Tamed by Texans (Doms of Destiny, Colorado 5)

“How is she?” Gretchen asked the trio.

Megan wiped her eyes.

“She’s tough, Gretchen,” Scott answered.

Eric nodded his agreement. “Tough as nails.”

The dear lady grabbed Megan’s hands “I know. Like you.”

“And you,” Megan said.

Gretchen smiled and walked into the room. Doc Ryder closed the door and crossed his arms over his chest. He was serious about the number of visitors he was letting in at a time.

Megan stepped in front of Jena. “You were so brave.”

She shrugged. “Not really. I did what I had to do.”

“More than that, I know.” Megan turned to Matt and Sean. “I’m so sorry about Mr. Black. This is all my fault.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about,” Matt said kindly.

Jena could see the pain on his and Sean’s faces about Black.

Sean sighed. “These are Kip’s and Mitrofanov’s crimes. Not yours, Megan.”

“But he’s my ex. What if I’m the reason he’s doing all of this?”

“Sweetheart, don’t,” Eric pleaded, holding her close.

Scott kissed her cheek. “Baby, Lunceford is insane. Who knows why he does what he does?”

Jena squeezed Megan’s hands again. “The creep is going away for good. Your ex will not be able to hurt you or anyone else ever again. We will also find Mitrofanov and send him to a cage that he will never get out of.”

“I hope so,” Megan said. “But Kip is brilliant. Who would’ve thought that he had a wiretap on Jason’s office? A camera at Mitrofanov’s house? Shannon is dead. Black is dead. There is blood on my hands.”

Jena put her arms around Megan. “What happened at the sheriff’s office is Mitrofanov’s and Kip’s doing. They will pay for Black’s and Shannon’s murders. You had nothing to do with it.”

Trying to discover how Mitrofanov had known to skip town right after the warrant had been filed, Dylan had uncovered the wiretap on the sheriff’s landline. Shannon’s call to Ethel to come over had clearly tipped Kip off. He must’ve contacted the mobster immediately. The bomb had been activated. Nicole had reminded everyone about the cameras she’d seen at Mitrofanov’s house. They all believed that Kip must’ve been watching when Black was trying to dismantle the bomb. That’s when he’d sent the text message to every phone in Destiny. Then remotely, he’d detonated the deadly thing early, killing Black.

“Shannon’s funeral is tomorrow,” Megan said. “I just can’t believe she’s really gone. And poor Mr. Black. What kind of memorial can his family have? His body still hasn’t been found, has it?”

“The detectives are still going through the rubble, but so far, no.” Sean sighed. “No cameras have been uncovered at the crime scene either.”

“True,” Matt said. “But additional investigating has discovered bugs, wiretaps, and spy cameras all around Destiny.”

Shockingly, the whole town had been under Lunceford’s digital microscope for some time.

Even if Kip was about to be put in a box and wouldn’t have access to the information himself, one of his cronies might be holed up in some warehouse, like she had been in Odessa not that long ago. No one wanted to be monitored by some unseen enemy.

Megan shook her head. “I can’t believe that bastard has been watching and listening to all of us.”

“He has, but he won’t for long.” This was Jena’s town now, too. She was determined to help bring down the son of a bitch. “Matt, Sean, Dylan, and I are working to disable all Lunceford’s detection devices in Destiny. We will take away his eyes and ears.”

“I’m glad, but can’t you understand why I feel so responsible?” Megan asked.

She nodded. “For years I carried guilt for things I had no control over. My dad’s death. The loss of my family’s money. Having to run with Kimmie and my mom. None of it was my doing. It was Carl’s, just like this is Kip’s.”

“Thank you, Jena. That helps. I will feel better when he’s at the new prison.”