Page 156 of Valor

“He’s okay,” Bradyn tells her, interrupting her. “And we know it was her. Deputy Lenson, Elliot, and Nova were able to subdue her and are headed to the station. She nearly put another hole in Elliot, but Echo took her down first.”

It’s wrong, but knowing Elliot’s service dog took a bite at her brings me immense satisfaction. Though not nearly as much as I’ll get when I see her behind bars.

LANI

Twenty-six hours after Gibson,Bradyn, and Lance found me, and thirty minutes after being cleared for release from the hospital, I’m standing on the front steps of the sheriff’s department. “Lani, this is a bad idea.”

I turn to him. “No, I need this. Please.”

“She’s not worth it.”

“She kidnapped me, shot my dad, and buried me alive. I need to face this.”

He takes a deep breath. “There’s no talking you out of this?”

“Absolutely not.”

He nods. “Then let’s get it over with.” Gibson opens the door for me and steps aside so I can go in first. Peter Lenson looks up from his desk, expression grim.

“You doing okay, Lani?” His dad and mine are close, and his family ranch neighbors ours. My brothers are constantly over there helping as they can since it’s just Peter and his dad running the place.

“I will be. Thanks. For getting her.”

“I’m sorry we missed it.” He crosses over and wraps his arms around me in a friendly hug.

“I missed it too. She hid in plain sight.”

“I’m so glad we got her before—” He trails off. “I just wish we’d gotten her before Carla.”

“Me too.” I squeeze his arms as he releases me.

“Hold these.” Gibson holds out a set of keys to Lenson.

“Why?”

“Because if I’m down in the holding cell I can’t be trusted with them.”

Lenson takes the keys. “Understood. Call up if you need me. I’m finishing up the paperwork now. Transport should be here this afternoon to take her to county.”

“The sooner the better,” Gibson says, placing his hand on my lower back and guiding me down the hall toward a set of stairs that will take us down to the holding cells.

With every step, I question whether or not this was a good idea.

But the second she looks up and sees me beside Gibson and her expression hardens, I know facing her is exactly what I needed.

“What are you doing here?” she asks.

“We found Manny,” I tell her. “Seems you brought him with you when you moved here.”

She doesn’t respond to me, just shifts her attention to the man beside me. “Gibson, you have to know that she’s the wrong choice. She’s selfish. How many years did she keep you on the sidelines? You deserve better.”

Gibson is radiating anger, both muscled arms crossed as though he’s trying to keep himself from prying the bars open with his bare hands.

I take a step closer to the bars. “Ever since I escaped that first time, I kept imagining what I would say when I came face-to-face with my abductor. I had over a dozen scenarios in my head, but now that I’m looking at you—I just feel sorry for you. I’m angry for Carla. For Manny—who I never even met—but I feel sorry for you.”

“I don’t need your pity. And it’s your fault Carla is dead.”

“No,” I say. “It’s not. It’s yours. And that’s something you’ll have to think about from behind bars. I only hope you realize just how wrong you are before there’s no time to repent for what you’ve done.”

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