Laying Down the Law Read Online Free Page B

blast hadn’t killed them, so maybe this was all part of some sick plan to get them in the open.
    If so, it’d worked.
    They were indeed in the open with only one gun among them and a likely copycat killer ready, willing and able to do them all in.
    “Just stay down,” Cord snapped to Karina when she lifted her head. “I don’t have time to watch you and everything else.”
    Yeah, it was a jab that she probably didn’t deserve, since she’d certainly pulled her own weight getting out of the ambulance. But maybe it was enough of a jab to keep her head out of the path of a bullet.
    Or an explosion.
    Even though he’d tried to brace himself for it, the blast jolted through his body, shaking him to the core.
    The debris came bursting out from the fireball, all that was left of the ambulance. The trickle of flames had obviously made its way to the engine and heated it enough to cause the blast.
    That was probably what their attacker intended.
    A chunk of metal flew into the tree, inches from where Cord was standing, and he felt a sharp tug on the leg of his jeans. Karina pulled him to the ground next to her.
    “It won’t help us if you get yourself killed,” she warned, sounding a lot tougher than she probably felt right now.
    But she was right. Cord had to stay alive.
    The wave of smoke came at them. It was mixed with the stench of the burning rubber, and Cord had to cover his mouth to keep from coughing.
    “Y’all okay?” their attacker called out.
    Cord wished he could do something about that smug tone. Like beat the guy senseless. What Cord couldn’t do was answer him. It was possible the question was meant to help the fool pinpoint their location.
    “Because I’d hate to think I gave any of you more boo-boos,” the man added. Then, he laughed. He was still somewhere on the other side of the road.
    That was the good news.
    It meant he wasn’t sneaking up behind them.
    But he could have hired guns. And probably did. It would have been hard for him to pull this off by himself unless he’d set the explosives before attacking Karina, and those hired guns could be anywhere.
    “What? Cats got your tongues?” the man asked.
    His taunts made Cord’s blood run cold. And made his temper run hot.
    “Being quiet won’t help,” he taunted. “I’ll find you.”
    “His voice,” Karina whispered.
    Even though he hated to risk looking at her, Cord did, to see what the heck she was talking about. “What about his voice?”
    She opened her mouth. Closed it. Shook her head. “It’s the same man who attacked me in the barn.”
    Of course it was. There’d been no doubt about that. So, what exactly had Karina meant to say?
    Or rather what was she trying to keep from him?
    Well, whatever the heck it was, Cord would find out. As soon as they got out of this mess.
    The seconds crawled by, turning into minutes. Cord forced himself to listen through the crashing of his heartbeat in his ears. Each tiny sound put him on full alert.
    Until one sound caused him to pivot in that direction.
    Footsteps.
    “It’s me,” someone said. Jericho.
    Cord didn’t ease the grip on his gun, though, until he actually spotted the sheriff. He was weaving his way through the trees, coming toward them.
    “He’s over there,” Cord informed him right off, and he tipped his head in the direction where he’d last heard the guy. “Did you bring backup?”
    Jericho nodded and glanced at Karina and the paramedics, before focusing on the area Cord had pointed out. “My brother Jax is somewhere nearby.” He motioned toward the area just south of the attacker. “My other brother, Levi, is on the way.”
    So, maybe Jax was already close enough to stop him. Cord didn’t know Jericho’s brothers that well, but Jax had been a deputy sheriff for years. Hopefully, that was enough experience so he wouldn’t walk into a trap.
    “There might be other explosives,” Cord pointed out.
    Another nod from Jericho. “We got your warning and then heard