Page 116 of Long Road Home

He grabbed the door handle, a beanie over his hair now. “You think there’s a chance this trap is for me?” Stan Tilley would have a clearer run at her if the FBI agent hunting him was out of the way.

“You think there’s a chance I’m going to let anything happen to you?” Now he knew why they were sticking together. It just wasn’tonlyabout him hanging from that hook.

Jax grinned. “You’re so romantic.”

He shoved the door open, and she got hit with a blast of cold air. Kenna finished tugging on her glovesand got out on her side. She met him at the trunk of her car, and they loaded up. She didn’t want to have to hold a gun for an extended period, so she opted for a holster that attached to the Velcro on the front of the vest over her sweater.

Coat open.

Hat on.

Not ideal, but there was also no point being caught outside with no coat after dark in northern Wisconsin with the wind blowing and another six inches of snowfall in the forecast.

She’d put warmers in her boots, and had extras in her coat pockets, but that wouldn’t keep the rest of her from freezing.

How was Forrest?

The quicker they got in there, the better, as far as Kenna was concerned. But they needed to be concerned about an ambush or some kind of trap. As of yet, she didn’t know if this was Stan’s doing or Jennifer’s.

Or both.

There was a terrifying thought.

Kenna heard another set of car doors open behind them and waved over the two men who climbed out. Alonzo and Theo were geared up like hunters. While Alonzo had brand-new gear, and a distinct limp that told her he might’ve needed crutches, Theo’s outfit looked worn and broken in, as though rescue missions were a regular hobby. Neither looked like they were at a hundred percent physically, so this was pretty much a ragtag team of exhausted, banged-up heroes.

“So these are your friends.” Jax came over and shook both men’s hands.

“Their wives are in my book club.” For some reason, she thought back to their conversation about her difficulties with relating to women.

“This your boyfriend?” Theo lifted his chin in a nod.

They introduced themselves while wind blew against her, the sides of her coat flapping around. “Let’s go, it’s cold.”

Kenna kept one pistol in the holster in her vest, which left her hands free until she neared the back door and slid it out. Checked it.

Jax glanced at her.

She nodded.

“We’ll meet you in there,” Theo called over his shoulder. He and Alonzo tromped through the snow toward the other door.

Jax eased the handle down and pushed the door open but didn’t go in. He waited. When the door stopped he nudged it open with his boot and checked the area inside before he took that first step.

Kenna held her breath the entire time. She glanced back to make sure no one had come up behind them.

And followed him into the church.

Chapter Thirty-Six

The sanctuary was shrouded in a darkness that didn’t seem natural. A shaft of moonlight lit the carpet and a stretch of wood-backed pews. No Forrest.

Kenna took one side of the room, Jax the other. They had to sweep every row. There hadn’t been anyone in the hallway on the west side, which acted as a side exit. In order to reach the offices, a person had to walk through this expansive room that seemed to echo with silence.

She stopped just short of the door in the corner and waited. Jax finished on his side, and she pointed at the door.

He nodded.

Kenna waited until he’d crossed most of the way to her and proceeded through the door. She knew parts of this building, but not all of it. There was both an attic and a basement as far as she could tell—the fellowship hall was downstairs. This time of the afternoon there might be lots of people here, using the space. Except that the pastor had been killed, and the weather kept most home. No one wanted to be stuck out in the freezing.