Chapter 71

Jesse felt a swell of relief as Derek settled in his cruiser. He knew the whole ordeal was far from over. They still needed to gather enough evidence to press charges on Xavier and Cristi, at the least. Then there was the trial, and the fear that Xavier had enough influence and money to get out of the trial. But he knew Derek would do everything by the book, and his own contribution was over. From here on in, everything was out of his hands, and he had to be happy that he did his best.

That they all did their best. He was so proud of both Gideon and Emma. Especially Emma. She had been in a hard place, but she made the right decision.

Gideon had bent to talk to Derek, but straightened as he pulled away, leaving them alone in the parking lot. Jesse walked over to his side with a deep sigh. “You ever notice how our plans rarely go as well as we envision?”