Letting himself believe that Sean had actually managed to return to the ranch was comforting only because it gave Finn hope of a safe reunion. If, however, the teen was discovered on the premises after all the warnings against it, Finn knew it was going to be very difficult for him to control his temper.

  There had been times, too many times, when he had turned his anger toward God because he’d wanted someone to blame. He now knew that was wrong and had begged forgiveness, yet a shadow of guilt still lingered in his subconscious. The Bible said that God forgave him, yes, but that didn’t mean it was easy for him to forgive himself, especially considering all the complications that had arisen despite his best efforts to do the right thing.

  Seeing Selena waiting as the front door slowly opened, Finn closed his eyes for a second to confess his errant thoughts and ask his Heavenly Father to protect her.

  A sense of foreboding washed over him. His eyes popped open. A blur of color, someone in a red jacket, was rounding the far side of the house and barreling toward him.

  Finn fisted the door handle. Thrust open the door. Called, “Sean!”

  * * *

  Concentrating on Edward Yablonski’s expression and seeing his focus shift, Selena turned to follow his line of sight and saw what was happening a mere forty yards away.

  The passenger door of her SUV was open. Finn was standing with his arms wide to embrace the racing figure of his brother. They hadn’t found Sean. Sean had found them.

  She was halfway turned back to face the middle-aged, hefty, bearded man in the house when she felt a grip on her right arm tight enough to stop circulation. She tried to break the hold, but her adversary was too fast and too strong for her. In milliseconds he had jerked her into the house and kicked the door shut behind them.

  Selena twisted her whole body, ignoring the pain. Had he chosen to grab her left arm instead of her right, she’d still be able to draw her gun. This way, she might as well be a helpless civilian.

  “Let go of me and I won’t arrest you,” she shouted at Edward.

  His laugh was less sinister than it was cynical. “It’s a tad too late for that,” he said.

  Was he about to confess? Hopefully. Although, considering her present predicament, she figured she’d have trouble proving it, especially if this situation didn’t end well. Above all, she told herself, she needed to stay calm on the outside. It didn’t matter how hard her heart beat or how shaky she actually felt, it was the facade she presented to Edward Yablonski that was going to get her out of this mess.

  “We can talk about it,” Selena suggested. “Just let me go, and let’s discuss the situation over a cup of coffee.”

  “Coffee? You think coffee is going to fix this? What kind of police training do you have, anyway?” He leaned to look past her. “Where’s your dog? I thought you two always worked together?”

  In case Edward hadn’t noticed Finn by her SUV she chose to avoid calling attention to it. “Not all the time.”

  “Too bad.” Limping through the living room and into the kitchen with Selena in tow, he circled something obstructing their steps.

  The acrid air bore the smell of gunpowder with undertones of iron and the unmistakable tang of death. Selena swallowed past a lump in her throat and looked at the floor.

  The body of Ned Plumber lay crumpled next to the dining table as if he’d fallen from a chair. Two mugs sat on opposite sides of the tabletop. The victim had apparently been doing exactly what she’d suggested—sharing a cup of coffee and conversation.

  Recreating that scenario suddenly did not strike her as the best idea she’d ever had.

  Edward’s grip on her forearm tightened, and he yanked her across the bloody floor. Selena knew that seeing this body changed everything for her and for the rancher. Worse, he wasn’t attempting to explain away the mayhem or shift blame. Nor was he trying to hide the limp that was probably the result of her bullet after the van wreck.

  That was a bad sign. A very bad sign.

  * * *

  Finn shepherded his hysterical brother around to the other side of the parked SUV and pulled him down so they were both crouching, hidden from anyone in the house. Because Sean was sobbing and shaking, he waited a few moments before asking, “What happened? What scared you so much?”

  “He killed him. I saw it.”

  “Whoa. Slow down. You’re not making sense. Who killed who?”

  “That old guy in the house shot him.”

  Finn gripped Sean’s shoulders and held him away to look into his face. “Edward? You saw Edward shoot somebody?”

  “Yeah, yeah, him. I just said.”

  “Who did he shoot?”

  “That—that foreman guy. The witness.”

  “Plumber? Edward shot Ned Plumber?”

  “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you!”

  Finn would have sorrowed over the man’s untimely death if he hadn’t been so worried about Selena. He grasped Sean’s thin shoulders and looked him straight in the eyes. “Are you sure he’s dead? We can call an ambulance.”

  The rapid shaking of his brother’s head and his wide-eyed stare told Finn it was probably too late to help Ned. Nevertheless, he crawled to the driver’s side of Selena’s SUV, opened the door and reached for the radio. He’d seen her operating it often enough to know how.

  He keyed the mic. “This is Finn Donovan. I’m at the Double Y Ranch with Officer Smith, and there’s been a shooting. We need an ambulance. And she needs backup.”

  “Copy,” the dispatcher replied. “Where is Officer Smith and why are you using her radio?”

  Short of breath and beginning to tremble, Finn voiced the terrible truth. “Selena is in the house with the murderer.”

  “You’re sure?”

  Although no one could see him, Finn was nodding. Staring at the closed door. Thinking and imagining all the terrible things that might be happening at that very moment.

  “Positive,” he said, fighting to keep his voice from breaking the way his heart already was. “I saw him grab her and pull her inside.”

  * * *

  Selena was in survival mode. She didn’t spot a murder weapon on or near the body, and as far as she could tell, Edward didn’t have it on his person. That was one point in her favor.

  She was in the process of giving thanks that he hadn’t disarmed her when he gave her arm another yank, turned her sideways and pulled her gun from its holster. As soon as he had it in hand, he shoved her away so forcefully she tripped and fell against the table. That put her in a better position to see the facial features of the man lying on the floor, and she confirmed her initial suspicion that he was Ned Plumber. Correction, he had been Ned Plumber.

  “Why kill Ned?” Selena asked.

  Edward gave a wry chuckle. “You’re kidding, right?”

  “Not at all.” Pushing against the table, she straightened, facing the muzzle of her own gun.

  “Huh. You’re even dumber than I thought. It’s your fault, you and that boyfriend of yours. I heard how you were talking to Ned and what he said. I tried to reason with him.”

  Selena struck the most nonchalant pose she could manage while tension knotted every muscle and her pulse pounded in her chest, in her temples. How long did she have before Finn decided to storm the house and get them both killed? Worse, what if he’d connected with Sean and brought him along? The only help she wanted and needed right then was her K-9, Scout, and she’d left him outside. Had she had even an inkling of what had happened to the foreman, she would have waited for backup and entered the crime scene with full force instead of letting this evil man get the drop on her.

  At this point, what she needed most was time: time to think, time to plan, time to reason, time for backup to arrive before Edward decided to eliminate her, too.

  “Sit down,” he ordered, waving the pistol.

  Selena complied with raised hands. “Okay, okay. Settle down. I can get you out of this alive if you’ll let me.”

  “What good will that do?” he shouted. “I’m already a dead man.” His gaze settled on the body on the floor. “You had to show up. You and that blasted kid. I could have taken care of business, and nobody would’ve been the wiser if you hadn’t knocked on my door.”

  “Kid? Sean Donovan, you mean?”

  “Yeah. He ran out the back door when I went to the front. That’s your fault, too. Another few minutes and I’d have been rid of him, too.”

  A shiver skittered up Selena’s spine and prickled the hair at her nape. “You see now that it’s over, don’t you?”

  “No. No.” Edward was pacing, was waving her gun around dangerously and was clearly on the verge of losing what little control he had left. “There has to be a way out of this. There has to be. Zeb would know what to do. He’d figure it out.”

  Selena wondered if he was so deluded he thought his late brother was still alive. She opted to let Edward rant in the hopes his increasingly erratic actions would provide an opportunity to disarm him before he hurt somebody else.

  The thought that the deranged killer was currently in the position to harm the people, the person she loved most was unbearable. Not only might she lose Finn before this was all over; she’d never worked up the courage to tell him how she felt. Losing the chance to confess the love her heart could barely contain had to be the saddest loss imaginable.

  Selena’s professional law enforcement persona insisted she maintain total control while her softer side wanted to weep for what she was losing. Calling out to God internally, she had no adequate words, no perfect prayer to offer. In truth, there was only one assurance to count on. She had given her life, her job, her family into the care of Jesus, regardless of circumstances she didn’t understand and outcomes that failed to satisfy the human side of her. That knowledge was her strength.

  Instead of lightning bolts and audible answers, Selena felt the light touch of peace flowing over and around her. That was more than enough assurance. If God gave her the chance to confess her love for Finn, she was going to speak up. If not, she still trusted Him. She had to. It was the only lifeline she had.

  Twenty-One

  Searching his mind for answers and hoping it was prudent to wait for backup, Finn decided to at least free Scout. He wasn’t sure the K-9 would let him put on his working harness but decided to give it a try. Even if Scout bit him or bolted, he would at least have added an element of support to whatever Selena was facing inside that house.

  The harness wasn’t a problem. Fastening a leash to it was. The minute he finished snapping the K-9’s uniform in place, Scout shoved past him, leaped out of the SUV and headed across the lawn at a dead run.

  Shouting “Stay here” to Sean, Finn followed the dog. By the time he reached the rear of the big house, Scout was scratching at the door and barking his head off.

  A gun fired. Wood splintered. Inside the house a woman screamed. Realizing other shots might soon follow, Finn bravely grasped Scout’s harness and pulled him aside, out of the line of fire. Although the dog resisted and growled at him, he did stop barking and didn’t try to bite.

  Two more bullets bored holes in the door, this time closer to where the protective K-9 had been moments before.

  Finn held tight. “Easy, boy. Easy. We don’t have our vests on today.”

  Although he knew Scout didn’t understand, it made Finn feel better to be talking to him. Seeing Sean’s head poking around the corner, however, did not.

  Finn waved him back. “Get away.”

  “I can help.”

  “You’ve already helped quite enough,” Finn snapped. “Do as I say. Now.”

  Sean pulled back. Disappeared. Judging by past experience, Finn only half believed the teen intended to obey. Well, half was better than nothing.

  The notion to try the knob and see if the kitchen door was unlocked occurred to him. Letting Scout into the house might actually help. It might also get the poor dog killed, which would devastate Selena, so Finn inched closer to a window and, placing the flat of one hand on the peeling siding for balance, cautiously straightened and peered in.

  Edward wasn’t visible, which was advantageous. Seated at the table, Selena spotted him immediately and shook her head, then cast her eyes to the side and down.

  By raising on tiptoe, Finn could see what she wanted him to. His uncle was bent over with an ear pressed to the door, apparently listening to see if he’d injured the dog.

  Making an okay sign with his thumb and forefinger, Finn pointed down, hoping she’d understand that he was telling her Scout was unhurt. Selena’s barely perceptible nod and momentary smile told him she had. When he continued to make hand signals, however, his uncle spotted him and fired, making a round hole with radiating cracks through the glass.

  It took Finn a few heartbeats to realize he wasn’t shot. If Edward chose to come out after him, that might be for the best because he not only had Scout on his side; it would draw the older man away from Selena. He braced himself, waiting to be attacked. Nothing happened.

  Now that the window pane was damaged Finn was better able to hear what was going on inside. That was not as comforting as he’d hoped because it sounded as if Edward was barely holding on to reality.

  “I can still fix this,” Edward was muttering. “I can get the kid to help me load everybody into my truck before I shoot him, too.”

  The one-sided conversation ebbed and flowed, giving Finn the impression that Edward was pacing. It would have been nice to know how many bullets that gun held and if he only had the one Sean had seen him use. At this point, since Selena was acting subservient instead of commanding, he had to assume Edward was also in possession of her firearm. Therefore, there was no earthly way to predict what would occur if he burst in.

  Although Finn yearned to rescue Selena, he knew he’d be useless to her if Edward got the drop on him. Waiting for the ambulance and police backup he’d radioed for was the only sensible thing to do. But, oh, it was hard.

  Finn reached toward the doorknob. His fingers closed around it.

  The K-9 at his side strained forward, ready to charge. He was gripping the door and the dog’s harness so tightly his hands began to ache.

  Listening, he prayed silently for wisdom. Open the door? Don’t open the door? And if he did take a chance and open it, how many seconds might he have to enter the kitchen before Edward got off another shot and dropped either him or Scout? Or suppose he decided to shoot Selena instead? It wasn’t worth the risk.

  Several minutes ticked by. Then Finn heard the wail of sirens and saw flashing lights. Finally.

  * * *

  Selena had been pretending she didn’t hear sirens until Edward reacted to them. He kept the gun pointed in her direction while he peered out a side window. His eyes widened. He was sweating.

  “There’s still hope for you,” she said quietly. “Give me the gun, and I’ll go out first to keep you safe.”

  “No way, lady. You’re my ticket out, but not that way.”

  “You know you won’t get far if you try to run.” Details about the RMK serial killer she and her team had been pursuing came to mind, silently rebutting her statement. Some murderers did escape punishment in spite of all the best efforts. Her only comfort at the moment was the conviction that Edward wasn’t going to be one of them.

  The sirens wound down and fell silent. Selena held her breath. Now, it was just a matter of time and who the incident commander was. If it was Sheriff Unger, she might have to sit there all day before he worked out a plan and took action. A member of the MCK9 team, on the other hand, would be likely to make use of their dogs’ talents and break the stalemate sooner.

  In the ensuing silence, Selena was positive she heard creaking and perhaps even footsteps in the front of the house. Wishful thinking? Maybe. Probably, since the police hadn’t been nearby for very long. Still, anything was possible.

  While Edward paced, limped and muttered to himself, she considered specifics. He had her gun, yes, but she still had the Taser and the advantage of knowing Finn was taking care of Scout for her. It was surprising that the K-9 was allowing someone other than her to handle him. He wasn’t supposed to do that. It was, however, especially advantageous. If somebody managed to get her Malinois into the house without getting him hurt, she might be able to take command by voice. That was providing Finn realized he should let Scout loose to do the job he’d been trained for.

  Selena recalled what she had told Finn about Scout and was not at all sure she had mentioned that his primary training had been suspect apprehension. Give that awesome K-9 the chance, and he’d disarm even the most determined criminal.

  Did Edward Yablonski fit that description? Yes and no. The difference between Finn’s uncle and the average shooter was his unbalanced mind. That definition introduced an unknown element to the standoff. No one was totally predictable under duress, of course. Nevertheless, most people tended to react within normal parameters. What Edward would eventually decide to do was still up in the air. The man probably had no idea himself. At least not yet.

  Wondering what had become of Finn, Selena sent her gaze back to the window where she’d seen him before. It had been a while since he’d peeked in at her, and although that meant he was no longer in the line of fire, as she’d prayed, it also made her feel abandoned.

  If she hadn’t been afraid of setting Edward off, she would have chuckled at herself. Make up your mind, she lectured silently. Do you want Finn here or not?

  That was a question with no clear answer, and this was definitely not the time to decide. What she did or didn’t want at the present moment had little to do with what she yearned for in the future. Truthfully, the mere notion of a happy future made her tremble. There was no point in imagining details of coming years when there was no guarantee she’d live past the next few minutes.