If You Know Her: A Novel of Romantic Suspense

this bullshit on Carter, nobody’s going to care.”
    That had to be the most faulty reasoning Keith had ever heard. But as he watched Ethan speed off down the driveway, he was torn—he liked Ezra. He liked Ethan. He’d known Carter most of his life. So did he hope Ezra was right—which meant Ethan wouldn’t be getting off scot-free for insubordination—or did he hope Ethan was right and that while Ethan’s little fuckup would get lost in the smoke of Ezra’s screwup, Ezra’s career would be shot?
    “I didn’t sign up for this political bullshit.” He rubbed the back of his neck.
    Hell. Too much political bullshit.
    Deb’s lifeless eyes watched him as he poured himself some whiskey from the stash she’d kept hidden in her sewing basket. He toasted her. “Cheers, Deb,” he murmured, looking out the window.
    He’d heard her calling the cops. He’d
wanted
her to call the cops.
    After all, how could he make a move when they were all focused on the place where he needed to be?
    The sheriff’s department was spread thin as it was. So if he could cause enough chaos, hopefully he could slip in, quietly, do what he needed to do, and then be done with it.
    When he heard the sirens, he smiled and left her sewing room, made his way to the living room. It was dimin the house now, almost dark with the oncoming night. He’d already taken care of the lights. Now he just had to wait, and watch.
    Through the window, he could see the car well enough. Just one deputy. Sheffield, he thought. Wasn’t positive, but he thought that was the name. Carter was happy it wasn’t family.
    Young. Stupid. Arrogant idiot.
    He announced himself before he entered—Carter had left the door open. No reason to make him break it down, after all. He wasn’t trying to hide.
    Backing out of the living room, he waited in the formal dining room. It was a new game of cat and mouse, and it had his heart racing. His last game—that was what today was. His last game, and now that he’d settled down to play, it was turning out to be pretty damn fun.
    Floorboards creaked as Sheffield came into the living room.
    Carter watched the floor, judging by the shifting shadows as Sheffield drew closer to the open doorway between the two rooms.
    “Miz Sparks? It’s the County Sheriff’s office. Can you tell me where you are?” Ethan called out. Not so much arrogance in his voice this time.
    A wicked little smile curled Carter’s lips.
Why, Ethan … she’s dead. I’ll tell her you dropped by …
    Ethan drew closer to the dining room and Carter backed away, edging out and circling around, carefully avoiding the boards that squeaked—he’d taken care to learn them, and he placed his weight with caution. When he peered around the doorway, Ethan had already made his way through the dining room.
    Smiling, Carter moved faster. It was his own arrogance that tripped him up. He didn’t double-check beforehe came around the corner and he found himself staring down the business end of Ethan’s service revolver.
    “What the …” Ethan shook his head, gaping.
    Carter might have been touched by the astonishment in the boy’s eyes—if he had cared.
    He didn’t, though.
    Ethan shrugged it off, though, and he did it fast. In a harsh, flat voice, he said, “Drop the weapon.”
    Carter smiled. “No.”
    He jerked it up, aimed.
    He pulled the trigger just as Ethan got a round off.
    The fiery pain that cut through his arm was a shock. A brutal, burning one. In the end, it was also one that didn’t matter, because Ethan went down, his throat a raw, bloody wound, blood gushing. Carter kicked his weapon away and then bent over, grabbed the radio, jerked it off. He’d be dead in no time.
    As he was walking to the door, another fiery pain hit him.
    A bullet, ripping through the side of his calf.
    He stumbled, slammed into the doorjamb. Looking back, he watched as Ethan’s backup weapon fell from his hand. Watched as his eyes went empty. Lifeless.
    Lena closed her eyes.
    The sound of a gunshot echoing through the night was like the start of the nightmare all over again. Except she wasn’t alone.
    Her hand clenched in Puck’s fur and every once in a while, she rubbed her finger over her wedding ring. Ezra was still out there. Searching, looking for evidence, or something. Maybe even looking for Carter. Roz … damn it, where the fuck was Roz?
    There was a deputy pacing around her house.
    Law, Hope, and Nia were here. And she knew she wasn’t going