Page 90 of The Deputy's Secret Double
Lawson Cole crumpled to the ground, blood across his face from Price, and a hit from Riker that might have killed him.
His suit, always immaculate, was stained red.
JJ found her footing again, easier this time. Her forearms hurt and the burly man near her wasn’t moving at all. Riker was heaving in breaths, his eyebrow busted and part of his shirt torn.
Price’s knuckles were busted and bloodied, but he used one of those hands to give her a thumbs up with a surprisingly cheeky smile. Amongst the chaos and adrenaline-filled people still standing, he delivered a one-liner that pulled a genuine laugh from her.
“I don’t think I ever told you, but I’m also actually really good at fighting.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Four months later and Price was still mad.
“I already said I was sorry.Andthat I won’t ever do it again.”
JJ was sitting shotgun in his parked truck, wearing a dress with daisies on it and a look of reproach that matched the expression of the girl sitting behind her.
“Yeah, Dad. She’s already apologized a ton,” Winnie added. “Also, you have to remember she only sacrificed herself because she wanted to make super sure that you and me were safe. And her brother. Heronly family left after her tragedy.”
Winnie was overly dramatic with the last part, but his girlfriend in the passenger’s seat really ate it up.
She gave him the big doe eyes and nodded.
“Next time I feel outnumbered by an anonymous criminal organization trying to find and destroy everyone I love, I won’t sacrifice myself,” she said. “At least, not without checking with you first. Okay?”
Price narrowed his eyes but couldn’t deny that he liked hearing JJ put him and Winnie on the list of people she loved.
He also couldn’t fully blame her for what she had done, especially since they realized their situation had been a lot more dire than originally believed.
Lawson Cole’s nameless organization hadn’t just been one branch on a small tree. His ego had been somewhat warranted. Aside from the men Price had fought alongside Riker, there had been more lying in wait. It wasn’t until Lawson himself started turning on his group that everyone realized just how outnumbered they had been.
Still, that didn’t mean Price would ever fully be okay with JJ going off into danger alone.
Though, to be fair, she hadn’t so much as left his side or Winnie’s for more than a few hours since then. They had gone from partners to a unit of three.
Well, three plus the occasional fourth.
“Alright, alright, I guess as long as you check with me, I’ll try not to bring it up every time we come here,” Price said now, motioning to the house past his windshield.
“That would be nice, considering we come here every Sunday for dinner,” Winnie said.
Price let out a long sigh.
“If you two keep ganging up on me, I’m going to have to rethink our futures. Specifically, this wholecombining householdsthing. You two against meanda house renovation? I don’t think I can take it.”
Winnie rolled her eyes and opened the truck door. She patted him on the shoulder before jumping out.
“Don’t act like you don’t love it, Dad.”
She was off in a flash, running up Josiah’s driveway with a laugh.
JJ stayed in her seat. Price did too. He could tell she was nervous about the day they had ahead of them. He simply waited for her to say so. She did after a moment.
“I guess it doesn’t feel real sometimes. Being here, being able to do this with them.”
Price knew what she meant. Being at Josiah’s was nothing new, at least not in the last four months. Ever since Price and Riker had convinced her to talk to Josiah. To tell him about his biological family.
She had asked for Price to be with her when she sat Josiah down, and that was how he became the second person to realize that Lawson Cole had been right. The key to finding Able Ortiz’s evidence against his group had been his son all along.