Page 31 of Day of the Storm

He winced, grateful she couldn’t see in the darkness. He pulled her closer, just wanting to protect her. Even if just from the rain.

“So tell me something—why did Logan Lanning leave her all that money?” For no logical reason at all, Shelby Jacobson had inherited just about everything Logan Lanning had been worth. Except for a few behests—that had gone to her older brother Allen. They were talking serious money. Tens of millions, easily.

It made little sense to him back then. Or anyone else in Major Crimes. It was driving his pal Jake MacNamara crazy, trying to figure out what Logan Lanning had been up to. Lanning had hurt Jake’s niece, after all. Lanning was Jake’s own personal obsession.

“Logan was completely alone in the world. Her brother had been his closest friend since college. He… had feelings for Shelby, I always thought. It was in the way he’d looked at her. Like he couldn’t believe she was real. Nothing more diabolical or sinister than that. I think he was in love with her and had been for a long time. He was a good deal older than she was, eleven or twelve years, and she was his best friend’s younger sister. There were boundaries he would not cross. I think at heart, Logan was a good man. Just… bad things happened.”

He wanted to say something, but didn’t. He had a vastly different opinion on Logan Lanning. Because they were still digging in to what Lanning had been involved in. Secretly. And probably would be for a very long time. Jake insisted the man had known more than what he had said. It wasn’t over yet.

Mike was convinced Shelby Jacobson was innocent. He just had no way to prove it yet.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry that happened to her. I’m sorry it happened to you. And I’ll apologize to her, too. I never meant to hurt her before.” Mike stopped walking and scooped her closer into her arms. “I am sorry.”

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Well,the man meant it—she thought. Up to a point. She’d seen him, and men just like him, go on point when they thought they had therightlead in a criminal investigation.

He’d do it again, no hesitation. She wasn’t stupid. “I’ve told no one what happened. Please don’t let anyone know? It’s Shelby’s story, mostly. And she… doesn’t want it brought back up.”

“The men should face charges. And the ones who buried it. Let me help. Go after them. For you both.”

A shot of fear went right through her. “No. Darrell tried. There’s nothing he could do. Please…”

Mike wanted to fight. To insist. He hadn’t missed the fear in her tone.

He hated she was afraid. He pulled her close, right there in the dark.

He wished he could see her face. He cupped one cheek. “I just want to make it better for you.Bothof you.”

“We just want to get on with our lives. Darrell went against the TSP once, Mike. And the blue wall—it’s real. He ended upwith a broken nose for his trouble. I don’t want something to happen to my brother, too.”

He knew—Darrell was all the family she had. And it was real fear in her tone. But he made her and Shelby Jacobson a silent vow—he’d find the bastards who’d hurt them someday. And he’d drive his fist into their faces before he slapped the handcuffs on them himself. For Daryn. And for Shelby, who had risked her life time and time again tonight to help the ones she feared the most. When she certainly hadn’t had to. The strength of will it had taken for her to do that… remarkable.

“You have my vow I won’t say a word. But if I ever find out who they are—I’ll destroy them. Rip them to shreds for you. No one has the right to do that to anyone else. Ever.”

Mike pressed his lips to hers, right there on the sidewalk that had been ripped up from the storm, rain pouring down on them. When he pulled back, he looked down at her as best he could in the dark. “I’m not like them, Daryn. I swear. Just give me a chance to prove it. I’m… not the jerk you think I am. I’ll do whatever it takes to prove that to you, I swear.”

Daryn didn’t stopto think. She just nodded. There… things were different now.

She wasn’t the same woman she was before the storm. Daryn definitely didn’t see him as the man she’d thought he was before.

They finally made it to the entrance to Finley Creek County ER. There was light on in the hospital—probably backup generators at work—and four cars with headlights blazing were lined up on the sidewalks with headlights pointed at the doors to guide the crowd still walking toward the entrance.

Mike’s curse would stay with her forever. His fear when they saw the damage to the hospital entrance. The front portico of the building was just gone. It was scattered all over the parking lot.

The ER had a caved in front door and blown glass everywhere, but it could have been far, far worse. Mike hurried his pace. Daryn stayed right at his side. Until he made it inside and an older man who looked a lot like him called his name.

She’d never forget the look of pure relief and love on his father’s face. Or Mike’s.

“Dad? Are you ok? Where’s mom?”

“She just walked Sean and A.J. out. They are going to Sean’s place for the night. Your sister’s place took some damage.”

“Everybody else?”

Daryn had a feeling he would take himself out there looking for his family if he had to. Nothing would stop Mike Evers from getting to the ones he loved when they needed him. He was lucky to have a family like that. They were lucky to have him, too.

She had Darrell, Shelby, Zoey and Zoey’s kid sister, Pen. That was it. And she loved and valued each one of them completely.Theywere her family and always would be.

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