There were no lights out here, but it wasn’t pitch dark yet. Soon would be, though.
And there was a moon.
Since the killer had struck only on nights with a visible moon and left the crescent shaped cuts on his victims’ cheeks, that’s how he’d earned his nickname. Maybe he wouldn’t add another victim or two to his list tonight.
“Still no text from him,” Paige mumbled, checking her phone again.
No text from his brothers, either, but Jax did spot something. So did Paige because she stopped, and they both stared at the truck ahead. It was parked right where the ranch road met the highway. The lights were off, and it was positioned so that it blocked any vehicle from getting on or off the ranch. Unfortunately, this made it impossible for Jax to read the license plates, although they were probably stolen, anyway.
“You see anyone inside?” Paige asked.
Jax had to shake his head. Too dark, and the windows had a dark tint, too. He fired off a text to Jericho. Try to use the scanner. You might not be able to see it, but there’s a truck parked at the end of the road.
Then he turned to Paige to tell her to text Cord and ask him to do the same thing, but Paige was already in the process of taking care of that.
Nothing, Jericho texted back. I got a glimpse of the truck through the trees, but it’s too far away for the scanner.
Yeah, that’s what Jax figured, and he also figured that’s why the killer had parked it in that particular location.
“Cord’s not getting anything on his scanner,” Paige relayed to Jax when she got a response. “He’s too far away to see the truck and is going to try to move closer. He’ll be careful,” she added.
No doubt. But careful might not be nearly good enough.
Jax didn’t draw his gun, but he kept his hand over it, and he started toward the truck again. Still no sign of anyone inside, and Paige and he were still a good fifteen yards away when her phone dinged with a text message.
Not Cord this time.
“It’s from the killer,” she said, showing him the screen. “‘Guns down on the ground,’” she read aloud. “‘Paige, you know what to do.’”
That was it, all the instruction they were going to get, but Paige did indeed know what to do. She shucked off her top, dropping it on the ground next to where Jax placed his Glock. He kept the backup gun in the back of his jeans.
Her shoes and jeans came off next, along with her gun.
“Sorry,” she repeated.
It took Jax a moment to realize the apology was aimed at him. And another moment to realize why. That’s because he was gawking at her in her bra and panties, and she was apologizing for putting him in this awkward situation.
Talk about bad timing, but Paige always had grabbed his attention. A half-naked Paige could grab it even more.
“He must be somewhere in or around the truck,” Paige said. She took a deep breath, then another, and started walking.
Jax could only imagine what was going through her head right now. The Moonlight Strangler had nearly killed her, but here she was, ready to face him head-on.
Part of him admired that, especially since she was doing this to save Matthew. But another part of him remembered how they’d gotten to this point in the first place. She’d become the killer’s target because she was obsessed with finding him.
As a lawman, it was hard for him to fault her for that.
As a father, he hated that she’d put Matthew on this monster’s radar.
Her phone dinged, and she held it up for Jax to see. Good girl, the killer taunted. Put your hands on top of your head and keep walking. Deputy Crockett, you stop where you are. Don’t make any sudden moves, or I’ll put bullets in both of you. And if you’ve got a gun hidden away, the best way to get Paige killed would be to try to use that gun on me.
Not good. They were still five yards away. Not nearly close enough for him to lunge at a killer.
“Why don’t you come out so we can talk face-to-face?” Jax called out. He didn’t expect a response.
That’s why he was shocked when he got one.
“Talking won’t help,” a man said. Jax didn’t recognize his voice because he was using a scrambler device. Didn’t see him, either. “Paige, turn around a sec so I can make sure you don’t have a gun tucked in those panties. Nice color, by the way. Would you call that pink or peach?”
This wasn’t just a killer, but a sick one.
“Pink,” she said through clenched teeth when she finished circling around.
“Nice. Now, do what you know you have to do.”
She looked at Jax, their gazes holding, and even in the darkness he had no trouble seeing the fear.
And her surrender.
“Just make sure you kill him,” she whispered. “He can’t walk out of here alive.”
Yes, because he would try to hurt Matthew. Jax knew what he had to do.
Paige took another step toward the truck.
“I told you to stay put, Deputy,” the man warned him when Jax moved, too. “I want you to watch.”
Definitely not good.
That’s the reason the killer had allowed him out here, just so he could witness Paige’s murder. Jax had to do something, and he had to do it fast.
“I want to tell Paige goodbye,” Jax said.
Paige froze, glanced back at him, no doubt questioning what the heck he was doing. What he was doing was trying to bargain with this fool. Or maybe distract him. Anything that would prevent him from getting his hands on Paige again.
With that stunned look still on her face, Jax went to her, positioning himself between the truck and her, and he pulled her into his arms. She was board-stiff and trembling, but that didn’t stop Jax from dropping a kiss on her mouth.
While he slipped the syringe into the elastic of her panties. He made sure the protective plastic cap was secure enough so that she wouldn’t accidentally stab herself with it.
“I’ll get to you as fast as I can,” Jax whispered in her ear, hoping it was a promise he could keep.
Paige nodded. Started walking away.
But she’d barely made it a step when Jax heard the rustling sounds to his right.
And to his left.
The dark shadowy figures were wearing ski masks, and they came out of the ditches, fast, barreling right at them. Jax didn’t even have time to react. One of them plowed right into him and knocked him to the ground.
Before he could even grab his backup weapon, the man put a gun to Jax’s head.
Chapter Four Contents Cover Introduction “Please hold me.” That was the only warning Jax got before Paige was in his arms. Instant jolt of memories. His body reminding him that it’d been way too long since he’d had her in his arms. And in his bed. Jax didn’t push her away, though. She was falling apart right in front of him, and he felt his arms close around her before he could talk himself out of it. “I’m sorry,” she said. The latest apology put his teeth on edge. No way could an apology erase what she’d done. For nearly a year, he’d grieved for her. Cursed her. Because he’d believed she had caused her own death. Now he was cursing her for lying to him. Cursing her because of this blasted attraction that just wouldn’t die. Title Page Six-Gun Showdown USA TODAY Bestselling Author About the Author DELORES FOSSEN , a USA TODAY bestselling author, has sold over fifty novels with millions of copies of her books in print worldwide. She’s received a Booksellers’ Best Award and an RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Book Award. She was also a finalist for a prestigious RITA ® Award. You can contact the author through her website at www.deloresfossen.com . Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Extract Copyright
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