Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 126823 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 634(@200wpm)___ 507(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126823 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 634(@200wpm)___ 507(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
Eve shrugged. “We decided to just make up our own based on three different rituals Felicity found. There was no real rhyme or reason, and we used whatever we found. I’m truly sorry you were dragged into this, Shabina. We had no idea the items in that box would throw suspicion on you.”
“We wouldn’t want to hurt you for the world,” Felicity affirmed. “We had no idea when we were bringing justice to Deacon that you would ever be accused.”
“What about the others?” Shabina murmured. “How were they connected?”
“All of them were criminals, just like Emilio and Deacon,” Felicity said firmly. “Every single one of them. They hurt people and got away with it.”
“Lucca Delgotto turned his life around. So had Lawyer,” Raine pointed out.
Eve and Felicity both bristled, shaking heads with identical expressions of hostility. It was Eve who spoke, her voice shaking with anger. “Once a criminal, always one. They got away with it, and they’ll continue to think they can. Just like Emilio.”
Shabina stood up to clear the table, making certain to collect the silverware. “I might understand about Deacon, but I don’t agree with your assessment of Lucca and Lawyer.” She carried the dishes to the counter and returned for the glasses. “I’m very sorry for the loss of your sister and niece. Their deaths were such a tragedy.”
“And preventable if Emilio had just listened to Freda,” Felicity said, anger boiling over in her tone and into the expression she wore.
Shabina didn’t point out that Freda shouldn’t have followed her husband if she knew where they were going was dangerous. She had choices. She had taken her daughter into a bad situation whether Freda’s sisters wanted to blame her or not. She was every bit as responsible as Emilio was for their deaths, maybe more so since she knew much more about hiking.
After she was certain the table was clean, Shabina walked to the door and unlocked it. “I’m very sorry for both of you,” she said as two women followed her to the door. “Those other men were good men, at least I’m certain Lawyer is and Lucca was. I can’t condone their murders. I just can’t.”
Felicity and Eve stepped out the door onto the wide patio outside that held numerous tables and chairs beneath a canopy.
With the sun already set, grayish shadows were cast all around the patio and into the surrounding beds of flowers and shrubs. The women went down two of the three stairs leading to the street. In that instant, they realized they weren’t alone.
Rob Howard and Len Jenkins closed in from either side. With the two FBI agents were several members of the Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team.
“Felicity Garner, Eve Garner, you’re under arrest,” Rob stated.
Felicity didn’t wait for him to get close to her. She leapt off the stairs and took off running toward the street, Eve right behind her, matching her steps. Sheriff Rafferty and deputies Griffen Cauldrey and Mary Shelton blocked the street, weapons drawn.
Without hesitation, Felicity turned toward Rob Howard, a gun in her hand. It was already blazing fire at the agent. Eve had also pulled a weapon, but she fired at the wall of law enforcement personnel in front of them. Len Jenkins shot Felicity as she continued to fire toward Rob. The agent went down just as Felicity crumpled to the ground. Eve followed her, landing over the top of her as those in the sheriff’s department returned fire.
Shabina had been yanked back into the café by Rainier and Larado the moment guns appeared. The two men instantly placed their bodies in front of hers. She couldn’t even see around them at first. Neither man fired a weapon, although both had them out.
Jenkins pronounced Rob alive and well, that the vest he wore had stopped the bullet from hitting his heart. He looked up from the twins’ bodies and shook his head.
Shabina closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against Rainier’s back.
“I didn’t want them to die, Rainier,” she whispered. “I guess I should have expected that they would have a plan if they were caught.”
“They wanted to be with their sister,” he reminded, turning around to draw her into his arms. “You and Raine had them dead to rights. They confessed with a security camera going. You even informed them about the camera. They also gave Raine permission to search Felicity’s computer even though she knew there was damning evidence on it.”
“Her computer indicated she’d recently put them in,” Raine supplied. “Most likely she’d removed them, putting the videos and photographs on an external, and then when she was certain I wasn’t going to take her up on her offer, she put them back.”
“They trusted us,” Shabina murmured softly.
“They should have known you well enough to realize you both have a sense of justice,” Rainier pointed out. “Go sit down, Qadri. It’s going to be a very long night.”