“Nooooooo!!!” Honor screamed in agony, jerking back from Tanner’s hand as if she’d been scalded. “Nononononooooooo!” she wailed as the evil man that had abused her rattled out one last dying breath as she lunged for him again, beating her small fists against his useless body as his eyes slowly became vacant and unseeing. “Oh, God, nooooo,” Honor wailed one last time before her body swayed to the side, falling into Zeke’s strong arms.
Watching powerlessly as her fragile sister dissolved before her eyes, Harmony felt tears pour down her own cheeks as a sob clawed its way up her throat, only dimly aware when Jake wrapped his arms around her from behind and curled her against his warm chest. Even in his death, her ex-husband had found a way to torture them all. Staring at Honor as she keened in Ezekiel’s embrace, she saw the man wrap his arms protectively around Honor and lift her in his arms as he stood up, holding her high against his chest.
“Gettin’ Honor out of here and to the hospital,” Zeke growled, holding the tiny woman in his arms against his chest like she was the most precious treasure on Earth. “I don’t give a fuck what you do with that piece of shit, but, you get him the hell out of my town,” he continued, jerking his head toward Diego as his eyes bored into Luis/Dante. “Whether it happens in a body bag or in the back of a squad car, that’s up to you, Jake,” Zeke added with an understanding look at Jacob. “Either way, he’s gone.” He stomped out, carrying an uncontrollably sobbing Honor out the back door and past where Slade, Ice and Margaret now stood.
Staring at her nearly destroyed sister, Harmony closed her eyes as Zeke carried her out. Opening her eyes, she looked up at Jake. “I want my daughter,” she whispered, meeting his worried eyes. “I want to go home.”
Nodding, Jake wrapped his arms around his woman and helped her back to her feet. “I’m gonna have Slade take you to her, darlin’. You’re gonna go get those cuts on your pretty neck seen to and go wait for me at home with our girl. As soon as I handle things here….”
Grabbing his arm, Harmony’s eyes widened. “No, this is over. Tanner’s dead. He’s finally in hell where he belongs. We’re going home together!”
Cupping her cheeks in his warm hands, Jake nodded before he tipped his head down and pressed a kiss to the center of his forehead. “He is, darlin’. And I’m so proud of you for keeping it together until I got here. I love you more than anything in the world, but my sister’s murderer is standing right there,” he continued with a curt nod toward where Diego stood beside Dante, the bead of Ice’s sniper rifle on his chest. “I have to deal with that. I have to deal with him. Been waiting two decades to do that.”
“Jake,” Dante interrupted irritably, “I already told you, Diego is workin’ with the DEA. He’s one of our assets. I know what you want, man, but there’s no way in hell I can stand here while you pull some vigilante bullshit!”
“From where I’m standing,” Ice stated coldly from his position in the doorway, rifle poised in his capable hands, “You don’t have much choice. Piss me off and he’ll be dead before you take your next breath.”
Stepping in front of Diego, the red bead appeared on Dante’s chest just above his hear. “You’ll have to take me out first,” Luis warned. “Can you handle putting down a man that fights on the same side you do?”
“Jake,” Harmony called, frantically tugging at Jake’s stiff arm. “There are things you don’t know! I swear, he’s not guilty of what you think he’s guilty of doing,” she added with a desperate look at a blank faced Diego. “Say something! Tell him the truth! Tell him what you told me!”
“He won’t believe me, Harmony,” Diego replied heavily, his eyes kind as they looked at her. “Perhaps, this is what I deserve.”
“No!” Harmony denied sharply, wriggling to stand between Jake and Diego. Grabbing both sides of Jake’s face, she tilted his head down until he met her eyes. “He didn’t kill your sister, Jake. I love you, and you know I’d never lie to you about something so important after everything we’ve been through together. That man over there is not a good guy by any stretch of the imagination; I know that,” she said forcefully, jabbing her finger in Diego’s direction. “But, he did everything he could do to keep Honor and me both safe today. He took our backs with Tanner. One of his bullets is in that bastard’s belly. And most importantly, he did NOT murder your sister! His father did, and he’s worked hard to bring that bastard down. He’s still trying, Jake. I promise, I’ll explain everything in detail later, but for now, let him go with Dante or Luis or whatever he’s calling himself now. Please?” she begged, willing him to believe her.