Page 74 of Colton First Responder (Coltons of Mustang Valley)

Oh, yes. She desired it. And him.

* * *

They were sitting on the stone floor of the entry cave to the bunker—Zane and Schuyler, both secured with good ropes, and Grayson certainly knew how to bind them well. But just in case, he still held his gun and encouraged Savannah to hold hers, as well.

Savannah. She looked so happy now, so radiant.

And he loved her smile.

He also loved the fact that she would soon be cleared of all wrongdoing, particularly of murdering her ex.

Would she want to put it all behind her now, including him?

If so, he would have to convince h

er otherwise. And not just on a cot in a bunker.

Grayson had put his shirt back on. Now, his phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and smiled. Sergeant Spencer Colton of the Mustang Valley PD.

His cousin. The cop he had called after he and Savannah had tied up the two men. He’d given Spencer a fairly detailed explanation of what had occurred in as few words as possible, and told him where he could come to pick up the criminals in this situation. His cousin had said yes, he and some colleagues would come to take the real bad guys into custody.

This time, Grayson would be glad to see him. “Hi, cuz,” he said, answering the phone.

“Okay, we’re here. Give me better directions. Where the hell are you?”

Talking to him a bit more, Grayson learned that Spencer had passed the area of his car wreck and continued down the dirt road. “You’re probably right outside,” he said. “I’ll send Savannah out to greet you when you get here.”

Fortunately, although it was getting later, there was still some daylight left, so Spencer and his fellow cops should be able to see her fairly easily.

“You okay with that?” he asked Savannah.

“If the other choice is staying here with those two—” she gestured with her gun hand in their direction “—then I’m definitely okay with it.”

She looked so good that way. So natural. Would she have any interest in becoming a first responder, too? That would be one way they could work together, though he wouldn’t want that to be the only way.

“Good.”

She exited through the opening.

“Look, Colton,” Zane said. “You really don’t have to do this. I may be ‘dead.’ To most of the world, but I still have resources. Financial resources even you wouldn’t believe. If you just work with me, tell your cronies that everything was set up by Schuyler, here, I can pay you—”

Grayson laughed. “Oh, you’re really a hoot, aren’t you, Oliver? Even if I needed your money, assuming you still have any after disappearing that way, no way would I take it.”

And on the ground near Zane, Schuyler was shouting, “You SOB,” and clearly attempting to get closer to him by edging along on the stone base.

Grayson didn’t need to stop him. Three cops were suddenly at the entrance to the bunker, followed by Savannah. None of them appeared to be taking her into custody, fortunately.

As the two other uniformed officers, probably the same ones Grayson had glimpsed at Zane’s house, took Zane and Schuyler into custody, cuffing them and reciting their rights, Spencer came over to Grayson, who now stood near one of the rough stone walls.

Spencer looked a lot younger than he really was—but he had a good reputation as a cop. He had sandy blond hair and blue eyes, and usually had a keen sense of humor—although he looked awfully serious right now. “Okay, cuz. Why didn’t you tell me before what was going on? You were helping a wanted fugitive all this time, and you now have recorded proof of her innocence? I should arrest all four of you, then figure this all out.”

“You know I won’t run away, so if you learn something different from what I told you—which you won’t—you can arrest me then. And I believe that Savannah feels the same way.”

She had approached them, and now nodded. “I’m innocent. I said so all along, and you finally have proof. You’re taking the man I allegedly murdered into custody, Sergeant Colton. I’ve already handed Zane’s gun to you. And I won’t run away again. I don’t think I have to. In fact, I suspect I’ll need to go to the police station now, right? But you don’t have to cuff me or anything.”

Grayson couldn’t help it. He drew near Savannah and put his arm around her, smiling triumphantly at his cousin. “Thanks to this wonderful lady, you’re going to be the primary cop to solve this situation,” Grayson told him. “You’ll get recognition for it. I think you’ll be thanking me soon.”

“Don’t count on it,” Spencer said—but then he smiled. “I gather the two of you are more than first responder and rescued soul.”

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