Mastered by Mavericks (Doms of Destiny, Colorado 3)

“Yes, I did. The pay is great as are the benefits. Much better than a Chicago patrolman’s,” Patti continued, the pride in her mania shinning through. “When she tossed her cookies on the commissioner, that was the best day of my life. I took the bag of dope with me to her apartment, ready to end the slut’s life. Then you walked in.”

“You said it was Nicole’s. You even helped me dry her out.”

Only Jaris had been my friend back then. Not Patti. Only him.

“I had to. I didn’t want to tip my hand. I knew drugging her again wasn’t an option anymore for me.” Patti’s wild eyes sent daggers her way. “I thought I would be satisfied with her being at a desk and me being your partner. I was, for a while. Then you went and signed up with the FBI. I had no clue until Sergei Mitrofanov told me. He was going to put a hit out on you, but I convinced him not to. I had to do a favor for him.”

“The missing persons report,” Nicole whispered.

“God, you’re the stupidest slut on the planet. Shut it. But yes, the missing persons report. I knew you wouldn’t question anything Jaris handed you and he trusted me. Just paperwork, which has never been something he took seriously. After Sergei got killed in this dump, I thought my worries were over. Jaris was safe. The report would be buried in the files. No one the wiser. Then your slut here decided to play detective with this small town’s sheriff.”

Even though Patti seemed to hang on Jaris’s every word, seeking his approval in some sick way, he wouldn’t be able to keep the madwoman talking forever, despite his best efforts. “So you went to Henry’s and found out where Nicole went to.”

Nicole prayed Reed and Sawyer would show up. They would come for her. Even though she’d been harsh, they’d made it clear they weren’t going to let her go. Please God, let that be true. She needed her cowboys right now.

Patti sent Jaris an evil wink. “No. I lured him to my place. I knew Henry would never betray sweet, little Nicole. A dose of Rohypnol in his drink did the trick. He still didn’t tell me but I found a text on his cell to Sheriff Wolfe. That was all I needed to put the dots together.”

“Where’s Henry now?” Jaris asked.

Please let him be alive.

“Still at my apartment. I gave him enough drugs to make sure he didn’t wake up. Ever.”

“You killed him?” Nicole’s head swam with fresh grief. “How could you do that to Henry?”

“Easy.” Patti lips twisted into a toothy, horrible smile.

“So you were coming here for the report, right?”

“The report and her. Yes.”

“What about the other Mitrofanov man who set the fire? Were you working with him, Patti?”

“You’ve got it all wrong, Jaris. I called my contact inside the organization. I told the guy about Nicole and what she’d taken to Destiny before I left Chicago. When I got here, I learned the Mitrofanovs had sent a cleanup man to mess with this slut’s car. One thing you know about me, Jaris, is I’m loyal. When I found out he’d been shot and was in the local clinic, I wanted to help him escape. Getting past deputy-do-right was easy. A borrowed nurse’s outfit and I was in the Mitrofanov’s room. When I told him who I was, I knew the truth. He’d been sent not just to get the report back and whatever other evidence Nicole had, he’d been sent to take me out, too.”

“You set the fire.”

“I did. Lost my favorite lighter, too, in the process.”

Patti had been the one to start the fire at the clinic, not the Russian. The man must’ve been trying to turn off the gas when Doc Ryder and Charlie showed up.

“Jaris, why did you come here for her?” Patti shook her head. “Wasn’t I enough for you, lover?”

Lover? “You were involved with her?” Nicole whispered.

“Only a one-night stand after too many drinks,” he said softly. “I didn’t have a clue she was this gone.”

“Speak up or I’ll put a bullet between the cunt’s eyes right here, right now.”

“That would be a mistake, Patti.” Jaris put his hands over his head. Nicole

did the same. Great police work. The gesture was less about giving in to their attacker and more about letting anyone who happened to look their direction understand what was going down. “The sheriff is in the building behind us. He will be coming out any moment. Do the smart thing and put down your gun.”

“Not before I kill this fucking bitch.”

This was it. Now or never.

Nicole reached for her gun, knowing she wouldn’t have time to get it before Patti pulled the trigger.