Page 70 of Jina

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.”

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