Page 44 of Crossing Lines

“She’s got this, man. One thing I know about her, she ain’t letting anyone hurt her family. Especially her brother.” The truck moved a little faster as the cars in front of us sped up.

Ten minutes later, we slammed to a stop, out of sight of the old barn. Everyone was out of their cars, vests on and guns drawn. Gabe barked out orders as Chip and I grabbed our badges and slid them on over our vests.

“You two,” Gabe called out, “with me. Everyone split up, the goal is to surround the barn.” That changed when a rage-filled scream split the air. Gunfire sounded, then the snarl and barking of a dog. As one, we moved in quickly.

I slammed through the half open barn door, cursing as pain lanced through my leg. The scene had everyone coming to a complete stop. Stella lay on the floor, her thighs tight over Kurt’s neck. Blood streaked her cheek, but she held her upper body slightly off the floor, pointing her gun at Davenport. He was on his knees, clutching a bleeding hand. Carter slumped against his restraints.

“Stella, sweetheart, I need you to put that gun down and release the man on the floor. Can you do that for me?” Gabe asked, putting his gun away.

“He did this!”

“I know, and they’ll both be going to jail. Let’s do this by the book, okay?” Wayne pushed through the crowd, walked over to where Davenport was knelt, and snatched the man up by his throat.

Everyone moved then. Gabe lunged for Wayne, Drew at his side. Kruger, Charlie, and I moved to Stella. Jackson and Derek went for Carter.

I took her gun and slid it in the back of my jeans. “Baby, are you hurt?” The blood was coming from a cut above her eyebrow, and her throat had a handprint all around it. I didn’t have time to be mad. The moment she released, Kurt he went after her again. He got a boot to the face for his efforts. The scream of frustrated rage that accompanied it made me wince.

“You sack of shit!” Stel reached for her other weapon, but I laid across her, blocking him from her sight.

“Stop it. He’s going to jail. Please, baby, you can’t kill him. I can’t lose you to life in prison. Think of the babies.” She went limp and stopped struggling. I didn’t move, though. I knew my girl. If she got a half a second, she’d find a way to get at him.

“Stell, your leg’s bleeding.” Charlie ripped her pant leg up the side and grimaced.

“I shot myself.”

“How?”

“I shot him, and my leg was in the way.” She glared up at Kurt. He was grinning. The sick fuck was bleeding, beaten, and cuffed, but he was still smiling.

Stel yelped and jerked as Charlie prodded her leg. “Get off of me,Charles.” Murder raged in her eyes underneath her rolling tears.

“Stay still, crazy. I have to stop the bleeding.”

“Sissy,” Carter rasped. He dropped to his knees beside us, then fell against me. I held him up.

“Whoa, kid.” I tried to see what all he had for injuries. Stella jerked up, her arms going around him.

“Carter. My God. I’m so sorry. I got here as fast as I could.”

I pulled a wound dressing from my vest, yanked the packet open, and pressed it to the cut on his temple. He winced, butI held him in place. I pushed another one up and pressed it to Stella’s eyebrow. She flinched back, but my hand followed her. Reluctantly, she stopped moving and scowled.

“We need a bus down here, now!” Charlie snapped. “We have a suspect and a civilian with a gunshot wound.” The radio crackled as Anna responded.

Gabe, Drew, and Chip were holding a raving Wayne back as Kruger cuffed Davenport. Now I knew where Stella got that rage from. This was a disaster, even though we got the kid back and everyone was walking away in relatively okay condition. Carter and Stella would have to heal, but they’d survived a situation that could have been deadly. My heart ached. I could have lost her and the baby. I pulled her chin up with my free hand.

“I love you. I’m sorry. I was a dick.”

“I love you, too. You were a dick, but so was I.” She winced as Charlie taped down the dressing on her wound. He shifted around to Carter.

“Hold on, kid. Jesus.”

Twenty minutes later, Carter and Stella were loaded into a bus, heading for the hospital. Kurt and Davenport were secured to gurneys and being loaded into buses. They’d be going to the hospital under guard. Word came down through Derek that the FBI agents in charge of his case would be taking over their charge as soon as they got there. Good riddance.

I climbed into the truck. Chip was behind the wheel, and Wayne joined us in the back. We followed the ambulance with Stel and Carter. I wasn’t letting her out of my sight again.

Chapter 19

Stella

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