Bounty (Page 171)

Deke nodded back more slowly, only once, then his eyes shifted down to the woman he called his gypsy.

He must have done something, moved his fingers in her hair, because Jussy’s head shot back so fast, all that hair went flying.

Tate let out a tortured breath.

The one he pulled in felt a lot fucking better.

And then he smiled.

Chapter Twenty-Four

I Know

Wood

“The small town of Carnal, Colorado is back in the news today with a fatal shooting happening at the home of critically acclaimed singer-songwriter, Justice Lonesome, daughter of rock legend, the late Johnny Lonesome,” the newscaster said.

Looking into the camera, pictures on the screen to the right side of her head shifting from Jus, to Johnny, the newscaster for the Denver station kept speaking as the picture again switched to one of a wiry guy who could have been good-looking, if he wasn’t so gaunt, being led somewhere by a cop with his hands back in cuffs.

“Rudy Lonesome Smith, the estranged son of Justice’s aunt, Tammy Lonesome, allegedly broke into Justice Lonesome’s home in order to steal the fabled collection of Johnny and his father, Jerry’s guitars. Rudy Smith has become well-known in the media the last decade through a variety of run-ins with the law, all of them drug related. It’s been confirmed that he was killed at the scene, along with a partner, currently unidentified, after firing on Justice Lonesome and her live-in boyfriend, Deke Hightower, Mr. Hightower reportedly firing back in self-defense.”

The screen flashed to footage from down Jussy’s lane, only the front of her drive visible, her house hidden by trees, as uniformed officers stood sentry at the mouth of the lane, keeping the reporters and cameramen back. In the distance, cops milled around in the drive.

The newscaster’s voice kept coming.

“A statement from the hospital reports that Mr. Hightower was shot four times during the clash. He’s survived surgery but is currently listed in critical condition. A statement from Carnal Police notes Justice Lonesome called the report in, squad cars were instantly dispatched but the two intruders were dead on arrival of the police. Carnal authorities also report that preliminary findings indicate that Mr. Hightower shielded Ms. Lonesome while the shots were being fired in her home, which was why he sustained so many injuries, however Ms. Lonesome is said to have been unharmed.”

The screen went back to the newscaster as she kept reporting, a picture now of Jussy’s aunt next to her head.

“Tammy Lonesome’s people have released a statement on her behalf, sharing her deep sadness at this heartbreaking end to her son’s life, a man who has been riddled with troubles due to drug addiction, these starting after a failed attempt to find success in the family business. She and her husband are now on their way to Colorado to claim the remains of their troubled son and join her brother Jimmy there so they can also be with their niece during this terrible time.”

The picture that had changed to Jimmy Lonesome disappeared and the camera centered on the newscaster.

“No word as to if it’s expected the gravely injured Mr. Hightower will pull through. Ms. Lonesome has been sequestered in the hospital and has not been seen. It’s been a difficult year for the Lonesomes, with the unexpected loss to an aneurysm of Johnny Lonesome earlier this year, and now the tragic end of Rudy Lonesome Smith. We’ll report further when we know the identity of the second intruder and the condition of Mr. Hightower.”

She looked to her right, the male newscaster came on with a graphic beside him of a different story, and Wood lifted the remote and switched off the TV.

He dropped the remote to the side, took his boot off the edge of the coffee table and pulled his ass out of the couch.

He went looking for her and found her in the room in the basement where they kept a lot of shit they didn’t use often and a crap ton of the kids’ stuff they’d grown out of, his wife convinced some day one of them might want some of it and she didn’t want it to be gone if they did.

After he opened the door, he leaned against the frame and saw her at the long, folding table he’d set up for her, her sweet, round ass in a steel folding chair, the entirety of the table filled with wrap, tape, ribbon, bows, boxes, the cement floor all around her covered in bags, snippings of paper and ribbon and stacks of wrapped presents.

“You want help?” he asked, only because he knew her answer.

“Like you’re gonna wrap a present,” Maggie replied.

Yeah, that was her answer.

He grinned at her.

Her hands arrested, blade of scissors to the end of a ribbon, her eyes on him, she did not grin back.

“He’s gonna be okay,” she whispered.

She saw right into his soul.

She always did. Christ, even from their first date, he’d felt that.

He’d forgotten it along the way.

Staring in her warm eyes in her pretty face that topped her curvy body, ass to a chair in the basement of his house, back again where she belonged, it was fucking good he’d remembered.

“I know,” he whispered back.

“They’re moving him out of Critical Care tomorrow,” she told him something else he knew.

“I know,” he repeated.

“He’s a strong guy, sweetheart. He’ll be back to normal in no time.”

“I know, baby.”

She gave that time then she asked quietly, “Do you think, Deke finding Jus, all that happened happened, it’s all going to be all right…again…that all the drama is finally going to be over?”

Wood gave his woman the truth.

“It’s never over, baby.”