Page 131 of Deadly Revenge

The front door burst open, and deputies spilled into the room.

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Jenna leaned into Max, and he wrapped his arm around her waist. Flashing red and white lights from the ambulances strobed the sky. No one died tonight. Phillip was the first one arrested, and Sebastian and his three men were critically wounded, but barring complications, they would live to stand trial.

“Your dad seems okay,” Max said.

She shifted her gaze to the ambulance where medics checked her dad. “He’s a tough bird.”

Max laughed. “I can’t believe he managed to topple his chair into Sebastian.”

They both turned as Nathan and Alex approached.

“It’s been a good night’s work,” Alex said.

“Yeah,” Jenna agreed. “If we can get through the picnic with no one getting hurt, it’ll be a good weekend.”

They all bumped fists. “Don’t do it tonight,” Alex said, “but first thing in the morning, write up your report.”

“It is morning,” Jenna said.

“You know what I mean.” Alex smiled. “Tomorrow—excuseme—today is a big day for us, you two in particular. Why don’t you try and get some sleep.”

“I won’t argue,” Max said.

“We’ll take Dad home.” Jenna glanced toward her dad again. She could have lost him tonight. She breathed a prayer of thanks. “I hope to get him to spend the night at my house.”

Alex and Nathan looked askance at her.

“What? You think I can’t talk him into it?”

“What do you think?” Alex said with a laugh.

She could try, and she did try, but her dad was adamant that he was sleeping what was left of the night in his own bed. When they reached her house, she turned to Max.

“Why don’t you sleep in the spare bedroom? I know it’s more comfortable than the sofa.”

“I’ll take the sofa—it sleeps pretty good.”

It was two before Jenna actually made it to bed, and she was asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. Hammering jerked her awake. Was she dreaming? No. The hammering continued. The clock on her dresser showed 5:00 a.m.

She grabbed her gun and eased out of her bedroom. Max stood at the front door. He put his finger to his lips then peered through the peephole.

He blew out a breath and holstered his gun. “Hold on, Mr. Darby!” He turned to Jenna. “Key?”

Jenna holstered her gun and hurried back to her bedroom and grabbed her keys. In the hallway she tossed them to Max. He unlocked the door and swung it open. “What’s wrong?”

Darby didn’t wait for an invitation and barreled into the house with his dog. “Someone tried to poison Bear.”

“Is he all right?” Jenna asked.

“Yeah. I trained him as a pup to not eat anything except what I gave him. About half an hour ago, Bear started barking something fierce. Woke me up, and I knew right thensomeone was on my property—that’s the only time he barks crazy like that.”

Darby stopped to get a breath and swayed. He pressed his hand against the wall to steady himself.

“Let’s go to the kitchen where we can sit down,” Max said.

“Appreciate it.”

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