face, practically beggin' for me to bang her. She's one man-hungry heifer."
"You goddamned son of a bitch," the stranger growled.
Dirk shoved him. "Get the fuck away from me."
"No effing way." The man pulled out a knife and drove it deep into Dirk's big belly. He yanked up on the blade, and with a surprised groan, Dirk dropped to his knees. The stranger twisted the knife before jerking it free and wiping it on Dirk's shirt. "That'll teach you to screw with my woman, you pig."
With a bitter laugh, he left Dirk to bleed out and jumped into a battered black pickup truck parked only a few feet away. Seconds later, he roared off into the night, spewing gravel as he whipped from the parking lot.
Keegan looked around, hoping someone else had seen the attack, but the area was empty. Even the couple making out against the wall had disappeared.
"Damn you, Dirk." Even though she'd been about to kill him herself, she dashed over to him and pressed two fingers to his neck. He had a weak, thready pulse and was fading fast. Blood poured from the wound in his gut.
He opened his eyes. Even though they were glazed with pain, a flash of recognition, topped by resignation, crossed his face. He opened his mouth to speak, but only emitted a watery surge of red-tinted liquid. It dripped down his chin to pool on his chest.
"I know you killed Jenny, Dirk." Keegan leaned in close. "Why'd you do it? She loved you with all her heart. This is your chance to come clean and tell the truth."
"Help... me..." he sputtered, more blood dripping from his lips.
Keegan dug out her phone, called 911, and gave the operator Dirk's location. Not because she wanted to, but because her own moral code wouldn't allow her to stand by and watch him bleed out when she hadn't stabbed him. She owed Haley that much.
Crazy, maybe... but it made sense to her.
"Your name, ma'am?" the operator asked as Dirk gurgled again. "Ma'am?"
No way. Hand trembling, Keegan ended the call.
Dirk blinked slowly, the blood on his lips glinting as he attempted to speak. Did he want to confess? Probably not. The bastard wasn't wired that way.
He closed his eyes, and she switched her gaze to his broad chest.
Was he still breathing? She couldn't tell and didn't care, but at least by calling for help she'd given him a fighting chance. That's more than he'd done for Jenny.
The wail of a siren sliced through the too-quiet night.
Afraid she'd already hung around for too long, Keegan re-pocketed the phone and came to her feet. Time to go.
She glanced down at Dirk one last time, cursed his vile soul, and then dissolved back into the shadows. Her enemy was down without her having to dirty her knife. She'd thought Dirk's death, or rather, his imminent death, would satisfy her, and yet somehow she still felt empty. The immense hole torn in her heart when he'd murdered Jenny continued to gape wide. Keegan didn't know if she'd feel any better if she'd been the one to stab him, but now she'd never know.
"Where's my retribution?" she murmured to herself. "My revenge?"
A Keller County Sheriff's Department cruiser raced down the street. Desperate for anonymity, Keegan pressed her back to the cool brick wall.
A female deputy climbed from the car and strode toward Dirk's prone form, her hand resting on the butt of her pistol. She was confident and strong, her determined stride telling the world she wasn't afraid of anything, not even in this seedy location.
Keegan shivered. She wanted to be that strong and confident one day. Confident enough to be a good role model for Haley. She might not have custody of the child, but she often visited her niece, if only to give her mom and dad a break. They'd lost Jenny, too, and deserved some time to relax. Raising a grandchild, especially one as young as Haley, was hard work.
The deputy halted near the body and looked around, her narrow-eyed gaze landing on the area where Keegan hid before moving on to scan the parking lot.
Keegan held her breath until the
"You goddamned son of a bitch," the stranger growled.
Dirk shoved him. "Get the fuck away from me."
"No effing way." The man pulled out a knife and drove it deep into Dirk's big belly. He yanked up on the blade, and with a surprised groan, Dirk dropped to his knees. The stranger twisted the knife before jerking it free and wiping it on Dirk's shirt. "That'll teach you to screw with my woman, you pig."
With a bitter laugh, he left Dirk to bleed out and jumped into a battered black pickup truck parked only a few feet away. Seconds later, he roared off into the night, spewing gravel as he whipped from the parking lot.
Keegan looked around, hoping someone else had seen the attack, but the area was empty. Even the couple making out against the wall had disappeared.
"Damn you, Dirk." Even though she'd been about to kill him herself, she dashed over to him and pressed two fingers to his neck. He had a weak, thready pulse and was fading fast. Blood poured from the wound in his gut.
He opened his eyes. Even though they were glazed with pain, a flash of recognition, topped by resignation, crossed his face. He opened his mouth to speak, but only emitted a watery surge of red-tinted liquid. It dripped down his chin to pool on his chest.
"I know you killed Jenny, Dirk." Keegan leaned in close. "Why'd you do it? She loved you with all her heart. This is your chance to come clean and tell the truth."
"Help... me..." he sputtered, more blood dripping from his lips.
Keegan dug out her phone, called 911, and gave the operator Dirk's location. Not because she wanted to, but because her own moral code wouldn't allow her to stand by and watch him bleed out when she hadn't stabbed him. She owed Haley that much.
Crazy, maybe... but it made sense to her.
"Your name, ma'am?" the operator asked as Dirk gurgled again. "Ma'am?"
No way. Hand trembling, Keegan ended the call.
Dirk blinked slowly, the blood on his lips glinting as he attempted to speak. Did he want to confess? Probably not. The bastard wasn't wired that way.
He closed his eyes, and she switched her gaze to his broad chest.
Was he still breathing? She couldn't tell and didn't care, but at least by calling for help she'd given him a fighting chance. That's more than he'd done for Jenny.
The wail of a siren sliced through the too-quiet night.
Afraid she'd already hung around for too long, Keegan re-pocketed the phone and came to her feet. Time to go.
She glanced down at Dirk one last time, cursed his vile soul, and then dissolved back into the shadows. Her enemy was down without her having to dirty her knife. She'd thought Dirk's death, or rather, his imminent death, would satisfy her, and yet somehow she still felt empty. The immense hole torn in her heart when he'd murdered Jenny continued to gape wide. Keegan didn't know if she'd feel any better if she'd been the one to stab him, but now she'd never know.
"Where's my retribution?" she murmured to herself. "My revenge?"
A Keller County Sheriff's Department cruiser raced down the street. Desperate for anonymity, Keegan pressed her back to the cool brick wall.
A female deputy climbed from the car and strode toward Dirk's prone form, her hand resting on the butt of her pistol. She was confident and strong, her determined stride telling the world she wasn't afraid of anything, not even in this seedy location.
Keegan shivered. She wanted to be that strong and confident one day. Confident enough to be a good role model for Haley. She might not have custody of the child, but she often visited her niece, if only to give her mom and dad a break. They'd lost Jenny, too, and deserved some time to relax. Raising a grandchild, especially one as young as Haley, was hard work.
The deputy halted near the body and looked around, her narrow-eyed gaze landing on the area where Keegan hid before moving on to scan the parking lot.
Keegan held her breath until the
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