Twisted Truth (Rogue Justice Novella Book 1) by Melinda Leigh

Author:Melinda Leigh [Leigh, Melinda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kindle Press
Published: 2017-10-30T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVEN

Seth sprinted around the side of the unit, boots sloshing and slipping in the mud puddles. Ahead, a man in jeans and a red flannel shirt ran toward the woods.

Oh no you don’t.

Seth went after him. Gabe kept pace next to him for fifty yards then fell back. His stocky frame wasn’t built for speed.

The man ahead staggered up a steep path into the trees. Seth ran up the slope after him. Pushing off a rock, he launched himself through the air and tackled the man around the waist. They landed in the mud, and Seth scrambled onto the man’s back.

“Hey,” the man shouted into the mud. “Get off me.”

Seth turned out his pockets and found a folding knife.

“I ain’t done nothing.”

Seth cuffed his hands behind his back and hauled him to his feet. “Then why did you run?”

The man looked away, his mouth set in an obstinate line.

“What’s your name?” Seth asked.

“Ethan Dodge.”

“Why did you run, Ethan?”

“I don’t have to tell you anything.”

Seth herded Ethan back toward the cabin. Halfway there, they picked up Gabe. By the time the three of them reached the porch, Seth was soaked straight through to his skin. Again.

Ethan fared worse. He’d landed on the bottom. Mud coated his jeans and shirt and streaked the side of his face.

Ethan’s brother, Lyle, was waiting on the porch. “I told you to play it cool, dumb ass.”

Ethan glared. “Shut up.”

Gabe patted down Lyle. “He’s clean.”

“Handcuff him anyway,” Seth instructed. “I’m not chasing anyone else in this rain.”

“You can’t do this,” Lyle complained as Gabe cuffed his hands behind his back. “I didn’t do anything. It was my dumb-ass brother who ran away.”

Ethan’s teeth chattered. “I’m soaked and freezing my nuts off. Can we go inside?”

The invitation was music to a cop without a search warrant’s ears.

“Yes.” Seth really wanted a look inside the cabin. He led the small party through the front door into a living room and kitchen combination. The fireplace glowed with a small fire. Pizza boxes, an empty bottle of whiskey, and paper plates littered the kitchen countertops. Two rifles lay across newspapers on the kitchen table, surrounded by cleaning supplies and boxes of ammunition. The sharp scent of gun oil carried over the smell of stale alcohol. After looking under the cushions and couch for additional weapons, he sat both handcuffed men on the sofa.

Gabe checked both rifles. “Not loaded.”

“Are those your only guns?” Seth pointed to the kitchen table.

Lyle nodded.

“Where were you two early this morning?”

“We’ve been right here,” Ethan said. “Where else are we gonna be in this rain?”

“You were here all night?” Seth asked.

Ethan nodded. “We went out hunting early. Couldn’t find any damned elk. Got back around three started in on a bottle of Wild Turkey.”

“Given the weather, why didn’t you cancel your reservation?” Seth asked.

Lyle snorted. “Do we look like city folks?”

Small Town Rule #2: Real men hunt in the rain.

Seth continued. “What time did you fall asleep?”

“I don’t know. I was drunk.” Lyle shook his head, as if Seth was the stupid one.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.