Page 44 of Shielding Maya

"We're in the morgue. Malibu Man is dead."

Myles responded first. "Are you alright?"

"We're fine. We'll stand by until you get here. Call Tate. He'll need to speak to the sheriff."

She pulled Jasiah's hand for them to step back. Once they'd reached the wall behind the door he turned and wrapped her in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his waist and absorbed his heat, his scent, his strength.

His big hands smoothed down her back. She listened to his heartbeat settle to a normal rhythm and closed her eyes. As footsteps began to grow closer, she lifted her head and stared into his soulful eyes.

"Are you alright, Jasiah?"

"I'm fine. Are you alright?"

"I'm perfect."

He nodded his head. "I agree."

Her heart grew once more. It seemed to grow every time Jasiah was near.

Myles entered the room first. He stared at them in their embrace, then turned his head to see Malibu Man slumped against the wall of crypts, one of them slightly ajar.

Spencer joined them a few moments later and finally Henry and Addy entered the room.

Addy grinned at her, nodded to Jasiah, then stared at Malibu Man.

Henry turned to them. "You two alright?"

Jasiah responded first. "Yes. We're fine. I shot him with Maya's gun."

Jasiah handed the gun to Henry. "I assume the sheriff will need to speak with me."

Myles shook his head. "Tate will decide what happens next. He's on the phone right now with the sheriff."

Maya stepped away from Jasiah and addressed her teammates. "He didn't say much. He said King wanted everyone dead. No one to give evidence against him. He wanted the world to know the senator was dead, hoping that would stop the wheels of justice from moving forward."

Addy took Malibu Man's picture, removed his hood and took another one. Jasiah's expression was perplexed. Addy chuckled. "I can run his picture through photo recognition and get an ID on him."

Jasiah nodded and Maya held his hand once more and squeezed his fingers.

Myles' phone rang. "Sager."

They watched Myles speak for a few moments then he turned to her. "Tate says you should go up to Hickory Hills."

She pulled on Jasiah's hand for him to follow her, but he stood stock-still. "Don't I have to speak to the sheriff about this?"

"Not according to Tate, bud."

Maya looked into his eyes. "Come on Jasiah. Tate will handle things from here. It's more than a local police matter."

He reluctantly followed her from the morgue, and they ascended the steps in silence. Once inside the hospital corridor again, the nurses and staff that had lined the halls waiting to see what happened stepped back and let them pass. No one said anything and they said nothing to anyone else.

Exiting the hospital, she took a deep breath and felt Jasiah's chest expand next to her.

"The air was cloying in there."

He nodded. "It certainly was."

He walked her to his truck, then opened the passenger door for her. Before she stepped in, he pulled her to his body. "I've never been more scared, more nervous, or more proud of anyone in my entire life Maya. You are amazing."

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