Page 115 of Under Fire

“Adrenaline dump. I need an ice pack. Cain hit her.”

“I’ll get it.” Simon caught the key fob Matt tossed to him after he set Delilah on her feet.

“This is all your fault, Delilah,” Norris screamed. “I should have taken care of you years ago. No one will believe anything you say. I have more power than you can imagine in this town.”

Matt scowled. He glanced at his best friend. With a lift of his chin, Cade walked to Delilah and took up position by her side.

Norris cursed and raged, fighting against Trent and Liam as Matt stalked to the man who had humiliated Delilah and would have done worse if he’d caught her in the woods. Matt shifted his weight to the balls of his feet and slammed his fist into Norris’s jaw. The other man’s head snapped to the side, eyes rolled back in his head. He sagged against Matt’s teammates, out cold.

Liam snorted in disgust. “Glass jaw.”

“Should have watched out for those exposed tree roots,” Trent said. “Isn’t that right, Detective Russell?”

A slow smile appeared on the detective’s face. “There are a lot of them out here. He should have been more careful.” His fellow cops smirked and nodded in agreement.

The detective turned his attention to Delilah. “We have an ambulance waiting around the curve. My questions can wait until you’re checked out at the hospital.”

“I don’t need a hospital. I just need Matt.”

Matt returned to her side with a nod of thanks to Cade. “I’ll take her in myself if I’m not satisfied with how she’s responding.” Matt wouldn’t allow anyone to separate them again. “If you question Delilah here, she needs to sit down. My SUV is in the trees about four hundred yards away.” He wanted Delilah inside his vehicle where she would be safe if Shane had more cronies in the area.

“Tell Officer King the location of Lisa Walters, Shane Frost, and Donovan Cain first.” After Matt gave the information, Russell said, “Lead the way, Rainer.”

At the vehicle, Simon handed Matt the chemically-activated cold pack and moved a few feet away to keep watch. Russell climbed into the backseat, yanked out his notebook and pen, and asked Delilah to relay what happened from the time she and Matt arrived at Shannon’s office that afternoon.

An hour later, the detective shook his head as he shoved the notebook and pen in his pocket. “Incredible. I’ll contact Detective Kelter.” He grinned. “Your detective will have to get in line with his B & E and assault charges. Attempted murder and rape trump those charges.”

“As long as Cain and his buddies are off the streets and held accountable for their actions, Rod won’t mind.”

Russell turned to Delilah. “I know you want to leave Harmony behind in the dust, but I need you to stay until tomorrow morning at least. I’ll have your statements ready by then and perhaps be able to answer more questions about Michelle and Randy’s deaths and the attempts on your life.”

Delilah frowned. “I want to go home, Detective Russell. I have wedding plans to finish.”

The other man smiled. “Congratulations. When is the big day?”

“As soon as we can arrange it,” Matt said. “I’m not letting an extra day pass without marrying Delilah. I almost lost her today. I don’t want to wait.”

The two men exchanged looks of understanding.

“I’ll have your statements ready in the morning by 9:00. Stop on your way out of town. I’ll send a message through Fortress when I need you for other steps in the legal process.” He left the SUV.

Trent walked from the tree line with the rest of Bravo. “You’re free to go?”

Matt nodded. “I need to take Delilah to the hotel. Cade, you want to ride with us?” His friend looked pale.

“I wouldn’t turn down a ride.”

Trent’s eyes narrowed when Cade staggered and almost fell into the backseat. “We’ll follow you, Matt.”

With a nod, he cranked the engine and angled the air vents to blow toward Cade. Matt circled to the hatchback for over-the-counter pain meds and an unopened bottle of water.

Matt pressed both into Cade’s hands. “Swallow these and take a nap. I don’t want Sasha angry with me.”

“Better you than me,” his friend murmured. That he didn’t argue against taking the meds told Matt how bad Cade felt. When they returned to the hotel, Matt would check his wound for signs of infection or broken stitches.

As Matt drove toward the hotel, he kept an eye on his surroundings and on his passengers. Cade stretched out across the seat. Delilah fell asleep with her hand gripping Matt’s.

When he parked in the hotel’s garage, the sun was beginning to set. “Delilah, Cade, we’re at the hotel.”

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