour. In some ways, telling her boss everything was incredibly freeing. She hadn’t realized how much her secret had weighed on her mind. And she was still upset with herself for not recognizing that Duncan was Jaxon. Looking back, though, the timing was such that she should have suspected him. Duncan had been working out at the gym the day she’d joined. Then he took the second-shift manager position. From then on, she’d seen him there every single time she’d gone to work out.

And he’d also watched as she was victorious over sparring with the guys who’d hit on her.

She could only imagine that he’d gotten sick of her coming out on top. In a way he never could. Unfortunately, they may never know the entire story.

Her main concern was the man seated across from her. Being a part of Rhy’s team was the best thing that had ever happened to her, and she didn’t want to lose them. Yet she refused to lie. Especially now that Duncan was really Jaxon, and he’d tried to kill her.

Rhy opened his desk drawer and removed a bottle of painkillers. He slid the bottle across the desk, and she gratefully downed three of them with a healthy slug of water. There was a long silence as Rhy thought about everything she’d said.

“The problem as I see it is that you need Jaxon to survive his surgery long enough to be interviewed by Roberts, where he will hopefully confess to murder.”

“Yes, sir.” She grimaced. “I doubt he’ll cooperate. If Jaxon lawyers up, Cole has only my word to weigh against Jaxon’s.”

“True, but Jaxon kidnapped you at gunpoint and made several other attempts against you.” Rhy grinned. “Turns out, he didn’t clean up after himself as well as he thought. As soon as we had Duncan/Jaxon as a suspect, I sent Mitch over to investigate. Mitch found a rag damp with paint thinner in the basement of his home, and his fingerprints were found on the inside of the door handle in the abandoned black Honda SUV. Oh, and that vehicle was stolen three days ago. By the time we process his weapon for ballistics, I’m sure we’ll have more evidence against him.”

“That’s good news.” She felt lighter knowing Rhy was on her side. But her heart ached over the way Cole had looked so skeptical when she claimed Jaxon had killed Brad.

He hadn’t believed her.

Once, she wouldn’t have blamed him. But the hours they’d spent together should have been proof that she wouldn’t blithely break the law. She wasn’t the same person now as she had been when she was seventeen and scared to death upon seeing a man crawl through her bedroom window.

And too uncertain of herself to report the incident to the police. The way she should have.

Now she’d fallen in love with a man who believed her to be capable of cold-blooded murder. Of course, shooting Jaxon when he lifted his weapon toward them didn’t help matters. An action she had taken in self-defense, but that didn’t always mean anything. Cops were held to a higher standard.

She knew Cole looked at her differently now. Ironic that she had begun to feel God’s reassuring presence just as the man who’d convinced her to believe in Him had walked away.

“I’d like to go home.” As soon as she said the words, she realized she couldn’t go back to the burned duplex. She winced, then added, “I’ll check with Cass, see if I can stay in her guest room.”

“You’re welcome to bunk at the homestead,” Rhy offered. “We have lots of room.”

“No thank you.” She appreciated his support but knew he had a wife and daughter, not to mention a baby on the way. She wouldn’t be comfortable spending that much time with her boss. She pushed herself to her feet, trying not to wince. “Is there anything else?”

“That’s enough for now. You’re on administrative leave, though, until the incident with Jaxon has been investigated.” He raked a critical gaze over her. “You look like you need a few days off.”

“Thank you.” She turned and left Rhy’s office. She expected to see Cassidy, Flynn, or Zeke waiting for her, but there was no sign of them.

Her phone was in her overnight bag, which she’d left in Grayson’s shot-up SUV. She could use one of the landlines, but needing fresh air, she headed outside.

Cole pushed away from the SUV he’d used to rescue her, and to her surprise, he had her overnight bag in hand. “Hey.”

“Hey.” Disconcerted by his presence, she stepped closer. “I was just looking for my phone to get a rideshare.”

“I’ll drive you.” He handed her the overnight bag. “I figured you needed a place to stay.”

And he was offering what? For her to stay with him? Fat chance.

“I’ll be fine.” She narrowed her gaze. “I wouldn’t want to compromise your case.”

He sighed, raking his fingers through his dark-brown hair. “You must know that cow has already escaped from the barn.”

“Farm humor,” she deadpanned. “That’s hilarious.”

“I love you.” When she snapped her head up to stare at him, he moved close enough to capture her hand in his. “I went crazy after you were kidnapped. I know you didn’t kill anyone, and I have prayed nonstop that Jaxon Palmer will survive long enough for me to prove it to my boss. And the DA’s office. And anyone else who needs to know the truth.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because you told Jaxon not to do it and then waited for him to raise his weapon before taking the shot.” He shook his head ruefully. “Trust me, most cops would have fired sooner. I probably would have if you hadn’t taken my weapon. It was so obvious he wouldn’t stop until he’d killed you.”

She was surprised but secretly glad. The knot of tension faded. “Say it again.”

“I believe you. I know you didn’t kill?—”

“Not that. The first part.” She placed her hand in the center of his chest, shocked to feel the strong thumping beat of his heart. “The most important part.”

“I love you. I know it’s too fast, and you’ve made it clear you don’t like to date, but I love you.” He searched her gaze. “From the very beginning, I risked my career for you, Jina. And I’ll keep doing that because you’re the only thing that matters.”

“Who said I don’t like dating?” She couldn’t help but smile. “I love you too, Cole. And I’ve never said that to another man in my entire life.”

“You humble me,” he whispered, drawing her into his arms. “I never thought I’d feel this way again. I guess God had other plans for me.”

“I’m very grateful God brought us together.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head down for a long kiss.

Losing herself in his embrace was far too easy. Scary that she’d never felt this way before, while Cole had married his first love.

“Don’t do that,” he whispered. “I can tell you’re allowing self-doubt to creep in, but there’s no need. I love you very much. ”

“You seem to know me pretty well considering we’ve only met what, two days ago?” She pulled back to look up into his dark-brown eyes.

“Two days can be a lifetime when dodging bullets,” he said with a smile. “Besides, it’s not as if I didn’t notice you at the gym. I also asked Mike about you.”

She shook her head, smiling back. “I noticed you too. But I didn’t ask Mike about you. In fact, I was convinced you were married, so I purposefully stayed away.”

“I was married, but that was a long time ago.” His expression sobered. “You’ve had a lot of bad experiences with men, Jina. I don’t want to rush you into anything. We’ll take things slow and easy.”

“I’d like that.” She was touched by his willingness to meet her more than halfway. “Maybe I could ask you out on a date. Like dinner tonight? I’m starved.”

He threw his head back and laughed.

“What’s so funny?” She frowned. “I thought you wanted to go out on a date!”

“I do, and I’d be honored to accept your offer of a date. Dinner sounds perfect. Anyplace you’d like to go works for me.” He continued to chuckle, then kissed her again. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too.” She still wasn’t sure why he’d found her comment so funny, but before she could say anything, a car pulled up next to them.

“Jina, it’s time to stop kissing Cole,” Cassidy said from the passenger seat. Zeke snickered at the comment. “Rhy mentioned you need a place to stay. My guest room is yours for as long as you need it.”

“Oh, ah, thanks.” She flushed and glanced at Cole who nodded. “I’ll be in touch. We, um, have dinner plans. ”

Instead of looking disappointed, Cassidy did a quick fist pump. “Yes! I knew it. I knew you’d fall for the right guy.”

“That makes one of us,” she muttered. If anyone had told her she’d be going on a real dinner date with Cole Roberts, she’d have laughed in their face.

“Give me your address and I’ll bring her by later, okay?” Cole said.

Cassidy rattled it off. Zeke waved, then pulled away.

Leaving her and Cole alone once again.

“Where would you like to go?” Cole opened the car door for her. She tossed her overnight bag in, realizing she had no idea. Her idea of meals was eating at Rosie’s Diner or fast food.

“Um.” She racked her brain for a nice restaurant.

Cole chuckled, then brushed a kiss on her mouth. “I know the perfect place. You like Italian, right?”

“Love it.”

“There’s a great Italian restaurant called Mario’s a few miles from here. It’s a weeknight, so they shouldn’t be too busy.”

“Sounds great.” She slid into the passenger seat. “Thanks, Cole.”

“My pleasure.” He started the engine. “Slow and easy. No pressure.”

She nodded, but deep down, she knew there was no reason for him to treat her like some porcelain doll that might break.

She was tough and resilient. As was Cole. She was pretty sure she’d be able to handle a relationship with him, despite her lack of experience with this sort of thing. She trusted Cole to catch her if she fell, and vice versa.

Together, they made a great team.