Page 15 of Lone Star Target

Angel glanced at Jace, giving him a quick once over, probably checking for injuries. Jace did the same to both Kit and him, but thankfully neither appeared to be hurt.

“ETA for backup is under a minute,” Angel said, just as there was the wail of sirens in the distance.

The shots continued, a more frantic pace now, and Jace wasn’t even sure they were hitting the SUV. Or anything else other than the surface of the parking lot. The shooter seemed to be just firing.

And then Jace heard something else he didn’t want to hear.

A scream.

Jace crawled out from beneath the SUV and levered himself up so he could see what the hell was going on.

“Shit,” he growled.

The shooter had grabbed a young woman and had her in a chokehold while moving toward the stairs.

“The gunman’s taken a hostage,” Jace relayed.

“Is it Brandon?” Kit asked on a rise of breath.

“No, it’s a woman. Wait here,” Jace added, and he took off running, darting toward the vehicle just ahead of them and dropping down.

“Jace,” Kit blurted, and he heard the emotion coating her voice. She wanted him to stay down. But he couldn’t.

He had to try to stop the gunman from escaping with a hostage.

“Backup is nearly here,” Angel called out, clearly wanting Jace to stay down as well.

He didn’t. Dragging in the breath he needed for this burst of speed, he raced forward, but no shots came. However, he did hear those footsteps that he’d been listening for. And they were coming from the metal stairs on the right of the apartment unit.

The shooter was getting away.

Jace bolted forward, and the gunman must have seen him, because he put the gun to the woman’s head. A silent warning. Come closer and she dies. Jace silently cursed as many words of profanity that came to his mind.

What he couldn’t do was charge forward and try to save her.

He waited, hearing the cruiser squeal to a stop in the parking lot. Waited and watched, and when the gunman had reached the bottom of the stairs, Jace began to inch forward.

Behind him, he could hear Angel explaining the situation to the responding officers, but Jace kept his focus on the shooter. The shooter was doing the same to Jace.

At first anyway.

Then, the shooter shoved the woman. Hard, and she began to fall forward. The shooter didn’t stay around to watch that happen. He bolted away, running in the opposite direction to the other side of the apartment units.

“Officer in pursuit of suspect,” Jace heard one of the cops call out as the cop raced past Jace.

He had to fight his instincts and training to run with the cop, to catch this asshole gunman. The cop nor his partner, who was right behind him, would appreciate a civilian interceding. Also, Jace heard something else, something behind him, that had him glancing over his shoulder.

Kit.

She was no longer on the ground. She was on her feet and heading toward the apartments.

“I need to check on Brandon,” she insisted.

He couldn’t fault her for wanting to do that, but he sure as hell didn’t want her out in the open like this. Jace hurried to her, hooking his arm around her waist to maneuver her behind him, and Angel got in place so that he was behind her.

Jace saw the second cop stop to check on the woman who’d been the gunman’s hostage, and she must have been okay enough because the cop took off running after his partner. In pursuit of the gunman.

Maybe they’d catch the SOB.

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