Page 76 of Defenseless
“We already have that reason,” Chad said as he threw the door open. It hit the wall hard enough that the floor rumbled under Sabina’s feet.
“I told them they couldn’t come in…” The young man who’d ushered them in earlier faltered at the door then stopped. His gaze swung wildly around the room before fixating on the gun in his boss’s hand. He’d followed Chad, Ethan, and Tess in and now inched behind them even farther.
But it wasn’t only Chad, Ethan, and Tess who’d arrived.
“Gina?” Sabina and Kara said at the same time.
Gina grinned but stayed to the side and a little behind Chad and Ethan. “You didn’t think I’d miss this moment after all these years, did you?”
Sabina wasn’t sure how to respond to that and instead looked to Chad.
“You going to put that down, Senator?” Chad asked, his attention focused on the man.
Jacobs’s gaze darted among the people now crowded into his office. When it landed on her, and the phone she still held clutched to her chest, his hand twitched.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Jacobs,” Chad said. His voice was calm but had a steel to it she hadn’t heard before. It was enough to give Jacobs pause.
“I wouldn’t do that, either,” Ethan said when Jacobs’s hand made a slight turn, shifting the muzzle toward his own torso, though not directly at it.
“Sabina, Kara, come over here, please,” Chad said when Jacobs stilled. She and her sister scuttled across the room. Kara went to Gina’s side, but Sabina stopped next to Chad.
“What now?” Jacobs asked. His voice didn’t carry a tone of surrender, but more one of curiosity.
“Now we let the lawyers sort it out,” Chad said. A small, bloodthirsty part of her wanted to tell Jacobs to rot in hell. She wanted to tell him that she’d be releasing the video to the public so everyone could see what a murdering, corrupt jackass he was. Okay, fine, it was a not-so-small part of her. But before she could open her mouth, Chad reached over and held his hand out for her. Taking his in hers, she stepped closer. Close enough to feel the heat of his body against hers, like a warm, comforting blanket.
Sanity returned, and she bit her tongue. She was still bloodthirsty, but she needed to put her trust in Tess and the other ongoing investigations. She didn’t want to say or do anything that might give away any of the leverage they now had or compromise any evidence.
“Or I could shoot at least one of you,” Jacobs said. Behind Sabina, his assistant gasped.
Chad inclined his head. “You could. But in front of all these witnesses, it would be hard to defend that course of action.”
“We both know I don’t have much of a defense on any of it,” Jacobs said. “What’s one more thing?”
“Maybe you do, maybe you don’t. But since you don’t know what any of the charges might be, is that a chance you want to take?” Chad asked, appealing to the man’s desire for power. If Jacobs willingly walked out the door and turned himself in, he’d have a fighting chance at holding on to some of it. Even if that power was only an illusion.
A noise from behind her drew Sabina’s attention. Not wanting to be surprised by anyone sneaking up on them, she jerked around. Then she let out a long, slow breath. She had no idea how the Capitol police had arrived so quickly, but she was glad to see them.
Sensing their arrival, Chad stepped to the side as four uniformed officers walked in followed by two plainclothes ones. The taller of the two not in uniform, a woman who looked to be in her forties with short hair and the build of a basketball player, continued straight to Kevin Jacobs.
“Kevin Jacobs, we’re arresting you for the murder of Emer Houseman…”
Sabina leaned into Chad as the detective finished Mirandizing the senator.
It was over.
After eighteen years, her mother’s killer was going to be brought to justice. After eighteen years, she and her sister could come out and into the light. After eighteen years, she could once again have the things in life she’d taken for granted as a young woman. Things she’d given up on entirely after that night—real friends, community, a family. A life without the fear of loving someone.
Chad turned and wrapped his arms around her. Vaguely, she was aware of the police leading the senator out, but she didn’t bother to watch. She’d done what she wanted to do, and the rest was in someone else’s hands. Well, not entirely. HICC would always be willing to assist if the ongoing investigations asked it of them. And shewascurious about the rest of the files her father had sent.
But that could wait. For a while.
Because now she wanted to go home. Home to Mystery Lake, which was only hours away from her sister. Home with Chad.
“Can we go home now?” she asked, her face still buried in Chad’s chest.
“Please?” Kara added. Sabina turned her head and opened one eye. Gina and Ethan each had an arm around her sister. Their eyes met and, in that moment, a shared memory floated to the surface. Slowly, Sabina grinned.
“We sound like we did that time Mom took us to Sudan. Do you remember that?” she asked.
