Dangerous Lies (Badge of Honor #2)

Chapter 24

TWENTY-FOUR

Pebbles of shattered glass rained down on Megan.

Her heart slammed against her ribs as bullets tore through the SUV’s front end. She’d ducked at Jax’s command, and the move had saved her life. Frigid air and rain howled through the gaping windshield as she fumbled with her seat belt, her trembling fingers slipping against the latch. Finally, it released. She slid down into the wheel well, pressing herself into the smallest space possible.

The SUV lurched in reverse, tires skidding against the slick road as Jax maneuvered them away from the gunfire.

Her gaze snapped to him. He was shouting into his phone, his voice raw with urgency, while simultaneously steering through the storm. Dash lights illuminated his face. Raindrops clung to his lashes, trailing over the hard edges of his jaw, where dark stubble shadowed his skin. Determination powered every movement. Megan had never been more terrified in her life, but she knew, without a doubt, Jax would do whatever it took to keep her safe.

He tossed the phone in the cup holder. “Megan, are you hit?”

“No.” The answer came automatically, but then she did a quick scan of her body. Adrenaline could be masking an injury, but she didn’t feel any pain. She was okay. Her gaze traveled the length of Jax’s torso, and a fresh jolt of fear shot straight through her.

Blood dripped from his jacket sleeve, trailing over his fingers.

Her stomach bottomed out. “You’ve been shot!”

“I’m fine.” He gritted his teeth. The truck hurtled backward, but another sound cut through the chaos—the sickening thump-thump of rubber slapping against asphalt.

They had a flat. Maybe two.

Jax let out an uncharacteristic curse. Then, without warning, the vehicle jerked sideways. Megan was thrown against the door, her skull knocking against the hard surface. Pain splintered through her head, a brutal reminder of the stitches still holding together the wound from the first attack in the woods.

Shivers wracked her body. From the cold. From the pain. From the fear.

Trees closed in around them as the SUV jolted over rough terrain. Jax had veered onto a dirt road. He yanked the wheel hard, and the vehicle shuddered before finally jerking to a stop.

Jax killed the lights, plunging them into suffocating darkness. Megan heard his door open and felt rather than saw him move. A moment later, the passenger side door flew open. Jax was a dark silhouette against the storm.

“Come on.” His voice was urgent. “We have to run.”

Run? Where?

Megan scrambled out of the truck, her boots sinking into the mud. The storm made it impossible to see more than a few feet ahead. Wind tore through the trees, rain slashing sideways. Lightning split the sky in a jagged streak, followed by a boom of thunder so powerful it rattled her bones.

Headlights swept across the dirt road.

The shooter was coming for them.

Jax grabbed her hand. His palm was slick with rain and blood. Together, they bolted into the woods. Wet branches slapped Megan’s face and roots threatened to trip her as she struggled to keep up with Jax’s breakneck pace. Her breath came in ragged gulps. Traversing the woods in the dead of night reminded her of the first attack. Panic threatened to overwhelm her, but Megan battled it back. She wasn’t alone. Jax was with her. Falling apart would put his life at risk by slowing them down. She would never do that.

She was strong. And God was always with her.

Help us, Father.

Jax suddenly lurched to the side, his hold on her hand slipping. Megan caught him just as he stumbled.

Lightning blazed across the sky, making the woods as bright as a summer day. Jax’s face was ghost pale and twisted with pain. Blood ran like a river down his hand. In the other, he gripped his gun. He raised it and fired into the woods. Then he grabbed her hand again.

Bark exploded beside Megan. She screamed and ducked, barely able to catch her footing as Jax yanked her deeper into the forest. She couldn’t hear anything over the pounding of her own heartbeat and the rain, but it was clear the killer was following them. And closing in fast.

Jax veered to the left, and a clearing appeared. An ancient barn loomed. Overgrowth climbed the broken boards, giving the impression that the earth was trying to take back the structure. Rain slicked over the steel roof. Jax pulled her across the clearing. Megan struggled to keep up, her shoes sliding in the thick overgrowth. Snakes and ticks crossed her mind. She tossed the thought away. There were far deadlier things in these woods tonight.

A door swung violently on its hinges, slamming against the side of the building with each gust of wind. Jax released her long enough to grab it, gesturing with his gun-wielding hand for Megan to go inside.

She bolted through the entrance. Birds in the rafters stirred at the unwelcome intrusion. The air was thick with the scent of mold, damp earth, and rotting hay. Water dripped from her soaked raincoat onto the cracked cement floor. Behind her, the door slammed shut. She spun just as Jax wedged a wooden beam through the handle to barricade it. It wouldn’t hold the shooter back for long, but it would buy them a few precious minutes.

Jax yanked his phone from his pocket. The screen glowed, revealing the call from the truck was still connected. “We’re in the barn. Noah, can you hear me?” He glanced at the screen and growled. “No signal.”

“How far away is he?”

“Five minutes. Dawson is with him, but it’ll take them time to reach the barn from the road.” Frustration bled into his voice. “The shooter was wearing night vision goggles. Even in this storm, he won’t take long to track us. Especially if he’s been here before.”

“There’s a place we can hide.” Megan grabbed Jax’s arm, forcing his attention to her. Then she spun on her heel, heading deeper into the barn. She flicked on her phone’s flashlight to illuminate the way.

The old structure groaned under the storm’s assault. Wind howled through the rafters, rattling the tin roof. Rain dripped from holes overhead, pooling around bales of hay stacked haphazardly against the far wall. Something skittered across the floor, and Megan clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle a scream.

A mouse darted into the darkness.

She swallowed her revulsion and pushed forward. The horse stalls ended, revealing a row of doors. One led to an office, another to a tack room. Dust coated every surface.

She yanked open a third door. Rusted hinges groaned in protest.

The stockroom.

A workbench stretched along one wall, nails protruding from the rough-hewn planks above it held rusted tools. Cobwebs hung from the ceiling, swaying in the draft. The air was thick with decay and mildew. Her breath fogged in front of her as she pointed to another door at the back of the room. “That’s an exit.”

Jax brushed past her to check. He cracked it open, peered into the night, then shut it again before securing the lock. He turned to Megan, exhaustion and pain etched deep in his face. Even so, he managed a reassuring smile. “You did good, sweetheart. A room with an entrance and an exit.”

She took no comfort in his compliment. Blood dripped down his hand, staining the dusty concrete floor dark red. Jax was bleeding badly, and judging from the paleness in his complexion, he was running on strength of will and adrenaline.

Her gaze swept the room. She spotted a battered stool and dragged it away from the workbench. “Take off your jacket and sit down.”

“I don’t?—”

“Sit, Jax.” Her tone brooked no argument. “You’re no good to me if you pass out from blood loss.”

To her relief, he didn’t argue. He moved sluggishly, struggling to pull his jacket off his injured arm. Megan helped him. Blood had soaked through his shirt, the fabric clinging to his skin. The bullet had torn through his shoulder, likely nicking an artery.

Urgency fueled her. She shed her raincoat, then her sweater, leaving only the cotton button-down underneath. Cold air kissed her skin, raising goosebumps as she fumbled with the buttons. She grabbed a rusted knife from the workbench and sliced through the fabric, tearing it into makeshift bandages.

Bundling one into a ball, she pressed it against the wound.

Jax hissed, his body going rigid.

Megan winced. “Sorry. Hold this here.”

He set his gun down on the bench and pressed his uninjured hand against the fabric. She balled up another piece and pushed it against the exit wound on the back of his shoulder. Working swiftly, she wrapped strips of her shirt around his arm, binding the makeshift bandages in place. Jax clenched his jaw as she tightened the last knot. Sweat beaded on his forehead, but he didn’t utter a word of complaint.

To her relief, the bleeding slowed. He still needed a hospital—maybe even surgery—but at least he wouldn’t keel over right here.

Megan touched his cheek, tenderness washing over her. “I think you’ll live.”

He rose, capturing her mouth with his. His lips were cool to the touch, and the kiss was brief, but it packed a punch. Megan felt dizzy from the rush of it. Then she shivered as he moved away from her, picked up his gun, and peeked into the barn through a hole in one of the wooden beams.

Birds in the rafters fluttered. Megan’s heart rate shot into the stratosphere as a creak followed. Was someone in the barn? She grabbed a crowbar from the workbench. The weight of the cold metal was reassuring. It wouldn’t help her in a fight against a bullet, but it was better than nothing. Then she flicked off the flashlight on her phone.

Darkness swallowed them. Fear stole her breath. Gripping the crowbar, she eased back toward the exit door. Her back bumped against a wooden storage ledge. The rotting beams caved under her slight weight, and Megan stifled a gasp as she toppled to the floor. Pain shot through her body as she collided with the hard cement.

Heaven help her, had the killer heard that?

Shock and fear froze her in place. She held her breath, her gaze locked on Jax’s back. He stood at the ready, gun pointed at the door. Several long, tense breaths followed. Then Jax eased open the door to the storage room and stepped into the main area of the barn. His boots scraped against the cement as he returned. “No one’s there.”

Megan breathed out a sigh of relief and scrambled to her feet. She flipped her flashlight back on. The beam flashed across something on the floor. She stifled a scream and stumbled back, straight into Jax’s arms. Pieces of rotting wood littered the cement where she’d fallen into the feed ledge. The makeshift box had shattered.

Among the wreckage, lying in the dust and decay, was a human skull.