Page 29 of Ransom for His Secret Son

But whoever it was, they were determined.

The shots kept coming, bullets slamming into the sign with bone-jarring thuds, splintering chips of metal into the air.

Langley was a mess, trembling, his face ghost-pale, sweat dripping down his temples despite the cool night air. He kept muttering under his breath, his words lost in the deafening noise of the gunfire.

Who the heck was doing this?

It had to be someone trying to stop them. But who? The obvious answer was Tarrant. Or someone helping him. But it wasn’t Langley himself. That much was clear. He was right there with them, panicked and useless.

Her pulse kept on pounding as she risked another look around the edge of the metal sign. And she focused on the building across the street. The vantage point was perfect. High ground, a clear view of them and just enough shadows to keep a shooter hidden.

Then she saw it.

A flash of movement. A dark figure shifting just behind the ledge.

And then—Tarrant.

Adrenaline shot through her veins. It wasn’t just some hired gun. It was him.

“Tarrant,” she hissed under her breath, her grip tightening on her gun.

Brody shifted his gaze to her, reading the intensity in her face instantly. “You sure?”

She nodded, her eyes locked on the rooftop. “I saw him just now. He’s up there.”

The air around them pulsed with tension. Brody’s expression hardened, his jaw ticking. If Tarrant was here, it meant one thing. He wasn’t just running anymore.

He was hunting.

And they were the prey. He was going to try to take them out before they caught him and used him to find Brody’s son.

The wail of sirens cut through the night, growing louder, closer. The instant the sound filled the air, the gunfire stopped.

Remi’s heartbeat went into overdrive. Tarrant wasn’t stupid. He knew backup was coming. And he was getting the heck out of there.

Brody moved away from the cover of the sign, his eyes locked on the rooftop. “Stay down, Langley,” he ordered. “I’m going after him.”

Langley let out a shaky breath, nodding, but Remi wasn’t about to sit still. Brody took off, and the second he did, she was right behind him.

“Damn it, Remi,” he cursed over his shoulder, not slowing down.

She didn’t either. “We’re in this together,” she shot back, matching his pace.

They raced across the parking lot, heading straight for the street. Ahead, the glow of blue police lights lit up the darkness, the first cruiser speeding toward them. Brody skidded to a stop just before they stepped into the street, yanking his badge from his belt and holding it up high.

Two San Antonio PD officers were already stepping out of their cruiser, hands hovering near their weapons, eyes scanning the chaos.

“I’m Sheriff Walker, from Lost Canyon!” Brody called out, voice steady but firm. “I’m in pursuit of the shooter, and the suspect is on the roof of that building.” He pointed toward the rooftop where Tarrant had been.

The officers hesitated for only a second before nodding, recognizing the situation for what it was. “You got backup?” one of them asked.

Brody’s gaze flicked to Remi. “Yeah. I do.”

No more time for explanations. They took off again, heading for the door. As expected, it was locked, so she and Brody raced for the alley beside the building, then behind it where they spotted the fire escape. They ran toward it with Brody getting to it first and Remi and the two cops right behind him.

Remi’s boots pounded against the metal rungs of the fire escape as she climbed, her muscles burning from the exertion. Brody stayed way ahead of her and made it to the roof first. She saw him lift his gun, shifting it around to all corners.

And she heard him curse.