Page 106 of Every Deadly Suspicion

If Marcus had Jared and he wanted her there, he meant to kill them both.

CHAPTER 56

HANNA ARRIVED ATJARED’S HOUSEin three minutes. She parked behind his truck, concentrating, watching his porch and front door. She found herself hoping that Jared didn’t try anything heroic. After climbing out of her car, she walked to the front of Jared’s truck and stood behind the front wheel well, watching the house, hand on the butt of her gun.

Despite the fear, a spark of hope struck deep. She remembered the handgun she’d recovered in the garage; Marcus had not released the safety. Was he really the killer he wanted everyone to believe he was? Chase had said Marcus was soft. To Hanna that meant that Chase was the only killer, not Marcus. They must have been working together.

Would Marcus be able to shoot to kill? Hanna had never discharged her weapon in the line of duty. However, she knew from talking to others that it was no easy thing to shoot a person, even when you feared for your life.

Her phone stayed quiet. She set it on the truck’s hood and was about to redial when the noise of a slamming door to her left caught her attention. Jude Carver strode toward her. He must have gotten bailed out.

“I need to talk to you,” he hollered.

Hanna couldn’t look at him; she kept her eye on Jared’s front door.

“Not now, Jude. I’ve got a situation.” He should notice the gun and back off. He didn’t.

“Don’t put me off,” he fairly snarled.

Jared’s front door moved. She drew her weapon and stepped toward the front of the truck.

Jude reached her, grabbed her shoulder to make her face him, and stepped in front of her.

“Look at me.”

In the split second Hanna took her eye off Jared’s door and looked at Jude, Marcus emerged from the house and the boom of a shotgun sounded.

Hanna ducked.

Jude screamed and arched his back, twisting away from her and falling to the ground. Hanna brought her gun up, taking a step back to keep the truck between Marcus and her.

“Drop it, Marcus!”

He didn’t drop it, but he fumbled with the shotgun, falling to one knee, pain on his face. He’d not held the shotgun properly, and the recoil had injured his shoulder. He tried to bring the gun back up and couldn’t.

She stepped between Jude and the truck.

“Put the gun down!”

Marcus tried to raise it again and cursed when he couldn’t.

“It’s over. Drop the gun and get down on the ground. Now!”

He glared at her and tried one more time. She was about to ask where Jared was when he came bounding out of the house. His face was bruised and bloody. “Hanna!”

Marcus must have smacked him with something, but he wasokay. Jared hit Marcus in the back with a shoulder tackle. Marcus screamed and the shotgun went flying.

With Marcus on the ground moaning in pain and Jared on his back, Hanna lowered her gun.

“Hands behind your back, Marcus.”

“Ahh, my arm is broken. Get off me, get off me!”

Hanna holstered her weapon. Jude also moaned and cursed behind her. She could see blood staining his hip and lower leg.

“Jared, can you check on Jude? I’ll handle Marcus.”

“You got it.”

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