Free Outlaw Justice (Decorah Security Series, Book #13): A Paranormal Romantic Suspense Novella by REBECCA YORK Page B

directions.
    “His mistress is still in the house,” Steve shouted.
    “Hands up. Show yourself,” the bullhorn ordered.
    “Raise your hands,” Steve told Leah. He put his weapon on the ground and raised his own hands.
    “We’re coming out of the bushes at the back of the yard. We’re unarmed,” he called out. “Don’t shoot.”
    Still this was a dangerous moment, and Steve steeled himself as they stepped from cover with their hands in the air.
    Beside him, Leah gasped as she saw Warren lying on the patio. But then the view was blocked as a SWAT team swarmed from the house and through the gate into the yard.
    “It’s okay,” Steve whispered as the cops patted them down. Steve was glad that Warren’s goons had taken away his illegal weapon. That was one less thing he had to explain.
    A man in a suit stepped through the gate and walked toward them.
    “Outlaw?”
    “Yes.”
    “I’m Lieutenant DuBois. You were with the BPD, right?”
    “Yes. I took a medical discharge rather than get stuck behind a desk.”
    DuBois looked from the smashed window to the bullet-riddled yard. “You wouldn’t have gotten into trouble behind a desk.”
    Steve shrugged.
    “Your boss, Frank Decorah, gave us a heads up. We were still blocks away when we heard the shooting start.
    Steve wanted to say better late than never, but he kept the observation to himself.
    “They’re okay,” the detective said to the SWAT team leader.
    Steve squeezed Leah’s hand tightly. “Pendelton was laundering money for Malcolm the Hammer. When his wife figured that out, she ran away. He sent his mistress, Candy Markham, to kidnap her and haul her back.”
    Some of that was true. Some of it wasn’t, but Leah didn’t correct his story, and he hoped she would stick to his account during questioning, because he didn’t want to explain how he’d figured out Pendelton’s illegal activities.
    When he looked at Leah, she gave him a small nod before they were separated and taken to the closest police station. After being interviewed in separate rooms, they were allowed to leave.
    Out on the sidewalk, he said, “Thanks for not saying anything about my . . . talent.”
    “I knew you wanted me to keep quiet about it.” She scuffed her shoe against the ground. “I don’t want to go back to my house.”
    “I figured,” he said as he led her toward the Decorah car which an officer had driven over for them.
    “Then where are we going?” she asked as she got into the vehicle.
    He slid into the driver’s seat and said, “To a Decorah safe house.”
    “We’re not safe now?”
    “Yeah, we are, but I thought I’d give you some time to decompress.”
    “From being married to a psychopath?”
    “Yeah. And from almost getting killed out in the backyard.”
    “Will Candy be charged with anything?”
    “Attempted kidnapping, if you want to pursue that.”
    “I’ll have to think about it.”
    He nodded. “And think about us.”
    She turned to him. “I shouldn’t have walked away from you years ago.”
    “Like I said, I didn’t have much going for me. Plus Warren was good at manipulating you—and everyone else.” He laughed. “But not Malcolm the Hammer. I think old Malcolm had him sweating bullets. And he was taking out the stress on you.”
    She opened her mouth, then closed it again.
    “You don’t have to make any decisions about us now,” he said, wishing he could press her.
    “Everything’s changed,” she said in a small voice.
    “For the better.”
    “Well, it would be, if I had a job—or some skills. I didn’t even get my degree.”
    “I think Decorah Security can help you with that.”
    Her head jerked up. “How?”
    “Frank Decorah has a victim assistance fund. For education, job training, even housing.”
    “Why?”
    “Because he knows that people who have been in trouble can’t necessarily dig themselves out.”
    While she thought about that, he reached over and wrapped his hand around hers.
    “Leah, I want you in