Page 48 of Dangerous Lies

Douglas was out there somewhere. Waiting.

Jax let his eyes adjust before stepping out of the storage room, gun leading the way. There was a slim chance he could sneak up on the man and end this now.

A light flickered to his left. Then it vanished.

Flickered again.

This time, Jax caught the sharp outline of Douglas’s face before the lighter’s flame dipped to a kerosene lamp at his feet. The wick caught, sending an eerie glow flickering across the concrete floor. Jax remained in the shadows, his gun trained on the man who had once been his brother’s best friend.

Douglas was ready for a fight.

He wore a bulletproof vest and a helmet. Night vision goggles dangled from a strap around his neck. He’d swapped his thick-rimmed glasses for contacts. The bottoms of his military-style camo pants were soaked from the rain, and a rifle was slung across his back.

In one hand, he held a lighter.

In the other—a handgun.

The barrel was pressed against the temple of a kneeling man.

Cody.

Zeke’s brother was soaked, battered, and shaking. A gag muffled his sobs, his chest heaving with every panicked breath. Jax’s gut twisted. The hope of sneaking up on Douglas evaporated. He had positioned himself strategically, a corner at his back, cutting off easy access.

Sticking to the shadows, using a support beam as cover, Jax yelled, “Put down your weapons, Douglas. You’re under arrest for murder.”

Douglas laughed. Cold and sharp. Then his expression darkened. “Where’s Megan?”

Jax wasn’t going to answer that question. “Why did you do it? Oliver loved you.”

“I didn’t kill your brother. Megan did.” Douglas tilted his head, voice rising as he projected his next words across the barn. “Listen to me—this can go one of two ways. Either you bring Megan out, or I put a bullet in Cody’s head.” His tone dripped with malice. “You hear that, Megan? You’ll be responsible for another man’s death. Or you can choose to save his life.”

Jax prayed she would stay put. Douglas had no intention of letting any of them leave this barn alive.

The lighter flickered again. Did Douglas plan to burn the barn down? Even in a thunderstorm, the old structure wouldn’t last ten minutes. The thought sent ice through Jax’s veins. But if fire was his plan, why hadn’t he started it already?

Then it hit him.

This wasn’t just about killing Megan. It had never been just about that.

It was about terrorizing her.

Jax clenched his jaw. Where were Noah and Dawson?

Sweat beaded on his forehead. Could he save both Cody and Megan? What if Douglas did set the barn ablaze? If the flames didn’t kill them, then the smoke would. Or the sniper waiting outside.

There were too many unknowns. He needed to stall.

Jax sucked in a deep breath, sent a prayer heavenward, and stepped into the main part of the barn. Every step sent a wave of pain through his bullet wound. Blood seeped out of the bandages, trailing down his hand. He ignored it. All of his attention was locked on the killer in front of him.

“I get it, Douglas. You and Oliver were friends. He defended you against the bullies at school and you were loyal to him. You want to avenge his death. But killing Cody and Megan will only make things worse. You shoot him, and then I’ll shoot you. It won’t end well for any of us.” He eased closer, keeping his gun pointed at the criminal. “Put down your weapon. Let’s solve this the right way. The way Oliver would have wanted.”

Douglas’s nostrils flared, his face twisting with sudden anger. “How do you know what Oliver would have wanted?” His voice rose with fury. “You left him! You betrayed him! He was hooked on drugs and no one cared but me!”

“That’s why you killed Zeke. To protect Oliver.”

“He was so stupid. I told him to just walk away from Zeke, but Oliver wanted to be the hero.” His voice thickened with emotion, but there was no remorse—only rage. “He gave information to the sheriff’s department, and Zeke found out somehow. He threatened him. I didn’t have a choice.”

Jax shifted, angling for a better position. The bulletproof vest Douglas wore left little room for error if he had to take a shot. “You lured Zeke here. Shot him.”

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