Page 33 of Targeted in Silver Creek

“Have you remembered anything about the shooting?” Marlene asked, turning to face Hanna. “Did Arnie say anything about me being the reason he hurried to the ranch to confront Jesse?” She made a hoarse sob. “I hope and pray I wasn’t the reason.”

Hanna stared at her a couple of seconds and shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I still don’t have any memories of that night.”

Marlene nodded, wiped away some tears and headed for the door.

“Grayson will be doing the official interview as soon as we get her back to the hospital,” Theo murmured to him. “I’ll let you know if we get anything new from that.”

Jesse followed them to the door and saw Grayson on the phone while he waited by the cruiser. There was no sign of Shaw. Good. Jesse hadn’t wanted him hanging around. However, he knew they hadn’t seen the last of the agent.

The moment Theo and Grayson had Marlene back in the cruiser, Jesse went ahead and shut the door and locked up. He was thankful they had the room to themselves, not because he had plans to kiss her again, but because he wanted her take on everything Marlene had just told them.

“First chance I get, I’ll be asking my mother about Arnie,” she insisted. “I was telling Marlene the truth when I said my mother hasn’t mentioned that since the shooting.” She paused. “But, of course, I am getting back some of my memory.”

Jesse studied her eyes. “Memories about the shooting?”

She shook her head. “About us.” Hanna made a vague motion toward the hall and the bedrooms. “When you kissed me, I got flashes of when we were together.”

Together as in when they’d had sex. “I hope they were good flashes,” he said, trying to keep it light.

Her mouth quivered a little. Not in a bad way. But it was as if she was fighting a smile. “Good ones,” she verified.

That might have sent him right to her for another of those ill-advised kisses, but the sound of his phone ringing shot through the room. Jesse frowned when he saw the call was from the ranch hand, Miguel Navarro. Hell. He hoped Agent Shaw hadn’t returned.

“A problem?” Jesse immediately asked when he answered.

“Yeah, a big one,” Miguel confirmed. “I spotted an armed man in a ski mask. He ducked into some trees, but I think he was heading straight for the house.”

Chapter Ten

Even though Jesse hadn’t put the call on speaker, Hanna had no trouble hearing what the ranch hand had just told him.

There was a gunman coming to the house.

Oh, mercy. If that person shot at them, Evan could be hit.

“Go to the nursery,” Jesse insisted. “Lock the door and tell Deputy Lawson to stand guard.”

Hanna desperately wanted to get to her son, but she was also concerned about Jesse. “What will you do?”

“I’ll stop whoever it is from getting to Evan or you.”

He was all cop now, and Hanna knew he was good at his job, but that wouldn’t stop her from worrying that he could be hurt. Or worse.

“Be careful,” she cautioned. Hanna held his gaze a moment longer before he went to the window and she hurried to the nursery.

“One of the hands spotted a gunman,” Hanna explained to the deputy and Jesse’s mom when she rushed in.

The alarm fired through Melissa’s eyes. She was in the rocking chair, holding Evan, who was obviously getting a head start on his afternoon nap. The tray with the baby’s lunch was on the table, his empty bottle sitting next to it.

Whipping out her phone, Ava locked the door. “Best if the three of you get into the bathroom,” the deputy advised, making a call while she raced to the window.

Hanna yanked out a quilt that she kept folded by the crib, and she went into the bathroom to put it in the tub. She forced herself not to give in to the fear. Not to be terrified for Jesse, for all of them. That wouldn’t help, and right now she had to take some steps to make sure Evan was as safe as he could be.

Even though Melissa’s heart had to be beating hard and fast, she managed to get into the tub with Evan without waking him up. Hopefully, he’d stay asleep, and while she was hoping, Hanna added that maybe one of the people guarding the house would catch the gunman before he could do any damage.

“Stay down,” Ava called out to them. “An armed man was just spotted in the backyard.”

Hanna couldn’t hold back the slam of fear this time. Was this a second attacker? Or had the other one gone back there? Since they were likely dealing with a militia, it was possible they had sent several men.

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