“Don’t move!” Deputy Bree Carrington aimed her newly issued Glock 22 fifteen-round semiautomatic pistol at three men standing in the twenty-four-foot fishing boat.

Though she had the authority of the law behind her, and had trained for a day such as this, her palms slicked and heart pounded.

Inside, she shook.

Still, she allowed her training to kick in, keeping her weapon aimed and level. She never wanted to have to use it, but a sick feeling stirred in her gut—today could be the day when she would have no choice. She pointed the Glock at the three muscled men wearing scowls. Men who made the boat look too small. Men who carried more powerful weapons than she did. Powerful and illegal.

If they got their hands on those...

Well, she couldn’t let that happen.

On this hotter-than-usual summer day, sweat beaded at her temples and back.

Next to her, Deputy Jayce McBride tethered the vessels together.

Bree and Jayce had been patrolling the river when she’d spotted them—just three men out on a boat whose motor had failed on them.

Bree had headed toward them to assist, though the men had insisted they needed no help. But it gave her an excuse to stop and check them out. That’s when they had tried to hide that they were transporting illegal arms—machine guns. One guy had grown twitchy and thought he could grab a weapon and take her out. She’d been faster and held them all at gunpoint. If she hadn’t, both she and Jayce would be dead.

Now to keep them alive.

That sick feeling continued to churn her insides. This wasn’t the way the day was supposed to go.

Minutes before they’d seen the boat in distress, she’d been planning to turn around. It was Stevie’s birthday. He was turning five. She and Dad had planned a party.

Jayce, along with his wife of two years, Cindy, and their baby, Taylor, were coming, too.

Instead, she and Jayce were facing off with men who would kill them without a thought.

A chill crawled over her. These criminals had cold, brutal eyes. They were the kind she had never seen before in her line of work in Coldwater Bay. They didn’t have the expected look of fear or dread when confronted by law enforcement. Specifically, marine division deputies.

“You two—” she gestured toward the broken outboard motor “—get down on your knees and put your hands on your head.”

Jayce would have to step between the unsteady boats.

It wouldn’t take much for these guys to shake things up. Rock the boat. Jump into the river that was trying to carry their anchored boat away.

Jayce stepped across and then positioned himself behind the remaining man standing. Cuffed his hands behind his back. Carefully, Jayce ushered him across to the sheriff’s department boat and re-cuffed him to the rail so he couldn’t go anywhere.

Meanwhile, Bree kept her weapon aimed at the other two. She’d contacted Dispatch to report their status and tell them that she and Jayce were bringing the men in. She hadn’t asked for backup. Backup wouldn’t help them in this situation, so far from reinforcements. There were only five full-time marine division deputies, and one of them was off duty today. The other two were on the other side of the county.

She kept her

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