Page 62 of Seaside Strangers
She aimed the revolver, centering on the man’s chest, and squeezed the trigger.
The recoil jolted through her arms, kicking the barrel upward and altering the bullet’s trajectory. The man’s head snapped back, a sharp spray striking the wood beside him. Jinx released him as he dropped, hitting the floor with a heavy, final thud.
Silence rushed in, broken only by her uneven breathing and the ringing in her ears.
For a moment, she couldn’t move.
Then instinct took over. She pushed to her feet and rushed around the bed, stepping carefully over the body and avoiding the dark pool spreading across the floor.
Jinx had already turned back, nudging at his fallen owner before licking his face, a soft, distressed sound replacing the earlier fury.
Moriah dropped to her knees beside him. “Dan…” Her voice broke as she shook his shoulder.
A faint sound escaped him, followed by a slight turn of his head.
Relief surged through her, leaving her shaking as tears spilled over. She brushed a hand over his cheek, her gaze catching on the blood at his temple before dropping lower—taking in the unmovingman beneath him. His chest rose and fell, but he didn’t stir.
Her attention flicked toward the other body sprawled across the floor a few feet away. He was obviously dead, and the realization hit her hard, her stomach turning as that fact caught up with her.
She forced herself to refocus on her surroundings and the open front door. The revolver was still clutched in her hand, and she kept it there, unwilling to take any chances.
The apartment had gone eerily quiet, the chaos of moments ago replaced by the distant wail of approaching sirens. Jinx stayed close, pressed against Dan’s side, his low whine the only sound inside the room.
Moriah swallowed hard and stayed where she was, her free hand holding Dan’s as the sirens grew louder, closing the distance. Help would arrive soon, and then she could fall apart.
Chapter Twenty-Four
By one-thirty in the morning,the suspects had been taken into custody—three to booking and one to the emergency room. The medical examiner had removed Dennis Kellerman’s body, and the detectives had finished their initial interviews. Everyone had been told to report to the station later to give formal statements.
Dan had bounced back quickly and refused a trip to the hospital, now sitting in the recliner at the beach house with an ice pack pressed to his bruised temple.
Off to the side, Sean spoke quietly on the phone with Agent Samson while everyone else gathered in the living room, eating the sandwiches they’d managed to throw together. The adrenaline hadworn off enough to leave everyone hungry and wide awake. Everyone except Jinx, who lay sprawled in front of the fireplace, snoring loud enough to rattle the quiet room.
KC stared fondly at the big black dog, a grin tugging at his mouth. “I’ll never again call him a worthless mutt. He proved me wrong tonight, and the first chance I get, I’m heading to the butcher for the biggest bone they’ve got.”
A ripple of laughter moved through the room, easing some of the lingering tension. His attention shifted to Moriah, curled up on his lap at the end of the couch, wrapped in one of his aunt’s old quilts. She’d finally stopped shivering, her body relaxed against his, but he could still sense the lingering anxiety from everything she’d been through.
He brushed his hand lightly along her side, careful, steady. Pride swelled in his chest at what she’d done, at the strength she’d shown when it mattered most. At the same time, he knew the night wasn’t over for her—not really. What happened would follow her into her sleep, into the quiet moments when there was nothing to distract her.
That was fine.
He’d be there to help her through it.
Sean ended his call and droppedonto the loveseat beside Trouble. “Well, I’ve got great news. The drug bust went down without a hitch. They caught Hernandez and thirteen others, six of them high up in the organization, along with a tractor-trailer full of drugs. Street value’s around ten million.”
Low whistles circled the room. KC let out a breath, some of the tension from the night finally letting up.
“They also picked up two CPD patrol officers and Detective Frank Parisi tied to it,” Sean went on. “DEA thinks there are more connections inside the department, and Internal Affairs is working it with them. They grabbed Hernandez’s bookkeeper at his house and seized a lot of evidence. Samson said he’s already asking for a deal. Another guy is talking too—says the gun in Moriah’s duffel bag is tied to two other drug-related murders in Chicago. That’s why Leo and his crew were so set on getting it back, along with the money. DEA will send someone down to collect both from you, Brian. And the Explorer’s owner got back from vacation this afternoon and reported it stolen, so that’s another loose end handled.”
KC glanced down at Moriah on his lap as sheabsorbed it all, her body still tucked close against his.
“So… it’s over?” she asked Sean. “Really over?”
Sean smiled and nodded. “Looks that way. Samson also said your family’s homicides will be added to the list of charges at the indictment.”
Her eyes filled, but she held the tears in this time. “Can you thank him for me, please?”
“No problem—I already did.”
