Page 102 of Beckett
I looked down at Jet. The dog had frozen, one paw raised, body rigid as he pointed deeper into the underbrush. His training might have failed in controlled environments, but here, when it mattered, instinct took over.
“Jet, stay.” I dropped low to his ear and tightened my blood-soaked shirt more fully around him. “You’ve done your part, buddy. I’ll get her now.”
He lay down with a soft whimper.
“I promise I’ll get her. Stay.”
With one more scratch to his head, praying he’d hold on, I ran toward Reggie’s voice.
Audra stood with her back against a massive fallen pine, nowhere left to run. Her shirt was torn, dirt and pine needles in her hair, chest heaving. And Reggie… He stood ten feet from her, knife catching the filtered sunlight as he gestured with it.
“Eye for an eye.” His voice carried clearly now. “It was always going to end like this.”
He raised the knife, arm pulling back for a strike that would?—
I burst from the underbrush at a full sprint. If he stabbed me, so be it.
Reggie started to turn at the sound, but I was already airborne. My shoulder caught him in the ribs, both of us crashing to the forest floor in a tangle of limbs. The knife flew from his grip as we hit, disappearing into the leaves.
He was stronger than he looked, wiry muscle and fourteen months of rage making him fight like something feral. We rolled, each trying to gain position, fists and elbows flying. He caught me in the jaw, snapping my head back, but I’d taken worse in training. In combat.
And I had so much more to lose than this bastard. But I wasn’t going to lose today.
I got a hand on his wrist as he scrambled for where the knife had fallen, twisting hard. The snap of breaking bone was followed by his scream, high and shocked. His other hand clawed at my face, going for my eyes, but training took over. I caught his arm, used his momentum against him, flipped him onto his stomach.
My knee went into his back, pinning him down. His broken wrist, I twisted behind him, drawing another scream. He bucked and thrashed, but I had fifty pounds and proper leverage on him.
“Todd Cartland killed my brother!” He was screaming now, all that calm control shattered. “Jeremy was innocent! Your whore girlfriend needs to pay! Eye for an eye! Eye for an eye!”
I ignored him, looking up to find Audra. “Are you hurt?”
She was standing pressed against the tree still, tears streaming down her face, whole body shaking. “Jet! He stabbed Jet!” The words came out between sobs, nearly hysterical. “And Lark—oh God, he killed Lark!”
“Lark’s alive.” I kept my voice steady, calm, the anchor she needed while everything spun apart. “Coop’s with her. And Jet led me to you—he’s hurt but alive.”
“He stabbed Jet.” She kept repeating it, like her mind had gotten stuck on that one terrible fact. “He stabbed him. Jet tried to protect me, and he stabbed him.”
Branches crashing announced the arrival of the cavalry. Hunter emerged first, weapon drawn, taking in the scene with one sweep. Aiden flanked him, moving to secure the perimeter without being asked. Then Lachlan, his sheriff’s uniform incongruous in the forest shadows.
“We’ve got him, Beck.” Lachlan moved in with cuffs, taking over the arrest with practiced efficiency. His voice carried a mix of relief and dark humor. “The real one this time.”
None of us gave two shits about Reggie’s broken wrist as Lachlan let him away, still spewing his vitriol.
It took me three strides to reach Audra, who stood frozen against the fallen pine like she couldn’t quite process that it was over.
“Hey.” I kept my voice soft, approaching slowly like she was one of the traumatized rescue dogs. “It’s okay. You’re safe now.”
She looked at me with eyes that couldn’t quite focus, shock making her movements disconnected. “Jet?”
“Come on.” I wrapped an arm around her shoulders, feeling how badly she was shaking. “Let’s go see him.”
She took one step, and her knees buckled. I caught her before she hit the ground, scooping her up without thinking about it. Her head dropped against my chest like she didn’t have the strength to hold it up anymore.
“I’ve got you,” I murmured, carrying her back through the trees. Ahead of us, I could hear Reggie still ranting about Todd, about justice, but his voice was fading as they dragged him away.
Jet hadn’t moved from where I’d left him, lying on his side in the pine needles, my blood-soaked shirt still pressed against his wounds. His tail thumped weakly when he saw us approaching.
“See?” I lowered Audra carefully beside him. “He’s right here.”
