Outlaw Ridge: Aiden (Hard Justice: Outlaw Ridge Book 3) by Delores Fossen

Author:Delores Fossen [Fossen, Delores]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lone Star Books
Published: 2025-03-25T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

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With his security shutters now rolled back up, Aiden sat in his kitchen, looking out the wall of windows at the chaos of what was now essentially a twelve-acre crime scene.

Usually, this was where he had his morning coffee and processed whatever Strike Force assignment that he’d just finished or was about to start. It was where he stood sometimes just to admire the amazing Texas Hill Country. That view from these windows was the reason he’d bought this house.

But at the moment, the view sucked.

And he was hurting. Bad.

The pain was from the popped stitches that were in the process of being cleaned and redone by the EMT, Brent Mendez, that Owen had sent to the house. Hell’s Bells. It felt as if the EMT was cleaning it with battery acid. But at least this ordeal would be over soon. He hoped. The chaos happening in and around his house would likely go on for hours or even days.

There was a team of CSIs combing the grounds and the surrounding woods, looking for any evidence that would help the cops piece together what the hell had happened. In their white protective suits, the team looked like ghosts haunting the place. They crept along, gazes sweeping around while they gave the ME folks a wide berth.

Because they were loading the body on a stretcher so it could be taken to the medical examiner’s van and then to the morgue.

Since Aiden and Lexa had made the trek down to those woods shortly after the gunfire had stopped, they had gotten a good a look at the dead woman. And they could both confirm it was indeed Chloe. Hudson had confirmed it as well with a photo that Owen had shown him. So, there was no doubt to her identity.

But there were questions.

Boatloads of them.

Other than the single gunshot wound to the head, Chloe had no other injuries. Not a cut, not a scratch. Not even a bruise. Which, of course, didn’t make sense in light of the bloody mess that’d been left at the manor. And now on his property.

And that’s where the questions started.

At first, Aiden had thought that maybe Chloe had been shot with one of the bullets that’d cooked-off in the fire. But the ME had noted there was stippling around the wound which meant the shot hadn’t come from a distance. This had been an up close, and judging from the angle of the shot, the ME believed she’d been shot while partially facing the barrel of the gun.

Why had Chloe allowed someone dangerous to get near her like that? Or had the person sneaked up on her, and then she’d turned to face them right before the shot had been fired?

Yep, too many questions and not nearly enough answers.

Part of Aiden wanted to be out there with the CSIs, searching for something. For anything. But Owen had had a different notion about that. His boss had wanted Lexa inside, chasing down reports, and

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