Page 79 of Long Road Home

Jax stumbled down to one knee and slammed into her shoulder. “Want the shotgun?” he asked, his face very close to hers. She saw the edges of his mouth curl up, entirely too entranced by the way it looked. “We’re going to distract each other and wind up getting killed.”

Pilsborough fired, then backed up from the edge of the wing. “That’s the last one. I think we’re clear.”

“Let’s go check it out.” She didn’t want to carry the shotgun, though. It was getting heavy, and she couldn’t let that distract her. She needed to put all her attention on being aware of the threats coming rather than her own issues—including the handsome, distracting man.

Just great.

“Let me take that.” Jax held out his pistol, barrel down. “Let’s trade.”

Kenna leaned over as they swapped weapons. “Get out of my brain.”

She saw the intention in his eyes, but now wasnotthe time for him to kiss her. Hadn’t she just been thinking that they needed to focus? Maybe it was just her.

“Let’s go.” She followed Pilsborough, taking one side of the overturned vehicle than him. “One down here.”

The guy lay bleeding onto the snow, staring at her with lifeless eyes.

She kept going and found another with Pilsborough standing over him. The back hatch of the small compact SUV was open. She peered in. “The driver is out, or dead. They’ve got a case back here.” She climbed in and checked the driver’s pulse. Nothing. “He’s dead. And this is a grenade launcher.”

“That must be what hit the plane.”

Kenna climbed out.

Jax came over, Destain and Jim behind him. “Let’s get to your vehicle. Get out of here.”

They crossed the runway, and the plane that had landed a short while ago had taxied into the hangar. A police car and fire truck pulled in, lights and sirens going.

Destain said, “Figures the locals would show up after the danger is over.”

“Hey.” Kenna glanced over. “You’d better have no filter because you’re in pain. ’Cause that was uncalled for.” She tossed Jax her keys, and he winked. Then she jogged over to meet the officer local to the airport and the firefighters.

“Never seen you before.”

“Deputy Banbury. I work for Gingrich.” If they had an opinion about the sheriff, they kept it to themselves. “At least for today. There’s a guy in the office. He was tied up, lost consciousness, and possible other injuries. The shooter…”

She glanced around.

“Lose something?” The officer’s breath puffed out white in front of his face. He wore a uniform coat, gloves, and a beanie. And, like her, he probably had on insulated pants. A man accustomed to the temperatures where he lived.

Jax had come from San Diego. He’d been wearing shorts not long ago, and was definitely not accustomed to the freezing digits out here. She needed to get him a hot drink, and get their friends under cover.

There was more snow on the forecast.

“There was a man on the roof. Others in that car over there.” She pointed across the runway. “The occupants of the vehicle are deceased. The shooter must’ve run off, but I can give you a description.” She glanced casually at her car and saw they’d loaded the prisoner in the back. “I’ve got an injured man if any of your firefighters are EMT trained.”

“All of ’em are. Department policy.”

“Great.” She called out, “Marshal!” and waved. “Let’s take a look at your shoulder.”

Jax guarded the car.

Destain took his dislocated shoulder to the firefighters. A couple of others walked the office guy out of the portable building. They let him sit on the hood of the police car, which was probably still warm. He blinked at her andgasped. “I woke up, and she was just standing over me. She didn’t do anything. She just left. Then I heard all those gunshots outside, I had to hide!”

Kenna ignored most of that. “The guy who attacked you. Have you ever seen him before?” They wouldn’t need her description if this man could ID the shooter.

The guy blinked. “Well, yeah. He’s a local. Part of this group that thinks they’re big game hunters.”

The cop said, “Ramsey?”

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