Page 102 of Ultimate Justice

Evan’s head jerked to stare at the boy. His jaw went hard, and she knew instantly where his mind had gone. Could his sister be lying in one of those unmarked graves?

“Maybe you thought wrong.” Noah pounded his fist on the stage. “Maybe she asked to leave, and they wouldn’t let her. Maybe when she tried to escape…they killed her.”

A girl with blond hair and who looked to be about fifteen, backed away from Neil. “Did you?” she whispered. “Did you really kill Angie?”

“That’s ridiculous.” Neil flicked his fingers in Noah’s direction. “Noah always did have quite the imagination.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” Elsa crooned, trying to drape her arm around the girl, but she skirted away. “We would never hurt any of you.”

Two of the smaller girls inched closer to Elsa, as if seeking her protection. A bad sign. Noah might be getting through to some of the older kids, but his impassioned speech was scaring the little ones.

“Now,” Neil said, glaring down at Evan, “I suggest you let us leave with our children. We wouldn’t want anyone to get hurt. Now would we.”

Bastard. He was actually threatening the children, and they didn’t even realize it.

Things were spiraling downhill fast. If they didn’t do something, they might have no choice but to let Neil and Elsa leave with the kids. Who knew what would happen to them if that happened.

“Evan?” she whispered.

“Don’t worry. I’ve got this.” Using the same motion he’d used before, Evan flicked his wrist. Deck and Brett unhooked the leashes from their dogs. “Blue,” Evan said, pointing to the dais.

Like sheepdogs herding sheep, all three dogs leaped onto the stage, nudging their way through the children and forcing them to break from the tight circle around Elsa and Neil. Evan, Brett, and Deck, vaulted onto the dais, then gently but firmly, took the nearest children by their arms and urged them toward the other officers.

“Children, no!” Elsa shouted, latching on to the nearest and smallest little girl. “Don’t leave us!”

“Blue!” Evan pointed to Elsa.

With a low growl, Blue insinuated himself between Elsa and the girl, advancing and forcing Elsa to release the girl’s hand.

A few of the younger kids started resisting the officers, trying to turn back.

“We’re not lying to you.” Noah hopped up on the stage, pointing at Elsa and Neil. “They are. C’mon, let’s go! We’re all getting out of here. Together.”

Caleb joined Noah at the edge of the dais, waving his arm to the other kids. “Listen to him! Let’s go!”

Gradually, and with a mixture of fear and shock on their faces, the remaining kids began inching farther away from Elsa and Neil. Some of the teenage girls grabbed onto the younger kids’ hands, tugging them along. Thank God. The protective circle Elsa and Neil had been counting on was dispersing.

A minute later, Elsa and Neil stood in the center of the dais, watching their flock being led out the door. Noah and Caleb went with the other kids, helping to keep them calm.

Evan advanced on Elsa and Neil, clenching and unclenching his hands. Just when she thought he was about to plow his fist into Neil’s face, he reached behind him and tugged a set of handcuffs from a black leather pouch on his belt.

He yanked Neil’s arms behind his back, slapping on the cuffs. Brett pulled out another set of handcuffs and did the same with Elsa. “You have the right to remain silent,” Evan ground out, reading them the rest of their constitutional rights. When he was done, he got into Neil’s face. “Where’s Gracie?”

“We’ll be invoking our right to an attorney,” Neil said in a bland voice.

Evan’s nostrils flared. Again, he fisted his hands. “Get this trash out of here.”

While Neil and Elsa were escorted out, Evan took a deep breath, then hung his head. Blue sat beside him, leaning against his thigh.

Marlie took the dais stairs and rested a hand on Evan’s back, feeling the thick, rigid muscles. No matter what had passed between them, she couldn’t leave him alone, not like this. “Evan?”

“I need to look at those graves.” He spun, leaving her standing alone on the dais. Blue jumped to the floor and followed him out the door.

Her heart ached for him, but that wasn’t what he needed to hear right now. For him, this still wasn’t over. As much as she loved him, she couldn’t go with him, couldn’t follow him down this never-ending path of grief.

The pain in her heart was real. For him, and for her.

But I have to let him go.