Vegas Shuffle (Vegas Series) by Mimi Barbour Page A

to take the law into their own hands. Despite their excellent reasons to kill the rapist, both had promised her not to use vigilante tactics. The men were sharpshooters, and had easily shot to disarm the crazed felon. Then she had gone done exactly what she’d begged them not to.
    The approaching squad cars waiting further up the road made a lot of noise as they pealed into the yard, parking every which way while the officers began setting up their equipment in order to stake out the crime scene.
    Still she stood, not moving. Not until Debbie approached and gently put her arms around her did Aurora shift from her frozen position.
    “Thank you, Aurora. If I’d had a gun, I would have taken the shot to help him die. I’m so grateful, my friend.”
    Aurora bit the side of her mouth to keep from screaming the words. “Help him die?!” Instead, her voice emanated husky and tremulous. “I’ve never had to shoot anyone to kill them before. You know that’s why I’ve spent so many hours practicing at the gun club. So why did you want me to kill Rhondo? Was it to hide the fact that he really is Alec’s daddy?”
    “Good God, no! That had nothing to do with it. It’s too much to go into right now, but trust me when I say you didn’t murder him. You gave him pity and let him die like he wanted. In the end, he deserved mercy and for him justice was death.”
    Just then an ecstatic Cory approached carrying his sleeping baby son, Alec. The man’s face was alight with love and relief. He handed the baby to his wife, who gladly opened her arms for the tiny bundle.
    When he turned to face Aurora, Cory’s face took on a serious expression. He held his hand out towards her. “I’ll take your weapon and badge, Detective. And as soon as we get back to the station, we’ll need your uniform. You know the procedures.”
    “Yes, boss.” Aurora stood before him, again not moving.
    Gently he reached down to where her gun still hung by her right leg and retrieved the weapon from her fingers. It sounded like a huge tunnel separated them as he spoke each word slowly. “Know that whatever statement you decide to make, Aurora, I’ll write my report to support your explanations to the review board. We all will. It was a righteous kill.”
    Aurora moved like an automaton by Cory’s side toward the waiting police vehicle. As she got closer to Kai, relief flooded into her icy body. Here was love and comfort and kindness.
    Kai turned from the officer who he’d been giving orders to and looked at her reaching hands. Then their glances caught and held.
    Her eyes appealed and begged.
    Narrowed and hard, his eyes only accused.

Chapter One
    When Rhondo had clutched at his heart and dropped like a stone, Kai couldn’t believe his eyes. He’d aimed at Rhondo’s arm. Since Cory had shot first, he knew Cory’s bullet had wounded the man’s gun hand. There was actually no need for Aurora to even use her weapon. But split seconds later, she’d shot to kill, and Kai felt as if the bullet had ripped into his own heart, through his newborn trust, and shattered his growing love.
    She’d played him for a fool. A goddamn blind, lovesick fool! Right up to just before the encounter, she’d convinced him to choose her and their future. Then the crazy female had betrayed him and taken his shot. A righteous shot considering they’d been under fire.
    Not that any of the bullets Rhondo wildly fired had even come close to them. The crazy bastard had shot into the air over their heads. And he knew Aurora had the smarts to have figured out that scenario. She was comfortable with her weapon. Not that long ago, Kai had seen her in action in an underground parking lot where gunfire had taken place. The woman must have been aware that this sick puppy had chosen suicide by cop as his ticket from a world he hated.
    So why had she killed the man, after begging Kai not to? She’d always known his aim had been to eliminate Rhondo for raping his sister and being