Chapter 52
“Drop the gun, Sheriff,” Roger said calmly.
The door had been shut and closed behind him, and Sean figured the pair had come up alone.
“Do it now, or I blow her brains out,” Roger said.
The directness of the threat gave Sean pause. Roger was no longer the nervous, bumbling hotel owner. This was the monster lurking in the darkness.
Roger wasn’t much bigger than Jennie, so he managed to keep his entire body behind her. Sean was a good marksman, but even he had no shot. But the moment Sean gave up the gun, he gave up his leverage.
“I’m not joking around, Sheriff!” Roger barked.
Sean was tired, cold, and battered from the fight with Marco, but despite all that pain and fatigue, he refused to let Jennie be harmed.
Jennie remained calm and alert, and she didn’t struggle against Roger’s hold. Sean peeled his eyes away from Roger to look at her, making sure she was okay, and when they locked eyes, she gave a slight nod.
At first, Sean wasn’t sure what she was trying to tell him. The longer this altercation was drawn out, the higher the risk of violence became. And if someone else tried poking their head through the door, it would only lead to more bloodshed.
But there was something in Jennie’s eyes, something in the way she was trying to communicate with him, and then an idea took shape.
Over the years they’d been together, the pair had had their fair share of dangerous moments because of Sean’s job.
And Jennie’s ex-husband, who was abusive, had left scars on her, both physical and emotional.
It had taken Jennie a long time to learn to trust again and open up, but Sean had helped.
One of his suggestions was that she take a self-defense class.
Jennie had been hesitant at first but soon took a liking to it, and she had stuck with it for a couple of years now. Her confidence had soared. It was a way for her to feel strong again, and when Sean watched how Jennie had positioned her hands near Roger’s arm, he understood.
Part of the self-defense classes that Jennie had taken was learning how to escape dangerous situations where she was held hostage, just like now.
Jennie didn’t hesitate as she drove her heel hard onto Roger’s toes and then, in the same motion, she twisted Roger’s arm, digging her nails into his skin and causing him to drop the weapon.
Roger screamed in pain, but as he lost control of Jennie, Sean rushed forward, tackled the man into the door, and then forced his hands behind his back.
Jennie quickly recovered the dropped pistol in the snow and aimed it at Roger, who was now defenseless as Sean reached for more of the zip ties in his pocket.
“You fucking bitch!” Roger shouted.
“Shut your mouth!” Sean barked, slamming Roger’s face harder into the door. He looked at Jennie, who was breathing calmly, though her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were wide open. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” Jennie answered quickly, and then she started breathing faster, nostrils flaring as the cold air shot out through her nose like a dragon’s breath.
Sean was glad Jennie was unharmed, but with Roger in custody, he needed answers about the drug operation and whether young Karla Grayson had somehow stumbled into something she shouldn’t have seen.