Page 69 of Deadly Revenge

“I trust you ... bring them on to the kitchen.” She tilted her head and studied him. “You look tired.”

“It was noisy at the hotel last night.” Max wasn’t about to tell her he’d slept in his truck just in case someone had broken in on her and decided to visit again. He followed her and noted a chair propped under the back door.

“I thought if my intruder returns, he’ll have to use the front door and maybe someone will see him.”

“Good idea.”

A few minutes later Jenna handed him a cup of steaming coffee and sat across from him, twisting the watch on her arm.

“About last night,” she said. “First, thank you for not insisting on staying. You don’t understand, but after what happened in Chattanooga, if you had stayed, it would’ve confirmed that you didn’t think I can take care of myself.”

“I was worried about you, still am.”

“Are you worried because someone broke in here or worried that I’m losing it?”

He didn’t answer right away, and her eyes narrowed. She leaned forward. “For the record, I saw a man when we pulled into the drive, and he was standing by the window. Whether you believe it or not.”

“Jenna, I know you thought you saw someone, but we didn’t find any evidence that anyone had been here.”

“Do you think I’m having PTSD again?”

It had crossed his mind. Had her mind created an image of a man in the window? He hadn’t seen it, and without a shred of evidence suggesting someone had been in the house again—

A text sounded on his phone at the same time hers dinged, and they both glanced at their screens. “Alex,” she said.

He nodded and read the text. Carter was arriving earlier than ten and the briefing had been moved up to eight o’clock.

She looked up at him. “We’ll have to hustle to make it, but we’re not done with this conversation.”

He divided the pastries with her and grabbed the cup of coffee. Once he was behind the wheel of his truck, he followed her SUV out of the drive. Could she be having PTSD from the shooting in Chattanooga? Max wasn’t certain she’d recovered mentally from that night. He was pretty sure PTSD and the attitude of her supervisor were the reasons she’d taken Alex’s offer to be a Russell County deputy and moved back home.

But what if Sebastian was in Russell County? Could Sebastian know she had PTSD? From what Max had heard, the man had a sadistic streak a mile wide. And if he was in cahoots with Phillip Ross ... Sebastian could be breaking into Jenna’s house, searching for the photos she’d taken of Phillip and Sebastian together.

One thing was for certain. They needed to know Sebastian’s whereabouts.

34

Jenna slipped into the room with Max right behind her just as Alex started the briefing. They found chairs near the back.

“Good. You made it,” Alex said. She directed her attention to Max. “Do you have the report on the castle nut?”

“No,” he said, “but she promised it by late this afternoon. I forwarded you an email from the logistics team approving the plan for positioning security at the park, so we need to firm up those assignments.”

“I’ll send out a schedule later today,” Alex said and then went on to discuss the letter found in Joe Slater’s desk.

“How about Paul Nelson’s place?” Jenna asked. “Was a letter found there?”

“No, but as soon as we finish here, Dylan and Taylor are going to process Nelson’s insurance office. Any more questions?”

When there were none, Alex held up two photos. “On to another subject. These are the only photos we have of Rick Sebastian, a notorious gang leader in Chattanooga. One is before prison and the other is from intake when he was incarcerated. Unfortunately, Mr. Sebastian is camera shy, and we have nothing more recent.”

Jenna froze and quickly averted her eyes. She’d known Alex planned to circulate the photos, and she thought she was prepared to see them. Evidently not prepared enough. Sweat beaded her face. Scenes of the night she was shot flashed in her mind.

Get a grip!She couldn’t lose it in front of Alex and the other deputies. And certainly not Max—he already thought she was having PTSD. She forced her attention back to the chief deputy.

Alex continued. “He was released from prison a month ago. Jenna was part of the team that arrested him for cocaine possession and testified against him at his trial, and after he was found guilty and sentenced, he threatened her life.

“His hair could be any length or he could’ve shaved his head. I’ve requested any photos the prison might have on file, but until we hear from them, use the photos you have now. And don’t just keep a watch out for him, show these around, see if anyone recognizes him.”

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