Page 62 of Barbed Wire and Burglary
But now I do.
It was a secret she would likely take to her grave. Elise Hathaway wasn’t simply getting even or getting revenge. She was on a mission to wipe the Cannons out of existence. Somewhere along the way, her twisted mind had chosen their family to blame for every cut and bruise she’d ever suffered.
Aurora’s heart sank to realize Elise had hacked her way through levels of security that the average person didn’t even know existed. Clearly her brother’s ex-girlfriend had done more than shop her way through college. Beneath her snobby attitude, heavy makeup, and expensive clothing was a dangerous criminal who’d been hiding in plain sight.
“Relax,” Elise commanded in a cheerful voice that chilled Aurora to the bone. “It’ll all be over soon. I’m not one of those heartless creatures who enjoy pulling the legs off spiders. Once I make up my mind to do something, it’squick and clean. You won’t suffer.” She snickered before adding, “Much.”
The rumble of an engine sounded overhead.
Elise ducked her head to peer through the windshield, swerving dangerously close to the edge of the road.
“Watch out,” Aurora yelped as she caught a brief glimpse of rotating helicopter blades. If Elise wasn’t more careful, she was going to kill them both before she got to the next phase of her present crime spree.
Elise didn’t answer. She was too busy squinting, swerving, and swearing at the helicopter descending above their heads.
A fresh round of tears streaked down Aurora’s cheeks at the realization that they’d been found.Thank you, Lord!Even if she didn’t survive what came next, there was comfort in knowing the two men she loved most in the world had tracked down her cell phone. One way or the other, Elise was going to jail—nothertruth, butthetruth!
The sound of the helicopter grew louder as it dipped closer to the road in front of them.A man dressed in black was descending from it on a rope.
It was A.J.
Recognizing his broad shoulders and the cocky tilt of his head, Aurora gave a laughing sob of elation. It was quickly replaced with horror when Elise rolled down the windows and aimed her gun at A.J.
“Stop,” Aurora pleaded, but it was too late.
Elise fired her gun, and the road in front of them billowed with smoke. She let out a scream of rage, gripping the steering wheel with both hands as smoke filled the cab.
Aurora could no longer see the gun or the road. Though they were no longer going very fast, they were surely going to crash at any second. She leaned back in her seat, lettinggo of the dashboard at long last, and fumbled blindly for her seatbelt. It felt like forever before her fingers closed over the buckle. Before she could pull it over the front of her body, however, strong arms encircled her and carried her out the window.
Her heart nearly stopped beating.
“I’ve got you!” A.J.’s shout filled her ears, and her heart started beating again
They swung through the air together, floating ever closer to the helicopter. More hands curled around her shoulders, hauling her aboard the aircraft. The smoky highway below them grew smaller as she and her rescuers ascended and left it behind.
Before they flew out of sight, Aaron’s truck burst through the cloud of smoke below them, making her jolt in A.J.’s arms. She watched Elise gun the motor and pick up speed, then lose control. The hapless truck spun toward the median and flipped, rolling over and over and over again before it came to a stop.
“It’s over,” A.J. muttered in her ear.
She knew what he meant, even though it didn’t feel that way to her. She’d just been granted a new lease on life, and it was just beginning.
“Quit hogging my sister!” Her brother spoke from somewhere nearby, pulling her into a bear hug.
A.J. relinquished her into his embrace.
“Thank you!” She laughed and cried against his steady shoulders that had taken a bullet and borne more than his share of burdens for her. “I love you,” she added. She hadn’t said it nearly enough while they were growing up, but she intended to make up for it now.
“I know.” He hugged her tighter. “I love you, too.”
Epilogue
June
“Whelp,” the aging cowboy minister grinned at the family and friends gathered in Town Square, “I’ll admit this is the first time I’ve ever officiated a wedding for a couple who skipped getting engaged.”
Aaron turned around, waving his arms to encourage the deputies in the front two rows to join him in a round of hooting, clapping, and laughing. Every single one of them had become like brothers to him and Aurora in recent months. The citizens of Heart Lake had welcomed the two of them with open arms, inviting them to call the cozy lake town their home.
They had eagerly done so, which was why there were so many guests in attendance at Aurora and A.J.’s wedding today.
