low-slung building where she’d met Duke Bannister—assuming that was his actual name—the night before and dragged in a long breath.
Her gaze scanned the vacant side of the building. The last time he’d come from around the corner of that building. Easier for a surprise attack?
Tensing her muscles, she lightly clenched her hands at her sides. If Bannister got to her before Ryan got to him, she planned to do a little damage of her own first.
She slowed her steps and cleared her throat. “DB?”
If she used his real name, she might spook him. And she definitely wanted to hear what he had to say.
She froze. Had she heard a cough?
“DB?” She reached the building and trailed her hand along the damp metal, stopping at the corner.
“I-it’s Kacie.”
A soft sigh floated from around the corner of the building. Was he playing some kind of game with her?
“Are you there?” If Bannister was lurking around the corner in a suspicious manner, Ryan would notice that. Wouldn’t he?
She held her breath and gripped the edge of the building. She leaned forward, turning her head to the side. A man sat on a bench facing the water, a hat perched on his head, one arm resting across the back of the bench.
“DB, it’s Kacie.” She crept forward, the soft soles of her shoes a whisper on the pavement.
Her jaw ached with tension, and her little sips of air had her lungs burning. She couldn’t see his other hand, which could’ve been resting in his lap. Holding a weapon?
Her first swallow became a lump in her throat and she tried again. She approached DB from the back and laid a hand on his denim-clad shoulder.
Her fingertips met moisture. She snatched her hand back and peered at her fingers in the dim yellow light spilling from a bulb on the outside of the building.
The smell of blood invaded her nostrils—heavy, metallic. Rubbing her sticky fingers together, she circled the bench and dropped to her knees in front of DB.
Blood soaked the bandana around his neck as it gurgled from a gash across his throat.
As Kacie screamed “sauna,” one thought pummeled her brain.
Duke Bannister’s sister had finally gotten her justice.
Chapter Five
Ryan jumped from behind the barrels on the wharf and sprinted toward Kacie, her howl echoing in the night.
He pulled his gun from his pocket and charged toward the figure reposing on the bench, ready to do him physical harm if he had one finger on Kacie.
No need.
Kacie had fallen onto her backside, her hands spread before her.
Bannister’s head lolled back, as if he were taking in the night sky, his denim shirtfront and blue bandana loosely tied around his neck soaked with blood. Someone had slit his throat from ear to ear, creating a grisly second smile.
Ryan dropped to the ground and pulled Kacie away from the dead man. Bannister’s blood smudged her splayed hands, and without their support, she tilted to the side, in danger of falling over.
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close against his body. “Shh. Don’t worry. I’m right here beside you.”
She sobbed against his arm. “The blood, the blood.”
Ryan placed his firearm back in his pocket and exchanged it for a cell phone. He called 911, then hooked his arms beneath Kacie’s to bring her to her feet since she seemed incapable of movement.
“Hey, what happened, man? Is the lady okay?”
Ryan glanced over his shoulder to see a transient hunched over his shopping cart. “She’s okay, but this guy is dead. Did you see anything? See anyone hanging around here?”
“Nope.” The guy took off faster than he’d probably ever moved since he’d been on the streets.
Carrying Kacie toward a chain-link fence across from the bench, he whispered soothing words against her soft earlobe. “It’s okay. I have you.”
Her eyes grew wide and she clutched his T-shirt with both hands, forgetting they were stained with Bannister’s blood. “What if he’s still here? What if Walker is still
Her gaze scanned the vacant side of the building. The last time he’d come from around the corner of that building. Easier for a surprise attack?
Tensing her muscles, she lightly clenched her hands at her sides. If Bannister got to her before Ryan got to him, she planned to do a little damage of her own first.
She slowed her steps and cleared her throat. “DB?”
If she used his real name, she might spook him. And she definitely wanted to hear what he had to say.
She froze. Had she heard a cough?
“DB?” She reached the building and trailed her hand along the damp metal, stopping at the corner.
“I-it’s Kacie.”
A soft sigh floated from around the corner of the building. Was he playing some kind of game with her?
“Are you there?” If Bannister was lurking around the corner in a suspicious manner, Ryan would notice that. Wouldn’t he?
She held her breath and gripped the edge of the building. She leaned forward, turning her head to the side. A man sat on a bench facing the water, a hat perched on his head, one arm resting across the back of the bench.
“DB, it’s Kacie.” She crept forward, the soft soles of her shoes a whisper on the pavement.
Her jaw ached with tension, and her little sips of air had her lungs burning. She couldn’t see his other hand, which could’ve been resting in his lap. Holding a weapon?
Her first swallow became a lump in her throat and she tried again. She approached DB from the back and laid a hand on his denim-clad shoulder.
Her fingertips met moisture. She snatched her hand back and peered at her fingers in the dim yellow light spilling from a bulb on the outside of the building.
The smell of blood invaded her nostrils—heavy, metallic. Rubbing her sticky fingers together, she circled the bench and dropped to her knees in front of DB.
Blood soaked the bandana around his neck as it gurgled from a gash across his throat.
As Kacie screamed “sauna,” one thought pummeled her brain.
Duke Bannister’s sister had finally gotten her justice.
Chapter Five
Ryan jumped from behind the barrels on the wharf and sprinted toward Kacie, her howl echoing in the night.
He pulled his gun from his pocket and charged toward the figure reposing on the bench, ready to do him physical harm if he had one finger on Kacie.
No need.
Kacie had fallen onto her backside, her hands spread before her.
Bannister’s head lolled back, as if he were taking in the night sky, his denim shirtfront and blue bandana loosely tied around his neck soaked with blood. Someone had slit his throat from ear to ear, creating a grisly second smile.
Ryan dropped to the ground and pulled Kacie away from the dead man. Bannister’s blood smudged her splayed hands, and without their support, she tilted to the side, in danger of falling over.
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close against his body. “Shh. Don’t worry. I’m right here beside you.”
She sobbed against his arm. “The blood, the blood.”
Ryan placed his firearm back in his pocket and exchanged it for a cell phone. He called 911, then hooked his arms beneath Kacie’s to bring her to her feet since she seemed incapable of movement.
“Hey, what happened, man? Is the lady okay?”
Ryan glanced over his shoulder to see a transient hunched over his shopping cart. “She’s okay, but this guy is dead. Did you see anything? See anyone hanging around here?”
“Nope.” The guy took off faster than he’d probably ever moved since he’d been on the streets.
Carrying Kacie toward a chain-link fence across from the bench, he whispered soothing words against her soft earlobe. “It’s okay. I have you.”
Her eyes grew wide and she clutched his T-shirt with both hands, forgetting they were stained with Bannister’s blood. “What if he’s still here? What if Walker is still
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