Regardless of what happened, how did she approach Owen? He would feel betrayed if she didn’t talk to him about Leif, yet how did she tell him those sordid details? Did he even know that Leif had been killed? This incident could crush him when he was beginning to build a new life here.
Her throat tightened. She had the distinct impression the world was closing in around her.
No lights were on in the house yet.
Oh, Owen. She wanted to reach out to him.
But she couldn’t face him. Not yet. Now was as good a time as any to head back to her apartment for a few days, if not giving up her temporary stay at Gramps’s entirely. To think she’d only recently decided to move into the ranch house permanently. Life kept changing the rules on her.
She started the vehicle. God, help me. What do I do?
Someone pounded on the passenger-side window, and she yelped.
“Owen?” She unlocked the door.
He got in. “Can we just drive?”
“Why? What’s going on?” Dread flooded her.
“I need to get out of here.” His eyes were pleading, his tone desperate.
“I don’t know if we should.”
“Terra, I’m your brother. Please ... just drive.”
His own vehicle was parked there—why didn’t he take that?
“Okay, then.” She steered from the house, down the long drive, and stopped where the drive intersected with the county road.
“Drive away from town, please,” he said.
You’re scaring me. “What’s going on?”
“Two deputies came by the house last night really late. I was up, so I stepped outside. I didn’t want to wake Gramps.”
“And?”
“Don’t act like you don’t know. They were looking for Leif and wanted to know if I knew where he was. Why don’t you tell me what’s going on?”
Okay, that was it. Terra swerved to the side of the road and shifted into park. She drew in a few calming breaths. “Leif shot at us, Owen. He used an assault weapon and...” Her voice closed up. She swallowed, breathed, and found it again. “I barely escaped with my life, Owen. Jack ... he’s in the hospital. He was shot.”
Owen gasped. “Is he—”
“He’s going to be okay. But we both could have died.”
“Terra, I had no idea.” Anguish filled his words. “The deputies didn’t mention any of this, only that Leif had evaded officers and was considered armed and dangerous. I was worried about you when you didn’t come home. You texted that you were all right and nothing more.”
Owen leaned over and hugged her hard and tight. “I’m glad you’re alive. I can’t believe any of this.”
“It’s okay. I’m okay.” She eased away from him. How did she tell him the rest? “Owen ... Leif didn’t make it. He’s dead. I don’t ... I don’t know the details.”
Owen hung his head. She gave him a few moments to absorb the news. He blew out a few breaths.
“In the message you left,” he finally said, “you warned me that Leif could be dangerous, but you told me none of this. You didn’t share those details about what happened because”—Owen’s eyes narrowed—“because you’re not sure that I’m not involved.” Hurt and anger edged his tone.
“No, Owen. That’s not it. I know you are not involved. I know that. But I had to be careful what I said to you because I’m part of this investigation. Or ... I was.”
He released a heavy sigh and leaned back against the seat, deflated.