She had to fight to get her gaze to cooperate.
When she focused on his eyes, he said, “It’s my team, not cops. It’s Everly and Roman and Liam.”
She couldn’t seem to catch her breath. Her heart galloped in her chest. Savanna focused on the woman who entered the cabin. Everly. It was Everly. His team was here. Lyle and Hank were dead.
Everly glanced down at Hank and Corwin, then turned a frown on Ian. “You left a mess. As usual.”
She stepped over the bodies and pushed him away from Savannah, replacing his arm with hers, easing her to her feet. “Let’s get you warm. The car is toasty.”
Everly put a hand against Savannah’s cheek and turned her head into her shoulder. “Eyes closed,” Everly said, her voice soothing and comforting. “Keep breathing.”
She guided Savannah to the passenger’s seat of the Jeep, then took the driver’s spot and redirected all the vents toward Savannah. “How’s that?”
Her question barely registered. Her fragmented mind darted in every direction. “Jamison? Where’s Jamison?”
“At a hotel with Sam. He’s perfectly fine. He’ll probably be cranky tomorrow because Sam is more of a playmate than a parent, but he’s had a great night.”
Savannah exhaled heavily. “Thank you.”
“Of course.”
She looked at Everly. “I shot Lyle,” she told her in a hushed voice. The realization shook her. “I shot him. Oh my God. He was going to shoot us, so I shot him. I can’t go to prison. Jamison—”
Everly’s hand closed over hers again. “You’re not going to prison. It was self-defense. I promise, everything’s going to work out fine. And remember—”
“You keep your promises.”
Everly smiled.
A rush of emotion overwhelmed Savannah. She leaned across the console and hugged Everly hard. “Thank you.”
“You’re okay,” she said, hugging Savannah back. “Everything’s okay now.” She pulled away and smiled. “You’ve got your whole life ahead of you.”
That was too much to think about now, so Savannah focused on her breathing.
Everly stayed with her as more cops arrived. As Rosen explained the situation to others in the department, the mayor, the state police. Finally, Everly was called away, and Savannah was left with her own thoughts.
An hour passed before Ian broke away from everyone to come to the car. Savannah got out before he reached her, then jumped into his arms. He hugged her tight. “How are you doing?”
“Better now.” She pulled back. “When can we leave?”
“Soon.” He ran his gloved hand over her hair and searched her expression. “I am so damn impressed at the way you’ve handled all this.”
She didn’t respond. It would take a long time to get her mind around what had happened here tonight. “What happens now?”
“The State Police will take over the department until the county can staff it up with good cops. Rosen is going to be the lead deputy until everything is settled. He’ll testify against the dirty cops and be resettled in the state of his choice with his family and a new job.”
That shocked Savannah. “Really?”
He nodded. “And if you’re also willing to testify, you’ll get the same. The government will pay for your relocation, first three months of rent, and give you employment training in a new vocation. I believe that would extend to going back to school if that’s what you wanted to do.”
She was speechless, trying to take it all in. “I…I can’t testify against Misty. I love her. She’s my family. Besides, I don’t know anything about what she was doing.”
He shook his head. “You won’t have to. That’s going to be a whole different issue, handled by the FBI and the State Department. You’d be testifying about local deputies.”
“What’s going to happen with Misty? Can I talk to her before you arrest her? To, I don’t know, explain things or something? She’s always been there for me.”
“You can’t be there for the arrest, but you can see her after she’s been interviewed.”