Page 46 of Fierce Hope (Hope Landing: New Recruits #3)

The world around Jade was still a blur of sensory chaos.

The explosion had left her vision swimming with bright spots, her ears ringing painfully. Through the disorientation, she struggled to make sense of the scene unfolding before her.

“Last chance, Sarah,” Deke’s voice cut through the ringing in Jade’s ears, every word measured and deliberate. “Let. Him. Go.”

Jade blinked rapidly, her vision finally clearing enough to reveal the horrifying tableau before her: Sarah, wild-eyed and desperate, pressing a gun against DJ’s side as she used him as a human shield.

Blood dripping from his chin, Deke’s teammate, Christian, stood to Sarah’s right, handgun aimed straight at her.

Deke was in front of Jade, back to her, his weapon trained on Sarah.

DJ had been right. His dad came.

Relief swirled with terror, making it harder to clear her head.

How to break the standoff?

Jade’s mind raced. With DJ’s life hanging in the balance, she needed to act, but any sudden movement could spook Sarah into pulling the trigger.

For a moment, she considered trying to signal Deke, to somehow coordinate their efforts—but what if Sarah noticed?

What if she misinterpreted any subtle communication between them?

Deke and his team were professionals. They had training for situations exactly like this.

But that was precisely why they weren’t acting.

They were following protocol—waiting for the perfect shot, refusing to escalate the situation, prioritizing DJ’s safety above all else.

Jade understood their restraint, but it was also their limitation.

They wouldn’t risk a move while Sarah had that gun against DJ.

But Jade wasn’t bound by their rules. She didn’t have their training, but she knew Sarah. Knew the woman’s pain points. She could create the distraction they needed. If she could draw Sarah’s attention completely, even for just a moment, it might give DJ the chance to break free.

Deke would have the opening he needed to take a clear shot.

Every instinct warned her that what she was contemplating was dangerous, potentially catastrophic. But doing nothing was guaranteed to keep DJ in mortal danger.

Shooting DJ would be Sarah’s last resort. With her hostage gone, she was a dead woman. If Jade charged, it was more likely Sarah would shoot at her.

The math was simple, even if the variables were terrifying.

If she had a way to alert Deke, this could work.

“Sarah,” she called out, her voice remarkably steady despite her pounding heart. “Think this through. How far do you think you’re going to get with Deke’s son?”

“‘Bout an inch,” Deke added, voice deepened to a dangerous growl.

Sarah’s head whipped toward Jade, her eyes widening. “What did you say?”

“You heard him. Deke’s partners have Chad,” Jade continued.

“So what?” Sarah pulled a face, but the muzzle of her weapon remained in DJ’s side. “He killed Kent. He can go down for that. Works for me.”

“Me, too.” Jade strained to sound agreeable. “But he’ll tell them it was your idea and you got away with the money.”

If she could keep Sarah talking for a second, lull the woman slightly, her desperate move would have maximum impact. “Kent’s clients will hunt you down. You need a new plan.”

Sarah shifted almost imperceptibly. “Duh. Already on it.”

She prayed Deke would catch the message in her next statement. “It’s like chess, Sarah—you have to think three moves ahead. Jump on openings.”

“What are you even talking about?” Sarah stiffened, clearly tiring of the verbal jousting. Jade was pushing her dangerously close to the breaking point.

She caught DJ’s eye. He held her gaze and dipped his chin. He was ready.

“My move, Sarah,” Jade said clearly, risking an obvious signal to Deke.

The instant the last syllable left her lips, she launched herself toward Sarah. A heavy worktable, and beyond that, a jumble of broken crates filled the space between them, but she didn’t have to reach the woman.

Hands still tied, she threw herself into the table, waiting for the sound of the shot, the bullet that would tear into her. The table toppled, crashing into the pile of crates. Tools and parts scattered across the concrete.

But all she heard were the shouts of Deke and his team.

She landed on her side, hard on the edge of the upturned table, driving the air from her lungs.

Then it happened.

A shot exploded.

She braced herself for the impact, but the bullet never reached her. She jerked her head up.

DJ!

Sarah jolted violently, a stunned gasp escaping her as the gun slipped from her fingers and clattered to the floor. Her hand flew to her shoulder, dark red seeping rapidly between her fingers as she staggered backward, losing her grip on DJ.

Deke rushed past Jade, knocking Sarah to the ground and pinning her wrists securely above her head.

Christian moved next to Deke, handgun trained on Sarah. “Stay down.”

“DJ!” Jade cried, rolling to her side and lifting her head, desperate to get to him. But her hands were still bound. Ignoring the pain in her side, she wriggled off the broken table, eyes frantically searching the last place the boy had been standing.

“I’m good,” DJ said breathlessly, dropping to his knees beside her and pulling her into a fierce hug. “I’m good, Jade.”

She tugged at her restraints, trying to hug him back. “Are you hurt? Did she?—”

“That was awesome!” DJ’s eyes shone. “How did you and Dad know what to do?”

Jade bit back tears of relief. “Sometimes you just have to make a move and trust your partner will follow through.”

“For real.” He moved to her back. “I’ll untie you.”

Now that the immediate danger had passed, Jade’s body began registering every injury.

The impact with the table had left a deep, throbbing bruise along her ribs, and the hard landing on concrete had scraped her arms raw.

Her muscles screamed in protest as DJ worked at the ropes binding her wrists.

The flash-bang’s effects still lingered—a persistent ringing in her ears and dull headache pulsing behind her eyes.

When DJ finally freed her hands, she tried to stand but found her legs quivering uncontrollably beneath her.

Her system was flooding with so much adrenaline that coordinating basic movements felt nearly impossible.

She made it halfway up before staggering sideways, catching herself on the overturned table.

“Whoa, easy,” DJ said, his hands supporting her elbow. “You hit that table really hard.”

“I’m okay,” she managed, though her voice betrayed her with a slight tremor. Every breath sent a jolt of pain through her side. But DJ was safe. That was all that mattered.

Three more figures rushed through the door—Ronan, Maya and Izzy, weapons drawn, moving with practiced efficiency. While Deke tended to Sarah’s gunshot, Izzy quickly secured her with zip ties while Ronan swept the rest of the building, ensuring there were no other threats.

“She’ll do for now,” Deke announced, rising to his feet.

His gaze went straight to his son.

DJ smiled at him. “I’m good, Dad.”

Jade hand never seen such a radiant smile as the one painting Deke’s face. “You’re more than good, son. You rocked this. Hard.”

While DJ squirmed and beamed under the weight of the compliment, Deke sought Jade’s gaze. “That was incredibly dumb.”

Jade’s mouth dropped open. She fought the urge to press her hands to her chest. She felt like she’d just been shot. Maybe she had made a stupid move, but she was trying to?—

Deke vaulted the mess between them, arms wide. Before she could protest, he pulled her hard against him. “Dumb, and brilliant and brave and inspired.” He kissed the top of her head. “Thank you for saving my son. Thank you.”

All she could do was hug him back. She had no words. No thoughts beyond a brief, heartfelt prayer of thanks.

Sarah thrashed weakly against her restraints, blood seeping steadily from the bullet wound in her shoulder. Pain and fury twisted her features as she glared up from the floor. “You idiots. We’re all dead now. You get that, right? Kent was stealing from Russians. Russians!”

Deke inched away from her to wrap an arm around his son’s shoulders.

“And that justifies murder?” Jade asked, voice steadier now. “That justifies trying to kill us?”

“You have no idea what they’re capable of,” Sarah insisted, genuine fear mixing with rage. “I was dead the moment Kent started skimming. I was just trying to survive!”

Izzy swept Sarah with a look of disgust so deep it was a wonder the injured woman didn’t melt into a puddle. “Delgado is secured outside. He’s talking already, trying to cut a deal.” She glared pointedly at Sarah. “You might want to beat him to the punch, chica .”

Christian holstered his weapon, casting a quick glance at the shattered window by the door. “Law enforcement is four minutes out. We’re gonna have some ‘splaining to do.”

Deke’s gaze flicked toward the open window, following Christian’s glance. He shook his head slightly, relief evident in his voice. “Nice shot,” he murmured quietly.

Christian looked pained. “Yeah. He’s gonna brag on this for way too long.”

Deke laughed. “Small price to pay.”

Only then did Jade fully realize she and DJ had survived. The adrenaline drained suddenly, leaving her weak and trembling.

Deke reacted immediately. His strong arms encircling both her and DJ.

She collapsed against him, burying her face in his shoulder as tears of relief threatened to overwhelm her. His heartbeat thundered against her cheek, his breathing ragged with emotion as he held them tightly.

Her voice caught as a wave of guilt suddenly washed over her. “I opened the door to her, Deke. If I hadn’t—if I’d realized sooner?—”

“Stop,” Deke interrupted firmly, pulling back just enough to meet her eyes. “Seriously, stop. Sarah wasn’t on my radar either. None of us saw this coming. If she’d just slipped out of town, she might have gotten away with this ... for a while.”

He released her and cupped her face gently, eyes filled with intense emotion. “You have nothing to feel guilty for. There’s no one I’d rather trust with my son. No one.”

“You two were amazing,” DJ said quietly, glancing between them with awe. “Like you’ve been partners forever.”

Warmth spread through Jade’s chest at his words. She met Deke’s gaze over DJ’s head, seeing the same warmth reflected back at her.

“Told you my dad would come,” DJ added, voice trembling but triumphant as he looked up at Jade.

Jade smiled through tears, smoothing DJ’s hair back from his forehead. “Yes, you did. Thank the Lord you were right.”

Outside, the wail of approaching sirens cut through the night, steadily growing louder. Red and blue lights flashed across the snow-covered landscape, reflecting brightly through the shattered windows.

“It’s over,” Deke said quietly, gently wiping tears from Jade’s cheek. “You’re safe now. Both of you.”

Jade nodded, unable to speak past the knot of emotion in her throat. She tightened her arms around them, anchoring herself in their solid presence. The fear that had been her constant companion for days began to recede, replaced by overwhelming gratitude.

They were alive. And for the first time in what felt like forever, she allowed herself to believe that everything might actually be okay.