Page 11 of Targeted in Silver Creek

He got the reaction that he’d expected. Her eyes widened. Her mouth dropped open. But then he saw something else. The anger.

“How dare he put my baby in danger again?”

Jesse was right there with her. Riled to the bone, he would make Bull pay—and pay hard for this.

“The fire department and backup are on the way,” Jesse told her. He could hear the wail of sirens in the distance. “And the ranch hands are still keeping watch.”

She shook her head, as if trying to process everything and returned to the tub. “Why set a fire?”

Since Jesse had already had a couple of minutes to process things, he thought he might have an answer for that. “It could have been to draw me out.”

So Bull could then gun him down. If that was the case, then this was about revenge, pure and simple. Maybe then Bull would have tried to get more revenge on Hanna by firing shots into the house.

But, if so, why hadn’t Bull started with the shots?

Bull had no doubt seen the Silver Creek Ranch truck parked out front and would have guessed there were hands on the grounds or in the house. Why take the risk of coming to the studio instead of staying in the tree line and shooting? It was something he intended to ask Bull once he had him in custody.

Jesse’s phone dinged and he relayed the text to Hanna. “Grayson will be here in a couple of minutes.” He tipped his head to the front of the house. “From the sound of it, the fire engine just pulled up, so I want you to lock yourself back in here until I let you know it’s safe.”

She didn’t argue with him. Not exactly. Hanna shook her head. “Bull might be waiting to shoot you.”

Yeah, he might. Hell, he might try to do the same to Grayson even though the sheriff hadn’t been the lead investigator on Bull’s case. That’s why Jesse would give Grayson a heads-up reminder even though he was certain he would be taking every precaution.

“Be careful,” Hanna said as he went to the door. She got out of the tub, no doubt to lock up behind him, but stopped when his phone buzzed again.

This time it was a call, not a text, and it wasn’t from Grayson. Though it was a name he recognized: Ryan Shaw. He was the ATF agent Jesse had touched base with after Bull had been taken into custody; the ATF had wanted copies of any info that Jesse had gathered on the militia. Agent Shaw had likely heard about Bull’s escape and wanted an update.

“We haven’t found Bull yet,” Jesse greeted the moment he answered. “But he’s been sighted in Silver Creek.”

“Yes,” Agent Shaw said, and he followed that with a sigh. “Deputy Ryland, you and I need to talk.”

Everything inside Jesse went still. It sounded similar to what Bull had said when he’d called. “I’m listening,” Jesse assured him.

“I can’t do this over the phone. I need to see you, to talk to you in person.”

“Not a good time. Bull or one of his cronies just set fire to a building on Hanna Kendrick’s property.”

This time the ATF agent didn’t sigh. He cursed. “I’m on my way out there. And FYI, whoever set that fire, it wasn’t Bull.”

“How the hell would you know that?” Jesse snapped.

“Because...” Shaw stopped, cursed again. “Deputy Ryland, Bull isn’t behind what happened tonight. But there’s trouble. Big trouble. Because somebody wants you dead.”

Chapter Four

Hanna took one step into her kitchen. And she stopped cold. Not because of who and what she saw. She’d expected to see Jesse feeding Evan in his high chair. After all, Jesse had volunteered to do that while she’d grabbed a quick shower.

What she hadn’t expected was the sudden jolt of memories.

At least, she was pretty sure that’s what they were. Actual memories. She had a crystal-clear image of a shirtless Jesse standing in her kitchen with the morning sunlight spearing through the window onto him. Of Jesse with his sleep-tousled hair and dreamy bedroom eyes turning to look at her when she walked in. Of Jesse sipping coffee and smiling at her. The kind of smile a man gave a woman when he had just gotten out of her bed—and wanted to head back for a second round.

She felt the flood of heat, both then and now, and it was way too hot considering her son was babbling and having a messy time with the oatmeal. Her focus should have been on her little boy, on the fact that her house was basically on lockdown, with a deputy standing guard and armed ranch hands patrolling the grounds. She should be worrying about whether or not Bull Freeman would try to come after them again and if Agent Ryan Shaw would soon be cleared to pay them a visit. A visit that could maybe give them answers about Bull and the attacks.

She shouldn’t be ogling Jesse and feeling this intense attraction.

“Are you okay?” she heard Jesse ask, and that yanked her back from her thoughts. And the heat.

Hanna nearly lied, nearly told him it was nothing, but even a flash of a memory might be the start of others returning. If so, that was something Jesse needed to know. That way, he could confirm it. Or not. If it was the “or not,” then she might have to admit her imagination ran wild and hot whenever she was around him.

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