Chapter Fourteen

Jace had to tamp down his shock so he could focus on Kit. She had to be feeling the shock, too. And more.

So much more.

Yeah, Ramsey was a vicious sonofabitch. But the man was still her father. And something like this happening to him likely hadn't even been on Kit's radar. It certainly hadn't been on his.

"The Bandera Bluff's sheriff's department is stretched thin because of the kidnapping investigation," Ruby continued a moment later, "but the sheriff is already on the way to your father's estate."

Hell. Jace didn't like any of that, especially the stretched thin part since Kit and he were about to leave for the courthouse.

Except maybe they weren't.

Jace was about to ask Kit about requesting a delay, but Ruby addressed it before he could.

"Sheriff Manning said you could ask to have your testimony postponed," Ruby added. "And that the judge would almost certainly grant it."

Kit stayed quiet a moment and shook her head. "No, I'd rather just get this over and done." She stared at Ruby on the screen. "Is there any idea who murdered my father?"

Ruby shook her head. "Everything's in the preliminary stage right now, but as soon as I find out something, I'll let you know."

"Thank you," Kit muttered, and she checked the time. Sighed. And closed her eyes for a moment. "We need to leave," she said after she opened her eyes and looked at Jace.

They did, but Jace figured Kit could use at least a minute or two. Heck, she could use a lot more than that, but if she did indeed want to go through with the testimony, then they would have to leave very soon.

"I'll keep you posted," Ruby assured them, and she ended the call.

Kit just stood there, staring at the blank screen. She finally shook her head and muttered something Jace didn't catch before she started toward the door that led to the garage.

"Trevor will inherit everything," she spelled out as all three of them got into Jace's SUV. Angel took the backseat while Kit rode shotgun. "That means no more money problems for him."

"You really believe your brother murdered him?" Angel asked, taking the question right out of Jace's mouth.

She shrugged. "Money's a strong motive, and my father is worth millions." Kit stopped. "At least I think he is. But then, I thought Trevor was financially solid, too, and it turns out he isn't."

Yeah. But there was someone else in this equation who didn't have those solid finances any longer.

"Deanna had motive," Jace pointed out. And because he had no choice, he had to add one other name. "Brandon, too, if he wanted to fix the money problem for his mother."

Kit certainly didn't jump to argue, or agree, about that, but Jace knew she was processing it. That, and her father's death. With her having so much on her mind, this trip could definitely turn out to be a mistake.

Jace kept watch as he drove, and without even glancing in the rearview mirror to confirm it, Angel was doing the same thing.

They were still a good mile away from the town when Kit's phone rang. "It's Brandon," she muttered, and she took the call on speaker.

"Aunt Kit, you've heard about Granddad?" Brandon immediately asked.

"I have." And she paused. Maybe because she was waiting to hear her nephew's reaction. Or maybe because she was remembering the doubts she had about his kidnapping.

"God, I can't believe it. Do you think my dad could have done this?" he asked, voicing what Kit had already been asked.

"I'm not sure," she settled for saying. "Do you?"

He groaned. "I don't know. I hope not. Where are you right now?" he tacked onto that.

Kit opened her mouth, closed it and looked at Jace. He gave a slight shake of the head. "I'm safe. What about you? Where are you?"

"Bandera Bluffs. I was already here, waiting for you, when Mom called with the news about Granddad."

Kit's mouth went tight. Again, maybe because of those doubts she now had about her nephew. It couldn't have put her at ease to hear him say he was waiting on her. Because he could be waiting to kill her.

"Are you still going to testify?" Brandon came out and asked.

She kept her gaze pinned to Jace while he volleyed glances between the road and her. "I'm not sure," she lied. "It's probably best for you to go home and be with your mom."

Brandon wasn't quick to respond. Maybe because he was recalculating how to get to Kit? Then again, if Brandon was innocent, he could just merely be upset that his dad was going to be arrested because of a plea deal Marvin would make.

"All right," Brandon finally said. "I'll go home and wait to hear from you. Stay safe, Aunt Kit."

"You do the same," she replied and ended the call.

She immediately groaned. "I hate feeling like this about him. Hate trying to read between the lines to know if he wants me dead."

"Yeah," Jace muttered. He got that. So many things in Kit's world had been tossed upside down, and this was yet another upset.

"My advice," Angel said, "we both turn on the street before the courthouse and drive around until I get word from Slade that Brandon has actually left the area."

That was advice Jace would take. Bandera Bluff wasn't a huge town, just a couple of traffic lights on Main Street, and it was best if they didn't end up driving right past Brandon.

Of course, adding the extra distance added time to the trip, and Jace figured each extra second was adding more and more stress to the already pile of stress she had to be feeling. Jace was worried about her, but that didn't stop him from paying attention to their surroundings.

He didn't spot any of their suspects. Marvin, Trevor or Brandon. No Deanna either. But there was the possibility that one or more of the people he drove past were accomplices that one or more of them had hired.

"Brandon just drove away, heading east on Main Street," Slade reported through the earbuds they were all wearing. "As planned, Ruby arranged for Kit to go in through the back entrance, and there's a reserved parking spot for you near the door. Deputy Kade Jenkins will let you in, search you and secure your weapons. He's been vetted. Then, he'll escort Kit to the second floor and to the witness waiting room."

Where Jace wouldn't be allowed to go.

Ruby had already made that clear. That was an area for witnesses and their attorneys. But he could stay with her all the way up to the point until she was actually inside the room. A room that he'd make damn sure was safe before he left her there. Then, he could stand guard in the hall to make sure no one tried to barge in while Angel helped Slade keep watch of the outside perimeter of the building.

Jace hoped it was all enough.

He parked in the spot right by the door, and both Angel and he got out with Kit. Angel stayed back, but Kit and he moved straight into the courthouse.

So far, so good.

But Jace did get a jolt of memories since this back exit had once been the entrance to the Justice of the Peace's office. Kit and he had walked through this very door on their way to say their I dos.

No Justice of the Peace around today. But Deputy Jenkins was right there to search Kit's bag and to take Jace's Sig-Sauer, his backup weapon, and Kit's gun as well. The deputy put them in a lockbox that he then tucked under his arm.

"I'll secure these at the front check-in," Jenkins explained. "You can pick them up on your way out."

"Standard procedure," Jace muttered, knowing this was the way it had to be done. But not liking it one bit.

"Follow me," the deputy said, leading them to a set of back stairs that looked old but sturdy. Actually, that applied to the entire building that had apparently been built well over a hundred years ago.

Jace had seen very little of the courthouse on his wedding day, so every step they took now was new ground for him. And along with the steps, his concerns grew since they were getting further and further away from the exit. He wanted Kit out of here as fast as possible.

Once they were on the second floor, the deputy threaded them down a narrow hall until they reached a wide open mezzanine landing. Below, Jace could see the main entrance and the logjam of people who were being searched for entry. Apparently, the trial was a big draw since he saw press badges on some of the visitors.

There were no stairs directly off the mezzanine, but in addition to the ones they'd just used, there was another set straight ahead at the end of a seriously long hall. At least forty feet on each side. They didn't have to go that far though before the deputy stopped at the door labeled Witness Waiting Area.

It was empty.

However, Jace checked all the corners and the windows to make sure no one was dangling outside. It was clear.

"I'll be back up to escort Miss Barclay to the courtroom when it's time. You can't stay," the deputy added to Jace.

Jace nodded and looked at Kit. What he wanted to do was hold her and kiss her. But it wasn't the time or the place.

"I won't leave this floor," he assured her, giving her one last look before the deputy closed the door.

As the deputy walked away, Jace stood there a moment, trying to tamp down the bad feeling in his gut, and then he started looking for the best spot to keep an eye on the door and everything else.

He went back to the mezzanine, which gave him a good view of both halls, both sets of stairs, and the entrance below. Jace frowned though when someone pushed through the crowd. A man who'd kept his head down but immediately donned a ski mask before Jace could see his face.

The man also donned two handguns that he'd had tucked beneath a long coat.

The guy immediately started shooting, sending a spray of gunfire all around the entry. People screamed. Ran. And tried to scramble out of the path of those bullets.

A woman didn't make it though.

He shot her and sent her sprawling.

"Run!" Jace shouted to the handful of people who seemed frozen with shock.

That got the gunman's attention, and the man looked up. He didn't waste a second taking aim and sending some rounds of gunfire Jace's way.

Jace had no choice but to dive to the floor.

He could no longer see the shooter, but he sure as hell could hear him. The SOB was firing into the ceiling now, and the bullets were tearing through the floor of the hall.

Hell.

The hall outside the witness waiting room.

Jace whipped out his phone to call Angel, and he cursed again when he saw he had no bars. Shit. The gunman must have managed to jam the signal.

The gunshots just kept coming, deadly projectiles that sent splinters and chunks of the floor everywhere. Jace glanced up the hall when some motion caught his eye.

Kit.

She had opened the door and was peering out.

He motioned for her to go back in though Jace couldn't swear that was the safe thing to do. There were no absolute safe places now, so his best bet was to get to her. He didn't want her on this mezzanine floor where she'd be a visible target. Right now, the gunman was just sending up blind shots, and while that was plenty dangerous enough, Jace didn't want this asshole to see her.

Because Kit was the target.

He'd had known that from the sound of the first gunshot.

He levered himself up enough to look below. There was no sign of the gunman, just the dead woman. And maybe a blocked front door since no one was rushing in. But the shots were continuing, sprays of gunfire that were certainly hurting and killing people.

Jace heard a woman cry out in pain, and he scrambled across the floor to head down the hall.

Then, he heard the footsteps.

And he realized the gunman was on the second floor. He was right here. He was coming for Kit.

That meant a change of plans. Jace didn't go to Kit after all but instead took up position by the mezzanine wall. At least the guy had stopped shooting. For now, anyway. Jace had no doubts, none, that the gunfire would resume if the shooter reached the witness room.

Jace couldn't let him get there.

So, he waited, listening to those damn footsteps. Waiting for a killer to come into his line of sight.

The seconds crawled by, but the guy finally reached the mezzanine, and Jace struck out. He rammed into the shooter, sending both of them to the floor. Too bad the asshole managed to hold onto his gun. Especially this gun since it had a too quick trigger and the gunfire could spray everywhere.

Including through the wall where Kit was.

For now though, the shooter used it like a billy club. He held on and swung the barrel of it at Jace. It slammed into his jaw. Damn hard. But Jace fought back.

Had to.

The stakes were sky-high now.

He punched the guy, silently cheering when he broke his nose. Good. But that didn't stop him. The shooter shifted the gun, and Jace knocked his hand aside.

Just as he managed to pull the trigger.

The shot blasted into the floor right next to Jace's head while the shock ripped through him.

Jace landed another blow on that already broken, bleeding nose, and the guy jerked back his head, trying to move out of way of Jace's fist. He succeeded for the most part. He jolted back as Jace caught onto the ski mask and stripped it off.

Right before the killer pulled the trigger.

The shot slammed into the mezzanine floor right next to Jace's head while the shock fired through this body.

What the hell?

He was staring at the face of a dead man. Or at least a man who should have been dead anyway.

Ramsey.

Jace immediately shook off that shock, and his training kicked in. Enough of this shit. This asshole was out to kill his own daughter.

When Ramsey brought up the gun again to fire, Jace let the rage fuel him, and it gave him an extra bite of adrenaline. He aimed every bit of that newly found strength at Ramsey. Jace punched him in the jaw. Then, that broken nose.

Then, his throat.

Ramsey made a garbled sound and fell back on the floor. Jace didn't take any chances. He stomped on Ramsey's hand, probably breaking many bones, but the man let go of the gun.

Jace kicked it aside and reached in Ramsey's pocket, snatching out the second gun. He used it to take aim at Ramsey's head.

"Move," Jace warned him. "And this time, you die for real, you sonofabitch."