Fugitive at Large

TARGETED

When bounty hunter Jessica Knight interrupts a convenience-store robbery, walking away isn’t an option. Especially when the robber—a violent fugitive wanted for murder—chooses Jessica as his next target. To make matters worse, the detective digging into the case is Ryan Spencer…her former partner. As they investigate this new crime together, Jessica and Ryan find connections to the double homicide that ended their partnership. If they can put the pieces together in time, an innocent man will be freed. But if they’re too late, their own murders will be the killer’s next crimes.

Bounty Hunters: Finding justice one fugitive at a time

“Jessica, yesterday I thought I was going to a store to make sure my brother was okay. Since then, what was thought to be a robbery has snowballed into something that appears to be much deeper. I have to find out what’s going on.”

“How are you going to do that?” she asked.

He thought for a moment before he responded. “I think I’ll take a few days’ leave and poke around on my own. See what I can turn up.”

She pushed out of her chair. “Well, I wish you luck. Let me know if I can help in any way.”

He stood and faced her. “You can. How about working with me for a few days?”

She stared at him as if he’d lost his mind. “You can’t be serious.”

“I am. After all, Lee Tucker is a fugitive and you’re a bounty hunter.”

She stared into his eyes without blinking. “Ryan, I don’t know…”

He reached for her hand and clasped it in his. “Please, Jessica. It’ll be like old times. The two of us working on a case. What do you say? Want to be my partner again?”

SANDRA ROBBINS is an award-winning, multipublished author of Christian fiction who lives with her husband in Tennessee. Without the support of her wonderful husband, four children and five grandchildren it would be impossible for her to write. It is her prayer that God will use her words to plant seeds of hope in the lives of her readers so they may come to know the peace she draws from her life.

Fugitive

at Large

Sandra Robbins

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.

—Ecclesiastes 4:9–10

To Fran for all her encouragement

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

About the Author

Title Page

Bible Verse

Dedication

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

Dear Reader

Extract

Copyright

ONE

Being caught in a convenience-store robbery wasn’t what Jessica Knight had expected when she stopped to get a soft drink. But from the panicked voices at the front of the store she thought that was exactly what was happening.

“What do you think you’re doing, man?” Fear and disbelief combined in the shrill voice that drifted toward her from the direction of the checkout counter.

“I said give me the money in the cash register.”

“Please, mister, just take it easy with that gun before somebody gets hurt.” Jessica recognized the frightened voice of the young man who’d waited on her the past few times she’d stopped at the store.

“I’ll take it easy when I have the money. Now put all the money in that bag,” the robber snarled.

As of yet, the thief had no idea she was in the store, but that was about to change. She carefully closed the open door of the soft-drink display case and unzipped her heavy jacket. Her fingers curled around the gun holstered at her waist as she pulled it free.

Her mind whirled in indecision. What was her greatest chance of stopping the robbery in progress without anyone getting hurt? Shoot first and hope for the best, or try to talk the guy into surrendering his weapon? Whatever she decided, she had to act before somebody got shot or, worse, killed. It was time to make a move.

So much for staying hidden at the end of the aisle. She took a tentative step toward the front of the store. She knew the layout as well as she did that of her own apartment. The potato-chip display at the end of the aisle wasn’t going to offer much protection from a bullet once she stepped into view. Better to surprise the thief before he had the chance to take a shot at her.

She gripped the gun with both hands and tiptoed farther forward, conscious of being absolutely silent. At the end of the aisle, she took a deep breath and peered toward the cash register about fifteen feet away. Behind the counter the pale clerk kept his eyes on the robber as he pulled bills from the cash register and stuffed them in a bag he held. The robber kept the gun trained on the young man as he reached up and pulled the ball cap he wore lower on his forehead.

A customer, possibly a college student from the campus nearby, stood in front of the counter with his hands raised. His fingers trembled. Scared out of his wits, no doubt. The hammering of her heart told her he wasn’t the only one frightened.

The clerk swallowed hard and pushed the bag across the counter toward the gunman. “That’s it unless you want the coins, too.”