Laura Scott - Christmas Amnesia

“I know, I’m sorry, but I’m in a jam. Can you meet me down at the Racine Marina?”

“Now? Seriously? Is it important?”

“Yes.”

Long silence, then, “Yeah, okay. Give me fifteen minutes.”

“Thank you.” He replaced the receiver then checked the door. A giant padlock hung through the latch, so he gave up and crawled back out the window. Maddy was huddled against the building, her arms crossed and her chin ducked into the collar of her coat.

After taking the computer case from her, he didn’t hesitate to gather her into his arms. “Jackson will be here soon. I need you to hang in there for a little while longer, okay?”

“I—I can’t get warm,” she whispered.

“I know.” He rubbed his hands up and down her back, hoping to ward off the possibility of hypothermia. She had a winter coat on, but no hat or gloves or decent boots. No wonder she was shivering. He tucked her head into his shoulder and tried not to be distracted by the cinnamon scent of her hair.

If Matt knew what a terrible job Noah was doing in protecting Maddy, he’d be furious. Which made him wonder why Matt hadn’t called him back. The only thing he could imagine that would keep Matt from returning his call was if he was out on a case. Of course now that his phone was in the bottom of the lake, it didn’t matter much.

He should have mentioned Maddy being in danger; then for sure nothing would have stopped Matt from returning his call. But back when he’d made that initial contact, he hadn’t realized just how serious Maddy’s situation was.

For a moment, Noah debated going back inside the building to make another call to Matt, but decided against it. He didn’t want to leave Maddy alone and Jackson would be here soon. He could easily borrow his partner’s phone to make the call. This time, Noah would be sure to give Matt the specifics on how many attempts had been made on Maddy’s life.

“Headlights,” Maddy whispered, her body going tense, her breath warm against his throat.

“I’m sure it’s Jackson,” he assured her. They stood in the shadow of the building, a spot that provided them a broad view of the parking lot while keeping them hidden. He knew his partner drove a large pickup, so he waited until the vehicle pulled into a parking space to make sure. Yep, the truck looked familiar, so he felt certain Jackson was the one behind the wheel.

Sure enough, the driver-side door sprung open, revealing a short redheaded guy. Jackson climbed out and stood for a moment, glancing around expectantly, his expression irritated that Noah wasn’t anywhere in sight.

He released Maddy and tried to step away, but she tightened her grip. “No, wait. I don’t like this.”

“That’s my partner,” he reminded her. “I’m sure we’ll be fine.”

“Noah, please...” Her voice trailed off.

“We don’t have another option,” he told her. “We need to get someplace warm.”

She hesitated for a moment, then capitulated. “All right.”

Before they could step out from the shadows, there was a loud crack and Jackson Dellis crumpled to the ground in a heap.

Noah sucked in a harsh breath, horrified to see his partner shot before his eyes, thinking, Not again, not again! But then he focused on protecting Maddy, dragging her deeper into the shadows, trying to comprehend what had happened.

Their only escape route had been effectively cut off, leaving them stranded at the mercy of a hidden shooter.

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