“Stay down,” Noah said, pushing her behind him. Maddy huddled close to his back, holding on to his utility belt, shivering at the realization they were vulnerable here, near the back edge of the building.
She’d known something was off, but hadn’t expected this.
Another shot rang out and the truck’s windshield shattered into millions of pieces. Noah’s partner didn’t move, but there was a large pool of blood on the ground around him and she suspected the poor guy was dead.
Maddy’s heart was lodged in her throat. “We need to get out of here,” she whispered. She knew it wouldn’t take the gunman long to figure out they were hiding in the shadows of the small structure. “We don’t know where the threat is coming from.”
For several long moments, he didn’t say anything. “I believe the gunman is up on the hill.” Noah’s soft voice held a steady calmness she envied. “Let’s stay here in the shadows for a moment.”
She drew her coat up over her face and twisted around to look up at the snow-covered hill looming above the parking lot. Her stomach knotted, because if Noah was right, they had to assume that being up so high gave the gunman the advantage. He would see them if they left their hiding place to run toward the boat.
But what choice did they have? For all they knew, the gunman wasn’t alone. He could sit up there picking them off while sending someone else down to find them.
“Okay, here’s the plan,” Noah whispered. “The minute I return fire, we run for the boat. I want you to use a zigzag pattern while trying to stay directly in front of me so I can protect you.”
Maddy didn’t like leaving Noah exposed, but nodded, trying to take comfort in the fact he was wearing a bulletproof vest. “Okay.”
“If anything happens to me, I want you to keep going for the boat. Use the radio and call the Coast Guard and insist on being connected with either Miles or Matthew Callahan. They’re both cops with the MPD. Don’t talk to anyone else until one of your brothers shows up. Understand?”
Two brothers? He’d mentioned one earlier at the hospital, but two? And they were both cops? Somehow, that part didn’t surprise her. Maybe that was why she’d subconsciously recognized Noah’s uniform.
“All right,” she whispered. “But here’s the deal. I don’t want anything to happen to you, either. We’re both going to get out of this alive, understand?”
Noah flashed a grim smile, then waited for another long moment, the night air eerily silent. Maddy wanted so badly to leave this place, wishing they’d never come here. Or that they’d called Noah’s partner here. What if the gunman was making his way toward them right now?
She wrestled the panic under control, sending up a silent prayer for assistance.
Dear Lord, protect us from harm!
The boom from Noah’s gun was so unexpectedly loud, her ears rang and the pounding headache intensified. But she didn’t let that stop her. Instantly, she whirled and ran around the corner of the structure. Moving as fast as she dared, she ran across the open space, heading toward the boat bobbing up and down in the water.
She could feel Noah behind her. Knowing he was placing his life on the line to protect her made her run faster. Gunfire rang out behind them and she swallowed a sob, jutting one way, then the other in an attempt to make it more difficult for the gunman to hit them.
“Oomph,” Noah muttered.
“Are you hit?” She wanted to turn around to see what was wrong.
“I’m fine, keep going,” he whispered.
The pier was growing closer. She juked left, then abruptly turned right. Ten yards. Five. She pushed for more speed, leaping onto the pier and then diving into the boat.
Thankfully Noah was right behind her, stopping long enough to remove the lines keeping them connected to the dock. Without waiting for him to tell her, she went to the pilothouse and started up the engine.
“Go!” Noah shouted, jumping into the bow of the boat just as another round of gunfire echoed through the night.
She didn’t need to be told twice. Hoping she didn’t wreck the boat engine doing something she shouldn’t, she pulled the throttle into Reverse. The boat shot away from the shoreline, rocking dangerously on the water.
Praying the bullets wouldn’t render the boat useless, she did her best to get control so she could command the boat farther out into the center of the lake. A few minutes later, Noah came over to join her.
“We need to go farther south,” he said, reaching around her to turn the wheel, pointing the boat southeast.
“What if the gunman follows?” she asked, grateful they’d managed to escape.
Noah kept his hands on the wheel, his arms bracketing her on both sides, and she was comforted by his strong, reassuring presence. “Don’t worry, we’ll stay far enough from shore that they’ll soon lose sight of us.”
She hoped he was right. Turning her head, she looked up at him. His face was set in grim lines. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
He didn’t answer right away, and she belatedly realized he was grieving over his partner.
“I’m sorry about your partner,” she said softly. “We need to call the authorities, send them to the Racine Marina. Maybe he’s still alive.”
Noah shook his head. “He was hit in the chest and went down like a rock. I doubt he was wearing his vest. I should have warned him...” His voice trailed off.
She covered his hand on the wheel with hers. “You didn’t know there was a gunman hiding on the hill.”
Noah didn’t respond and she could tell that he was beating himself up over his partner’s death.
“If this is anyone’s fault, it’s mine,” she tried again. “The only reason you called him is because you were stuck protecting me. I’m the real target here, right? This Pietro guy is after me.”
He glanced down at her, and she wondered if it was just her imagination or if there was a softness in his expression now. “Yes, but trust me, Pietro would love nothing more than to kill me, too. In fact, there’s a chance he’s put a price on the head of anyone who helped get him arrested.”
Maddy swallowed hard, trying not to show her horror. It was bad enough that she and Noah were in immediate danger from this man, but knowing there might be other targets he was going after made it much, much worse.
She needed her memory to return. Before more innocent lives were lost.
* * *
Noah ignored the pain spreading throughout the right side of his back. As long as he could move, he wasn’t going to waste time stopping to inspect the damage.
The vest he was wearing had saved his life, and Maddy’s, too.
But not Jackson’s. The image of his partner threatened to send him to his knees and guilt choked him.
When would the deaths stop?
The boat lurched to the side, and he realized he’d loosened his grip on the wheel. This wasn’t the time to feel sorry for himself. He needed to stay focused, to clear his thoughts. To find a way to keep Maddy safe.
Nothing would bring his partner back. All he could do was keep moving forward. Find a way to bring Pietro’s henchman, if that’s who was behind all this, which was the only thing that made sense, to justice.
But his partner’s unexpected shooting begged the question about how the gunman had found them in the first place? Had Jackson’s phone been bugged? Or had his partner been followed to the marina? If the guy who’d rammed them into the lake was working for Pietro and had figured out Noah’s name, it stood to reason that they’d assume he’d go to Jackson for help. The gunman might have staked out Jackson’s place and when he figured out they were headed for the marina, went over to pick his spot on the hill.
Was it possible someone from within law enforcement was involved? As soon as the idea entered Noah’s head, he pushed it away.
No, he wasn’t going there. Besides, he had no evidence that these attempts against Maddy were the result of an inside job.
Maddy settled back against him. He told himself not to read into her gesture; she was likely freezing cold and seeking warmth. Even if she one day decided to forgive him for causing her twin brother’s injury, there would never be anything but friendship between them.
He didn’t do relationships. Losing his sister and then Gina had taught him that love hurt. He wasn’t about to open himself up to that again, and especially not with Matt’s twin sister. She was off-limits in every way.
The cinnamon scent of her hair was distracting and he kept his eyes on the water, making sure there weren’t any vehicles that seemed to be tailing them.
Should he turn around and head back to Milwaukee?
He considered the cities and towns north of Milwaukee. There were a few areas that would serve as a good hiding place.
But there was the temperature to consider. Maddy had already been exposed to the elements for too long. Dr. Hawkins had told him she needed rest and relaxation. The sooner he could find them a safe place to spend what was left of the night, the better.
Heading north was out of the question, so he focused on finding a place that was within walking distance of the southern shore of the lakefront.
Easier said than done.
Maddy shivered, accentuating the need to get her someplace safe and warm. He eyed the fuel gauge. Was there enough to take them to Chicago? Then again, maybe just getting across the Illinois border would help.
Five minutes passed, then ten. He was beginning to give up hope of finding anything close by when he caught a glimpse of a neon sign.
Vacancy.
Perfect. But where was the motel? Objects in the distance could look deceiving. What appeared close was likely farther away than he’d like.
He cranked the wheel, pointing the bow of their boat toward shore. The vacancy sign grew brighter and he was relieved to see that the small structure was adjacent to what looked like a truck stop.
Sweeping his gaze over the area, he stumbled across a small boathouse next to a pier. It looked private, but he didn’t care. They needed safe access to shore, and from there he would let the boat drift away, hopefully taking anyone working for Pietro far away from their hiding spot.
Maddy didn’t say anything as he steered the boat toward shore. In fact, she took over the wheel, leaving him to guide the vessel to the pier, as if they’d done this together a hundred times, instead of just once.
“Now,” he called. The engine immediately went into Reverse and he looped the line over the pylon. “Cut the engine.”
She did. Within seconds, she joined him in the bow.
“Take my hand,” he instructed, hiding a wince when his back muscles screamed in protest.
Maddy stumbled, her movements sluggish, and he knew hypothermia was beginning to set in. They didn’t have any time to waste. He needed to get her inside the warmth of a building as soon as possible.
“Come on, Maddy, we’re almost there,” he urged, taking more of her weight so that he could get her onto solid ground. When she was standing on the pier beside him, he quickly lifted the line off the pylon and gave the boat a firm shove with his foot.
“Wh-what are y-you doing?” He took it as a good sign that her teeth were chattering again. At least her body was still attempting to stay warm.
He needed her to fight for just a little longer.
“If Pietro’s men are watching, they’ll hopefully assume we’re still on board.” He wrapped his arm around her waist. “The motel isn’t far, see the vacancy sign? Warmth is just a few yards away.”
“I—I see—it.”
Was it his imagination or were her words coming slower and more slurred? He urged her forward, anxious to get to their destination. Dividing his attention between Maddy’s precarious health and searching for signs of danger, he took the shortest possible route to the motel.
The lobby of the motel was dark except for a small lamp he could see at the front desk. As they approached, he didn’t see anyone standing there and when he tested the door, it was locked.
Since the truck stop café was open and likely serving coffee, he gestured to it. “We’ll stop in there, get something hot to drink.”
This time she didn’t respond and it appeared she was having a hard time putting one foot in front of the other. The light shining from the café was like a beacon.
After what seemed like forever, but was less than a few minutes, they reached the building. He opened the door and practically shoved Maddy inside. When the door closed behind him, the interior warmth hit him like a welcoming embrace. He found himself closing his eyes and praying.
Thank You, Lord, for giving me the strength to get Maddy to safety.
As they dropped into the closest open booth, it struck him that praying for Maddy was instinctive and much easier than praying for himself.
* * *
Maddy cradled the mug of hot chocolate in her hands, taking tiny sips to warm her belly. She hadn’t realized just how cold she’d been until she’d stumbled into the warmth of the café.
She glanced over at Noah, who was sitting beside her, rather than across the table. Maybe it was her imagination but she thought she could feel warmth radiating from his hand that was resting on her knee.
Shivers racked her body, which made it difficult to drink the chocolate. In some tiny corner of her mind, she understood how dangerously close she’d been to succumbing to hypothermia.
“Thank you, Noah,” she whispered.
He stiffened. “You shouldn’t be thanking me,” he said in a flat tone.
“Yes, I should. Without your help, I’m fairly certain I’d already be dead,” she said, knowing she owed her life to this man, this officer who’d put his own life on the line to protect her. “I wish I remembered—well, everything, but especially you. I’m sure we were friends before this.”
Noah shrugged. “Friends might be pushing it. We were acquaintances, nothing more.” He cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable with the topic. “Since we’re here, we may as well order breakfast. When the motel opens up, we’ll grab a room.”
She couldn’t bear to let go of the steaming mug long enough to open the menu, so she rested her cheek against Noah’s shoulder and looked at his. “I’ll have a veggie omelet and a side of hash browns.”
A wry grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. “You still don’t eat much meat, do you?”
That observation made her frown. Had she ordered the veggies because of a buried memory? And if so, were there other memories that might begin surfacing? She sincerely hoped so. “I guess not,” she said. “Is there anything else you know about me? You mentioned two brothers, earlier. Do I have parents, too?”
Their server chose that moment to approach their table, refilling Noah’s coffee mug and asking if they were ready to order.
Noah ordered a sausage-and-mushroom omelet rather than the veggie, but they both requested hash-brown potatoes as their side. After the woman hustled away, he turned to look at Maddy, his deep brown eyes, the color of melted chocolate, serious.
“You have a large family, Maddy. Five brothers, a mother and grandmother. Your father was killed in the line of duty almost two years ago. If you want me to call your brothers, I will. I don’t like the idea of using an unsecured phone in the motel, but if that’s what you want, we’ll find a way to make it work.”
A large family? Her breath caught in her chest. How was it that she’d completely forgotten everyone in her family? A mother? Brothers? Grandmother? It didn’t make any sense.
Thinking made her head ache. “I don’t know what to do,” she confessed softly. Logically it would make sense for Noah to call her brothers, handing her over into their care, but the idea of leaving him to go off with men she didn’t know wasn’t appealing. Granted, he’d been a stranger at first, but now she felt comfortable with him.
Scary how much she’d come to depend on Noah.
“Listen, let’s eat, get some sleep and see how you feel in a few hours,” he suggested. “It’s still pretty early. No reason to raise the alarm right now, and maybe by then your memory will have returned.”
She nodded, trying to ignore the lingering headache. “That sounds good to me. I’d rather not risk anything happening to my family, the way—” She stopped just short of mentioning his partner.
Noah’s expression turned grim. “Then we’re in agreement,” he said. He gently squeezed her knee, then removed his hand. She immediately missed the warmth of his touch.
The food arrived with surprising speed. Maddy bowed her head and murmured a quick prayer before digging into her breakfast. By the time they’d finished their respective meals, and a second hot chocolate, Maddy noticed the main lights had been turned on at the motel across the street.
She’d finally stopped shivering, and she didn’t relish the thought of heading back out into the biting cold, even for a short trip across the road. Yet sitting in the booth made her realize how exhausted she was. Her eyelids drooped and she wished she could lean again on Noah.
“Ready?” Noah asked, as she drained the last of her second hot chocolate. He’d paid the server in cash, leaving a nice tip.
“Sure.” She forced a smile.
He slid out of the booth first, then offered her his hand. She took it, glancing up at his face as he helped her stand. A flash of pain darkened his eyes, making her frown.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked. From what she could tell, he wasn’t bleeding anywhere.
“Of course.” He didn’t say anything more, and she shrugged it off, thinking her tired mind was playing tricks on her.
He opened the café door for her and she sucked in a harsh breath as the biting cold hit her face. Instantly the shivers returned.
“I’m here, and we’ll be inside again soon,” Noah said, wrapping his arm around her waist.
She nodded and fixated her gaze on the single light in the lobby and the loops of garland hanging around the window. Within moments they were inside, sheltered from the icy wind.
Noah requested two adjoining rooms and used his badge to convince the manager to allow him to pay in cash.
The rooms were nothing fancy, but clean. Noah knocked on their connecting door, so she went over to unlock her side.
“I know you need privacy, but humor me by leaving your side unlocked and ajar, okay? Just in case.”
After everything that had transpired over the last several hours, she knew his request was more than reasonable. “Of course.”
“Get some rest,” he said with a gentle smile.
“You, too.” She left her door open an inch, then quickly washed up in the bathroom. When she returned, she heard a muffled groan from next door.
“Noah?” She pushed open the connecting door. Noah was wearing a white T-shirt and was bending over to pick up the bulletproof vest from the floor.
“It’s nothing,” he said, but the paleness of his skin and the beads of sweat gathering at his temples belied his words.
She crossed over and took the vest from his hands, running her fingers over the surface. The gear was heavier than she’d expected and it didn’t take but a moment to find the bullet lodged three inches to the right of center.
She felt her own color draining from her face at the evidence she was staring at with her own eyes. A bullet. Smashed beyond recognition embedded in the material. Noah had almost died tonight, protecting her. If he hadn’t been wearing his vest...
The consequences were unthinkable. She barely knew Noah Sinclair, didn’t remember anything about him, or her own history, but at this moment she couldn’t imagine her life without him.