Shotgun Justice by Angi Morgan Page B

“Keep your eyes peeled for movement. I haven’t seen a glint of a scope, haven’t heard anything to even stop the bugs from chirping. We’re casually going to find the way he’s hearing us. Don’t do anything that will get you shocked. You start beeping, you move back to the table.”
    â€œWhy can’t you leave without me and bring help?” she asked just as softly against his ear.
    â€œBeen there. Done that. The second shock knocked you off your feet before I made it to the road.”
    She pulled back to look into his eyes. Searching for that small squint that happened when he lied. “How many times?”
    â€œThree.” His voice cracked. He was telling the truth. “You really don’t remember? You don’t feel weird or anything? You’re good. Not faking it?”
    Reading him was so easy for her. Weird because she seemed to have a handle on so few others. “I’m a little sore and my chest hurts, but not half as much as my neck from the weight of this thing.”
    â€œI’m surprised you’re walking around.”
    Genuine concern poured from the look he gave her. So much that she opened her mouth to ask him why he’d left her that night. Ironically, even with all the questions floating around in her supercharged brain, that night was clearer than most.
    The long kisses, the yearning looks, the feel of his hand hesitantly touching her breast for the first time... It was as if she could feel all of it at that exact moment. Her mind was playing tricks on her. Jesse was only skimming the skin above the monster necklace. She cleared her throat and his hand dropped to his lap. They scooted a little farther apart. Of course, they had more relevant problems—as in how to survive the next few hours.
    â€œAre you sure there’s nothing around here to pry this off? This collar weighs a ton.”
    Searching the back edge of the picnic area with her eyes, there was something lighter in the brush. The sun highlighted a patch that looked a lot like skin.
    â€œIs that a...a body?”

Chapter Twelve
    â€œCan you estimate how long they’ve been dead?” Avery asked behind him.
    When Jesse had searched the picnic area before, he’d missed the two bodies on the edge of the back fence. He carried them closer to the parking lot. Avery was still shaky, but not admitting it to him. Her normally tanned features were pale. He’d heard people talking about turning as white as a sheet. He’d never seen it until today.
    â€œI assume they arrived with us. No animals have been at them. Stripped to their underwear. No ID. No shoes.”
    His feet were missing shoes, too. Probably a deterrent to running away. He was going to miss those boots.
    Scooting off the bench, she stood to take a look at their faces. “I recognize one of them. He’s come through Dalhart driving New Mexico plates. But I don’t recall his name. The other one, I haven’t ever seen.”
    â€œThey must have set the fires. Snake Eyes doesn’t leave witnesses.”
    â€œShoot, Jesse. Snake Eyes doesn’t even work with anyone for very long. I can’t imagine how many people have been a casualty of his crimes.” She sighed. The shock collar was having more effect on her than she’d admit. “He’s left us alive but we’re in a public area? It’s daylight. People will be driving by. We can ask for help.”
    â€œHe wants Garrison and Kenderly Tyler, his witness. Without them the state has no case. The remaining evidence would be thrown out.”
    â€œWe can still ask for help.”
    â€œHow can we possibly get out of this?”
    â€œTogether. I don’t suppose there’s extra ranger training for this sort of thing?” She tugged at the collar.
    â€œThe subject of how to remove a shock collar hasn’t come up.” Just in case Snake Eyes could listen via the phone, Jesse left it with the