“What’s the alternative? Wait for me to shoot her?”
“The alternative is for you to release her and put your hands up so no one gets hurt.”
Toby laughed, but the sound was almost manic. “I’m not going to prison.”
“I’m afraid that other than a bullet to your head, that’s your only option.”
A single second passed before Toby suddenly pulled the pistol from her head and started to point it at Noah.
Addie immediately shoved his arm straight up into the air and dropped.
That’s when Noah fired, hitting Toby in the skull.
Jesse appeared in the window, gun raised, but he wasn’t needed.
Toby crashed to the floor and Noah was across the room in seconds, wrapping Addie in his arms.
“Shit, Addison, you scared the hell out of me! Are you okay?”
She dug her head into the crook of his neck. “I am now.”
He tightened his arms around her. She was alive. Safe. He wasn’t too late.
Finally, he could breathe again.
CHAPTER 31
Addie sat still at the desk in the office as the paramedic did all his checks. Every so often, he asked her a question or directed her to look somewhere or take a deep breath. She was so distracted, he often had to ask twice.
All she could think about, all shewantedto think about, was Noah.
He stood near the doorway in the front area, talking to Jesse and Colt. Every few seconds, his eyes found her, running over her body, like he was checking to make sure she was okay and safe.
The day was a blur, everything from finding her birth date on the back of that photo to Toby pressing the muzzle of a gun to her head…none of it felt real.
“Okay, all done.”
She looked at the paramedic. “Can I go home?”
Noah appeared beside them, his intense gray eyes flicking from her to the paramedic. “Finished?”
The paramedic stood. “Yes. A mild concussion and some bruising and scratches.” He looked back at her. “You need to be woken every couple hours throughout the night, just to make sure symptoms aren’t getting worse.”
Noah nodded. “I can do that.”
“Good. If symptoms worsen—like nausea, severe headache, or confusion—please go to the emergency room.”
She swallowed. “I will.”
The second the paramedic left, Noah crouched in front of her. “How do you feel?”
“Tired.” Ha, tired barely touched the surface of how she felt. She wasexhausted. The adrenaline crash had hit her about thirty minutes ago, and it had hit hard.
He slipped a piece of hair behind her ear. There was pain in his eyes. And anger and frustration and so many other emotions. “I hate what happened today.”
“Me too. And there’s still so much to sort out. Jules. Cass. Oh God—Cass.” She straightened. “Did anyone find her?”
“Just now. They’re bringing her up to the parking lot to take her down to the station. We can wait until we know she’s gone before leaving, if you want?”
