Page 148 of Stormswept Colorado

Jarod’s gaze jerked toward me. The gun stayed aimed at his temple.

I knew I was being reckless. Teller would probably be furious with me later. But right now, all I saw was the twelve-year-old kid I’d used to babysit. Who’d left a bouquet of birthday flowers on my porch just to make me smile. Who’d comforted me and made me laugh when I was sad.

“It doesn’t have to end like this,” I said.

He started to lower the gun.

But a split second later, Jarod raised the weapon and aimed it at me.

Multiple gunshots rang out. Jarod’s body convulsed. He took several steps back, arms flailing as spots of red appeared on his forehead and chest, and collapsed onto the porch stairs. His finger was still tangled on the trigger guard of his gun. But he hadn’t fired.

“Ayla!”

Teller ran toward me. Scooped me into an embrace, tucking my face against his shoulder. There was too much noise. People suddenly surrounding us.

But I focused on the feeling of his heart beating against me. Like it was a beacon showing me the way back home.

FORTY-SEVEN

Teller

Morning light caughtin Ayla’s hair, turning the strands to silver and pale gold.

I had been awake for a while, just watching her sleep in my bed.

Ayla was home safe. She had survived what happened with Jarod Carpenter. It had only been three days, and I knew from firsthand experience that true healing took longer.

Yet when Ayla stretched and opened her eyes this morning, she had a smile on her lips. “Hey,” she whispered, voice hoarse from sleep.

I kissed her temple, running my fingers through her silky hair. “Morning.”

Ayla shifted, rolling onto me, so I lay on my back and let her stretch out on top of me. We wrapped our arms around each other and held on tight. “I slept a little better that time,” she said. “I actually feel rested.”

“That’s good.”

We’d been up several times during the night. Ayla had been struggling with nightmares. Waking up crying and afraid.

And I’d shared every moment of her agony. Just trying to be here for her every time she reached for me.

“What about you?” she asked. “Did you sleep?”

“A little bit.”

She propped her chin on my chest to look at me. “So, not at all.”

I laughed softly. “I’m getting what I need.”

When I had driven up to that farmhouse and seen Jarod alone with a gun in his hand, I’d thought the worst. That Ayla was gone. Those had been the worst few moments of my life.

And then she had stepped into view, trying to stop Jarod from ending his life. Showing mercy to the man who had terrorized her. Who had murdered two others.

I only wished that Jarod had listened to her. For Ayla’s sake. But perhaps Jarod had known exactly what would happen.

By aiming at Ayla, he gave us no choice but to take him down.

I had no idea if the bullet I fired had killed Jarod. River was a sharpshooter, so he was likely responsible for the wound to the center of Jarod’s forehead. The coroner’s report would detail everything, but I hadn’t read it. I wasn’t being the chief right now. I’d been taking care of the woman I loved.

In the immediate aftermath of Jarod’s death and Ayla’s rescue, she had been to the hospital to get checked out. The doctors had said her hearing would return to normal within a week or two. Then she’d been interviewed by multiple officers to detail everything Jarod said and did. The truth about how he’d ended up in Silver Ridge. His motivations. As much as we were able to make sense of them based on what he’d told her.

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