Page 9 of The Secrets She Keeps

And they all just waited. Haldyn’s sisters arrived together. Powell told them what she knew. Then they just waited.

After about two hours, Powell’s head started to clear a little. Jake MacNamara and Murdoch Lake were keeping gawkers out of the surgical waiting room. There wasn’t room for a lot of people in there.

There just wasn’t.

Not with all the Colesons in there now. Including the kids. Heather had insisted her entire family stay together—and where she could see them.

Something…something waswronghere. And not only because Hope was hurt.

It involved Heather Coleson. Powell just couldn’t figure out what.

6

Shit.Shit. Shit.This was the last thing they needed. Trey Grundenman listened to the news update on his phone and fought shitting his own pants. This ruined everything.

What was Stevethinking? Steve had screwed up. He had seriously screwed up. But Steve hated to lose and had hated to havewomennot do what they were told. And there was something about Steve’s so-called ex—that bitch Heather—that had made Steve fucking stupid sometimes. Made Steve take things with her to the extreme.

Trey had to figure out what to do now. Before his ass ended up in jail and everything was destroyed. Or worse, the people they worked with in Wichita Falls decided to clean house. In the bloodiest way possible.

Trey’s phone rang.

“Start cutting people loose. Keep people underground,” the voice was furious, biting, and cold. “Everything has hit the fucking fan. If we’re going to stay alive, we need to keep our asses out of it.”

“How bad is it?” All Trey knew was what he could see on his phone. TSP shootings and dead cops everywhere.

“Steve’s going to die.”The voice hitched. They’d all known Steve. Been friends for decades. They were like…brothers.Fear and grief for his friend mingled.“It’s…he took one to the head. That bastard Kimball took him out. Over that Coleson bitch Steve was so fucking hot for. And Bell’s gone too. And Joey—Joey took one to the back. Died out there in the damned dirt.”

Trey cursed. Fought the grief. Joey, Luke, Steve—they’d been his friends his entire life, it seemed. Now? Without them all—everything had just gone to shit fast. “It’s just the three ofusnow. What do we do now?”

“We stay alive. And get the fuck out of Finley Creek while you still can.”

7

Haldyn was out of surgery.Thank God that woman he loved and adored was going to be okay. Daniel McKellen, commander of the Finley Creek TSP Major Crimes division, stayed where he was as he listened to Dr. Jacobson saying Haldyn was going to be just fine.

No one had come out to say anything about Hope Coleson yet. Daniel had met Hope a dozen times now. Every time, she had just looked at him like she was trying to puzzle him out. To decide whether she could trust him or not. She was adorable and feisty and fiery, and she’d made him want to smile every time.

She wastwenty-four.Had her entire life ahead of her.

Until tonight.

She hadn’t deservedthis.He was still trying to make sense of it.

Hope’s sister was right there.

Heather.

In the corner where she had stayed since they’d run Stillman out. Miguel had finally stopped growling, now that he had his own baby girl in his arms. Miguel Rodriguez…Miguel wasdamned intimidating on a good day. When he was smiling. When he was pissed, smart men backed away.

Even stupid ones took a step back when Miguel looked like that.

Stillman hadn’t gotten to his position as second-in-command by beingstupid.Arrogant and pandering and well-connected. That was how he had done it.

Daniel should know. He’d seen it for himself. Hisfatherand good old Melvin Stillman, pals for life.

Heather wasn’t going to be a victim of Stillman’s dirt ever again.

Daniel looked up, studied Heather while her head was down. She held her baby now. She was slightly turned away. He’d known his newest detective on the Major Crimes roster had children. He’d just never had a personal conversation with her where it had come up.

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